Can it really be time to write the November newsletter? Do you feel that the Autumn has slipped by unnoticed? Perhaps because we did not get the       wonderful Indian Summer for which we had hoped  during those wet summer days. At least if the wind does not blow too strongly the trees are still decked out in there       Autumn   colours.!
November is a month of remembering. We start with All Saints Day on November 1st.  ( I have to remember that as it is my brother’s birthday) We Methodists aren’t as good at saints as our Anglican and Catholic friends, but All Saints is a very    special day. In the New Testament saints were all those who were seeking to serve and follow Jesus Christ, and so it is a special day because all of us have someone to whom we are     grateful because they showed us the fun and joy and adventure of Christian Living and we can remember them on that day with much gratitude. Perhaps one day we too shall be remembered for just that reason by someone to whom we have shown the way of love and sacrifice.
Then of course there is November 5th. I can’t for get that either because it is the day on which Frank met (at a bonfire incidentally- my brother reckoned that Frank did not manage to escape before the smoke cleared!!!! No present for him this year!)
As we reflect on that incident we can be glad that in these days Protestants and      Catholics now accept one another as fellow Christians and are able to learn from one another and share in worship together. Sometimes we can learn from our past history, so helping to make a better world where everyone has the freedom to     worship as they wish and we can respect one another’s beliefs.
Then there is November 11th or perhaps for us in Gawsworth village it will be on the  9th when we come together to remember those who gave their lives in the two world wars and in subsequent battles even to the present day. Such days are        important ‘ lest we forget’ what has been won for us at great cost. It is good to    remember not only those who died, but those who even now live with the loss of family and opportunities, dreams and hopes because someone they love died in   conflict. Our thoughts must also be with those who serve in Afghanistan and Iraq today and those who anxiously await their return.
Finally on the last Sunday in November, the church begins it’s Advent season,          remembering the coming of Jesus Christ as a babe in Bethlehem, but also his final coming at the end of time when all things will be brought together under his      Lordship. None of us know when this will be, and in his days on earth, Jesus told those who asked that it was not for us to know ‘the times and the seasons’.. But that did not stop many people since  trying to work out date and time. In his letters St. Paul admonishes those who even stopped work because they felt that the day of the Lord was near.
What we can do is to make every day count. We can live this day as if it were our last. Making the most of the present moment, and remembering the past and learning from it. Each day we enjoy is a gift from the God who made us and loves us and wants us to accept his invitation to be with him for eternity. He is with us in the here and now and nothing can separate us from his love which is for all people. Whatever this season brings into your mind, I hope that you will give thanks for the gift of memory and add to it a grateful heart for all that you have enjoyed.
 
Your friend and minister          Sheila Bishop

 This CIRCUIT SERVICE will be held at Macclesfield Methodist Church. Rev Andrew Pratt who is a lecturer at Hartley Victoria Ministers Training College in Manchester is also a hymn writer of some note. He will conduct the service, talking about how he writes hymns and we shall be singing some of his compositions to well known tunes. This  promises to be a really good evening, so do try to support and if you need transport let Sheila Bishop know.
COFFEE MORNINGS since January when we started this venture, £4, 444.18 has been raised for good causes, and 26 different charities have benefited, not only from the money raised but also from the publicity which they have been given. It is now time to start    taking bookings for the new year and Sheila Bishop 01625 433239 would love to hear from anyone who would like to organise a coffee morning on a Thursday in the Methodist Community Hall from 10.00a.m. until midday.
Dates and charities for November
6th Alzheimers’Society     13th Great Ormond Street Hospital for children
20th Methodist Church Roof fund  27th Windyways- animal sanctuary