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Brandon
Parish Magazine
November/December 2021
St. John’s Church, Brandon &
St. Catherine’s Church, New Brancepeth
Services
are now taking place in St. John’s and St. Catherine’s
with Covid-19 safety regulations. Details are:
St. John’s: Holy Eucharist on Sundays
– 9.45 am,
Mondays – 7.00 pm, Wednesdays – 9.00 am
St. Catherine’s: Holy Eucharist on
Sundays – 8.45 am,
Thursdays – 9.30 also Morning Prayer Thursdays –
8.45 am
Tuesdays and Fridays: Fr. Carl leads Morning
Prayer on zoom at 8.45 Contact Fr. Carl for an invitation.
Contacts
Fr. Carl Peters: The Clergy House, Sawmill Lane, Brandon,
Durham, DH7 8NS. Tel: 0191 6803875, revpeters28@gmail.com
Other Contact Telephone Numbers
St. John’s: David (Churchwarden) – 3789718; Carolyn
– 6803875
St. Catherine’s: Joe – 3739927; Liz – 3731554
Website http://www.brandonparish.org.uk/Welcome.htm
https://www.facebook.com/StJohnTheEvangelistChurchBrandon
https://www.facebook.com/Stjohnschurchhallmeadowfield
https://www.facebook.com/pg/StCatherinesChurchNewBrancepeth
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From
the Registers
Wedding
at St John’s Church
11th Sept. Andrew Ian Shaw & Jodie Bolton
Funerals at Crematorium
21st Sept. Linda Willsher Crematorium for St John’s
18th Oct. Barry Hemmings Crematorium for St John’s
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Church Services
At present our services are somewhat restricted by the Covid
regulations.
Face
masks are recommended, especially during singing, and we are
asked to sign in when we arrive.
Details of changes will be announced on the church website
and on the church notice boards.
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Please
pray for our Parish and our churches,
for all members of our congregations
and for the difficulties that we face
at this time of change
Pray that we will
be inspired by God’s Holy Spirit as we seek to carry
out God’s mission to our communities, families and friends.
Pray especially
for the opportunities we have
as we approach Christmas.
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Sermon
for Last Sunday of Trinity; Gospel, Mark 10:46-end
(Fr. Carl was rather unwell at the time of producing the
magazine)
We
sometimes hear of star-struck people, often young people, who
hang around to get a glimpse of the star whom they love. It’s
most likely a singer or a band or an actor or maybe a famous
sportsperson, and the fans hang around hoping for a glimpse.
My two when they were quite young, were thrilled to see S Club
7 outside the British Museum in London.
We’d just come out of the museum and S Club 7 were coming
out of some sort of doughnut shop and my daughter and son waved
to them from the opposite pavement. S Club 7 waved back very
nicely and said hello. Made their day really, although it’s
probably true to say it hasn’t made the rest of their
life. And that’s probably true of many star encounters,
even if it remains a pleasant memory. The experience is in the
past and you’ve left it behind. It’s not quite life
changing.
In our gospel reading from Mark today we have a person who encounters
someone he has sought after. The one doing the seeking is Bartimaeus
and the one he wants to see is Jesus. Bartimaeus is a blind
beggar, so he’s not going to clap eyes on Jesus as in
a more usual first encounter, but he wants to get close to Jesus.
And he has a reason to. He is blind and thus a beggar. His blindness
enforces his poverty.
Without doubt Bartimaeus has heard quite a bit about Jesus and
how he heals people. Bartimaeus has a faith that this Jesus
can heal him. Even more special, Bartimaeus believes that Jesus
is not just some wondering faith healer, good as that may be.
No this Jesus is the Messiah, the one anointed by God to come
and save his people. Bartimaeus sees the chance to have a new
life through Jesus and he is determined to get near him. The
more he hears about Jesus the more he believes this Jesus is
the Messiah. Bartimaeus the blind beggar is not going to miss
out on the opportunity of encountering this special man. Bartimaeus
is not looking for a one off thrill encounter. He believes meeting
Jesus could be a life changing experience. Finally the moment
came.
We hear. ‘As he and his disciples and a large crowd 'were
leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar was
sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of
Nazareth, he began to shout out, “ Jesus Son of David,
have mercy on me!”‘
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He wasn’t going to lose the opportunity, because for him
Jesus was his only hope. Mind you, Bartimaeus is not quite there
yet. There is opposition as many shout the blind beggar down
and order him to be quiet. But that wasn’t going to stop
Bartimaeus, as more and more he could see something many a fully
sighted person couldn’t see. Jesus was the Son of David
in whom God was active and had his being. He had faith that
this man could heal him, even if many of the crowd couldn’t
see it. So no, Bartimaeus wasn’t going to shut up. Indeed
he cries out even more loudly. “Son of David, have mercy
on me!” Is this enough to get the attention of the one
he seeks? Jesus stands still and says, “Call him here.”
Some then call Bartimaeus. ‘Take heart; get up, he is
calling you.’
Like many beggars of the time, Bartimaeus wore a cloak as a
sign of what he was; a blind man begging for a living. It was
through this very cloak that he was able to blindly gather in
any money that was thrown his way. But upon hearing the words
of Jesus, Bartimaeus throws off his cloak, springs up and goes
to Jesus. In this he has tossed away his livelihood to go to
something better. Jesus asks him. “What do you want me
to do for you?” and Bartimaeus says. “My teacher,
let me see again.” And Jesus says. “Go; your faith
has made you well.” Bartimaeus immediately regains his
sight. But he doesn’t just go off, confining Jesus to
being a very great memory. No, Bartimaeus stays with Jesus and
follows ‘him on the way.’
Jesus has most certainly made a blind beggars day.
He’s also made the rest of his life!
For now Bartimaeus, a man who was blind and begged, can now
physically see and to the one he could already see with his
heart, he has become a disciple.
Might we seek Jesus out too?
Might we wait for him, hang around for him and when we find
him, ask him to open our eyes, that we will see him too and
follow him on the way?
Amen
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see
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Special
Services
All Saints’ Day, Monday 1st November
7.00 pm Holy Eucharist at St. John’s
All Souls’ Day, Tuesday 2nd November.
7.00 pm Holy Eucharist at St. John’s. For any names
for remembrance to be read out at the service, please write
on the list at the back of the church.
All Souls’ Day will be commemorated at St. Catherine’s
on Thursday, 4th November at 9.30 am.
Remembrance Sunday, 14th November. Remembrance
Service, 10.55 at St. John’s, followed by Act of Remembrance
at Brandon Village War Memorial.
Act of Remembrance 10.55: New Brancepeth
Village War Memorial, preceded by a service at 10.00am in
the Village Hall.
St. Catherine’s Patronal Festival:
Thursday, 25th Nov. 9.30 am, followed by light refreshments.
New Brancepeth Carol Service, Sunday, 19th
December,
3pm in the Methodist Chapel (alternate years with St. Catherine’s)
Vigil Mass for Christmas 24th December 7.30pm
in St John’s
Christmas Day 25th December 9.00am Holy Eucharist
in St Catherine’s
St Stephen’s Day Holy Eucharist 26th
December (Sunday)
8.45am in St Catherine’s, 9.45am Parish Eucharist in
St John’s
Early Watchnight Service, Friday 31st December,
at 12.00 noon, St Andrews Methodist Church, Brandon.
This is a Churches Together in DH7 event.
Events
PCC Meeting: Wednesday, 17th November, 6.30
pm in St. John’s Church – Note: Date rearranged.
Christmas Fayre, St. John’s, Sat. 20th
November. 12.00 noon.
Prayer for Our Churches: Wednesdays, 1.30-2.15
pm, 24th November. and 22nd December. Location to be decided.
Further details on the church website and from Bill Offler,
0191 3782883. All welcome.
Advent Group, Churches Together in DH7: Fridays,
26th November., 3rd, 10th, 17th December. 2:00-3.00 pm
at the Salvation Army, 100 High Street North, Langley Moor.
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BRANDON
FOOD BANK
St. John's is collecting donations for the Food Bank.
Also St. Catherine’s is continuing to collect donations.
Please give generously
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St. John’s Hall Meadowfield DH7 8RP
The
following activities are in the hall,
but most places must be booked.
Mondays:
• St Johns Church Play group 9.30 am
• Pilates with Paul 12.15 pm -1.15 pm. £5 07804
541181
Tuesdays:
• Hartbeeps 10 am Happy House, 11 am baby beeps,
12.15 pm Baby Bells. Contact Abby 07534 018440,
• 7pm-8pm intermediate Ballroom, Latin and sequence
dancing with Dianne Ross 0776 9632412.
Wednesdays:
• 9.30 am Paul’s over 50’s circuits. 07804
541181 ( just turn up)
• SOSA dance fitness classes 10.45 am to 11.45 am.
Contact Trudy 0778 7419022
• Elvet Quilters 2pm to 4pm Contact Eileen 0782 8395718
• Pilates with Paul 5.30pm – 6.30 pm . 07804 541181
£5.00
• Line dancing fitness with Vicky 0798 4009418
Thursdays:
• Swing Fit 10 am . £6.00 Contact Joe-Lee 0771
9174544
• 7pm-8pm Beginners Ballroom, latin and sequence dancing
with Dianne Ross 0776 9632412.
• 8pm-9pm improvers Ballroom, latin and sequence dancing
with Dianne Ross 0776 9632412.
Fridays:
• 9.30 am baby movers, 10.30 am Little movers
contact Abby 07738375126 or durhamandseaham@littlemovers.net
The guiding groups can be contacted through www.girlguiding.or.uk
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Langley
Moor Salvation Army Christmas Toy Appeal
A message from Lt. Ali Brooks:
Last year
we supported over 360 children and their families at Christmas.
We ask that any gifts that are donated are new and unwrapped.
I list
below some gift suggestions:
• Babies: Powdered Milk, Bottles, Soothers,
rattles and suitable toys.
• Children:
Toys and sets suitable for all ages from 2-14.
We especially need toys for boys.
• Teenagers: Gift sets, makeup, hats,
gloves scarfs, footballs.
• Sweets for all ages.
We start making up the parcels on the 6th December this year.
Any items donated can be either collected or dropped at Langley
Moor Hall.
Please feel free to give out the hall telephone number which
is directed to me 0191 378 3813.
Thank
you. God Bless. Ali Brooks
Please consider helping in this local appeal for children
in our area who may otherwise get very little at Christmas.
You can give financially as well as toys.
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Please
pray for COP26:
COP is a yearly gathering of the world’s nations to
discuss and plan a response as to how together we face the
challenge of climate change. COP26, the 26th meeting is being
hosted by the UK Government in Glasgow from Sunday 31 October
to Friday 12 November.
Not all COPs are as significant as each other. This coming
one is the most significant since COP21 in Paris back in 2015.
In 2015, the nations of the world took a huge step in agreeing
to limit climate change caused by human release of Green House
Gases (GHGs) to a global warming of 2 degrees centigrade above
pre-industrial levels, and hopefully 1.5 degrees. The lower
limit will mitigate against catastrophic impacts upon humanity
and the whole community of creation. To do that, we need to
see no further in GHGs in the atmosphere after 2050, a point
called net zero carbon.
So far, nations have been slow to respond. Actual and promised
reductions in GHGs will lead to an expected warning of 3 degrees.
To keep the possibility of 1.5 degrees alive, we need to see
nations make commitments to deep cuts in emissions by 2030,
something that COP26 is aiming to achieve. The latest report
from the UN, was described by the secretary general as a "code
red for humanity." COP26 is providing a focal point for
campaigning by many faith and non-faith groups.
Will you commit to pray every day of the conference,
31 October – 12 November?
You can join in some action too!
Events start at 11am and will include a rally, a debate with
Durham Sixth Formers, a roundtable with experts, and a Climate
Action Fair inside the church on the Market Place (St. Nicholas).
The event is organised by Climate Action Durham and Durham
Parish Council
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