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Issue 133 • February 2015

No, I am not Charlie. Personally, I find the kind of humour that characterized Charlie Hebdo distasteful, albeit certainly quite amusing at times, and often offensive. No one is spared, whether politicians, religion or “the famous”, all can find themselves objects of ridicule.

So Charlie Hebdo is not a paper I would generally buy. But I do respect the right the publishers have to produce this material and others to buy it. Their cartoons lampoon Jesus Christ and the Christian faith as much as (if not more than) Islam but under no circumstances am I justified to react violently. The Kouachi brothers' action to “avenge the prophet” is simply not an option.

The West's reaction to the jihadist attack on the Paris HQ of the French satirical publication has been unanimous - Je Suis Charlie, this could be me; we are all potential victims of extremist Islamist violence. As much as an attack on the cartoonists and editors themselves, this is an attack on some of the values that we hold so dear, in particular tolerance and the freedom of choice. And our response must also be rooted in these same values.

But freedom, tolerance, truth, justice, respect and particularly forgiveness do not come naturally; they are the fruit of Jesus Christ's radical teaching, built into our collective psyche from centuries of Christian influence.

In this respect the cover of the last edition of Charlie Hebdo is so apt. Picturing Muhammad (unidentified, but drawn in the way that they have always depicted the prophet) crying and holding his own “Je Suis Charlie” placard, the defiant declaration reads: “Tout est pardonné”, everything is forgiven.

Indeed. In Jesus Christ, everything can be forgiven. Everything, from childish spite to the most horrendous atrocities committed in bitter anger and hatred - everything can be forgiven. Wonderfully, whatever we have done that we regret, we can be forgiven by God. And equally wonderfully, our own hearts can be changed by God so that we are able to forgive those that cause us pain. Forgiven and able to forgive - maybe I am Charlie after all

Neil Rees

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RAY LAWRENCE

19 Scott Drive

Ormskirk

Lancashire

t: 01695 578 490

m: 07901843254

email: rayang.wwjd@uwclub.net

PAINTER & DECORATOR

Why pay the higher prices for the smaller jobs?

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Bobby Handyman

07402535381 bobby-ams@blueyonder.co.uk

HANDYMAN SERVICES

Dear Martin,

I have been unable to sleep since I broke off your

engagement to my daughter. Will you please

forgive and forget?

I was much too sensitive about your Mohican

haircut, tattoos and pierced nose. I now realize

motorcycles aren't really that dangerous, and I

really should not have reacted that way to the fact

that you have never held a job.

I am also very sure that some other very nice

people live under the bridge in the park, too. Sure

my daughter is only 18 and wants to marry you

instead of going to Oxford on full scholarship. After

all, you can't learn everything about life from

books.

I sometimes forget how backward I can be. I was

wrong. I was a fool. I have now come to my senses

and you have my full blessing to marry my

daughter.

Sincerely,

Your future father-in-law.

P.S. Congratulations on winning the Lottery

I recently read a letter written by a father who wanted to apologise to a young man for not allowing him to marry his

daughter:

The catalogues come through the letterbox about now. Perfect pictures of perfect pinks and petunias, rampant in baskets and pots. Fuchsias like dancing ladies, and very busy lizzies; geraniums and verbenas, and those that sound like very nasty medical conditions -Osteospermum and Argyranthemum.

There are plugs, mini-plugs and jumbo-plugs, depending upon the size of the little plants that you decide on. You can even purchase them ready-planted and arranged in hanging baskets, factory-farmed, virtually in flower and automatically watered and fed.

Of course it is more fun to grow one’s own from seed. But having recently moved house, the necessary basic work and planning is far more basic than what colour dianthus to buy. With

no building to care for tender seedlings as yet, or even an essential garden shed, this is down-sizing in the extreme. Regrettably, there will be no early seed-sowing this year.

This is the time for planning. The cold, dark, frosty evenings are ideal for deciding what to change in the garden when spring springs into new life, with new plants and new colours.

From beyond this com-post bin, there is an empty garden expanse and little else at the moment. I have no greenhouse, no shed, and even Queen Doris, our water-feature, is still waiting to claim her part of the garden, looking forward to her trellis

Beyond Beyond Beyond thethethe

Compost Compost Compost BinBinBin

and climbing plants in the sunshine. There is no pond, not even a puddle. So there is plenty to decide upon.

As a person who likes to plan, and who prefers everything to go to plan, garden organizing is enjoyable. Jenny has told me the garden is a free space for me to arrange as I wish. No restrictions. No limitations. However, in case I am tempted to position Queen Doris on the roof of the greenhouse, or hire a digger to create a copy of Martin Mere, she is more than willing - nay, obliged - to offer ‘suggestions’. It is probably just as well. I have already examined pictures of eccentric gardens comprising topiary in the shape of elephants, or follies in the shape of just about anything!

We know that plans can go awry. Although we plan to do this or that, or to go here or there, events outside our control often gang up on us. Sometimes we hear ourselves say, “If it can go wrong it will do.” As some of us found one evening recently, even something as essential as the electricity to our homes can go off, plunging us into a cold, unfriendly darkness - that is until the courteous and helpful electricity company

furnished me with a temporary generator. Jenny had gone to Jersey that week - it was good to be provided with another ‘Genny’ to keep myself and Portia cosy and warm!

We are not in control of much around us in actual fact. In the garden we plan and work but life often takes us in a different direction. We should plan what we can, and prepare for what we can’t. The future may surprise us.

As the old hymn has it: “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future.” A faith in those words will make us surprised at little.

Ted Whitfield

“I leave everything to the cat”

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clmchurchormskirk.org.uk • facebook.com/clmormskirk • Cottage Lane, Ormskirk, L39 3NE clmchurchormskirk.org.uk • facebook.com/clmormskirk • Cottage Lane, Ormskirk, L39 3NE

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Men’s Meetings as announced

Home Groups meet at different times and in different homes throughout the week.

Children’s Birthday Parties

The Mission is available for hire for birthday parties of pre-school

or Primary aged children.

Please contact Beryl for further details. 01772 813334 or 0776 746 1087

or iandbmackenzie@gmail.com

Principal Church Leader: Neil Rees 0744 934 0677

Administrator:

Beryl Mackenzie 01772 813334 or 0776 746 1087

Christ Church Clergy

Vicar: Rev Ross Moughtin 01695 422175

What’s on @ CLM Sunday 10.45am Family Service

7.00pm Evening Fellowship (2nd Sunday monthly) 7.00pm Praise & Worship with Music Group (Last Sunday monthly)

Monday 5.30pm Children’s Club (ages 4 - 11) 7.45pm The Core fortnightly ( 15 yrs +)

Tuesday 1.30pm - 3.30pm The Open Door - CLM’s Adult Community Support Group - drop in for a drink, a chat and a listening ear

Wednesday 12.30pm Luncheon Club 2.15pm Band of Cheer Ladies’ Meeting

Friday 10.00am Parent & Toddler Group 7.30pm Ladies’ Craft Evening (2nd Friday monthly)

Saturday 9.00am Missions Prayer Meeting (1st Saturday monthly)

Need Prayer?

Contact us and we will be willing to pray for you or with you.

Doreen Williams 01704 897422 or

Alan Mapstone 01695 421628

For more information on any of the above, please ring Beryl on 01772 813334 or visit the website - clmchurchormskirk.org.uk

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