|
H -Heaven and Hell
 Bob Forrest
continues to provide you with his personal thoughts for your
spiritual well being using the alphabet as his guide.
We don't really know a great deal about heaven, where it is and
what it looks like. Is it somewhere up there, above the clear
blue sky, as the old hymn tells us? Will there be a New Jerusalem
descending out of heaven from God complete with twelve foundations
of immensely precious stones and twelve pearly gates - and streets
paved with gold? There may be symbolism here, which we cannot
perhaps fully understand and appreciate today; although I am
sure God could do it this way if he were so minded.
This view of heaven contemplates something material, a city of
bricks and mortar. But God is spirit. On more than one occasion
Jesus himself laid stress on the non-physical aspects of heaven.
The Sadducees who did not believe in an after-life wanted to
know what the position would be of the woman who in accordance
with custom had been married to seven brothers, one after the
other. Whose wife would she be in heaven? They were told that
in heaven "they neither marry, nor are given in marriage."
Jesus told the Pharisees who wanted to know when the Kingdom
of God would come, and how they would recognise it when it came,
that the Kingdom was not something that could be seen. You would
not be able to say, "Look, it's over there", or, "See,
here it is". As Paul put it, the Kingdom of God is not meat
and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy
Ghost.
Jesus also said "The Kingdom of God is within you".
This presumably means that you make your own heaven - or your
own hell.
One thing we do know for certain about heaven. It is a place
where God's will is done; thus the Lord's prayer. On the other
hand, a place where God's will is not done must be a terrible
place, the antithesis of what God would have it be. To be there
must be hell, as Dives discovered when he saw the delights of
heaven from the far side of the great gulf. Here the lost soul
would suffer torments of remorse when he realised what might
have been - overwhelming regret and continual weeping and gnashing
of teeth.
Does He Take Sugar?
This is the title of Radio 4's programme for the partially
sighted, blind and disabled.
Many of our citizens who live with these conditions often experience
the situation, and feeling, of being 'talked over' as
if in absentia. I wonder if you have unwittingly treated someone
this way? Perhaps we are all guilty of this occasionally.
I am extremely blessed to have so many good friends but as someone
who, to use the vernacular, has 'been there, got the T-Shirt,
had the operations', and been a carer too, I want to alert
the general public to this situation, on behalf of all 'Does
He Take Sugar?' listeners.
A typical scenario could be something like this. In conversation
a friend remarks, "Oh, by the way Mary was asking after
you". Well, that was very kind of Mary, but why pass on
the message through a third party? Why not write to, telephone,
or call the individual in question personally? I'm sure that
any of us with a disability would enjoy such direct contact and
can almost promise not to reveal endless details of our medical
history and hospital encounters!
Unlike Wordsworth, when writing his poem 'Daffodils', you
are unlikely to find us prostrate on our front room couch, in
vacant and pensive mood! We all had enough of that, plus pain,
while in hospital! Most of us still retain a ready wit and an
effervescent sense of humour.
The comment "Oh we'd love you to pop in sometime" is
often a 'cop out' for a real invitation! We may even be able
to offer you something special when we call. Perhaps our visit
to you could create a calm oasis, away from life's frenzied whirl,
when you could take the time to stop, ponder and even stare for
a while, should you choose. Have you noticed that spring is 'bursting
out all over', and the blustery days are creating magical
skies?
Of course we thank God for our wonderful friends, but I cannot
imagine Jesus turning to His disciples and saying, "Hey
chaps, how's Lazarus these days? Tell him I asked after him"!
Janet Sorensen
Ickenham Open Gardens 2004
FESTIVAL OF ICKENHAM 2004
 Following the success of the Open
Gardens during Ickenham Festival Week 2002 the Festival Team
are hoping to repeat the exercise this year by opening lots more
gardens during Festival Week 2004, 12th -19th June.
In 2002, six residents opened their gardens to fellow villagers,
inviting people to come and view the fruits of their labour on
a specific day(s) and hours.
Judging by the number of people attending, subsequent feedback,
and the amount of money raised for the garden owners' chosen
charities, this venture was deemed a great success by the Festival
Team.
To build on this early success we are looking for more people,
within  Ickenham, who will be willing to
share their gardens with fellow residents by opening them for
a few hours during Festival Week this year. If you feel your
garden would be suitable, it may have a magnificent pond, a wildlife
area, or keep you self-sufficient in vegetables, please give
me a call to discuss this further.
It is envisaged that a list of open gardens, with their opening
hours, will be distributed with the main Festival Programme,
therefore giving the responsibility of publicity to the Festival
Team. All we ask of you is to open your garden at your chosen
time and host your open garden.
For further information, an informal chat about how
we went about opening our garden in 2002, or to book in your
garden! Please call David Edington on 01895
672783
Bargain Day at the U.R.C.
On Saturday May 15th the U.R.C. will be overflowing with Books,
Plants and Collectables! From 10 a.m. to 12 noon there will
be a Plant and Book Sale on the forecourt, with an opportunity
for advance viewing for the Auction of Collectables and Household
Goods. Official viewing of the Auction (catalogue 50p) will be
from 1.15 p.m. - 2.15 p.m., when the Auction will start. If you
would like us to auction anything on your behalf, with 15% of
the hammer price going to the Church, please contact Henry Gardner:
01895 674074, henry.gardner@virgin.net.
For donations of items or general enquiries about the day,
contact Richard Piper on 01895 634348, richardjpiper@btopenworld.com.
France Telephone Number Error
In last month's Letter From France, the telephone number given
for Audree and Steve Hedgeland was slightly incorrect. It should
be 0033 553 937 112. The email and website details were fine.
Apologies for that, but please do not be put off from trying
to 'phone them.
Ickenham Cricket Club
FAMILY FUN DAY
Spring Bank Holiday Monday 31st May at Ickenham Cricket Club
from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bouncy Castle, Lots of Sideshows, Cream
Teas, BBQ, Raffle, Bucking Bronco and Plants. Fun For All The
Family. Everyone Welcome. Admission Free. Entrances in
Oak Avenue and Hoylake Crescent
(A donation supporter of ICN)
Page 4 >>
|
|
