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CHURCH NEWS
Weekly Prayer Roster
Each week during the year the Churches, in their prayers, remember the residents of particular streets in the vil-
lage, those who work in the parish and village organizations. Those to be remembered this month are:
7th February
Field Close, Lincoln Close, Silver Street, Beaufort Drive, St Hugh’s Road
14th February
School Lane, Buckden Primary School (pupils, teachers and teaching assistants,
governors, volunteers, midday supervisors, lollipop lady, all support staff)
21st February
Scouts, Cubs and Beavers, Guides, Brownies and Rainbows, Playgroup and Day
Nursery, Buccaneers after school club, Buckden Towers Youth Retreat Centre
28th February
Mayfield, Springfield Way, The Osiers, Stirtloe
LENT STUDY LUNCHES
The regular monthly study lunch will take place on Monday 8th February 2016 and will be an introduction to the
Lent course of lunches titled ‘Considering Challenging Issues’
The Lent lunches are on the following Mondays:
22nd February, 29th February, 7th March, 14th March and 21st March
Methodist Church Hall 12.30 pm to 2.00 pm Contact:
Ann Brittain
on
812012
Thought for the month
We are privileged to live in a delightful part of England in the Ouse Valley, with Grafham Water close by and the
Nene Valley also relatively close. I am sure our hearts continue to reach out to those who over recent weeks, in-
cluding Christmas and New Year, experienced flooding in their homes and communities. They are now struggling
to repair and rebuild their homes and trying to come to terms with what happened.
A number of disasters have recently been taking place in various parts of the world also some atrocities, and the
desperate plight of refugees seeking peace and freedom continues. There have been some people who have
expressed their views that there cannot be a God in Heaven who would allow such things to happen; it is unrea-
sonable and irrational to place one's faith in a God like that. The Christian message however portrays a God of
justice and mercy who would not act in a destructive way like that – it would be contrary to His nature.
I believe three important lessons come to us when such tragedies occur. Surely here is the One Person we can
turn to in such situations. Through personal faith we can know God's love, power and protection at all times and
most certainly in adverse circumstances. Here is our hope, our confidence and our salvation.
Secondly, it is a timely reminder to all of us that mankind is small and insignificant in the face of the mighty forces
at work within this universe. The vastness of space, together with the yet undiscovered galaxies beyond, serve as
reminders that despite our vast knowledge we still know relatively little. Perhaps this serves in a sobering way to
remind us that there are limits and boundaries to man's strength and capabilities.
The third and most obvious truth that comes home to us is a reminder how fragile life really is. We never know
what one day will bring forth or even the next hour, and eternity is never far away.
It seems only a day or two ago when we were wishing each other New Year greetings. Already the year is under-
way and we have entered February. Take heart, and although world needs and personal challenges continue to
arise the Bible assures us that God is eternal and always remains the same. His love is constant and is ours to
know and prove through faith in Jesus Christ His Son.
Rev Roger Watkins, Interim Minister, Perry Baptist Church