Odell Church Magazine February 2016

Odell Church News - February / March 2016 - Final edition

Please note that the dedicated All Saints' Odell parish magazine stopped publishing in February 2016

The Harrold Bridge magazine will include All Saints' Church notices and information from April 2016 onwards.

For this web version, instead of monthly updates, we will update the links on the home page which will cover some of the information previously collated here.

Suggestions welcome to email: letters-at-odellbeds.net

Dear Friends,

February is a month of optimistic expectation and pessimistic fears, especially on the part of teens and twenties.

It is the month of love, when cards and red roses are sent, often anonymously, to the one person who is the focus of our love and attention. It can be intriguing as we try to guess who sent the message or flowers, but it can also be one more reminder that we are lonely, mistakenly thinking that no one loves us or worse still that we are unlovable. At least one of my granddaughters will not have the problem of the postman avoiding her door on the 14^th, Valentine’s Day, because it is also her birthday!

February also sees the Pancake Race in Olney on Shrove Tuesday and the beginning of Lent on 10^th February, Ash Wednesday, when we begin to look towards Easter and God’s love demonstrated in the death and resurrection of Christ. God created us for meaningful and loving relationships, and even if no one else loves us or is committed to our happiness, God is.

Isaiah wrote:

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! says the Lord. (Isaiah 49:15)

The Apostle John writes that God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) Lent is that time in the Christian year that is set aside specifically to focus on God’s love for us and the forgiveness and new life that God offers to us in Christ.

Jesus is God’s Valentine Card, his message of ‘no strings attached’ love. It is not anonymous, it is not a joke or sent with mischief, and everyone receives it. All we have to do is to recognise and accept this message of love, grow in a loving relationship with God, and seek to approach everyone else we meet with this same love. Lent is the time to grow in the love of God.

The New Testament Greek word for love is agapé. There is an acrostic which helpfully expresses how we might live out agapé:

a - attempt to get to know someone new once per week

g - go and visit someone once per week

a - avoid harmful criticism every day

p - pray for someone every day

é - encourage another church member once per week

Let us celebrate a month of agapé love, Rev.John Weaver

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 telephone Madeline Jeeves (720803) and email mgjeeves@yahoo.com.

Senior Citizens’

Fish and Chip Lunch

Wednesday 9^th March

12.30 for 1 o’clock

Village Hall

Let Jill (720261) know by 28^th February if you can come. If you know of anyone eligible to come to the lunch please tell Jill.

All Saints’ Church Charitable Giving for February will be to: Mission Aviation Fellowship – a Christian airborne mission serving remote and inaccessible places, transporting Christian workers and medical supplies.

All Saints’ Church Charitable Giving for the month of March is to FEBA, (Far Eastern Broadcasting Associates) - a radio station which began in 1959 and makes and broadcasts Christian programmes in dozens of different languages, reaching Christians who would otherwise have little contact with the outside world. Today FEBA broadcasts on FM and medium wave radio, the internet, text messaging and social media – each has its own use and own target audience. For more information about the work of FEBA see the notice board in All Saints’ Church.

The Rotary Club of Bedford Castle presents

‘The King’s Men’

(formally the Choral Scholars) from King’s College, Cambridge,

In concert at the Bunyan Meeting, Mill St., Bedford

on Tuesday 16^th Feb 2016 at 8.15pm

Tickets £15 (pre-performance drinks available from 7.30pm)

Tickets available from:

Richards Owen 07711 293913

Art Centre and Gallery 01234 344784

Or by calling personally at Bunyan Meeting office, Art Centre and Gallery – Howard St.

Proceeds in aid of local charities supported by Rotary

Women’s World Day of Prayer

Friday March 4^th

At St. Peter’s Church, Pavenham

10.30am

This service will be taking place all over the world on the same day. It is amazing to think that so many people (men and women alike) will be using the same order of service , the same hymns and praying the same prayers. That is quite a powerful thought.

You will be assured of a warm welcome at St Peter's in Pavenham. The service is truly ecumenical with many local denominations taking part. If you would like to come but need a lift please contact Jane Eshelby on 01933 410959.

MEETING POINT

This year we will be doing the Lent Course at Meeting Point, starting on February 3^rd at Madeline Jeeves’ house. Anyone wishing to join us will be very welcome.

February

3^rd 10.30am at Madeline’s, Rivendell, 15 Horsefair Lane

17^th 10.30am at Jane Eshelby’s, Newton House, Avenue Rd., Newton Bromswold, Rushden.

March

2^nd 10.30am at Jill’s, Rectory Farm

16^th 10.30am at Eileen Nottage’s, Heydown, High St., Odell

30^th 10.30am at Jane Smith’s, Horsefair Lane

Martin Cameron

1946-2015

It is with great sadness that we share the news of Martin Cameron, 69 of Carlton, passing away on 11th December 2015. Martin died peacefully in Bedford Hospital after a short battle with cancer and leaves behind his wife Kath - our former church organist - his son Glen and daughter Fiona, as well as six grandchildren on whom he doted.

Martin worked as Station Commander at Harrold Fire Station for many years, alongside his position at the Ministry of Defence at Thurleigh, and was a loyal, respected friend to so many across the villages. Martin was a talented bagpipe player and played annually at our Burns' Suppers. He was also a huge fan of the village quizzes, often winning the weekly quiz at the Fox at Carlton on his own, against whole teams of opponents.

Above all, Martin was a devoted family man, never failing to put his loved ones first and, following Kath's stroke in February 2014, Martin continued to visit her daily, even when gravely ill himself. Martin will be terribly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing and working with him.

Anyone wishing to make a donation to The Primrose Unit at Bedford Hospital in Martin's memory, please use the following online giving page: http://memorygiving.com/martincameron

All Saints’ Church Flower Rota

March

6^th Mothering Sunday

Jill Cheadle

Posies: Jane Eshelby

13^th Joint Service at URC

20^th Palm Sunday

Eileen Shakespeare

Jane Eshelby

26^th Decorate for Easter

27^th Easter Sunday

Happy Birthday to

Jack Holden Postles on the10^thFebruary

And to anyone else with a birthday in February or March.

Thanks and Farewell

On behalf of myself as editor and Jon, advertising editor, I would like to say farewell to all our readers, and many thanks to our contributors and distributors and also a very big thank you to Catherine Corkery for her invaluable help as a super-efficient proof reader. Having been editor of the magazine for eighteen years, I am going to miss working with everyone involved and will very much miss the pleasure of producing what I feel was a popular means of communication for Odell villagers. I hope that, over the years, the magazine has kept villagers better informed about what was going on and has also provided a sense of community. However, various new demands on my time mean that I can no longer provide the time for the magazine and meet its deadlines, and as no-one has offered to take over this will sadly be the last edition.

However, Debbie Earl, editor of The Bridge magazine, email: thebridge.editor@yahoo.co.uk , has kindly agreed to include items of Odell news. As from April, Odell households will receive a copy of The Bridge, a bi-monthly magazine. Sheila Weaver has very kindly offered to co-ordinate the distribution of The Bridge in Odell. Tricia Hudson

Diary

February

3^rd 10.30am Meeting Point at Madeline’s, 15 Horsefair Lane

9^th 2.30pm WI at Odell Village Hall

11^th 10.30am HOCP Health Walk

13^th 6pm Wassailing in HOCP

17^th 10.30am Meeting Point at Jane Eshelby’s, Newton House, Avenue Rd., Rushden

25^th 10.30am HOCP Health Walk

28^th 7pm ‘Beloved Clara’, Quarry Theatre at St. Luke’s, St. Peter’s St., Bedford

March

2^nd 10.30am Meeting Point at Jill’s, Rectory Farm

4^th 10.30am Women’s World Day of Prayer,St. Peter’s, Pavenham