November 2022

8 Buckden Roundabout November 2022 Church News Weekly Prayer Roster Each week during the year the Churches, in their prayers, remember the residents of particular streets in the village, those who work in the parish and village organisations. Those to be remembered this month are: 6 th November Hunts End, Copes Close, Monks Cottages, Hunts End Court 13 th November Manor Gardens, Manor Close, Glebe Lane, The Grove 20 th November Park Road, Falcon Way, The Marinas, and those who live and work there 27 th November Field Close, Lincoln Close, Silver Street, Beaufort Drive, St Hugh ’ s Road Thought for the Month Lean on God... ' Upon you have I leaned from my birth, when you drew me from my mother's womb; my praise shall always be of you ' (psalm 71:6). I know a few people who I can count on to really support me. These are people I can lean on, if I need to. They are good friends who I know I can trust; I hope the feeling is mutual. Sometimes I believe we have a glimpse of heaven; from an experience, just the merest glimpse. It is, I believe, just a taste of the unimaginably wonderful reality that is to come. Relying on a friend can be one such experience. Leaning on, relying on, a good friend can be like a glimpse of God's glory. The psalmist says ' my praise shall always be of you ', to God. God has created us to lean on him, from our birth. Praise God for being always here, now, forever, for us to lean on. An example of how God invites us to lean on him, like a friend can be found in the new testament, Matthew: 28 - 30. ‘ Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light .’ A yoke is a wooden beam that fits over two animals, oxen for example, to enable them to pull together. A yoke enables a burden to be shared. It enables the work of pulling a plough, for example, to be shared. This is where Jesus is the good friend as with him the load is not shared equally: Jesus can take the burden from us. When the work is too hard, when life is hard, when everything is overwhelming, we can share this burden with Jesus. Jesus invites us to lean into him, lean as if yoked together. Jesus asks us to let him give us rest. He invites us to let him take on the heavy load. He invites us to give him the burden that is overwhelming, and he will do the work. What beautiful words: 'you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.' How do we do this? How do we take Jesus at his word and ask him to share our burden, the heavy load? Ask him. Ask him in prayer. Out loud, in your head, without words, with a torrent of words; lean into Jesus like you are yoked together, Jesus is a good friend. Fr David Sheppard, Priest in Charge of St Mary ’ s, Buckden, with All Saints ’, the Offords. ‘ Godmanchester Foodbank Christmas Hampers donations' Godmanchester Foodbank operate all through out the year supporting people in Huntingdon that are referred to them. Demand is high. Christmas is a joyous time of year but it can also be a financial- ly demanding time for some. Each year the Foodbank try to bring some cheer to families that are struggling and hopefully we can dig deep as a village again to support people in our local area, as we have done for the last few years. If you would like to donate to the Christmas Hampers I will need your donations by Sunday the 4th December at the lat- est, so I can get them to the Foodbank in time. They have asked for Christmas chocolates, sweets & goodies in particular, as well as the usual tins & packets of food. Donations can be left on my porch at 53 Greenway, Buckden. You can text me on 07730478290 before you come to ensure I ’ m in. There are also collection points at St Mary ’ s church and Nisa in the village all year round. Thank you in advance Jo Redwood.