Three out of five of our family were born in May, and it is also the birthday of the church. Not just St Giles’, but all Christian churches. Pentecost, when the church’s birthday is celebrated, is on 11th May. Fifty days after Easter, a small band of frightened followers of Jesus waited in Jerusalem, in accordance with Jesus’ last instructions to them. What happened next transformed those followers, empowered them to preach and heal, and gave birth to the church.
At Pentecost God gave his Spirit to all who believe in Jesus and want to know his power and presence in their lives. Those early Christians discovered that with the Holy Spirit, they could perform the miracles Jesus had been doing, and when they spoke about the death and resurrection of Jesus, other people wanted to follow Christ. They experienced God with them wherever they went, and not just in the places Jesus had been.
There was quite a celebration that first Pentecost in Jerusalem and the church continues to celebrate. The 2008 Pentecost Festival in London includes masses of events in London’s streets, pubs, clubs, churches and parks – see leaflets at St Giles’ Church or visit www.pentecostfestival.co.uk for more details.
Although the Christian church is almost 2000 years old, it is still growing and active around the world and in Ickenham. Here are a few examples of activities organised jointly by St Giles’ Church and the URC over the coming months:
Live@Five is an informal gathering for all ages to help us focus our lives on God. Following a 6 month trial period, feedback received said we should continue. So Live@Five now happens on the fourth Sunday of each month, at 5pm in St Giles’ Church Hall. It isn’t a traditional church service, but more of an exploration of a topic using a mix of media and activities.
Christian Aid Week – you’ll see elsewhere in this edition of ICN that there is a door-to-door collection in the week commencing Sun 11th May. The churches join forces to organise this, but we welcome involvement from everyone in our community. Please support this through your giving, your prayer and your help if you can.
40th Anniversary of Ickenham Holiday Club – Sat 12th July at 5pm at the URC. We want to celebrate the success of this popular event, praise God for his faithfulness and gather together everyone who has been involved over the years in a short fun service of thanksgiving followed by refreshments. Please put the date in your diary and be part of the celebrations.
Ickenham Festival – the churches are running a fair trade café at our tent on Gala Day (Sat 14th June) with entertainment from Steve Legg, a Christian entertainer, escapologist and comedian. I look forward to seeing you there. Also we are organising an Open Air Service of Thanksgiving at the end of Ickenham Festival in Swakeleys House Grounds on Sun 15th June at 11.15am.
If it wasn’t for the power of God’s Spirit given at Pentecost, the church might have petered out ages ago, so we thank God for Pentecost.
Adrian
If you had only a cupful of water for washing after a day’s dusty walking through tropical mountains, I suppose you would reuse it as much as possible. But in which order would you do things? You wouldn’t want to wash your face in the water you have just rinsed your teeth with, for example. I had to work out such a routine when visiting some churches in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea.
On another patrol there was no drinking water available for three days. Back home, it took about three litres of soup, tea, water, milk on cereal etc. before my body was functioning properly again.
Our normal water supply was from tanks that would hold up to 3,000 gallons of rain from the corrugated iron roof. But even that had to be used sparingly as it could run out during a few dry weeks. We had the luxury of a shower in water heated on the wood-fired stove, carried from the kitchen to the bathroom and tipped into a bucket to be hoisted above the bath and released through a rose like a watering can; but less than a bucketful for each shower.
Once our tanks ran dry, and we had to buy a tractor load of water from the river. But that is when Gwen caught hepatitis.
In India this year I again had to think carefully about water use. Tap water, we were told, was risky. Mineral water from sealed bottles was alright. So we had to save some of our drinking water for brushing teeth, shaving, and cleansing sores.
Yet in these situations, even though we tried to live meagrely, we still had access to water in ways that many people do not. It has been estimated that in developing world countries four-fifths of all illness is caused by water-borne diseases.
This month in Ickenham we have the opportunity to contribute in more than one way to improve the water supplies in developing countries, through the CLICK Rukiga project in Uganda and through Christian Aid. Details are elsewhere in ICN and on the websites. You may also want to think twice before letting your tap run, to avoid wasting precious resources.
Bernie
FROM THE CHURCHES’ REGISTERS
Baptisms at St Giles’
Mar 30th Jay Mark Odell
Georgina Kate Ferguson
Cremations at Breakspear Crematorium
Mar 19th Eleanor Andrews, aged 83 (after service at St Giles’)
Mar 19th Albert Haynes, aged 88
Mar 20th Fred Langham, aged 101
Mar 26th Kenneth Buck, aged 86
Mar 28th Royston Cole, aged 76
Mar 31st Joan Pope, aged 87 (after service at St Giles’)
Apr 1st Noreen Allen, aged 89 (after service at St Giles’)
Apr 4th Florence Smith, aged 70
Burial at Cherry Lane Cemetery
Apr 8th Morris Harris, aged 84 (after service at St Giles’)
ST GILES’ CHURCH MONTHLY STREET PRAYER LIST
Each Sunday at St Giles’ Church we pray for all the people who live or work in a particular road in the Parish. During May we will pray for the following roads:
May 4th Irwin Close
May 11th Ivyhouse Road
May 18th Kempton Close
May 25th Kenbury Close
If you live in one of these roads why not join us at our 8am or 9.45am services? You will be most welcome.
