No Ark For New York

The theme of ‘Flood’ was given to us before any news arrived of hurricane Sandy and its impact on New York. The city, built on a swamp, into which man in his wisdom puts an underground railway system, which to no-one’s surprise flooded in the deluge. It all reminds us of the story of the man who built his house on sand – and the winds blew and the rains came, and the house was washed and blown away. We saw wooden houses blown over and floating away like boats. The roofs became hulls and floated like the Ark.
So, do we build our lives on swampy sand – or anchored to a Rock? Do we have a place of security against the Storms of Life? An Ark in our life, to buoy us up against the floods of life’s events, so that we are not overwhelmed or drowned but can be carried to a harbour of safety?  In the changing winds of life, as the Hurricane comes we stand in the eye of the storm – where there is tranquillity. A Sea of Tranquillity – not the one on the moon, but here and now with Jesus, the Rock who cannot be shaken. Rock or Sand? You choose. It’s a shame there was no Ark for New York. Pastor Jim Beveridge

 

A SIGN OF THE COVENANT BETWEEN ME AND THE EARTH
DSCN0790Pastor’s wife Jenny asked the Lord what the theme should be for the November Squeeze and His reply – “The Flood.” So we set about replacing the large mural of Jonah and the Whale above the serving hatch with one of Noah and the Ark. One table was given over to the production of animals and birds, a second table to a model of the Ark devised by Harry, and the third to making a sectioned rainbow so that each person could work on part of the finished arch. The final masterpiece will appear on our website, but don’t wait for that – come and see it for yourself.

Squeeze: Sunday Dec. 2nd 10.00am – 12 noon in the village hall.

A PRECIOUS VOLUME IN DAMAGED COVERS
David came to one of our 200th Anniversary events last year expecting to find “a sad, old preacher with a couple of old ladies in the front row.” Instead, he found the presence of the Lord who put His arms around him and David went away “with more faith than I had had for ages.” He needed that faith because he had a son who had turned from a Christian upbringing to drugs and drink. His own Pastor encouraged him to look into his son’s eyes and see the love there. For five weeks he could not look at the pierced and haggard face, although the boy begged him not to judge the book by its cover but by its contents. His son has now completed a whole year without drugs or drink. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else,” David told the October Squeeze, “and He will give you all you need.”