WESTFIELD UNITED REFORMED CHURCH

WYKE, BRADFORD

NO. 286

MAY 2017

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who has been taken u 11i15 ' you jAto heaven, will Come

from me way as you sew hi Irl th o into heaven.'

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NEWSLETTER

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We are so blessed

Have you ever thought about the time and energy that preachers put into

their craft? I know most preachers put in hours and hours of prayer, Bible

study and thought in to preparing Sunday morning sermons. We at Westfield

are blessed with the range and the quality of the preachers that we have on a

Sunday morning, both from our own fellowship and from further afield. It has

been a real joy over the last year or so sitting listening to others share God's

word with us, and I honestly don't think there has been one Sunday that I

have not got something out of the sermon (or service). Big thank you to all

our regular preachers and worship leaders.

I would ask each and every person who comes on Sunday to come prepared

to receive. David Pawson said in one of the talks on the Bible that we are

going through as a Church on a Thursdays, that if we don't get anything out of

a Sunday service (or any other service) we have only one person to blame and

that is ourselves. Come to services, he tells us, prepared as an act of worship

ready to receive what God has for us (God won't let us down you know!)

I think it is so important that we don't take what is shared with us on a

Sunday for granted and lose some of the important words God speaks into

our fellowship through our gifted preachers and teachers. That is why I made

the decision that for a trial period I would write up the Sermon notes from

the recordings and ask some questions to help us further engage with the

sermon. Have you used them? Are they useful? Should I carry on? Let me

know. Don't forget for those people who are on-line the sermons are

available to listen to on our web-site (also if you would like one on a CD (if

you were away for example) then just say and I can sort that out.

To help us engage further with the Bible and theology, as from next month I

want to start a new article in the News Letter called "Oh! Ask Mark that".

Have you ever read a verse in the Bible or has anyone ever said to you that a

Bible passage / verse doesn't make sense? Or something similar! Well I would

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like to start a Biblical Agony Aunt. If you have any theological or Biblical

questions let me know (jot them down on a piece of paper and hand them to

me) and I will 'TRY' to answer them for you and then put the questions and

answers in the News Letter! I have already been given two Bible verses to

look at, which I will look at over the next couple months. Get your thinking

heads on!

Love and Blessings

Mark.

YOUTH WORKER

It seems so much has happened over the last month. I have sold and

completed on my house ready to start at Westminister College, I have

preached at three churches about vision and the Holy Spirit and have done so

many sessions at Shirley Manor that I can't remember how many! In the

middle of it all we have celebrated Easter. Sometimes it feels like God is right

next to you guiding you along the way opening doors as we go along. I have

had the real sense of this as my preparations for college. It has not been all

easy, with a few challenges along with the sickness and solicitor issues but I

have felt God helping me all the way through.

Sometimes we forget God when things are seeming to go as planned, the

little challenges that I have been through have reminded be to get back to

God and then I can move on. Remember when you're feeling down, sick, let

down by friends or situations etc remember God must come first and he will

guide you out! Have a great May and look forward to seeing what God is

planning for the second half of 20171

God Bless,

Adam

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WYKE

CHRISTIAN

COUNCIL

Monthly Prayer Meetings will be held as usual from 915a.m. to 1000a.m. as

follows:-

May 6th

St. Mary's

June 3rd

Westfield URC

There will be a council meeting on May 3rd at Westfield commencing at 7.30

pm.

OFFERTORIES

March

5th £253.16

12th £195.00

19th £155.35

26th £159.10

COFFEE MORNING

The coffee morning in April raised the sum of £159.75 for church funds. Thank

you to all who helped at and supported this event.

Our next Coffee morning and Bring and buy sale will be held on Saturday 20th

May in the schoolroom from lOam to 12noon. Please come and enjoy the

fellowship.

Please note that material for the June newsletter should be handed to the

editor no later than the 14th May.

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Canon David Winter considers the appeal of this unlikely drama series...

THE WAY I SEE IT: Why 'Call the Midwife'?

For months - indeed for years, apart from the 'Bake off' phenomenon -

Britain's most popular television programme by some distance has been the

Sunday night 'Call the Midwife'. The competition for top spot encompasses

the whole range of human obsessions: comedy, drama, murder, rape,

quizzes, food, fashion and sport - something for every taste. Yet a homely

drama about some midwives working with an Anglican order of nuns in

London's East End 60 years ago beats them all. The BBC clearly recognises its

value - several more series have been commissioned. I think it's worth

wondering why.

The first two series of 'Call the Midwife' closely followed the best-selling

books by Jennifer Worth about her experiences as a young midwife in

precisely those circumstances. Someone recommended the first book to me

and I found it compelling reading, and said so in print. To my surprise, I got a

letter from the author, answering a question I had posed. She told me that

the example of the sisters in the Order and their unquenchable faith amidst

the squalor and poverty of the area in those post-War years eventually led to

her embracing the Christian faith herself.

Sadly, Jennifer Worth died just as the first series was being aired, and I feared

the story line might lose its authenticity. But it hasn't. These are stories of

some nuns and midwives struggling to help people in need. Without ever

being preachy, it faithfully depicts a very mixed group of people putting faith

into practice. I think the nine million viewers, most of whom are probably not

regular church-goers, appreciate seeing prayer, faith, hope and love at work,

even if not every practitioner is saintly, not every sick baby saved, nor evey

human problem solved.

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The Rev Paul Hardingham considers the implications of Ascension Day...

Acts for Everyone

At the end of May comes Ascension Day (25th), a bit of a neglected festival in

the Church. As Luke reminds us in Acts 1:1-11, it was the opportunity for

Jesus to commission His disciples His witnesses in the world:

'But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be

my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of

the earth.' (Acts 1:8).

What is a witness?

a witness knows Jesus:

A credible witness speaks of what they know personally. The disciples had

spent 40 days with Jesus and now they were called to share that experience

and relationship with others. What is my story of how Jesus is alive in my life?

a witness grows in Jesus:

Jesus told them to wait for the gift of the Spirit to empower them as

witnesses. 'Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised,

which you have heard me speak about.' (4). The Spirit equips us to display

Jesus' character (fruit) and enables us to witness (gifts). How does our life

demonstrate the difference Jesus makes?

a witness goes for Jesus:

They were called to witness for Jesus in ever-increasing circles of influence.

For us, this means family and friends, workplace and community, and the

wider world. Where is God calling us to serve Him?

The story is told of Jesus arriving in heaven after the Ascension, being

welcomed by the angels. Gabriel asked Jesus, 'what is your plan for everyone

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to know your love?' Jesus replied, 'I have given my disciples the task of

carrying the message into all the world.' Gabriel's face dropped, 'These are

unpredictable men, what if they fail? After a pause Jesus answered, 'There is

no other plan!'

Tim Lenton, considers the composer of the ever-popular 'G & S' comic operas.

Remembering Arthur Sullivan of the Savoy Operas ... and Onward Christian

Soldiers

Sir Arthur Sullivan, best known for the brilliant comic operas he wrote with W

S Gilbert, was born 175 years ago this month, on 13" May 1842.

Ironically, he never wanted to be remembered for the operas, such as The

Mikado and The Pirates of Penzance. Instead, he wrote: "My sacred music is

that on which I base my reputation as a composer." But although he wrote

striking oratorios such as The Prodigal Son and The Light of the World, by far

his most popular sacred music remains the tune for Onward, Christian

Soldiers.

The young Arthur Seymour Sullivan - his father an Irish musician and his

mother of Italian descent - was a Child (choirboy) of the Chapel Royal and the

first winner of the Mendelssohn Scholarship, which enabled him to study at

the Royal Academy of Music and the Leipzig Conservatory. He became

organist of St. Michael's, London, in 1861, and the following year a

performance in London of his incidental music to Shakespeare's The Tempest

made him an overnight celebrity.

He then became a professional musician, teaching, playing the organ, editiig

and conducting, as well as composing various classical works, including a

ballet, a cello concerto, a symphony, choral works, several overtures and a

series of chamber pieces and hymns. His first successful comic opera (without

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Gilbert) was Box and Cox, but Richard D'Oyly Carte brought the two men

together for the immensely popular Trial by Jury.

The rest is history. The G&S collaborations are now known as the Savoy

Operas, after the theatre where they were performed from 1882.

Sir Arthur's relationship with Gilbert - portrayed in the brilliant Mike Leigh

film Topsy-Turvy -was not always calm, but Gilbert's satire and verbal

ingenuity were matched beautifully by Sullivan's technically brilliant

tunefulness.

Sir Arthur died in London in 1900.

THANK YOU

I would like to thank all friends at Westfield for their support after my recent

hip operation.

Telephone calls, flowers, cards and visits were very much appreciated. Many many thanks

Nora

Presence Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Parting from our loved ones is difficult. We long to be together, but

sometimes it isn't possible and we don't always understand. The disciples

must have wanted Jesus to stay with them, after the joy of the resurrection

and those wonderful reunions. And yet you knew that it was better for them -

and for us - that Jesus returned to you so that He could send His Spirit to live

in us, to comfort and strengthen us and to work through us. Thank you that

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even though human parting is inevitable, because of Jesus eternal life is freely

offered to those who trust in Him. And while we are here on earth you

promise never to leave us or forsake us. Thank you, Father, for your love - and

your bigger picture!

In Jesus name.

Amen.

By Daphne Kitching

All in the month of May

It was:

175 years ago: on 13th May 1842 that Sir Arthur Sullivan, British composer of

operettas, was born. Best known for his collaboration with W S Gilbert,

which produced H.M.S. Pinafore, The Mikado, etc.

100 years ago: on 21st May 1917 that the Commonwealth War Graves

Commission was founded. It records and maintains the graves and places of

commemoration of Commonwealth military service members who died in

WW1 and WW2.

90 years ago: on 20th21tt May that the American aviator Charles Lindbergh

made his historic first non-stop solo transatlantic flight from New York to

Paris, aboard the Spirit of St Louis.

80 years ago: on 12th May 1937 that the coronation of King George VI took

place. This was also the BBC's first official outdoor television broadcast.

75 years ago: on 4 t May 1942 that Germany bombed Exeter, destroying the

city centre. Several weeks later, on 30" 31' t May, more than 1,000 British

Royal Air Force bombers carried out a 90-minute air raid on Cologne.

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50 years ago: on 28" May 1967 that the British sailor and aviator, Sir Francis

Chichester, became the first person to complete a true solo circumnavigation

of the world from west to east, via the clipper route and great capes.

20 years ago: on 1" May 1997 that the Labour Party won the British General

Election in a landslide victory, ending 18 years of Conservative rule. Tony

Blair, aged 43, became Britain's youngest Prime Minister since 1812.

15 years ago: on 30th May 2002 that a solemn ceremony was held to mark

the end of the clean-up operation at Ground Zero in New York City, after the

9/11 attacks.

10 years ago: on 3rd May 2007 that the Scottish Parliament General Election

saw the Scottish National Party (SNP) win by a single seat, and form a

minority government. Alex Salmond took office as First Minister on 16th May.

Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Senior Section

Held on Thursdays during term time

Rainbows. 5-6 years 6-7 p.m. Ellis Room

Brownies 7-10 years 6-7.30 p.m. Main Hall

Guides 10-14 years 7.30-9 p.m. Main Hall

Senior Section 14-25 years 7.30-9p.m. Ellis Room

Toddler's Church

Tuesdays and Wednesdays during term time from 9.45 am. to 12 noon.

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For your diary

MAY

TEA 7th Mrs P Fletcher & Mrs C Fletcher

14th Mrs S Woodhouse 21st Mrs N Fernandez & Mrs E Murphy 28th Mrs P Haley

WELCOME 7th Mrs P Haley

14th Miss C Webster 21st Miss Hunt 28th Mr & Mrs M Fernandez

VESTRY 7th Mrs E Murphy

14th Mr M Murphy 21st Mrs Haley 28th Mrs G Fletcher

COMMUNION

7th Mr M Murphy & Mr N Fletcher

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MAY SUNDAY SERVICES

7th 1030a.m. Rev Mark Woodhouse (COMMUNION)

6.00 p.m. Informal evening service in church

14th 1030a.m. Rev Robert Way ANNIVERSARY 6.00 p.m. Rev Mark Woodhouse SERVICES

21st 10.30 am. Mr Basil Hirst

28th 10.30 am. Mr Mick Murphy

Prayer meetings will be held every Sunday morning at 9.00 am.

MEETINGS

Elders Meetinq

7.00 p.m. Thursday 4th

Prayer Meetings

7.00 p.m. Thursday 6th & 20th (in Church)

Bible Study . 7.00 p.m.

Faith &Food 12 noon

Thursday 18th & 25th (in Church)

Monday 15th

Leadinq Church into growth. 700p.m. Monday 8th

Film Niqht 6.00 p.m. Wednesday 31st

Roots & Fruits . 6.00 p.m. Wednesday 3rd

Singsperation with Basil: 1.30 p.m. Monday 8th

Craft &Chat . 1.30 p.m. Monday 1st

Minister: Rev M Woodhouse, 20 Griffe Head Road, Wyke

Tel 681112 Secretary: Mrs E Murphy, 19 Silver Birch Grove, Wyke

Tel.675962

Treasurer: Miss MA Hunt, 9 Meadow View, Wyke

Tel.6771 15

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