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“I will be your Father and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

2 Corinthians 6 v.18

LENTEN DISCIPLINES

Now here is a title to strike terror into the heart – and the new minister seems a cheerful person, who would have thought she would start talking about discipline? Ash Wednesday this year is 22nd February and we will share Holy Communion at 7.30 pm. After the joy of Christmas and the feasting of Shrove Tuesday what are we to make of the forty days of Lent? Is it to be a time of penance, even punishment as if we could make up for a year of indulgence with a time of going without? The root of the word discipline may be the same as that of disciple: that is to say it is about learning or being a learner, but sometimes it takes on a harsher, more condemnatory tone. So, I think this year, I want to try to reclaim the word discipline for all its positive, life-affirming qualities.

During Lent we are encouraged to study, through reading or through conversation with others and we will try in church to provide opportunities for this. We will provide Christian Aid’s guide through Lent of ‘Count your Blessings’ with a thought and action for each day. Donald Eadie has very kindly agreed to prepare a book list for those of us who are able to spend some time reading and reflecting. Elsewhere in the magazine you will find details of the course Walking God’s Paths being run with us by Ray Gaston, exploring the relationship between Judaism and Christianity. There will be several ecumenical groups joining together around a course devised by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland called The Way to Freedom; it will encourage us to explore our common call to discipleship. One week of this course has the sub-heading ‘discipline’: it is based on some words of Bonhoeffer, that great theologian who realised that freedom for us and for others requires learning and practice, energy and space to grow.

At its heart discipline means something which helps us to become more human, more the people we could and should be. A little like the covenant prayer sometimes it can suit our natural inclinations and at other times it requires us to grit our teeth and continue along a path which is right but hard. So, Lenten discipline is something we accept for ourselves rather than have imposed upon us: for some it will need to be solitary but I hope that it is also something we will be able to share. Early in January quite a large group from church met to think about our worship during Lent – there were too many ideas for me to enumerate here but I hope you will see the flowering of them Sunday by Sunday so that we can walk alongside Jesus as he travelled towards and we prepare for the great weekend of Good Friday and Easter Sunday (of which more next month).

One idea from our ‘Just Lent’ evening was that we would love to share some of the gifts we have been given, during Holy Week and Easter, to help us all. So for two weeks we will have an exhibition in the church area of art, sculpture, embroidery, poetry, creative writing, prayers from, we hope, different ages and groups, members and friends of SOMC: all on one theme, Count your Blessings - Live Life, Love Lent. The offering of all that we are is at the heart of our covenant and I believe that if we can learn to share our gifts then our worship and our community will be enriched. So this Lent, instead of focusing on going without, concentrate on going further with your discipleship through your thinking, your painting or your doodling, your reading or your prayers so that together we may celebrate both the giving of Christ in crucifixion and His resurrection when together we meet at Easter.

With my love and my prayers,

Caroline

LENT BEGINS ASH WEDNESDAY

There will be an Ash Wednesday Eucharist at 2.00 pm and another with ashing for those who wish at 7.30 pm on that day.

Lenten discussion groups will include several ecumenical groups studying the Churches in Britain and Ireland course  'The Way to Freedom'. A sign up sheet will shortly be available on the notice boards, so please consult and fill in as soon as you can.

On Thursday evenings from 1st March Ray Gaston will be leading 5 evenings entitled 'Walking God's Paths' exploring the relationship between Judaism and Christianity.  See page 5 for further details.

The programme of Lent lunches this year is:-

25th February Selly Oak Methodist Church

10th March St. Mary’s Anglican Church

24th March Weoley Hill United Reform Church

If anyone would like to help or make some soup for the 25th February lunch, please see Sue Cameron-Baker.

Count Your Blessings – Live Life, Love Lent

2nd April – 15th April

In the worship area of SOMC

An exhibition of, we hope, art, poetry, prayers, embroidery, craft from origami to banners, wood carving to pottery all inspired by this theme.

In order to put on this display we need everyone at church to think what they may be able to offer and give themselves the time and space to produce something to share, whether they are toddler or retired, experienced or just starting out, so that we can offer to God something which represents in a visual form something of who we are as Christian disciples: further details in March.

Walking God's Paths

Thursdays @ SOMC (Room 3)

7.30 p.m. from 1st March 2012

 Come, let us go up to the house of the Lord;
……that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths. Isaiah 2 :3

 A five week Lent course exploring the relationship between Judaism and Christianity.

1 March Session One: Shared Origins, Diverse roads – understanding the birth of Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism and overcoming Supersessionism

8 March Session Two: Common Texts, Different Scriptures? – How the Bible both unites and divides Jews and Christians. Can Christians learn from Jewish understandings of Scripture?

15 March Session Three: Taking a look at Passover and Easter and exploring ways of describing the Jewish - Christian relationship

22 March Session Four: In the Shadow of the Shoah – How the Holocaust has impacted on Jewish and Christian understandings of their traditions and Jewish – Christian relations

29 March Session Five: The Elephant in the Room – Talking about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and Christian theologies of the land

 The course will include input from Ray Gaston District Inter Faith Enabler, group work, video discussion starters and bible study.

FROM THE GREEN GROUP

Have you discovered GIVE AND TAKE? It’s a stall in the Hall after morning worship on the second Sunday of each month. This is a serious attempt to find a home and a use for household items that are no longer needed by their owners. No money is involved, hence the name. It is a joy to see cooking utensils and bedding, cutlery and small furniture items changing hands; students and world friends have particularly benefitted and a member of SOMC who works for South Birmingham Young Homeless group was able to use the stall to help a young man set up in an unfurnished flat.

Many hundreds of items have changed hands since the scheme started in September 2010, thus living up to the environmental call to REUSE even before RECYCLING items.

So, if you are thinking of having a clear out or require some new household item, please remember the GIVE AND TAKE  table.

What a good idea!

If you have more energy than a 91 year old ......

If you have some time to spare ......

any time, any day....

If you are interested in growing fruit and veg ......

and would like to share some of the produce ......

Please have a word with Denys Saunders.

(He’s the one who sits in a difference place

in the church almost every Sunday morning...

but hangs around in the Welcome Area             afterwards.)

PERSONALIA

We send our greetings to Jean Wilson who attained her 80^th birthday in late January.  Regretfully, she is still confined to her home after her unfortunate accident in early November.  We do hope for news of some improvement in the coming days.

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We regret to report the death of David Watson who died on January 3rd following a longish period of Nursing care in West Heath Hospital and Moseley Hall.  We extend our condolences to his family.  An account of his lengthy association with out Church appears elsewhere.

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We have heard news from former Ministers/members at Christmastide.            Harold and Mary Yardley, who receive our Newsletter each month and who left us 30 years ago to live in Newcastle, Staffs, where Harold’s University career took him.  They remain active in retirement, visiting different parts of the country.  Their daughter, Helen, was diagnosed with Breast Cancer last September, and they hope and pray that she will make a full recovery.  It is good to know that they remain active in their area with different interests.

            Rev Donald & Gwenllian Knighton keep going pretty well, visiting relations around the country.  The early part of 2011 involved Donald in recovery from surgery and a fall on the ice in the 2010/11 hard winter.  They keep quite busy with their individual interests and preaching appointments.

Rev Nick Skelding has updated us with his current ministerial situation, etc.  He has left the Harlesden Circuit and is now in Uxbridge, part time at Christchurch (joint Methodist and United Reformed in the town centre), and 2 days a week on the airport Chaplaincy team at Heathrow. Do let him know if you are passing through Heathrow, especially on a Wednesday or Friday (tel: 01895 274420) or email nick.skelding@btinternet.com   During the year he had a sabbatical, visiting West Indies and including staying with George & Elaine Mulrain.   He also visited Hong Kong (his early Ministry was there) to join the celebrations of 160 years of Methodism there.    He is now in partnership with Sue Philips.

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BARBARA HARRISON

Having just celebrated the Christmas season weekend, many of us at SOMC were devastated to hear that Barbara had died suddenly at home in Sedgewick near Kendal.   Geoff & Barbara had moved back to the Lake District in 2004 after spending over thirty years in membership at Selly Oak, following Geoff’s appointment to a post at Westhill College.

Over the years with us, Barbara had become very much involved in the life and times of our Church.  She was a very good Secretary of the Open Circle in the 1990’s, and being a member of the House Committee at the Missionary Guest House, now Asbury House, in College Walk, playing her part in the social activity of the residents’ families there, including Christmas parties in our Church premises.   She also assisted at the former Methodist International House in Selly Park, particularly in providing afternoon tea on Sundays.  With Geoff, they gave practical help to elderly couples in our society, particularly the Gregorys.

Barbara was an enthusiastic participant in Choral events both in our Church life and a member of local area choirs.  Their busy style of life also included the up-bringing of their children, Claire and Roger, and their subsequent marriages and the arrival of grandchildren.

We were sorry to see them leave us, but understood their reasons.  They have become equally busy in Church life at Stricklandgate Church in Kendal, and in choirs and related activities.

We extend to Geoff and all the family our sincere sympathy at their loss.  20 of us attended the Memorial Service in Kendal.  The very large congregation was indicative of the high regard that everyone who knew her felt at this sad time.

Barbara Harrison

Geoff and the Family would like to thank all those friends from Selly Oak  who have supported us with messages of sympathy and prayers during the our sad loss of a dear Wife, Mother and Grannie.

It is comforting to know that there are so many friends who  contributed to Barbara's life and this was reflected in the number of people who attended the Service of Thanksgiving and Celebration of her life.

A total of £2000 has been received in her memory and she would have been absolutely delighted to have known that this will be sent to Thembelihle Home in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, a home for abused children where her Granddaughter, Naomi worked last Year.

May God bless you all at Selly Oak.

DAVID WATSON

David was in membership at Selly Oak for a very long time.  He used to work at the Longbridge Rover factory, and was a regular worshipper on Sunday mornings.  He was always keen to render a verse or two as a solo as his contribution to the morning worship periods.  After retirement and the break-up of his marriage he continued in worship until failing health, particularly his eyesight, made life increasingly difficult for him.

I got to know David Watson over the last 3 to 4 years as my only pastoral Class member.  His eyesight was waning; however his Christian Spirit was unshakeable.  His memory of Church life and people he respected was a constant source of interesting conversation.  David always insisted on singing at least three hymns during my visits with Ann Ashman to share Communion.  He was a character, and lover of the Lord, who we shall sadly miss.

Stephen Rowe

WOMEN’S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER

This year’s Women’s World Day of Prayer has been compiled by the women of Malaysia, based on the theme: “Let Justice Prevail”.

The Service in this area will be at 10.30 am on Friday, March 2nd and will be held in Weoley Hill United Reform Church, corner of Bryony Road and Green Meadow Road.

Everyone will be welcome - men as well as women.

RAMBLING ON IN 2012 

Our next ramble will take place on Saturday 25th February, starting from the Barley Mow, Studley at 10.30am.  The walk is  5 miles along field paths, through parkland and gentle rolling countryside. There are no stiles.  Lunch afterwards will be at the Barley Mow which is a very reasonable carvery.  

If you would like to join us please advise David Walton on 0121 471 1434, or email to  waltondj50@yahoo.co.uk  by Thursday 23rd February.

Selly Oak Methodist Church has an excess of ‘Hymns and Psalms’ books.

Bournville Quaker Meeting House

65 Linden Road, Bournville B 30 (on the Green)

MUSIC ON FRIDAYS 

1.00 PM  -  1.30PM

Spring Term programme

Feb 10^th            Joe Waggott (Organ) – a Bournville Organist now at                                 Birmingham Conservatoire.

Feb 17^th            Young String Players  - pupils of Lucy Akehurst.

Feb 24^th            Linnaeus Baroque Ensemble ( Linnea Markgren –                            soprano)  Lucia Caperello – Cello)  & (Sara Wilander –                 Harpsichord)

Mar 2^nd            Nick Lampert (Flute) & Darren Hogg (Piano)  - Nick and                     Darren return to entertain us.

Englesea Brook book sale coming up

The development of historic Englesea Brook Chapel and Museum will benefit from a week-long second-hand book sale to be held in Birmingham from February 11th.   Up to 10,000 books on a wide variety of subjects will be offered in a sale at Quinton Methodist Church, Ridgeway Avenue, Birmingham.

Opening days are daily, 10.00am - 5.00pm from Saturday February 11th to February 18th (apart from Sunday February 12th).

For further information contact Quinton Methodist Church on 0121 421 6657

OUR CHURCH ON TV

 For those of our readership who might like to see our premises on BBC1, or who regularly watch the TV programme ‘Doctors’ on BBC 1 at 1.45pm to 2.15pm, Monday to Friday, you may wish to know that two recent filming sessions in December and January will appear in the episodes on February 27th and April 13th.  They include action in the Welcome Area (February) and the Church and Lounge (April).

Tom Hill

SOMC FORTHCOMING EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY

 
OPEN CIRCLE LADIES GROUP 

Invite you to a...

COFFEE &CAKE MORNING

and Bring & Buy

On  Saturday 10th March 

Details will be in the March Newsletter

The Gardeners’ Market will take place on

Saturday. May 26th this year.

Make a note in your gardening Diary and start planning to prepare your offerings, and to decide which plants you would like to purchase.