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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 village, those
who work in the parish and village organizations. Those to be remembered this month are:
3rd January
Farming communities, Taylor’s Lane (West), Hardwick Lane, the residents and staff of Hard-
wick Dene, Great North Road, Brampton Road, Perry Road, Buckden Wood
10th January
High Street, Ivelbury Close, York Yard, Lion Yard, George Lane, King George Court, Taylor’s
Lane (East), Wolsey Gardens, Charles Court
17th January
Hunts End, Copes Close, Monks Cottages, Hunts End Court
24th January
Manor Gardens, Manor Close, Glebe Lane, The Grove
31st January
Park Road, Falcon Way; The Marinas, and those who live and work there
STUDY LUNCH
The regular monthly study lunches continue on Monday 11th January 2016
Methodist Church Hall 12.30 pm to 2.00 pm Contact:
Ann Brittain
on
812012
Advance notice - the Lent Study lunches will begin on Monday February 15th 2016
Further details and focus of study will be detailed in the February edition.
Thought for the month
Happy New Year.
It seems incredible that 2016 is already here. The celebration of Christmas and the New Year is only too quickly
followed by the cold reality of January. It may be my imagination, but the years do seem to be passing with in-
creasing speed, perhaps a function of age, and it is salutary to think that we are already more than half way
through the second decade of the 21
st
century.
I wonder how 2015 was for you. I guess that for most of us it was a mixture of good and bad, happiness and sad-
ness; the joy at the birth of a child, like Princess Charlotte, and the sadness of illness and death which we have
seen on TV, and which I know a number of us have experienced. That was certainly our experience of an eventful
year; one that culminated in my leaving the insurance industry in London to join you in Buckden where, thanks to
you, we already feel very much at home.
And what of 2016? Many of us may make New Year’s resolutions, or indeed resolve not to make a resolution,
and all of us will have ideas and plans for this coming year, whether holidays, a change of job or school or even a
new hairstyle.
It is likely that for most of us 2016 will, like most years, contain a mixture of experiences, some positive and enjoy-
able, others less so. But the fact is that none of us know how the next 12 months will play out. That is part of the
risk, uncertainty and adventure of life. The bible records James the brother of Jesus warning some friends about
the danger of setting too great a store by the plans they had made. Writing metaphorically he asked - what is our
life? We are nothing but a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Certainly the sad and serious
events of the recent months have underlined how fragile and uncertain life can be.
The Christian message, of course, is that our God is deeply interested in each of our years. At Christmas many of
us celebrated the birth of His Son. As a man Jesus showed us how to connect with a God who will walk with us
through whatever life in 2016 and beyond holds for us; the vale of tears as well as the mountain top of joy. The
invitation He issues to each of us through the Bible and through all the churches in the village is to come and ex-
perience the joy, peace, mercy and compassion that God offers to all who respond to Him. The prayer of the
churches is that many of us will wish to come, or come back, and accept that invitation for ourselves.
So once again Happy New Year.
Rev Jes Salt, Priest in Charge, Buckden and the Offords
Frederick (Freddie) Brown
Anne and family would like to thank everyone who attended Freddie's funeral service at St Mary's church and for
the many messages of sympathy and generous donations to the Help for Heroes charity. Freddie was a real
Buckden character who will be sadly missed by everyone.