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NEWSHEET 2020

Saturday 27th June

THE CORONA VIRUS RESTRICTIONS HAVE LED TO ALL PUBLIC CHURCH GATHERINGS BEING CANCELLED UNTIL
FURTHER NOTICE. DURING THIS PERIOD WE WILL PRODUCE A NEWSSHEET EACH SATURDAY TO HELP PEOPLE KEEP
IN TOUCH WITH THE CHURCH COMMUNITY.

Sunday Service
Our Sunday service again takes place at 11am via the zoom link. We
continue our studies in Acts, this week in chapter 7.

The zoom link for all church activities is

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7881518854

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The Week Ahead

28 JUNE – 4 JULY

SUNDAY
11.00 worship

MONDAY
12.00 prayer & meditation

TUESDAY
12.00 prayer & meditation
8.00 bible study

WEDNESDAY
12.00 prayer & meditation
3.00 tea @ 3
7.30 Members’ Meeting

THURSDAY
12.00 prayer & meditation

FRIDAY
12.00 prayer & meditation
12.30 Lightning Bible Study

SATURDAY
9.00 prayer meeting

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Continuing our Look at the Baptist Missionary Society

Iain Gibson
As I continue to share my learning about The Baptist Missionary Society, I
have to begin by offering an apology and a word of thanks. The apology is
that I have been using this name when I should have been using its more
modern (since 2000) name – BMS World Mission; the word of thanks goes to
all those who knew this but were kind enough not to point my error out to
me! However, at least I didn’t call it by its original & very catchy name –
“The Particular Baptist Society for the Propagation of the Gospel Amongst
the Heathen”.
I can’t imagine why they changed that.
[By the way, if anyone is interested in reading an in-depth history (504
pages) about BMS, then to commemorate its bicentenary a book – “The
History of the Baptist Missionary Society”, by Brian Stanley – was published
in 1992. Amazon will sell you a new copy for £180, so if you happen to have
been around when it was published and bought a few copies, you might be
sitting on something valuable. Seriously though, if anyone has a copy tucked
away to read on a rainy day (or several of those) and would be happy to
share it, do let me know.]
Something very interesting which I have learnt is that the Baptist Missionary
Society was the first Protestant society to be founded specifically for the
purpose of overseas mission. This set the pattern for a new movement in the
history of the Christian Church which brought about a massive geographical
expansion of Christianity in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to large
areas of Asia, Africa and Australasia. Well done the founders! It’s impossible
to guess how many people have come to Christ as a result of the vision of
the 12 people signing the agreement in the late 18th century to set BMS up.
In reading a brief description of Stanley’s book, he apparently describes
three chronological spells of BMS activity. The first, covering the period from
1792 to 1914, deals with the pioneering days in India, the West Indies, China
and the Congo. The second tells the story of church growth and the
progressive devolution of authority from mission to church in the often
politically turbulent years from 1914 to 1960. The final section reviews the
fundamental transformation in the Society's work, following the end of the
Western colonial empires and the birth of autonomous churches in the
mission fields.
I found this division a helpful reminder that all organisations – including
Christian ones – have to be ready and willing to adapt and change.
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Well, so much for those few (hopefully!) interesting bits of information. I

thought that in this issue of John’s most excellent newsletter we might take
a look at one of BMS’s original – and most famous – pioneering missionaries,
William Carey.
Carey, born in 1761, was raised in the Church of England but became a
dissenter (helping set up a congregational church). Later, he became
involved with a group of particular Baptists and in 1783 he was baptised and
committed himself to the Baptist denomination.
[this just goes to show that people moving churches isn’t anything new!]
He was clearly a clever man and particularly gifted in languages, having
taught himself Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Dutch and French by his early 20’s.
(WOW!! Now I feel a real under-achiever.)
He had a humble upbringing (his parents were weavers) and described
himself as a cobbler, although in 1785 (NB: Aged 24) he was appointed as a
village schoolmaster. He was also invited to serve as pastor to the local
Baptist church. During this time, he read a lot and became particularly
challenged about the propagation of the Gospel across the world.
In 1789 he became the full-time pastor of Harvey Lane Baptist Church in
Leicester and, three years later, he published a ground-breaking missionary
manifesto, “An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to use Means for
the Conversion of the Heathens”. It was the final part of this book which
called for the formation by the Baptist denomination of a missionary society.
Carey later preached a pro-missionary sermon (the so-called Deathless
Sermon, using Isaiah 54:2–3 as his text), in which he repeatedly used the
epigram which has become his most famous quotation:
“Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.”
[Isn’t that timeless? Still true for all of us today!]
Despite resistance, BMS was formed and, having met a medical missionary Dr
John Thomas in London who was home to raise funds, Carey decided to join
him in India.
Next week, we’ll take a look at Carey’s missionary work. But to help us get
our heads in gear for what it must have been like (and, when reading this,
please compare their experiences with our lives today and think of the
lessons we can learn from what he and his family went through), here’s a
quote from Wikipedia about his journey and early days:

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“Carey, his eldest son Felix, Thomas and his wife and daughter sailed from
London aboard an English ship in April 1793. Dorothy Carey had refused to
leave England, being pregnant with their fourth son and having never been
more than a few miles from home; but before they left they asked her again
to come with them and she gave consent, with the knowledge that her sister
Kitty would help her give birth. En route they were delayed at the Isle of
Wight at which time the captain of the ship received word that he
endangered his command if he conveyed the missionaries to Calcutta, as
their unauthorised journey violated the trade monopoly of the British East
India Company. He decided to sail without them, and they were delayed
until June when Thomas found a Danish captain willing to offer them
passage. In the meantime, Carey's wife, who had by now given birth, agreed
to accompany him provided her sister came as well. They landed at Calcutta
in November.
During the first year in Calcutta, the missionaries sought means to support
themselves and find a place to establish their mission. They also began to
learn the Bengali language to communicate with others. A friend of Thomas
owned two indigo factories and needed managers, so Carey moved with his
family north to Midnapore. During the six years that Carey managed the
indigo plant, he completed the first revision of his Bengali New
Testament and began formulating the principles upon which his missionary
community would be formed, including communal living, financial self-
reliance, and the training of indigenous ministers. His son Peter died of
dysentry, which, along with other causes of stress, resulted in Dorothy
suffering a nervous breakdown from which she never recovered.”

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Lockdown Update
Diaconate
Despite entering Phase 2 of the national exit strategy this week, our PBC
church life continues very much as it has since February. It’s anticipated
that Phase 3 may be introduced in the course of July, and we will of course
keep everything under review as new deevlopments occur..

Members’ Meeting
A members’ meeting will take place via zoom this coming Wednesday, 1st
July, at 7.30pm, to consider the dissolution of the current Peebles Baptist
Church unincorporated charity, and transfer of all its assets and liabilities to
the Peebles Baptist Church incorporated body (SCIO). The meeting will
also consider the finances of the building project and the current offer of a
loan from the Baptist Union of Scotland.

Lightning Study
Lindsey Grey
The weekly ‘Lightning Bible Study’ group has settled into a routine of
meeting on Fridays from 12.30-1.30pm on zoom. Each week we have a
different themed Bible study sent out by email in advance. We are at the
start of a series on ‘Godly Training’ looking at spiritual disciplines – this
week’s study explored what the Bible says about silence and solitude. We
were all very challenged about the example of Jesus withdrawing regularly
to be with God. We really enjoy our group which is so far all women, and
numbers between 6-8 regulars. There is space in this group, and so we are
happy to send out an invitation to anyone (including any men!) who wants to
get to know God better through his Word. Please let me know if you would
like to receive the Bible study sheet.

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Keeping in touch

Contact Points During Lockdown

• pastoral matters should be referred to the pastor, Ian Gray

o 01721 729101/07881 518854
o pastor@baptistchurch.org
o 97Whitehaugh Park, Peebles, EH45 9DB
• we can post news updates on our facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/PeeblesBaptistChurch/
• we can continue to use our two PBC what’s app groups: PBC Prayer
Group and What’s On in PBC.

Preaching Calendar

• 28 June Ian Gray

Acts 7:1 – 8:3
• 05 July Ian Gray
Acts 8:4-40
• 12 July Ian Gray
Acts 9:1-31
• 19 July Lionel Gibbs

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The A-Z of Recipes for Restricted Times

It’s week nine, and from his vantage point high above Tweedsmuir, Dutch
landowner, Jan Drolly-Hemp, has telegrammed his until now jealously
guarded Jaffa Cake formula, a jazzed-up improvisation on the classic Donald
Dewar favourite. “Chocolate orange may not be to everyone’s taste,” he
reflects, reclining in his smoking jacket, cradling a glass of Cointreau, “but
on a quiet evening stroll from Scheveningen to the Mauritshuis I once made
mincemeat of an entire week’s supply of these dainties. Enjoy!”
ingredients
125 g (4 oz) butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
grated rind of 1 orange
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons grated chocolate
2 tablespoons chopped, blanched almonds to decorate
for the chocolate glace icing
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon butter MAX JAFFA CAKE
1 tablespoon boiling water
method
Beat butter, sugar and orange rind until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a
time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour and fold in alternately with
orange juice. Blend in grated chocolate. Turn into a greased and floured
baba mould or ring cake tin and bake in a moderate oven 180-190°C (350-
375°F) for 45 to 50 minutes or until cake shrinks from sides of tin. Turn out
onto a wire rack and cool. Pour icing on top and let it dribble down sides.
Sprinkle with chopped almonds.
for the chocolate glace icing
Sift icing sugar and cocoa into a heatproof bowl, add butter and pour boiling
water onto butter. Blend until combined, place over boiling water and stir
for 1 minute until icing melts. Do not overheat as icing will go dull when it
sets on cake.

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Cryptic Quiz

Here are the countries, islands and US states that featured in last week’s
quiz:
1 A country of killers! Wales
2 Excess fat Greece
3 Eaten on Xmas Island, perhaps? Turkey
4 You goose! Uganda
5 A bit nippy Chile
6 A grain Bali
7 Friendless Geordie? Nepal
8 It’s on my mind that this place is a country and a state Georgia
9 Are you a bird or a piece of lifting equipment? Ukraine
10 Mountain lion Sierra Leone
11 Found on a beach Seychelles
12 A long way from reggae Bob’s country Mali
13 Wearing a wellie? Bhutan
14 Ned Kelly’s hangout minus Mr Capone gives you this country Austria
15 Pile of dentures? Massachusetts
16 Thank you, reversed. Utah
17 Not a side road Maine
18 Formally-dressed country? Thailand
19 Proceed towards the beach! Tobago
20 Crude and ill plus indefinite article Corsica
21 Virus, indeterminate number Germany
22 This European country sounds like a bird on the Indian continent Croatia
23 Oxygen Eire
24 Moby Dick in a gondola? Venezuela
25 Phlegm Qatar
26 Sheep bleating in downpour Bahrain
27 Cups and saucers China
28 Peckish Hungary
29 I moved with great speed Iran
30 Item of warm clothing Jersey

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as told to @JimmyFer1077650 @minceheid and Iain Gibson

Vandals have removed all the signs in Yorkshire.

Police are looking for Leeds.
A big hole has appeared in Sheffield city centre.
Police are looking into it.
Dropped a tenner yesterday, chased it for miles. Never caught it.
But I had a good run for my money.
The police are waiting in Eddleston late one evening and see a car weaving its way down
the road from Edinburgh. They flag the driver down, who just manages to stop before
colliding with their car. Rather annoyed, the police approach the driver and signal to him
to wind down his window, which he eventually manages to do. They are instantly struck
by the strong smell of alcohol. “We need you to get out of the car, sir”, they tell the
driver; “We would like you to take a breathalyser test.” “I can’t do that”, says the
driver, still seated in his car. “I have bad asthma; it might trigger an attack.” “Well sir”,
the police continue, “in that case you’re going to have to take a blood test.” “Can’t do
that either”, says the driver, lying back in his seat, “I’m a haemophiliac; if you open a
wound then I might bleed to death.” The policemen look at each other. “OK”, one of
them says, “in that case you’ll need to give a urine sample.” “Nope”, says the
driver,”I’ve got diabetes and that my affect my sugar count. I definitely won’t be doing
that.” The policemen, getting pretty frustrated now, speak to each other privately.
“Right sir”, one then says, “in that case you give us no choice. We need you to get out of
the car now and demonstrate to us that you can walk in a straight line.” “No chance”,
says the driver, “I’ll not be doing that.” “Why on earth not?” demands the exasperated
policeman. “Well, isn’t it obvious? I’m drunk!"

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And the prisoners heard

Catriona Murray (04.05.20)
Sunday afternoon sunshine lured me outside to sit on my recently-
painted decking to read, write and contemplate. There were birds
singing in the trees and lambs bleating in the croft beyond, but not a
sound other than that to pierce the stillness. I had recently risen from
morning worship with my congregation, and was in exactly the right
frame of mind for a bit of contemplation.
I was also filled with an enormous sense of wellbeing. These are days
filled with uncertainty, trepidation and, for many, grief. None of us
knows when it may be our turn to walk through the valley of the
shadow of death. Yet, we know that God is with us, and that ,while a
shadow may well encroach, it can never devour.
So, while the world’s media is talking in terms of a global crisis, of
catastrophe and lockdown, God is enabling me – and many more
besides, I think – to experience this as the day of small things which we
are warned not to despise. As I sat in the warmth of this early spring
day, I thought about the week just gone by, and the ways in which I
have met with Christ in the long hours of solitude.
There is his word, of course, and prayer. These are constants.
Normally, though, they are the launchpad for what Lady Bracknell
disparagingly referred to as ‘a life crowded with incident’.
I am rediscovering my inner introvert, however. This week, I
have delivered a number of lectures and tutorials, spoken on the radio
about my favourite Scottish novels, attended a meeting of the
Stornoway Trust, and participated in a whisky tasting – all without
budging from my dining table. In between, I walk, cook, clean, read
and write. In the evenings, I chat to friends and family, listen to music,
and catch up on television programmes, films and podcasts that I’ve
missed.
Friday was glorious. I finished classes, and took the dog for a long
ramble on the machair. Confusedly dressed in wellies, linen trousers
and a cashmere hoody (I like to acknowledge all seasons in one outfit),
I got spectacularly rained on.

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Showered and pyjama-clad, I lit the wood burner and laid out my
various samples of Jura whisky and wild water from the Stornoway
Trust Estate in time for the Instagram tasting event.
It was not, I am quite certain, the 46.7% ABV 21-year-old malt that
gave me the feeling of complete serenity, but the sense that this was a
day of privileges, dispensed by the hand of a gracious God. He has
enabled me to continue doing my job, and fulfil other obligations while
remaining safe and not feeling isolated in the least.
Discussing this with a Christian friend on Sunday evening, she said that
she was concerned by the number of people – believing people – who
are not doing so well. She hears from folk who say that lockdown is
beginning to pall on them, who say they miss the human interaction of
church. These are by no means all people who live alone either.
All of which set me wondering what’s wrong with me that, six
weekends in, I am still only able to see the positives.
I have come to a number of conclusions. Ultimately, I don’t go to
church for the social aspect. In fact, quietly and without anyone else
noticing, I ceased attending organised fellowships of any kind more
than a year ago. Church has been a place of worship for me, and that
continues to be possible by God’s grace through the technology which
it is our privilege to access and enjoy. Yes, there are people whose
society I miss, and I will be glad to see them when we are once more
able to share a pew. Until then, however, I am getting the essential
parts of the church experience at home.
Like many others, I am gratified by the way in which being a church
quite literally without walls has enabled new people to join us for
worship. An open door may theoretically be welcoming, but there is
still a threshold to cross which can seem like a journey of a thousand
miles to the stranger. Online worship presents no such barrier.
A lot of Christians are invoking the image of Israel’s captivity to
describe where we are at. I don’t disparage other people’s feelings or
experiences, however, when I say that this is not my view of things at
all.

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Christ has freed his people, and we do him no justice if we consider

ourselves captive still. We ought to be like Paul and Silas who sang and
prayed in their cell at midnight. The walls could not contain them
because their hearts were fixed upon worshipping God.
He was there with them, he is here in my house too; and he is with all
his people wherever they are. Ask the suffering and persecuted church
if you can’t believe a Wee Free woman.
My favourite part of that account, though, is the following four words:
‘and the prisoners heard’.
Those who are still enslaved, not by government lockdown, but the
bonds of sin – what is our witness to them? Perhaps he has brought us
out of our comfortable churches into the information super-highway so
that they will hear us, not weeping and complaining, but lifting up our
voices in praise of the Christ who will never leave nor forsake us.

https://peeblesbaptistchurch.org/

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