February 2023

8 Buckden Roundabout February 2023 Church News Weekly Prayer Roster Each week during the year the Churches, in their prayers, remember the residents of particular streets in the village, those who work in the parish and village organisations. Those to be remembered this month are: 5 th February Village shops, and those who work in them; businesses based in the village, hotels, inns, and those who work at home; homemakers, carers, the unemployed and underemployed, and all visitors to the village 12 th February Clubs and societies, their leaders and members, volunteers, and the team that produces and distributes the Buckden Roundabout 19 th February Cranfield Way, Cranfield Close, Weir Close, Smith Drive, Lucks Lane, Morris Close 26 th February Penda Court, Jute Crescent, Danes Way Thought for the Month My first devotions this year, 2023. Recently I have had a few occasions to reflect on what happens when we prioritise what ’ s urgent at the expense of the im- portant – my failing to do tasks that were definitely important to my well - being and that of those I care for, but crowded out by other demands with more pressing deadlines. Over the festive season I very narrowly missed severe consequences on two occasions. Neither were trivial matters and I, for one, thank God that the implications of both my failings have been relatively minor; I was able to get the horses back into the stable before they ran out of the field. But the shock of what could have been rightly lingers. Any management resource – my previous bread and butter – training courses, textbooks and manuals on self, time or work management teaches the need for right priority on what ’ s im- portant - stressing the danger of the urgent dominating time and capacity, resulting in what really matters being neglected. The last few years and indeed the situations our country faces today should be enough to redress the balance and focus our attention on what ’ s fundamentally important in our lives and encourage a bit of reprioritisation. But I am sure I am not alone in continuing to be distracted by deadlines and demands that press for first place at the top of the to do list. For many of us, issues and questions about life, God and the need or other- wise for faith, rarely even make the list at all although these are among the things that really matter when the chips are down. The Bible passage that comes to mind is of course Martha and Mary – Martha busy in the kitchen cooking for the visitors, with Mary sitting at Jesus ’ s feet, listening; Martha complaining that she is denied the opportunity, even though the tasks in front of her are to some extent self - appointed. But this is a woman who learns and later it ’ s Martha who becomes the first person to recognise Jesus for who he really is, the first person to declare him the Son of God. I wonder what questions about life and faith have crossed your mind over the years, pushed down perhaps as fanciful or too hard, or even irrelevant, but if the truth be told still niggle from time to time. Is now not as good a time as any, and in some ways a very opportune time to give them some air and space. After all life as we understand it looks to be changing in ways that we don ’ t fully understand or can ’ t plan for. Father David and I, along with a few friends from Buckden ’ s Methodist, Anglican and Catholic churches are meeting each week in the Lion from Wednesday 22 nd February onwards for a few weeks offering a space to chew over whatever questions or issues arise. Why not focus on some of the important ques- tions of life and faith for a while, over a pint. All welcome – see the information on page 18 for further details. Revd. Sue Baker - Maher Many thanks to Emma West from MOLA and additional materi- al from their website. Please look out for MOLA publications including a new ‘ coffee table ’ book due to be published soon. References: https://molaheadland.com/top - 10 - archaeology - a14 - cambridge - huntingdon/ https://molaheadland.com/discovering - deserted - medieval - villages - a14 - cambridge - huntingdon - improvement - scheme/ https://www.gov.uk/government/news/a14 - cambridge - to - huntingdon - archaeology - shines - light - on - 6000 - years - of - history https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/news/new - heritage - centre - for - northstowe - and - longstanton - under - way (Continued from page 13)