Midweek Meeting October 3 2024

Things were a little different this week in that we had the opportunity to hear from a North African friend of ours who pastors in  the South of France. We needed to meet on Thursday rather than Wednesday to fit in with his schedule but that increased numbers rather than lowering them, despite having had a members meeting the night before. We were fifteen rather than our usual six or eight. Our friend simply reported on the work and then we prayed for a little while. It was good to have him around (he stayed with us) albeit briefly. He hopes to travel soon to North Africa with friends exploring future possibilities.

10 Leaders with their country in their name

1. Jomo Kenyatta, first president of Kenya. He took the surname (“Light of Kenya”) when in London in the 1930s.
2. Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, king of Saudi Arabia, or any of his predecessors back to Muhammad bin Saud, who ruled 1726–1765.

3. ‏Pierre Mendès France, prime minister of France, June 1954 to February 1955.

4. Solomon Mamaloni, prime minister of the Solomon Islands three times between 1981 and 1997. 

5. Alexander Dubček. First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, 1968-69. Although he was actually a Slovak.

6. Ulysses S Grant, President of the United States, 1869-77.

7. Indira Gandhi, prime minister of India, 1980-84.

8. ‏Giorgi Margvelashvili, president of Georgia.

9. Salvador Sanchez Ceren, president of El Salvador.
10. King Mswati III, and his predescessors, King of eswatini (Swaziland).

Not this year for Wales

Frustratingly, Wales lost to the better team today, Wales 24-27 France.

The French defence was enormous.

10 Nuclear Powers

1. United States
2. Russia (formerly part of the Soviet Union)
3. United Kingdom
4. France
5. China
6. India
7. Pakistan
8. North Korea

9. Israel (so they say)

10. We don't know who else - Iran?

10 oldest countries in the world

This is highly debatable I suppose but here's a stab.

1. Egypt 3,150 – 3,500 BC King Menes started this country and also started a reign of pharaohs that ruled the country for over three thousand years. The great Pyramids and the Sphinx remain as testament to this country’s ancient history.

2. India 3,000 BC This country was established by a civilization that started in the Indus valley and has since expanded to be today, the seventh biggest by area and the second biggest by population. In its history, India has given the world calculus and other mathematical formulae.

3. Ethiopia 2,500 – 3,000 BC This country is famous for its wilderness but evidence shows from ancient Egyptian texts, that it was one of its biggest trading partners and actually names the country. 

4. China 2,100 – 1,600 BC It is believed that the Xia Dynasty was the first in China as there is no evidence of an earlier one. Some of this country’s history can be seen by a visit to The Great Wall of China or The Forbidden City in Beijing.

5. Iran 625 – 559 BC This country that would later become the birth place of the Persian Empire was started by the unification of the local tribes by Medes. Some historical sites are Qom and Persepolis.

6. San Marino 301 AD This city state may be one of the smallest countries in the world but that does not mean that it is not also one of the oldest. It was established by St Marinus who settled there to avoid persecution. Some of itshistory can be witnessed by looking at the old Walls of San Marino.

7. France 486 AD There are many historical sites in this country which has had such an influence on the rest of Europe. It was first established by a unification made by Clovis the first king of France.

8. Bulgaria 632 AD The first Bulgarian Empire was established with Pliska as its capital by Asparukh. Some of its historical sites include the Rila monastery and the Kazanuk Tomb. It has more recently been linked with the invention of the first electrical computer. 

9. Japan 660 AD The Japanese nation is said to have been started by its first Emperor, Jimmu. The country is rich in history and perhaps the best place to witness some of that history is at Himeji Castle.

10. Turkey 900 AD This country was established on the sight of the Trojan War by the Seljuk dynasty of Turks as they migrated and later became the birth place of the Ottoman Empire.

(Greece is not here because it was split between Macedonia and Greek city states. Hungary adn Armenia are sometimes listed.)

HMDUK 10 Who invented red currant jelly?

Who invented red currant jelly? This is a matter of dispute between England and France. In August, 1937, the French unveiled an obelisk to the memory of Perrin Lamonthe, for whom they claim the honour, at Velainesen-Barrois. Lamonthe, they say, first made this delightful confection in 1364. On the other hand, English cooks claim that Edward I used the jelly a century before that date.

Lord's Day July 21 2013

Church was a little bit different yesterday in that we are on holiday here in the wilds of Brittany and so we decided to have church here. My father-in-law preached in the morning and I preached in the evening. We sang psalms unaccompanied. We are 17 altogether so decent congregation aged 5-74 (we would be 18 if my daughter-in-law could have been here too). Geoff took us to Romans 15:13 and I went for Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:7 given that half of us are young people. We were inside in the evening as summer storms threatened but it was best in the garden under a covered dining area in the morning. The sound of the birds and the sight of butterflies added to the experience rather than detracting.

Banner Reports

Rather than one report session this year we have had a number of reports before the main sessions. So far we have heard from Carcassone, France. H is married to the eldest daughter of my elder (oops! Deacon)  Mike de Jong and is doing a sterling work.

We also heard from John Gibbon who has worked for many years in Mongolia. He was speaking in our church recently. He and his Mongolian wife are not able to live in the country at the moment but have plans to return to the far east.

Then this morning Sukra from Indonesia, still 85% Muslim, who, with his colleague also here, is involved with MERF and the work of Presbyterian churches in Southern Sulawesi.

Shoes E

Espadrille has got to be my favourite word for a shoe (favourite word not favourite shoe).

From the Pyrenees I gather. More here.

Le Chambon-sur-Lignon

I did not know the story of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon.

Apparently during the Holocaust in France, in a tiny mountain Huguenot village 350 miles from Paris called Le Chambon-sur-lignon, 5,000 Jews, mostly children, found shelter with 5,000 Christians, almost the entire population of the village.

Defying the French government which was collaborating with the Nazis, the villagers of Le Chambon hid Jews in their homes for years. They provided the refugees with forged identification, provided education for the children, ration cards, and sent them to safety in Switzerland.

The Chambonnaise were descendants of the Huguenots, the first Protestants in Catholic France. Having endured persecution in France they were able to understand the plight of the Jews.

Under the leadership of a young French pastor, Andre Trocme, the people of Le Chambon felt it their duty to help people in need, never considering their actions heroic or dangerous. ...

More here

GBM Meetings

It was good to be at the annual meetings of Grace Baptist Mission in The Friends Meeting House near Euston once again on Tuesday. The morning meeting allows the 116 or so churches involved to have their say on how the mission is run and although this is obviously a little unwieldy it is unique and no doubt a better approximation to biblical norms than what happens in most societies. As we were reminded the council is also elected by the churches and so the input from local churches is strong. The difficulties that have been experienced in Kenya were rightly alluded to without any detail. It was good to have the report on all the various activities of the year and to know that financially there was actually a surplus this time round. Of course, the present climate means no-one can be too sure what will happen next and once again a tiny minority of churches refused to vote for the proposed budget.
It’s always good to see a large number of familiar faces at these events – not every name immediately comes to mind, sadly, but I had some nice conversations with various people. I grabbed a bite to eat and ended up chatting with the present minister at Over (it used to be Over Strict Baptist Church which if you say it quickly is as funny as St Thomas More Catholic Church which I saw again in Bradford on Avon on Monday). David Smith is from South Africa and seems a good hard working fellow with a heart for sinners.
The afternoon was spent running to various seminars. I managed to fit in three. First, one on training ministers. Jonathan Bayes introduced the work of Guelph based Carey Outreach Ministries and Robin Dowling spoke of his imminent return to FUSBC, the Seminary in Medellin, Colombia – short term at present but may be more long term. Every man and his dog seems to minister overseas these days (there were more examples later in the day of short trips to Armenia and Kenya – I’ve been myself on an occasion!). It’s all very good I’m sure but sometimes one wonders what happened to the Pauline method of going to a place, working hard then leaving the locals to get on with it. I suppose that the argument is that if Paul had been able to use jets he would have.
I bumped into the Days from Pontrhydyrun, Luke Jenner, now at Welwyn, fresh back from the Philippines in connection with CCM, Norman Hopkins from Strood in Kent to talk about the law and the new covenant Baptists and John Hall from Westerleigh who is always guaranteed to show that things are much worse even than I had thought, which in itself is cheering.
Next it was a GPT session with Maciek Stolarski talking about the work in Armenia (where Sin is serious a simplified Ralph Venning work and no 22 in a series, has just been translated) and Ruth Firth from Latvia explaining to Tim Curnow how she has almost finished a simplified version of Horatius Bonar’s Everlasting Righteousness. This reduction of English classics to simplified form ready for translation does seem a way forward. Sin is serious is now available not only in Armenian but also in Bulgarian, Burmese, Kiswahili, Slovak, Spanish and Portuguese.
I went on to hear Malcolm and Ruth talk about the work in Latvia in the main hall. There are lots of encouragements and this lovely couple are obviously working very hard. One senses an underlying discouragement however with the general lack of enthusiasm for things Reformed.
Several spoke at the evening meeting (chaired again by Geoff King) including Jonathan and Robin who I’d heard but also Anthony Green from Peru and Andrew Gullett, who with his wife is about to go out to Kenya to work. We also heard from Nathan and Urpha Javed who are planning to be involved in church planting in Bradford (not on Avon). What a task they have. It made me wonder if they should rethink parading people like that and let them get started first and then come before the meeting. On more than one occasion things have been announced with a fanfare and then come to nothing. Or could they not have asked someone like Tim Mills to talk about reaching people in Bradford? One also wishes there was more of a spotlight on others doing similar work, such as Robin Asgher in Cranford.
Anyway we sang, the tie-less John Benton briefly preached from Acts 1 and we headed home with our goody bags full of info for the folks who couldn’t make it. Nothing on earth is perfect but this is a bright spot in a dark world and I for one was glad to have been present.
Last night I showed the free DVD Comment entendons-ils? This has been done quite well by Roger Cook. Rather than simply focusing on Fiona Steward in Bordeaux (where Alan Davey is) he visits other works and let's them also plead for workers. Clearly the mission field there is vast, demanding and on our doorstep.

Wales France

Found here

Wales v France
Date: Saturday, 15 March
Kick-off: 1700 GMT
Venue: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
BBC Coverage: Live on BBC One, BBC Sport website (UK users only), Radio Wales and Radio Cymru

Wales need only stop France winning by more than 19 points to claim the Six Nations title, but all thoughts are on a home win and Grand Slam in Cardiff.
Coach Warren Gatland has transformed Wales since their World Cup nightmare so that they start as favourites.
His selection tinkering has continued, James Hook in for Stephen Jones at 10.
France have strengthened with six changes and could yet steal the title, dashing Welsh dreams under the closed roof of the Millennium Stadium.
Jean-Baptiste Elissalde and David Skrela provide extra direction at half-back, Julien Bonnaire and Thierry Dusautoir beef up the pack, while Vincent Clerc and Damien Traille return to a backline that has the panache to pile on the points.
Should France win by exactly 19 points the title will be decided on try count.
Both teams are currently on 11 tries, and if that remains equal the championship could be shared.
But Wales are bursting with confidence after securing the Triple Crown in Dublin, and are eager to claim their second Grand Slam in four years.
Gatland has enjoyed a remarkable first season in charge
"To win the championship on points difference would be something of a hollow victory," said Gatland.
"We have already achieved something in this campaign that can't be taken away from us with the Triple Crown, but we have an opportunity now to push on and do something a little bit special in front of our home crowd.
"We are confident, we have worked hard and if we continue in the same vein in which we started this campaign we believe we can come away with a deserved victory."
Wales have not beaten France at the Millennium Stadium since the inception of the Six Nations though, losing their last four championship encounters with Les Bleus in the Welsh capital.
"Winning the match against Wales is the most important thing, then we will see what happens," said hooker Dimitri Szarzewski, who played for France in their last Millennium Stadium match, the 20-18 World Cup quarter-final win over New Zealand.
"But we can't make any mistakes if that is going to happen. We will have to see how the match develops and if there is the possibility of winning by 20 points, all the better.
"We are pleased with where we are compared to the start of the tournament.
"But now we need to make an even bigger step up against the Welsh. There is going to be a lot of intensity, having seen the importance of this match."
Amongst the sub-plots on Saturday, Wales lock Ian Gough will be winning his 50th cap, and he will be joined on that milestone by Duncan Jones if the prop comes off the bench.
Wing Shane Williams - tied with Vincent Clerc as the tournament's leading try-scorer with five - will be looking to add to his 40 Wales tries to move clear of Gareth Thomas as his country's all-time leading try-scorer.
But the focus of the entire country will be on Wales' attempt to secure their 10th Grand Slam, 100 years after they won their first.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wales: Lee Byrne (Ospreys); Mark Jones (Llanelli Scarlets), Tom Shanklin (Cardiff Blues), Gavin Henson (Ospreys), Shane Williams (Ospreys); James Hook (Ospreys), Mike Phillips (Ospreys); Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Huw Bennett (Ospreys), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Ian Gough (Ospreys), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Jonathan Thomas (Ospreys), Martyn Williams (Cardiff Blues), Ryan Jones (Ospreys, capt).
Replacements: Duncan Jones (Ospreys), Matthew Rees (Llanelli Scarlets), Ian Evans (Ospreys), Gareth Delve (Gloucester), Dwayne Peel (Llanelli Scarlets), Stephen Jones (Llanelli Scarlets), Sonny Parker (Ospreys).
France: Anthony Floch (Clermont); Vincent Clerc (Toulouse), Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse), Damien Traille (Biarritz), Julien Malzieu (Clermont); David Skrela (Stade Français), Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (Toulouse); Fabien Barcella (Auch), Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Français), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Lionel Nallet (Castres, capt), Jerome Thion (Biarritz), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Julien Bonnaire (Clermont).
Replacements: William Servat Toulouse), Jean-Baptiste Poux (Toulouse), Arnaud Mela (Albi), Elvis Vermeulen (Clermont), Dimitri Yachvili (Biarritz), Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Cedric Heymans (Toulouse).
Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa)

Strickly forbidden

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