Information Update:

• The Church will be open during office hours – Tuesdays to Fridays 8.30-11.30am

• The Office is currently closed to visitors.

• For enquiries about the Church Hall, please contact Lesley Jones.

When faced with his first teaching class of youngsters George Lyward, aged 18 was aware of one thing. ‘We are members one of another. We are in this together. Whether we learn or succeed, fail and suffer, depends on each of us playing our part. As their teacher I have to value each person and help them to keep up and look after each other. Together we can achieve great things.’ He was right and his approach and understanding worked for him and others subsequently. 

‘Members one of another’ is New Testament teaching close to what Paul said in I Corinthians 12; that as members of Christ’s body we each matter to Christ. We are connected to him and to each other and yet have different gifts, background, age, skin colour, experience, gender. If, say, I am a finger and you are a leg or another part of the body, we belong to each other, we are connected. As such we are very much part of the Church, which is Christ’s body of believers. We are both Christ’s and members one of another. 

This passage from Paul’s writings reminds me of dancing, and of one dance in particular: the Hokey Cokey. Do you know that dance? You sing along to lively actions. ‘You put your left leg in, you put your left leg out. You do the Hokey Cokey and you shake it all about’. It continues like that with further instructions involving our bodies. 

I remember going to a dance when we danced the Hokey Cokey. We finished by forming a long line, each holding the person in front round the waist, and danced our way round the room and out of it. Lots of noise and laughter. It’s a good way of seeing a place and including everyone. It is energetic and fulfilling.

Dancing, of whatever kind, is always going to be popular and fun. Take the interest in ‘Strictly Come Dancing’. Some of our family arrange their weekend viewing round that.
I am thinking now of Sidney Carter (1915- 2004) and his song ‘The Lord of the Dance.’ He was a Londoner, poet, songwriter and folk musician. He was a pacifist and served with the Friends’ Ambulance Unit in WW2 with Donald Swann, and later wrote lyrics for him. He wrote Lord of the Dance in 1963. It tells the story of Jesus’ life, how he danced and how he was treated. ‘I danced in the morning/ when the world was begun…and I came down from heaven/ and I danced on the earth;/at Bethlehem/ I had my birth.’

And there is the chorus: ‘Dance, then, wherever you may be/ I am the Lord of the Dance, said he…and I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.’

The scribes and the pharisee wouldn’t dance even though he danced for them. But the fishermen would. ‘James and John’ went with him ‘and the dance went on.’

Jesus danced on the Sabbath and he ‘cured the lame’. He was ‘whipped and ‘stripped’ and left ‘on a cross to die.’ ‘It’s hard to dance/with the devil on your back.’ He was ‘buried’ and they thought I’d gone’ but ‘I am the dance/and I still go on.’

And importantly ‘I am the life/ that’ll never, never die;/I’ll live in you/if you’ll live in me/ I am the Lord/ of the Dance, said he.’’

The song tells us much: our life is a dance in the company and manner of Jesus. He is our director and conductor. We respond to God’s gift of life within his creation. We dance because he made us so that we could – to enable us to find and share life in its abundance with others also. We are part of an open dance not just for us here at St. Andrew’s but for anyone who wants to join Jesus in his dance. There is no number limit on those who join the dance, no qualifications or restrictions- only a readiness to follow Jesus and dance with him.

That is the thinking behind the New St. Andrew’s, our wish to be open to those not already in our dance – especially to our community but also to anyone else. We have this building and our hall. We want to share them with our neighbours, friends, anyone who wants to join us in our dance.

It would be fun, one day, to do the Hokey Cokey round this building and out into the street!
 

                                                                                                                     Jeremy Harvey 

 

OTHER NOTICES

 

Children’s Society Blue Boxes
It is now time for me to empty the Children’s Society Blue Boxes and I should be grateful if boxholders could bring them to Church on a Sunday morning if at all possible. Anyone wishing to let me have a cheque if that is more convenient can leave it at the Parish Office if that is more convenient.  I am happy to collect boxes from those people unable to attend Church if you will just give me a ring on 01823 272726.

Many thanks in anticipation of your co-operation, and best wishes for 2022.         Janet Paynter

Readings: Malachi 3.1-5, Hebrews 2.14-end, Luke 2.22-40