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July 2022 July 2022
VILLAGE HALL NEWS an expression of great joy and rejoicing, and a good reason to have a party,
especially when it is the 70 Platinum Anniversary of the Queen!
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Well we said we’d party once covid was over and Most people see it as a secular event, but originally it was based on God’s order
although it isn’t over there is a general feeling that for His world. Every seventh year the land was to be left uncultivated, and God
we’ve done what we can now and it’s time to find promised that if the people allowed the land to rest on the seventh year, then He
a new normal and make those decisions ourselves would cause the land to yield a triple portion in the sixth year, to provide enough
rather than be told by government what to do and food during the seventh year and also for the eighth year until that year’s harvest
so a once in history moment comes along and her was ready. This was a test of people’s faith in God and of their obedience to His
majesty queen Elizabeth 11 has been our reigning monarch for 70 years. The word. After there had been seven cycles of seven years (49 years) the 50 year
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longest reign in our history and only the second longest ever globally. Can’t let was a special Year of Jubilee, when all slaves were set free, debts were cancelled
that one pass by and so party we did. It was marvellous to see virtually the whole and land returned to its original owners.
community come together in one way or another and for the village hall to play
a key role in he midst of the celebrations. 4 days of events culminating in a We might think that would be good to have all debts cancelled, if we owed
thanksgiving service in the peace garden at Affpuddle church. money, but the people bought and sold land, and prices were fixed according to
how many years remained before the next Jubilee year. Perhaps that was God’s
The hall was buzzing from the social security system!
moment the bunting started
going up right through to As I was thinking about the Jubilee I was reminded that I had had a special
Sunday morning with a group Jubilee date of my own on 11 April, just a few weeks earlier. It was a Platinum
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of us tidying up. A huge Jubilee as well, seventy years since I became a Christian when I was living in
thanks to everyone who London. (That dates me!) I don’t mean that I joined a church but rather that I
helped in anyway, another had an encounter with Jesus. I knew that I needed His forgiveness for all the times
huge thank you to the social I had lived life my own way, and I just asked Him to forgive me and to come and
club for running the bar for so take control of my life, so that in the future I would do whatever He asked and go
many hours in such a short wherever He led me.
space of time and at once in
a lifetime prices as well. Did that mean that from that time forward life would be a bed of roses, and all
my problems would cease? Not at all. ‘Life’ affects all of us, with its mixture of
Another thing that made it so circumstances, problems, good times and difficult times. My husband Ray
special was all the became ill for four years before he died three years ago, and during that time I
organisations and individuals was diagnosed with cancer. But whatever has happened through all those years
gave freely, no one made I have known God’s love and peace, and His guidance, You too can know
any profit from anything over the jubilee celebrations, it was all about a) God’s peace and love if you commit your life to Him and then continue to trust
celebrating a platinum jubilee and b) and possibly more importantly in the long Him through the ups and downs of daily life.
run coming together and giving to one another as a community. I for one, and I
hope you are too, am proud to be a part of this place. The Queen spoke the following words in her Christmas broadcast in 2011. “God
sent into the world a unique person – neither a philosopher nor a general, but a
Putting my money raising hat on again. Don’t forget the hall is available for one Saviour, with power to forgive. Forgiveness lies at the heart of the Christian faith.
off events, birthdays, weddings, etc as well as for regular weekly, monthly events. It can heal broken families, it can restore friendships and it can reconcile divided
Looking for a venue? Think village hall. communities. It is in forgiveness that we feel the power of God’s love. In the last
verse of the beautiful carol “O little town of Bethlehem” there is a prayer: O Holy
Stuart Chorley, Chairman of Briantspuddle Village Hall , Phone 07818078191 Child of Bethlehem: descend on us we pray; Cast out our sin and enter in; be
Email schorley30@gmail.com born in us today. It is my prayer that we might find room in our lives for the
message of the angels, and for the love of God through Christ our Lord”.

Affpuddle and Turnerspuddle website: www.briantspuddle.info

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