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Month: March 2025

With the focus on Lent, here’s Shelley’s weekly update…

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Dear friends

Lent began this week, the period of time 40 days before we celebrate Easter when many in the church choose to observe a renewed focus on God. Our lives get full of all sorts.  We carry a lot. Lent has been described as a time to turn away from some things, minimise, clear out so that we can reclaim space for Jesus and all He has for us.  Praying, fasting and giving to others all help, but it might also include other things that help us realign such as reading a verse a day, a walk a day, singing a song a day.  At the beginning of lent we think about the story of Jesus going into the wilderness; choosing to move away from the busyness and distractions to make space to hear God before he started his teaching, healings and journey to the cross.

Listed below are a few resources you may find helpful. 40 ways to give in lent and a devotional for everyday…

40acts: Do Lent generously

40 things to do in lent for all ages outside

Exploring Lent with Younger Kids – 40 Nature Activities Printable.pdf – Google Drive

40 acts youth wallchart

Youth_Wallchart_A4_Black_and_White.pdf

The lectio 365 prayer app (download on your phone) is doing a lent series now.  Do ask me or a Rachel B and we’ll get it sorted for you or point you to someone who can.

If you have something that is helpful do share it with others.

This week looks like this..

Sunday 9th March 11am service with group for young ones

Sunday 9th March Welcome lunch for those who feel ‘new’ and want to meet some other people, in church.

Sunday 9th March 7-8pm Rock Solid youth in church

Monday 10th March 10-12 midday Beacon warm welcome café

Tuesday 11th March 10-11.30 Stepping Stones for under 5’s and parents and carers

Tuesday afternoon house group, see Howard Dews

Wednesday 12th March lunchclub, see Rachel B or send a message to Lesley in the office

Wednesday 7.30-9pm house group in church, see Ruth/Andy Berry, also one in Alwoodley, see Diane S

Thursday 13th March 2-4pm warm welcome space craft group in church, see Karen or Diane S

Thursday 7pm bible study with Gareth

Friday 14th March 10am Bible study in church, any questions, chat with myself

Friday 8pm house group, see Jonathan and Hilary or Steve or Helen

Sunday 16th March 11am service with communion and group for younger friends

Just a heads up that the next church meeting is Tuesday 25th March 2025.  Agenda will be out by mid next week.  It will include budgets and current priorities.  Do pray and keep sharing if you have thoughts on how God is guiding us.

Last Sunday we were reminded of Jesus baptism.  On Easter Sunday we’d love to baptise those who feel they want to be baptised or feel God is ‘nudging’ them about it.  Do get in touch with me or send a message to Lesley to get hold of me if you want a quick chat.   

Last Sunday we connected with Gather25, the highlights are available here if you want to watch again or catch up here Watch the Gather25 Livestream

See you tomorrow

In Christ

Shelley

MBC’s Seniors celebrate World Book Day

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World Book Day was first introduced by UNESCO in 1995 as a plan to promote reading and books. 

Celebrated, other than in the UK on April 23, the date William Shakespeare was born and died, World Book Day has  now become a hardy annual among MBC’s Seniors.

However, to the avoid the possibility of ever clashing with either Easter or St George’s Day, this year, here at Moortown it was celebrated on Wednesday March 5th, just one day before the official UK date of March 6th. And once again a number of Lunch Club members plus Rachel Beedle, our Senior’s Worker turned themselves into book titles. 

They are (left to right) The Day it Rained in Colour, Little Red Riding Hood, Room on the Broom and the Pipe Piper of Hamelin. 

Jane Coates – Thoughts and Prayers – Banquets and Celebrations

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Banquets and Celebrations
Phil and I have made many trips to China and one of the Important Chinese customs is to welcome guests on the night of their arrival with a special banquet. This is a very important meal, often formal, where dignitaries, local officials, and staff are invited to attend. It is a time for the exchange of gifts and words of welcome. There is always too much food and during and after the meal, there are toasts with alcohol, words of praise and commendation, and for our Chinese friends, the opportunity to enjoy too much alcohol and merriment. These banquets are often followed by a late-night karaoke session with even more riotous humour, singing, and laughter. The welcome to guests, the gifts, the food, drinking, celebrations and fun, reminds me of the forthcoming celebration of Purim. Purim is the time for fun and feasting for Jewish families, with dressing up costumes, masquerades, the giving gifts, and offerings to the poor all added to the mix.
Purim is celebrated on the 14th of March, when our Jewish neighbours and friends, and Jewish people around the world will celebrate the festival. We learn about the origins of Purim in the Book of Esther, when victory against an enemy, Haman, with his plans to annihilate the Jewish race in the 127 provinces of King Artaxerxes, across what is now Persia, was won through the wisdom, cooperation, trust, fasting and prayer, of two people, Mordecai and Esther and the quiet but unseen presence of God. It tells of the victory of the Jews against a possible massacre.
The festival is one of the most loved and joyous of Jewish holidays, celebrations and perhaps the high point in their calendar. There is plenty of food, the drinking of alcohol, mainly wine, the giving of gifts of food to friends, family and neighbours, and gifts to the poor. Another popular custom is the dressing up in costumes on Purim, perhaps as a reminder that Esther and Mordecai concealed their Jewish heritage at the King’s court.
In the Book of Esther there are so many extravagant banquets! In the third year of his reign, Artaxerxes gave a banquet for all his nobles, officials, princes, and military leaders lasting 6 months. Then, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, for those from ‘the least to the greatest’ living in the capital, Susa. Queen Vashti gave a banquet for the palace women. When Esther was chosen to replace Queen Vashti, “the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet”, displaying his affluence. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with “royal liberality.” Esther gave 2 banquets, but only for the king and Haman alone, part of her plan to shame the wicked Haman and point to the truth about his plans. When Haman had finally been punished, Mordecai promoted to second in command, and the Jews no longer threatened, there were more celebrations.
“In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, Esther’s Decree, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.”
So, the feast of Purim is celebrated every year as “the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He (Mordecai) wrote to them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.” Esther 9 V 22 NIV
There is a time for celebrations, friends and family meals, anniversaries, weddings and banquets, laughter and games, and putting on the ‘glad rags.’
When the righteous see God in action they’ll laugh, they’ll sing, they’ll laugh and sing for joy. Sing hymns to God; all heaven, sing out; clear the way for the coming of Cloud-Rider. Enjoy God, cheer when you see him! Psalm 68 v 3 The Message
PRAY
Give me joy in my heart keep me praising.

Gather25 – a worldwide gathering of Christians which through the marvels of the internet MBC could play a part

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There is no emailed update from Shelley this week, mainly because over the last seven days she’s hardly had a minute to sit down and draw breath.

However, instead, what we do have for you is a report and pictures of a truly worldwide event in which we here at Moortown played a part. 

Gather25 which began yesterday (Friday) was an unprecedented 25-hour global broadcast event telling the inspiring stories of the global Church, by the global Church.

Both online and face to face it brought together Jesus followers in churches, campuses, arenas, and living rooms from every continent and denomination across every time zone to worship, praise and pray.

At Moortown we joined the live feed at 1pm on Saturday to listen and watch a rally which was staged in Cluj – the Romanian city with which we have strong links. You can see pictures of this in the gallery below. 

An hour later it was quite literally our time to step up, which for us meant disconnecting from the internet and turning to a time of music, song and prayer. This, for the two dozen people present was a very special time, with a real sense of the Holy Spirit moving among us. 

The last hour which Shelley focused on worship and prayer through movement – both with and without flags.

With one of our sanctuary walls serving as a giant prayer board, and easels and paints feeding the needs of our more arty types, in all, Gather25 was a wonderful experience, particularly so knowing that our church was singing, praying, and even flag waving with fellow Christians right across the globe.  

Again you can see some pictures from the second and third hour Gather25 in the gallery above.  

Jane Coates – Thoughts and Prayers. Memories.

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Memory… is the diary that we all carry about with us. Oscar Wilde
 
We all have a memory bank of stored away images, experiences, joys, sadness, special people, friends, places, and it is important to keep these memories alive. They are an essential part of who we are and our story telling. If we can recapture significant moments, then we can keep those important memories alive. With our fondest, treasured memories, we are not just remembering and sharing old times. These memories come with depth and meaning. We have a million and more recollections and emotions stored away that are like the chapters of books, that go on and on. We have our photo books and albums of photographs that help to keep memories alive and fresh. We must safeguard our memories.
 
It is important that our children and grandchildren build up a good store of memories which will remain with them.
 
“” Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. Charles R Swindoll
 
These memories are significant and will build into a whole library of books that can be taken out and read once again. It is a library store of happy times, experiences, challenges, successes, holidays, family times, birthdays, friends, songs, laughter, sporting prowess, music and school milestones. Even the sad times, the failures, the losses, the tragedies, the problems, are carefully shared and deposited in their Library. We add tangible objects to their memory boxes -holiday novelties, special T shirts, medals, certificates, badges and a hundred and one small items that may seem ridiculous at the time but will carry so much meaning in the years ahead. The box becomes a rich collection of memories that will remain with them into the years ahead.

You have done many things for us, O Lord our God; there is no one like you! You have made many wonderful plans for us. I could never speak of them all— their number is so great! Psalm 40 v5 GNT
 
When we trust in, and live in Christ, there is a whole new dimension of love and care that we see that He has planned for us. They are plans to give hope and a future. Each of our days and weeks are set before us with their challenges, steps to growth and maturity, stories, friendships, ‘mountain top experiences,’ and fresh insights. These experiences are personal and unique to us. We cannot donate them to our children. They must add them to their own library of experiences. They cannot be second-hand. But we can introduce our children and others to this new section of the library.
 
PRAY
Lord, help us to keep adding to our rich memory store of precious memories, for ourselves, our children, our families and those that we care about.
 
Jane Coates 
1 March 2025

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