CHURCH NEWS - September 2010
September 2010
Dear Friends,
It’s August, but my lawn is already littered with horse-chestnut leaves which have fallen early because of infection from the leaf-miner moth. I read in the papers that Russia is seriously short of wheat because of prolonged drought, whilst the television news is dominated by distressing pictures of the violent floods affecting millions of people in Pakistan. I’m sure you could point me to other ecological disasters, which seem to be happening with more and more sickening frequency.
In his book ‘Jesus and the Earth’ the Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt. Rev’d James Jones likens earth’s population to passengers on a ship. On the de-luxe top deck people are living a relatively care-free life, with no shortage of choice foods, entertainment and diversions. On the lower decks and in the hold - in fact in the greater part of the ship - the overcrowded passengers have insufficient food and clothes, many are sick, infirm or dying. But many on the top deck are unaware of the situation, or if they are, choose to ignore it. An over simplistic picture maybe – but one that contains more than a grain of truth. So often these disasters happen to people who are far away from us and with whom we have little connection, so it is all too easy to ignore them. Yet we are all passengers on the great ship ‘earth’, all travelling to the same destination.
Which brings me to the Bishop’s Harvest Appeal. This year the focus is on the Teso region in Eastern Uganda, an area hit by devastating floods in 2007 killing 20,000 people and wiping out crops. Poor rains and drought followed in 2008-09 leaving thousands of people trying to survive on food aid, wild fruits and leaves. Despite these heartbreaking setbacks the Ugandan people are working hard to make progress – poverty levels are slowly reducing, more children are receiving primary education and the number of people infected by HIV/AIDS is declining. The Anglican Church in Eastern Uganda, working in partnership with Tearfund and other agencies, is active in establishing local farming groups - teaching people how to adapt to the changing climate by growing orange trees, onions, tomatoes, green beans and sweet potatoes.
Choosing to support the appeal is an easy small step for us, but one which will make a huge difference to our fellow passengers elsewhere. £10 will buy a pack of drought-resistant seeds to feed one household for a year; £20 will enable a young person to attend a five-day workshop, and £100 will buy a set of tools to set up a tree nursery. If you would like to help, you can make your donation at the Harvest Supper on Saturday 25th, at the Harvest Festival Service 10.00am on Sunday 26th, or just drop it in to the Rectory any time before that and I will ensure it goes directly to the Bishop’s Appeal Fund.
Christine.
The Prayer Group
What is the Prayer Group? It is made up of members of All Saints’ Church who undertake to pray regularly, on an individual basis, for people who ask us for prayer support.
Who do we pray for? Anyone whom we are asked to remember; these might be people from our church, from our local community or others known to us.
What do we pray about? Anything which you would like brought before God; maybe anxiety due to illness, stress or loneliness. You can also tell us of a special day you wish to be remembered – perhaps for an interview or an exam. Any information will be treated in strictest confidence.
How can you let us know if you would like us to pray for you? You can either telephone Christine (720234), or drop a note through the Rectory door, or complete a card (anonymously if you wish) and place it in a box kept near the church door. Prayer requests will be collected from the box each Sunday morning after the 10.00am service.
Christine
'Pilgrims' a group that meets twice a month for informal discussion about the Christian faith and related issues is due to restart in September. Please get in touch if you would be interested in joining us. Christine (tel:720234)
All Saints’ Amblers
All Saints’ Amblers meet outside the Bell, 9.45am on Saturday 18th September for a walk in the country followed by a pub lunch. Children and dogs on leads welcome to join us.
If this magazine reaches you before 1st September...
Chill out over the August Bank Holiday weekend – call in to ‘Café-in-the-Tower’ at All Saints’ Church between 2.30 and 5.30pm on 28th, 29th, and 30th August to sample a delicious range of cakes and cookies to go with your favourite cuppa. If you’re feeling fit, climb to the top of the tower for great views over the lovely Ouse valley.
Handbells – would you like to learn how to ring handbells? Come along to St. Peter’s Church, Harrold on Monday 6th September at 8.00pm to have fun and make music!
Meeting Point
September
8th 10.30am at Catherine’s, Manor Cottage, High St., Harrold.
22nd 10.30am at Eileen’s, 24 Church Hall Road, Rushden.
October
6th 10.30am at Christine’s, The Rectory, Church Lane.
Harvest weekend
25th and 26th September
Return of the Odell Scarecrows! A leaflet giving more information about this should be popping through your door soon. In the meantime … make a note of the date, 25th September. In addition to the scarecrow competition, Coffee & Croissants, Tea and Cakes will be served in the church from 10.00am-1.00pm and Cream Teas and other refreshments in the Village Hall from 1.00pm-5.00pm.
Also …. Harvest Supper served in the Village Hall at 7.30pm. Tickets are just £3 a head (£1 for school-age children) as this is a ‘bring and share’ event - please let Nikki Freeman or Jill Cheadle know by Thursday 23rd what food you can bring along. Licensed bar applied for … plus after supper entertainment from the Bozeat Windmill Singers!
Sunday 26th – Harvest Festival Service
10.00am All Saints’ Church. If you would like to donate gifts of harvest produce, packets or tins of food, please bring these to church on Saturday morning (25th) or deliver them to The Rectory beforehand. Afterwards these will be distributed to older residents in the village.
We will also be happy to receive any filled shoeboxes for the annual Belarus Christmas appeal at, or before the service.
Scenes from the Open Weekend -
All Saints‘Church, Odell
10th and 11th July
Lace Extravaganza
We were delighted when Derek and Jennifer Spencer agreed to set up a display of their lace and lace-making equipment at All Saints’ Church - and what a stunning display it was. Both Derek and Jennifer, who are 6th generation lace-makers and still making lace today, have produced between them hundreds of beautiful lace items, including pictures, wedding head-dresses and clothing, exquisite collars, tablecloths, runners, mats and bookmarks to name but a few. They dedicated this exhibition to Derek's grandmother, Louise Cooper, a former resident of Horsefair Lane, well-known for her excellent craftsmanship. Thank you Derek and Jennifer for sharing your lovely lace with us, and for your generous gifts towards the Tea-Point and Toilet project.
Derek and Jennifer Spencer giving Rev. Christine Clark the money from articles of lace sold over the weekend.
Teddy-Bear Drop - the same weekend saw many brave teddies dropping from the top of the church tower in their custom-made parachutes. Despite some anxious moment when the wind blew some onto the church roof or into the trees, all teddies eventually made a safe landing. Ellie Lee's teddy held the slowest descent record for most of the weekend (16.03 seconds), but was pipped at the post on the penultimate drop by Elizabeth Hulatt-Richardson's teddy who descended in a graceful 16.8 seconds.
Sponsored Bike ‘n Hike - Saturday 11th September 10am to 6pm
Have fun cycling or walking to churches and chapels in your
area and at the same time raise funds for your local church. The
Bike ‘n Hike
raises money through sponsorship, and by taking part, half the money you raise
will go to the church of your choice and the other half goes to the Trust to
offer grants for church repair projects. 
Beds and Herts Historic Churches Trust provides you with a sponsorship form and a list of participating churches and chapels. So whether you are a cyclist or a walker you can plan your own route and ask your friends, colleagues and relations to sponsor you so much for every church you visit.
There are over 600 churches participating in the event throughout Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire and last year £103,000 was raised from more than 1,000 cyclists and walkers and their generous sponsors. So why not join us and help save our local heritage.
For more information please contact: Mrs Marion Johnson, 01234 720542
Our Giving in September is to St Dunstan’s
St Dunstan’s is a UK charity which provides specialist training and assistance to enable blind ex-service men and women regain independence and optimism. As a ‘lifelong partner’, the charity teaches new skills, helps with housing problems and benefit claims, creates a thriving social and sporting network and gives the whole family all the support they need.
St. Mary the Virgin, Carlton - Patronal Festival Weekend 2010
Saturday 11th September 7.30pm
Leader, Jan Kaznowski
To include music by Beethoven, Schubert, Debussy, Turina and Dvorak
Tickets £10 from PCC members, at the door and from
Carlton Village Shop
Also
Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th
Demonstrations of ringing and a chance to see the bells
All Saints’ Flower Rota
5th Jeanette Roche
12th Sarah Bennett
19th Carol Ormond
25th Decorate Church for Harvest Festival
*** Fusion ***
offering you and your children time and space to
come together, make things together, eat together and celebrate God together re-starts on Monday September 27th – all ages welcome!
FUSION happens monthly at Harrold URC 3.30-6.00pm
and includes a 2 course cooked meal (donations welcome)
Children need to be accompanied by an adult
To register please e-mail John at john@sundrlnd.freeserve.co.uk (tel:720184) or Christine at cmclark9@btconnect.com (tel.720234) by Thursday 23rd September, letting us know of any dietary needs.
Jim Jones: 28th February 1944 - 16th July 2010
It is with great sadness that we report the death of Jim Jones on 16th July 2010. Jim was a man for whom many had great fondness and tremendous respect, proven by the fact that at a Service of Thanksgiving for his life, held in All Saints’ Church in Odell on 29th July, the church was packed with family and many, many friends.
Jim was immensely knowledgeable about all living things. He had a great affinity with nature and was one of the first ever organic farmers. With the help of his wife Margaret, Jim transformed Yelnow Farm and was awarded the prestigious CPRE Mark, the highest award given by the ‘Campaign to Protect Rural England’, at the end of last year.
Jim was a great character with a tremendous sense of humour and fun, as was illustrated in the tributes to him from his daughter Katherine Sinclair and from Frank Kenna and Adrian Mitchell. Jim’s great generosity was also spoken of at length by all, a generosity that not only consisted of gifts of produce but also extended to a desire to share his knowledge of farming and nature with anyone who visited Yelnow Farm.
A man of individuality and vision, Jim will be sorely missed but dearly remembered.
Thank you
I would like to say a very big “thank you” to all those who helped in any way with my Husband’s funeral, and who attended, and made it such a wonderful occasion for me and my family. Especial thanks to Christine for giving not just a wonderful service on the day, but for all her care and kindness before, during and after Jim’s death and funeral. My family were very comforted by this, and by the hard work and generosity from all those who helped with the funeral refreshments and with all that it entailed over several days. The funeral tribute from people in Odell,
organised by Roma, was amazing, as were the generous donations, to be split between Odell Church and the local Wildlife Trust, which were Jim’s interests. We were very touched by all the kindness and
consideration shown by so many people here – thank you very much. Margaret Jones
‘But The Word of The Lord Stands Forever…’
1 Peter 1:25 NIV
This month Sarah Bennett brought my attention to an extract from ‘Word for Today’, which she felt should be mentioned in the Odell Magazine. The extract considered the very special properties of The Bible, which makes it like no other book. It points out that you never finish finding more and more in The Bible; even if you read it for a lifetime you would not have exhausted all it has to say.
What makes The Bible so special? In answer to this, ‘Word for Today’ points out three features:
1. It is written to an incredibly high standard – a higher standard than could be managed by humans alone.
2. It generates a special “aura” that sets it apart from other books. Martin Luther claimed that The Bible “is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me”. The Bible always creates a reaction in others, they cannot just ignore it.
3. The Bible changes people as they read it. Values are altered, we are filled with peace and joy. In Hebrews 4:12 NLT, we learn why such changes occur: “The Word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us to what we really are.”
You need look no further than The Bible for all the answers you need in life - make reading it part of your daily routine.
September
2nd 10.30am Health Walk, HOCP
2nd 7.45pm Bat Walk, HOCP
6th 5.30pm Odell Monday Club, The Rectory
6th 8pm Handbell evening, St Peter’s Harrold
8th 10.30am Meeting Point at Catherine’s, Manor Cottage, Harrold
11th 10am Sponsored Bike n’ Hike
11th 2.30pm Cream teas, St Mary’s Church, Carlton
11th 7.30pm Kaznowski String Quartet, St Mary’s, Carlton
12th 2.30pm Cream teas and tower open, St Mary’s, Carlton
14th 7.30pm W.I. Odell Village Hall
16th 10.30am Health walk, HOCP
18th 9.45am All Saints’ Amblers meet at The Bell
22nd 10.30am Meeting Point at Eileen’s, 24 Church Hall Rd., Rushden
24th 11.00am A Living from the Landscape HOCP
25th Scarecrow Day
25th 10am Tea, coffee and cakes in All Saints’ for Harvest Weekend.
25th 1pm Cream teas and refreshments Odell Village Hall
25th 7.30pm Harvest Supper in Village Hall
26th 10am Harvest Festival Service
27th 10am Conservation Tasks Day, HOCP
27th 3.30pm Fusion at Harrold URC
30th 10.30am Health Walk HOCP
Magazine Deadline
Please send all entries for the October 2010 magazine to Tricia Hudson (mag1 at odellbeds.net) or Catherine Corkery by September 12th at the latest. May we remind you that the editorial team exercises the right to edit, shorten or alter any items that are submitted. Also, the opinions expressed in the articles are those of the contributors and are not the responsibility of the editorial team.