Two churches threatened by noise complaints

Two London churches have voiced fears for their future after noise abatement orders were served on them. Immanuel International Christian Centre in Walthamstow and All Nations Church in Kennington have both had to cut their sound levels after neighbours’ complaints. In the case of Immanuel Church, the order was served even after they cut their services from two to one and reduced their sung worship to only 40 minutes. Pastor Dunni Odetoyinbo told The Evening Standard that his congregation had fallen from 100 to 30. Pastor Victor Jibuike, meanwhile, said he believes complaints against his church are nothing to do with noise but have been prompted by opposition to their plans to turn a disused school into a community centre.

Sources: Church of England Newspaper (16/10); Christian Legal Centre

Eating Well with Kidney Failure

Following on from my post last Saturday
Potassium is the key , I am pleased to report that I have now obtained a book of 50 recipes that have been tried and tested to create a healthy diet for anyone with kidney malfunction (from those just slightly affected to those who have to undergo dialysis). It also contains good advice and helpful hints for making sure that your restricted diet contains enough protein and vitamins and for limiting the salt, phosphate and potassium in your diet without it being boring and inadequate.

So I can recommend "Eating Well with Kidney Failure - A practical guide and cookbook" to anyone who has been told to limit their phosphate or potassium intake. It deals with all levels of kidney malfunction and can make life much easier and meals much more interesting. It is written by Helena Jackson, Annie Cassidy, and Gavin James,'with the help and support of our renal and dietetic colleagues at St. George's and King's College Hospitals', and is published by Class Publishing, Barb House, Barb Mews, London W6 7PA www.class.co.uk .

Beyond reach?

Having already posted a recent sermon by John Madeley, I now have pleasure in introducing a new book by John Madeley which will be published this week:-

Beyond Reach?
Publication date: 17th October 2009

When a feisty young married woman inspires a church minister, known for his inappropriate choice of women, to join a campaign to end poverty, the result is an explosive mix that takes them into a world that neither bargained for.

Set in 2005 this novel is an eye-witness account of the Make Poverty History campaign, of the scrapes and joys of campaigning for a just cause.

Taking the reader through English suburbia, to Gleneagles in Scotland, and Niger, West Africa, John Madeley tells a sensitive, witty story of a relationship between people who are dedicated to ending poverty, Their relationship energises them for the campaign, leading them to a devastating exposé of government duplicity.

Anyone who took part in the Make Poverty History campaign, who bought a wrist band, who now wants to see the end of poverty, or who just wants a good read, will find this an inspiring book.



‘A revealing story about a scandal of our time, witty, sharp - and above all urgent’ - Rosie Boycott

‘In this amusing novel, John Madeley links modern ethics and politics with the age-old issues of relationships and the meaning of life. All this, with serious intent, too’ - Tim Lang

‘In the tradition of Saturday, this outstanding novel weaves together the world of public events with the private world of individual lives’ - Carl Rayer

‘Be warned, this book could change your life’ - Ann Pettifor

Methodists Take Action on Climate Change

In case you stop reading before the end of this News Bulletin, I want to draw your attention to the challenge 'Everyone across the connexion is invited to comment'. Please read carefully, on this Blog Action Day:-



Copies of Hope in God’s Future – a report and study guide addressing climate change – are flying off the shelves just days after the first printed editions became available.

The first print run of the booklet has sold out and Methodist Publishing has ordered a second run.

Hope in God’s Future takes the reader on a journey using the changing mood of a worship service as a framework for considering climate change and people’s effect on the planet. It outlines the position of the Methodist Church, The Baptist Union and The United Reformed Church on climate change and invites people to see how deeply faith connects with the challenge facing us.

Thaddeus Dell, Carbon Reduction Policy Officer at the Methodist Church, said: “Hope In God’s Future gets people to understand the science and how this is linked to our Christian theology. Climate change is the greatest challenge to the Church in our generation. The science is overwhelming and it leads us to a moral obligation. It is especially important for people to engage in these issues ahead of the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.”

The 2009 Methodist Conference adopted sections one to four of Hope in God’s Future as a draft Conference statement. This means that everyone across the Connexion is invited to comment before it returns to the Conference in 2011.

The study guide offers the full text of the report, as well as ideas for creative activities, inspirational prayers and worship, help and advice for leaders, and suggestions for group sessions lasting one or two evenings or even a whole day.

Copies of Hope in God’s Future are available from Methodist Publishing at £5.00 each, with discounts offered for bulk buys of 10 or more.


Source: Methodist News Service 15/09/2009

Where is God in all these diasters?

Where is God in all these disasters?
by John Madeley

An earthquake in Indonesia, a tsunami affecting Samoa and Tonga, a
typhoon hitting Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia, devastating
flooding in South India, severe drought in Kenya and Ethiopia.
Hundreds of people dead, tens of thousands displaced. Suffering on a
massive scale. It all happened in a week in late September this year.

What is going on? Where is God in all these disasters? Why doesn’t God
intervene to stop them? These are fair questions. The meaning of
suffering is difficult for us to answer, but what we do know is that
God gives a free will. In that sense God is vulnerable to our choices.
If we chose to exercise that free will in a way that is damaging for
others, and for ourselves, God does not stop us.

God gives us freedom, to choose the right or the wrong path. If we
choose the wrong path, it will grieve God’s heart, but God does not
stop us, does not act like some giant policeman in the sky. God the
Son died on the cross 2000 years because people decided he should die.
They exercised their free will. God did not stop them. The world is
not God’s puppet theatre.

God guides us to use our free will in accordance with his will for us.
But if we ignore it, if we turn away from God, if we abuse natural
resources, then consequences may follow.

We should stop calling disasters “natural disasters”. Severe floods
and droughts, hurricanes. typhoons and cyclones are occurring at twice
the rate of 40 years ago. They are not as natural as they seem, they
are more related to the way we live than they appear. Disasters are
increasingly related to climate change, to emissions of carbon, to the
world’s heavy use of energy. And that includes our use of energy.

A few years ago, Christian Aid published a report entitled “Unnatural
Disasters”. It said that rich nations such as Britain were condemning
poor countries to an "ever increasing number of overwhelming
humanitarian catastrophes".

Climate-related disasters, which kill thousands of people and cost
millions in terms of providing aid to stricken populations, are
manmade and should no longer be termed natural disasters, it said.

But what about earthquakes? 98% of people who die in earthquakes die
not because of the earthquake itself, but because buildings collapse
on them. They are related to poverty. On tsunamis, we know from the
2004 tsunami that here nature's barriers were intact - mangroves
forests along coast lines for example - there was far less damage. New
tourist hotels, shrimp farms etc had caused many to be removed.

Where is God is these disasters? God is with those who suffer. And God
is with us, calling us to be more responsible stewards of the
beautiful wold he created.

What can we do? At the very least we can support the 10/10 Initiative
- cut our emissions of carbon, our use of electricity, gas, oil, by
10% by the end of 2010. Cutting our emissions is vital if our
children, our grandchildren are to have a future. It’s vital if
children women and men in poor countries are to have a present. Where
is God in all this? God is working in us.

Based on a sermon given at Caversham Heights Methodist Church on 4th October.

Potassium is the key

Sorry to have kept you all wondering what has happened to me! I seem to have had all the possible health check-ups coinciding in the last few weeks and diet seems to loom importantly in all of them! But such conflicting advice only confuses me, the patient, and makes me wonder what I CAN eat safely without triggering some other weakness in my anatomy.

I now think that potassium is the key, but what a complex subject that is! What a bewildering list of foods contain potassium, and then you have to learn which foods are high potassium foods and which are low potassium foods and choose your diet accordingly. That sounds simple, but it isn't, for, if you are trying not to consume too much potassium, you not only have to avoid eating the high potassium foods but you also have to beware of eating too much of any of the low potassium foods!

So the equation is:- How to eat well, keeping this balance and at the same time making sure that you don't lose any more weight? It's even more of a conundrum when you have a garden full of delicious apples, tomatoes, runner beans and brussel sprouts (nearly ready) and only me here to eat them all! It's not fair! (I've eaten all my own-grown potatoes and carrots for this year.) I've also got my broad beans in early and they are now two inches high. I do love broad beans!

I was so happy with my 'healthy' home-grown fruit and vegetables (and piled my plate high!), and I loved the advice to 'eat five fruits and vegetables a day', but now I must limit myself to such small servings at a time. And when I eat out in a restaurant? That doesn't bear thinking about at the moment!

Well, now that I've got that off my chest, there's nothing for it but to discipline myself in regard to meals - and to give away much of the produce that I would normally be eating! Spare me a thought sometimes, please!

Appeal for disaster victims in Indonesia, Samoa and Tonga

An appeal for prayer and funds for victims of the tsunami and earthquake tragedies in Samoa, Tonga and Indonesia has been launched by the Methodist Church in Britain.

The Church’s World Mission Fund granted £10,000 to aid the relief work of partner Churches in the region.

Steve Pearce, Partnership Coordinator for Asia and the Pacific, said: “As ever our partner Churches will feel enormously supported knowing that Methodists in Britain are praying for them. The appeal and grant money will go to partner Churches, which are playing an important role in rebuilding communities.”

Anyone wishing to donate to the appeal can do so online here: http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentoworld.content&cmid=1492 or by sending a cheque payable to the World Mission Fund and posting it to Dave Bennett, Fundraising Coordinator, at Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5JR. Postal donations should be labelled ‘Pacific Appeal’.

A State of Emergency was declared in Tonga for Niuatoputapu, the closest island to Samoa with a population of around 1,000 people. The General Secretary of the Free Wesleyan Church in Tonga is due to travel to Niuatoputapu by boat today. The 1,000 inhabitants of Niuatoputapu island have been badly hit by the tsunamis and earthquakes which have rocked the area. Food, clothing and kitchen utensils are set to arrive in Niuatoputapu by boat tomorrow.

Steve added: “I have been unable to reach the President or the Methodist Church headquarters in Samoa by phone, but it is clear that the Church will be heavily involved in the recovery both spiritually and pastorally in the weeks to come.”

In Indonesia, the main centre of the earthquake damage has been in Padang on the island of Sumatera. The Methodist Head Quarters is in Medan more than 1,000 miles away.

Steve continued: “We have not heard news from the Methodist Church in Padang as yet. We have sent an initial solidarity grant and will respond further to our partner Church as their need becomes clearer. I have assured the church and its members of our prayers and support.”

Updates on the partner Churches in the affected region will appear at www.methodist.org.uk as soon as news is available.

The following prayer has been posted on the Methodist Church in Britain’s website and churches are encouraged to use it during worship on Sunday.

Prayer

Loving God,

Who cares ceaselessly for all creation,
We pray for the people of Samoa;
That they may know your pacific touch in these days of earthquake and tsunami,
That the ocean, the moana, may continue to surround and sustain them,
That your compassion may help women, men and children
Live with the loss of their loved ones,
Overcome the destruction of their homes and livelihoods and
Deal with the fear of what the future may hold.
Let us feel the breeze of your Spirit in the sails of our companionship with the Island peoples of the Pacific and
Let us see the light of your presence as we plot the course of our common Discipleship within your worldwide Church.

Amen.

Source: Methodist News Service 02/10/2009