Page 12 - BR-March-2018

March 2018 March 2018

Finally
JUNIOR “Why don’t you come and join us at the I am sorry to report that as I suspected in the last parish mag, we have lost our

CHURCH Family Service on the second Sunday booking secretary. Sue was a great asset and we will miss her a great deal.
NEWS of every month at 11.00 am” After my previous plea we have not been knocked down in the rush of people
volunteering to try the post of booking secretary so you may find a press gang
coming up your garden path to drag you away kicking and screaming. Watch out
or give me a ring!!
th
On February 11 , the Junior Church learnt that Lent

was fast approaching and in the hour before the
service heard about the many times that 40
appears in the Bible (later we found out it is 146 BRIANTSPUDDLE SINGERS COMMUNITY
times!). For the forty days of Lent, the significance is CAROL EVENING
the time spent by Jesus in the wilderness before he
set out on his ministry. The children burnt some palm
crosses from last year in preparation for Ash A very successful Carol Evening took place in Briantspuddle Village Hall on
Wednesday, the beginning of Lent and these were December 19 (apologies for the somewhat tardy report), led by the
th
used at the service three days later in Affpuddle. Briantspuddle Singers, who were conducted by Dr Richard Hall and
They also made some pancakes, and even had a accompanied by David Bruce-Payne. A mixture of traditional carols for all, along
pancake race, and this was to tell them about with more unusual ones from the choir, plus amusing readings from choir
Shrove Tuesday the day before Lent. They learnt members made for a varied and enjoyable evening. Many thanks to the
about the Temptations of Jesus and considered Briantspuddle Community Group who provided seasonal refreshments during the
what their own temptations would be and even interval.
more importantly each made their own promise of how to try to keep Lent.
A collection was taken which raised just under £200 for “Riding for the Disabled”
The Family Service began with the Puppets giving us ‘I Turn to God’....very at Milton Abbas.
appropriately to help us think about Lent. Then came the traditional hymn, Forty
days and forty nights. After the time of saying sorry, we joined in the slightly manic Andrea Smith (Secretary, Briantspuddle Singers)
but very enjoyable song Heads and Shoulders.

Rev Charles then read from the Bible the story of the two men who went to the
temple to pray in which Jesus explains that true humility and recognising our faults
is far better than thinking how wonderful we are. We then heard from Michelle
about what the children had been doing before the service and I have no doubt
that we all learnt something new about Lent. Charles then showed what some
people often give up for Lent but explained doing something positive was an
even better way of keeping these forty days. It would be good to try to help
people, spend a short time in prayer, even using the booklet given by the
Diocese and whatever we do, to do it with love.
After the affirmation of our faith, we sang the hymn Lord of the Dance and
following a short time of prayer, sang I the Lord of sea and sky. The Puppets
provided us with I want to know what God is to end our service.
Next month it will be Mothering Sunday and we do hope that you will want to
come and join us for this very special occasion – in the School Hall, of course! A
real occasion for each of us to celebrate our mother’s love!

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