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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:
1st November
Vineyard Way, Burberry Road, Swan End, Lark End, The Library and its librarians
8th November
The churches of the village: St Hugh’s, St Mary’s, Buckden Methodist Church, also Offord and
Perry Baptist Churches, members of home groups from these and other local churches, min-
isters and all who make our churches welcoming and worshipful places
15th November
Church Street, Mill Road, The Barns, The Old Flour Mills
22nd November
The Parish Council, The Village Hall and Playing Field Trust; those who help to run the Village
Hall, and the activities there
29th November
Greenway, Aragon Close, Hoo Close, Bishops Way
STUDY LUNCH
The regular monthly study lunches continue on Monday 9th November 2015
Methodist Church Hall 12.30 pm to 2.00 pm Contact:
Ann Brittain
on
812012
Thought for the month
Perhaps surprisingly to some my training as a mathematician involved some study of philosophy. A philosopher
once described the study of metaphysics as “searching in a darkened room for a black cat that is not there”. There
are those who would suggest that the same description applies to the search for God.
These are the folk who want scientific proof for the statements of the religion. They want archaeological evidence
for the Flood; they want to know what species of whale swallowed Jonah; they want to know where and when Job
lived.
Certainly the search for God sometimes feels like searching in a darkened room for a black cat, but any scientist
will tell you that you cannot prove the cat is not there. Used properly, science is a wonderful thing. Applied inap-
propriately it is merely silly.
When science can prove the existence of love or distinguish between a collection of sounds and a piece of music
it will be ready to join in the search for God. Until then it is simply the wrong tool for the job.
I believe that we are surrounded by signs of God’s presence and involvement in this world, and of God’s love for
us. I further believe that God has built in, as part of our design specification as it were, the equipment we need to
detect these signs and to interpret their significance.
However, humanity is imperfect. In our state of separation from God we find that this in-built detection equipment
is a bit wonky. We fail to spot the signs of God’s love around us.
Thankfully, God has also given us tools to help us recover our sign-spotting abilities. We have the Bible. We have
the experiences of those who have held the faith before us. We have our intellect and our reason. All these and
more are needed if we are to refine our senses enough to see and understand what God is trying to tell us — that
God loves us.
Rev Paul Beard, Methodist
Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box appeal.
This is now a community event with different organisations in Buckden participating. Buckden Methodist Church
being at the centre of it, as it is now a registered drop off centre for shoeboxes. Buckden Methodist Church will be
OPEN on the first 3 Mondays and the first 2 Fridays in November, between 2pm and 4:30pm to drop off complet-
ed shoeboxes, empty shoeboxes, donations of items or donations of money. The shoeboxes will be collected and
started on their journey after 18
th
November.
Thank you very much to those who have already donated items and money and those who are busy knitting it is
much appreciated. Operation Christmas Child is a worthwhile charity making a difference at Christmas, by giving
shoe boxes containing small gifts to children in poor countries. If you would like more information then please con-
tact Carol Swepstone 810053. Thank you.