|
We apologise to those
of our readers, mainly in Willisham and also those of you who have the
Link by post, who had to wait for almost 2 weeks for last month's edition
to be delivered. The printing machine broke down towards the end of the
run and we were some 120 copies short. It was most unfortunate but we
all understand that these things happen sometimes and the situation was
beyond the control of our printers who did their best to get the machine
repaired as quickly as possible.
This might be the
ideal time to remind you that you can access our website at any time to
read the Link, and such a facility would really come into its own if,
for any reason (as above!) we could not deliver the magazine on time.
This will also be
an ideal opportunity to thank Joan Clarke of Willisham who manages the
Link website for us. Thank you Joan for providing such a valuable service.
Stop press - Simon Crick's family have just heard that £800.50
was the total given in memory of Simon (£245.50 for the Heart Foundation
and £555.00 for the Air Ambulance). Their heartfelt thanks to all
who contributed to such a wonderful total.
Dear Neighbours,
Frank Etheridge,
in his book 'Salt on a White Plate', recounts various stories about the
goings on in a Suffolk village in the nineteen twenties. In one, a visiting
rector came to take a service and found only Old Isaac, the dairy farmer,
as the congregation. He asked Old Isaac if he should take the service.
"Look here, master," said Isaac, "when I take a load of
hay down to the bottom meadow to feed my herd and only one turns up, I
feed it."
The rector thought, "well it looks as if he wants me to take the
service," which he did, for a full hour and a half.
"Was that all right?" he asked Isaac at the end.
"Look here, master," the old farmer replied, "when I take
that load of hay down to the bottom meadow to feed my herd and only one
turns up, I don't give it the whole durn load!"
There are three in this story: the faithful few represented by Old Isaac;
the persevering church represented by the rector and Jesus, who has to
keep his word Matt.18:20 "Where two or three a come together in my
name, there I am among them".
Old Isaac and the rector served the Lord in their own ways and will now
be resting in a country churchyard but Jesus had far too much energy to
be constrained by time or place; for him service and love went hand in
hand. When Jesus walked this earth, he amazed the religious orthodox around
him by sitting and eating with so called sinners, social outcasts and
those who had lost their way. Jesus said that he had not come for the
righteous but for those who really needed him, Matt. 9 and later in Matt
11,"Come unto me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you
rest".
With the constraints and strains imposed on our families now by debt,
uncertainty of employment and inadequate housing these words, for many,
will only offer a far off glimpse of comfort.
I know that many people do not have the time to come to church but are
not forgotten. Jesus does not sit shivering in the empty chancel; his
spirit is with all those who call him, however covertly or quietly. Be
aware that when the church bells are rung their sound is the same for
everyone, letting all know that a service is being held and that the successors
of Old Isaac are still keeping the seats warm for when they are needed.
Ian Dickson
Flower and Cleaning Rotas
Somersham :
June 6th, 13th Faith Jaggard
June 20th, 27th Pat Woolhouse
July 4th, 11th Lois Warren
Cleaning: Team C
Flowton:
June 6th Mrs Laflin
June 13th Mrs Carter
June 20th, Flower Festival Mrs Munson, and all arrangers for weekend
June 27th, July 4th Mrs Fawcus
Offton:
June 6th Mrs Jean Waters
June 13th, 20th Mrs Julia Spurling
June 27th, July 4th Mrs Mary Brower
Cleaning Mr & Mrs K Langford
Willisham:
June 6th, 13th Mrs M Fisher
June 20th, 27th Mrs D Hill
From
the Registers
Death:
Kenneth Russell Lay 1929-2010 Cremation at West Chapel Ips. Crem. 6th
April
Marriage:
Darryn Geoffrey Barrell and Samantha Isgrove 24th April at Offton Church
Baptisms:
Georgia Freya Gibbons 3-6-06 and Francesca Eve Gibbons 23-10-09
Parents, David and Janette Gibbons
18th April at Somersham Church
Hazeldell Residential
Home would like to thank Mr and Mrs Pinson-Roxburgh for the wonderful
cage they donated to the home. At the time of going to print awaiting
the arrival of two new residents to occupy the cage
|
