• The Front Page
• Message from St Andrew's
• Message from the Baptist Church
• Message from Girton Glebe School

The Front Page.

WANTED

If any readers have photographs of relatives or friends from Girton who served in the Forces during the War, or know of others, would they please contact Bill and Margaret Parnwell on 277109. The History Group would like to include copies of such photographs in the booklet containing these letters which is expected to be published towards the end of the year. Relevant wartime photographs of Girton events and organisations would also be welcome.

Any photographs will be copied and returned.
 

Message from St Andrew's

On June 11th we celebrate  the event which has become regarded by many as the moment that the Church was born. This is Pentecost,  which marks the coming of the Spirit. Our Songs of Praise on the Rec is a festival  in celebration of this event.

Pentecost also takes us further back than 2000 years - right back to God's act of creation.

That which was formed perfect and free now  groans in travail; it throbs with pain; it longs to be set free. It thirsts to see a new creation taking form.

Here is the meaning of Pentecost: the Holy Spirit prompts us to sigh as we look at our world; to feel a deep-seated unhappiness (but not despair), a discontent (but not a washing of our hands),  a frustration with things as they are in the present, a longing for things to be as they could be, as they were made to be, and as they will be. And so "we ourselves, who have the 'first fruits' of the Spirit, groan inwardly".

That's part  of what Pentecost means for us as Christians. We sigh and creation groans because the Spirit of God is calling us to a new kind of future. There is an 'eager longing' for something FUTURE, for something that we can experience in part now, but the fullness of which lies in the future.

What we see, touch, hear, taste and smell isn't all there is;  it's too imperfect, too provisional, and for many people, too painful. Creation yearns for an end to the powers of all that is destructive, all that causes death and decay.

We now know, looking back on the most violent century in the world's history,  why the Spirit has been given to us. Not for private, ecstatic experiences, but to influence for good, to change the 'agenda'   of the world. 

Pentecost reminds us again that our hope for the future comes from the same Spirit which fell upon the disciples on that first Feast of Pentecost ('first-fruits'); and they turned the world upside down!

The Spirit takes us beyond our own narrow concerns and self-interest, and gives us the power to change things now. It is our calling  to work for a better world; and it begins with the transformation of the inner self in holiness and LOVE.

That's  why we gather in church and field on June 11th, to perhaps glimpse new possibilities for a different, better world as we celebrate the power of God to change things for good.

Rob Mackintosh.

Message from the Baptist Church

When I was a little boy I once went on holiday to Wales and because of all the Welsh speaking children on the beach it was necessary to learn some words in Welsh.  To my shame I have to tell you that the only phrase I learned amounted to "clear off" and although to this day I could tell you how to pronounce it, I won't just in case it translates as something a little stronger than "clear off"!  I learned the words, because an adult on the beach seeing my situation taught me to say it.  How much better it would have been if he'd taught me to say "do you want to play" or better still if he had come alongside and translated.

My experience of beach warfare at Llandudno is just the tip of an iceberg of racial hatred that envelops the world and seems, to me, to be on the increase.  In this country the murder of the teenager Stephen Lawrence shattered any illusion we might have had that racial divides didn't exist and recently racial attacks are on the increase.  To just quote a couple from the last few weeks, a local shopkeeper was stabbed in Llanelli because of the colour of his skin and a young Asian man was attacked by a group in the West Midlands and set on fire.  I could look around the world at other similar situations, but why look elsewhere when in our own country there is growing disquiet and unease about the increasing numbers of people coming here to seek asylum and refuge.
We pride ourselves in Britain in being a "Christian" nation.  Lord Denning, the former Master of the Rolls who died last year, was asked in an interview broadcast to mark his centenary, what was the cornerstone of the British justice system.   Without any hesitation he said the Ten Commandments; our law is based on the law of God.  I think most politicians and statesmen would agree with him, but if we are a Christian nation then we mustn't just obey the letter of the law, but know the heart of God.  In the issue of racial tensions the heart of God can be summed up in one word - love.  As Jesus said and then illustrated in the parable of the good Samaritan, a story about people from different backgrounds, we should love our neighbours as ourselves.  In the same way Moses who reported God's commandments to the children of Israel, also instructed them that when they entered the promised land they should love those who were aliens.

Aliens, strangers, foreigners, those with a different colour of skin, a strange language, a different background, a view of things that is not our own.  These are the people that God wants us to welcome and love.  It isn't always easy, particularly as our thoughts and standards are so different to God's, yet our shallowness of love compared to God's did not stop Him reaching out to us by sending Jesus to live with us and die in our place.  When we start to appreciate the love of God for us, then that same love compels us to love others in return. 

We are travellers on this earth, lodgers for a very short while in this particular world and therefore as we journey through we should try to help our fellow travellers along the road.  We can do it in a variety of ways and in a wonderful parable in Matthew's gospel, Jesus describes how the nations will one day be judged on how they have reacted to those in need.  The blessed are those who feed the hungry, quench the thirsty, see a stranger and invite them in, see someone needing clothing and clothe them or see someone in prison and visit them.  All these actions please God and are ways of welcoming the stranger. 

Phillip Staves
 

Message from the Girton Glebe School

Last term we said goodbye to Mrs Maxine Searle as she left to begin her maternity leave. Her baby, a little girl, was born on 2nd May. She is called Niamh Alice and both mother and daughter are doing very well.
Mr Philip Atkin joined us at Easter as Key Stage 2 Co-ordinator. His strengths are Maths, ICT and Music and we welcome him to our team.

Last term the children organised two fund raising events to help the flood victims in Mozambique. A non- uniform event raised £160 and a Pokemon design competition was run by four of our year 6 girls , raising £4.48. Well done Girton Glebe and Maddie, Nicola ,Charlotte and Elesha who even bought the prizes with their own money

I hope that you all enjoyed the children's work in In Touch last month and that you will join us for our Feast Week Garden Party on 5th July at 6pm. Please bring your own picnic, chairs or rug and wine or drinks; barbeque available.

Susan Baker