We are a church have been asked to bring the Olympics to a 'Party in the Park' that the Waltham Chase Womens' Institute are organising to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee - as well as the Olympics - in the Waltham Chase recreation park on Saturday 2nd June.

This is the provisional plan for the Olympics bit of the day (more about the rest of the day and evening later):  

Olympic Games @ The Chase - 12 for 2012<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Saturday 2nd June 2012  (the days starts at 12noon)

12 events :

 (Races on track of six lanes from 12.30pm)

• Egg and spoon races*
• Three legged races*
• Sack races*  
• Obstacle course*
• Running races 'The Dash' – sprints* (at 3pm)
• Hop, skip & jump (open to all on the day)
• Bean bag throwing (open to all on the day)
• Basketball (open to all on the day)
• 'Beat the Goalie' (sudden death penalty shoot-out - open to all on the day)
• Prospects activity (paralympics)
• Tug of War  (teams from Waltham Chase, Shedfield, Shirrell Heath compete)
• 'The Chase' - distance run around 'The Triangle'

Events for boys and girls; men and women :

u-10s

10-14

15-18

Adults under 40

Adults 40 + over

Times:

Provisionally 12.30pm to 1.30 pm ; 3pm to 4.30 pm

*Pre-event registration is compulsory for the track races except for 'The Chase' at the Triangle to end the sports events – all-comers welcome to run in this finale taking place at 5pm.

In his autobiography, 'The Man Who Could Fly', Bob Beamon paints a bleak picture of his childhood. His elder brother Andrew was brain-damaged at birth by the kicking his mother received from his father when she was pregnant and Bob was repeatedly beaten himself, following the death of his mother, before his first birthday. Later he became a member of a street gang and witnessed a friend being stabbed to death. He took up athletics while at reform school and entered the Junior Olympics in New York in 1962 when he was 15. He leapt 7.34 metres (24 feet 1 inch) to win the long jump. "That gold medal was as important to me as the one in Mexico City," he wrote. "It proved to me that I might come through with something worthwhile in my life." Between 1935 and 1968, the world long jump record increased exactly 22cm (eight and one-half inches). Coming into the 1968 Olympics, the world record was 8.39m - 27 feet, 4¾ inches - shared by American Ralph Boston and Soviet Igor Ter-Ovanesyan. In six seconds, that all changed. Bob Beamon, a 22-year-old New York native, had barely qualified for the Olympic long jump finals after fouling in two of his qualifying runs. The following day, on the 18th October 1968, in the finals, Beamon took off down the runway in the thin air of Mexico City. After exactly 19 loping strides, he hit the board perfectly, stretched out with his legs and flew through the air like no one ever had, hitting the sand in the pit below—8.90m - 29 feet, 2½ inches from take-off. He had leapt out of the pit, and had done something special. Not only was he the first long jumper in history to reach 28 feet. He also became the first to reach 29 feet. He shattered the world record by an unbelievable 21¾ inches. The record lasted almost 23 years until 1991 when American Mike Powell jumped 8.95m - 29 feet 4½ inches - at the World Championships in Tokyo. Advice from Bob Beamon : "Staying focused and motivated are the keys to any situation." As we move into this Olympic Year 2012 - a Leap Year - I am minded to read again from the New Testament - Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6 : 'Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.' Staying focussed in faith is key to approaching life in 2012. Living in faith pleases God.

Elvis sang 'Blue Christmas' : "I'll have a blue Christmas without you..."

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression, winter blues in the northern hemisphere, or seasonal depression is treated with light therapies amongst others. The shortening hours of light affect some people. Yesterday was the shortest day of the year as we draw nearer to Christmas - with all its twinkling lights, the star over the stable in the Christmas story.

This is an extract from the book 'Sacred Rhythms' by Christine Sine:
"For many people, the pre-Christmas season is the hardest time of the year - and not just because they overindulge. Often the cultural atmosphere of the season is totally out of synch with the rhythm of our bodies and our spirits. The short days of winter make us want to slow down and join the animals in hibernation. This is the season when we remember loved ones who have died and grieve our separation from them. During this season we are most vulnerable to loneliness and despair, particularly if we are struggling with divorce or broken family relationships. Depression is at its height, made more acute by the contrasting images of merrymaking around us.
Since there is no time to grieve, no time to refocus, and no time to experience that much-needed healing a season of reflection can bring, our lives suffer. One church in Ottawa holds a "Blue Christmas service" which acknowledges the pressures that people feel. This service is far more authentic reflection of how many of us experience this season and is much more in keeping with its spiritual meaning."

So, we have passed the shortest day in the northern hemisphere : The winter solstice. The days will get lighter as we head for springtime and summer. I am going to head in the direction of Jesus, who is the true Light of the World.

It will be a blue Christmas without Christ. Let Christ shine His light on you and in you today, as well as during the Christmas season into the New Year 2012.

Christmas Day Is Coming! We've had carol services here at Chase on Sunday 18th December @ 10.30am and 6.30pm.
In the morning on the 18th we had a guest appearance with members of the school choir from St John's Primary School singing in the service.  Alison Moss spoke from the gospel writer Luke's account with the shepherds in mind, preceded by an impacting drama mime from Rachel Turner.
Lasting about an hour each and both served with mince pies the services went down a treat as well as the mince pies!  The evening service was candlelit and had impressive drama pieces featuring Lynnette Coombes and Sam Lobb.  They had to be seen to be believed! I'll never sing 'My Jesus' without thinking of Sam somehow!  Then Tizz, our intrepid youth worker, spoke about 'God Moving Into The Neighbourhood' based on the first chapter of John's Gospel. The young people's band struck up the carols and songs old & new with appropriate gusto spearheaded by the highly talented Rachel Best who is just a little older. All in all the Christmas services rocked with the Rock of Ages the reason for the season.   We also have a service lasting around 45 minutes on Christmas Day itself led by our Superintendent Minister, the Revd David Moss.   Happy CHRISTmas!

'Effective Groove' - A Fund Raising Gig For People In Need.
'For One Night Only' Olu Rowe got together a highly talented bunch of musicians and singers to give up their time and create a few grooves 'n' tunes for a fund raising gig on Wednesday 30th November 7.30 pm at Chase. 'Effective Groove' consisted of a six-piece band and five singers who covered Soul, Motown, and Dance songs. All the musicians  donated their time for free. All the money raised will be donated to causes supported by our church abroad. An audience of around sixty were treated to a brilliant night. Thanks to Olu and 'Effective Groove'.

We had a comedy and supper night with award winning comedian Andy Kind (see www.andykind.co.uk) Described by The Scotsman as 'Terrific', and by BBC online as 'A future star', Andy has been featured on BBC1, ITV, Channel 4 and national radio. In addition, he has been asked to support the likes of Tim Vine and Milton Jones on their national tours. Andy engaged his audience with a stunning and spontaneous routine which was obviously not a routine! Tickets were £10 and included drinks and supper (Jacket potato with salad and choice of filling - chicken curry/vegetarian chilli/tuna mayonnaise/cheese and baked beans). We had ice creams in the interval for a quid. Profits will go to Becky's XLP fund - a youth charity http://www.xlp.org.uk As a footnote, Church & Community worker Steve Bridge opened the show to warm the audience up as they were cold. He was kind of funny.

Technology!  Totally Weird Or Totally Wired?   They have their first mobile phone at the age of 7 and by the time they are teenagers, half of all their written communication will be by text message. They spend more time online than watching TV and seven out of ten have their own website or social networking profile. They are as likely to upload their own videos as download music and they spend up to three hours a day talking in internet chat-rooms and instant messaging. This is where young people 'live' in 2011, a new digital world that is changing what it means to be a teenager in Britain today. This is just the beginning. However, this world is weird to many of us who are responsible for safeguarding and caring for young people. Totally weird for some of us (lol)!  How can parents, churches and youth workers not only understand what is happening, but also change the way we work with young people to take account of it? Last night (24th November) Chris Curtis and Matt Summerfield from Urban Saints presented a high-quality, interactive, enjoyable, challenging, 'Totally Wired' evening event which explored some of these key questions:     What should parents and youth workers know about the digital world?
    How are young people spending their time online?
    What impact are online social networking sites having on young people?
    How will mobiles and the internet develop over the next few years?
    How can we help young people to stay safe online?
    How can Christian youth and children's work adapt to the online world?   Are you 'Totally Wired'?

11.11.11  The numbers could look like war graves all in a line. Nearly a hundred years ago brave men were fighting in what is known as the 'Great War'.  Armistice Day, also known as 'Remembrance Day', is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed at Compiegne in France for the cessation of hostilities between the Allies of World War 1 and Germany, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918. I have been to the place at Compiegne, just outside Paris where the historic meeting took place. My daughter Jo has been to the Somme and visited the special memorial site for one of the War's bloodiest battles. It is calculated that around three million men were involved in the fighting during the Battle of the Somme in 1916 alone; some 1,200,000 were killed, wounded or missing in action. The horrors of war are incalculable. Remembrance is mixed : The pride and the pain felt as the loss of all who have died in wars and conflicts involving British, Irish & Commonwealth forces as well as civilians during these last 97 years is remembered. In the world of football, England play Spain in a 'friendly' this Saturday (12 November). The FA, England's football authority, would have liked a poppy sewn into players' white shirts in remembrance of the fallen. The world governing body of football, FIFA, has banned this and even instructed the referee not to play the game if England do not obey the edict. FIFA eventually allowed poppies on black armbands to be worn in memory of the fallen. Regardless of such political prohibition - poppies or no poppies - we will remember them.

Fireworks! I almost thought Guy Fawkes had come early last night - well at 4am this morning on the 4th! Thunder and lightning! Wow! The earth moved! Crash, bang, wallop! Loud! Yes! Louder! I sometimes think Christians need a wake up call! We so easily slip into the old routine. Maybe God wants to wake up His Church to be fired up with Holy Spirit. Charisma - the renewing work of the Spirit never allows the Christian to settle for the routine. I want to see the works of God in our churches. Fire works!  Come, Holy Spirit!