The newsletter : "Rockburn Wider Fellowship"
is produced by Mr Eric Pritchard.  

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Attached is our December 2021 issue of the Rockburn Wider Fellowship - #139 Greeting to everyone, on this, our second “Pandemic Christmas”. Our celebration of Christmas should not be dampened by Covid! Let us spread more hope, peace, joy and love this Season than ever before! Thank you, and God Bless

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In January, 2018, we started placing a different cross each month in the top right hand corner of our Wider Fellowship page.
 Just in case you were wondering, the different crosses were:
 Jan - Presbyterian cross
Feb - just a beautiful stained glass cross
Mar - Celtic Cross
Apr - Cross of St. James
May - Occitan Cross
 We have identified them from June onwards.
 Our Cross this month is the Crosslet Cross - It's a combination of four Latin Crosses, with each cross facing a different cardinal direction.
 This is meant to symbolize spreading Christianity to all four corners of the world. For example, this might be used to indicate missionary work.
 Thank you and God Bless
​Eric

Newsletters 39 on.....

Our Cross this month is the Cross and Crown. You might be expecting this symbol to reference the fact that Jesus is the King of Kings, but according to some sources, this is actually referencing a promise from Revelation 2:10. In this message to one of His faithful churches, Jesus says that those who endure the trials to come and still remain faithful to the end will be rewarded with the Crown of Life.

Our Cross this month is the Coptic ankh. The ankh is an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol that was most commonly used in writing and in art to represent the word for "life" and, by extension, as a symbol of life itself. Its use continued through the Coptic Egyptians who adapted it as the crux ansata, a variant form of the Christian cross.

We ran out of “crosses”!! So, we thought we would feature the symbols of the Apostles. Our symbol this month is for Simon Peter – often simply known as St. Peter. Simon Peter preached to the Jews, and was crucified head downwards in Rome, A.D. 68.

Our symbol this month is for James the Elder – often simply known as St. James. James was the first apostle to be killed. He was beheaded by Herod, A.D. 44. A pilgrim’s staff and wallet show that he was a traveller. He went to Spain.

Our symbol this month is for Saint John. John preached in Asia Minor, lived in Ephesus, and wrote five books of the Bible. He died about A.D. 100.

Our symbol this month is for Saint Andrew, also known as Andrew the Apostle. He is the brother of Saint Peter, and an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is referred to in the Orthodox tradition as the First-Called. According to Orthodox tradition, the apostolic successor to Saint Andrew is the Patriarch of Constantinople. The patron of Russia, Scotland, and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. According to tradition St. Andrew was crucified, in Archaia, on an X shaped cross, known as a saltire or St. Andrew’s Cross. Thank you and God Bless

Our symbol this month is for Saint Philip. Philip was born in Bethsaida, Galilee. He may have been a disciple of John the Baptist and is mentioned as one of the Apostles in the lists of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and in Acts. Aside from the lists, he is mentioned only in John in the New Testament. He was called by Jesus Himself and brought Nathanael to Christ. Philip was present at the miracle of the loaves and fishes, when he engaged in a brief dialogue with the Lord, and was the Apostle approached by the Hellenistic Jews from Bethsaida to introduce them to Jesus. Just before the crucifixion, Jesus answered Philip's query to show them the Father, but no further mention of Philip is made in the New Testament beyond his listing among the Apostles awaiting the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room. According to tradition he preached in Greece and was crucified upside down at Hierapolis under Emperor Domitian. Thank you and God Bless

Our symbol this month is for Saint Matthew. He preached and died in Ethiopia and was a tax-collector. The Gospel of St. Matthew is one of the most quoted books of the Bible. Wishing all our readers and contributors a very Happy Christmas and all the best for 2020. Thank you and God Bless

Our symbol this month is for Saint Bartholomew. He has also been identified as Nathanael who appears in the Gospel of John when introduced to Jesus by Philip (who would also become an apostle). In art Bartholomew is most commonly depicted with a beard and curly hair at the time of his martyrdom. According to legends he was skinned alive and beheaded so is often depicted holding his flayed skin or the curved flensing knife with which he was skinned. Thank you and a Happy New Year to everyone, God Bless

Our symbol this month is for Saint Thomas. Thomas the Apostle, also called Didymus ( in Greek Didymos means “twin”), is commonly known as "Doubting Thomas" because he doubted Jesus' resurrection when first told of it; later, he confessed his faith, "My Lord and my God," on seeing Jesus' crucifixion wounds. This declaration made Thomas the first person to explicitly acknowledge Jesus’ divinity.

Our symbol this month is for Saint James the Less. He is not to be confused with James, son of Zebedee ("James the Great or Elder"). In the West he was for long (and still is) identified with James, the Lord's brother, thought of by St Jerome and those who followed him as really the cousin of Jesus. He was known in Jerusalem as “The Just One” because of his constancy in prayer and for the devotion with which he practiced his faith. He did not eat meat, he refrained from any ostentation in clothing, he did not drink wine, and he did not cut his hair. He spent so much time in prayer that his knees grew thick callouses and looked like a camel’s. The leaders in Jerusalem were worried about the growing number of people who were coming to believe that Jesus was the Christ. They asked James to refute this claim, but he refused and was stoned. He was finally killed when he was struck on the head with a club, and his body was cut to pieces with a saw. He is patron saint of pharmacists because they work with a pestle, which resembles a club. Thank you and God Bless

Please stay safe and healthy during this difficult time. Our symbol this month is for Saint Jude. Jude, also known as Judas Thaddaeus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is sometimes identified with Jude, the brother of Jesus, but is clearly distinguished from Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus prior to his crucifixion. According to tradition, Saint Jude suffered martyrdom about 65 AD in Beirut, in the Roman province of Syria, together with the apostle Simon the Zealot, with whom he is usually connected. Thank you and God Bless

Our symbol this month is for Saint Simon. He was one of the most obscure among the apostles of Jesus with many contradictory accounts of his life. To distinguish him from Simon Peter he is called the "Zealot". This derives from the Hebrew meaning zealous. The most widespread tradition is that after evangelizing in Egypt, Simon joined Jude in Persia and Armenia or Beirut, Lebanon, where both were martyred in 65 AD. Thank you and God Bless

Our symbol this month is for Saint Matthias. The last of our series on the Apostles. Matthias was, according to the Acts of the Apostles, chosen by the apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following the latter's betrayal of Jesus and his subsequent death. Matthias preached the Gospel to barbarians in the interior of Ethiopia. He died at Sebastopolis, and was buried there. Alternatively, another tradition maintains that Matthias was stoned at Jerusalem by the local populace, and then beheaded, although, according to Hippolytus of Rome, Matthias died of old age in Jerusalem. Thank you and God Bless

Our Angel - the picture on the top right of the Wider Fellowship this month is from an original painting by Lida Pit. She created a series of these for the Barrie Hospital and after they were taken down, were donated to Rockburn Church where they are displayed today. Thank you and God Bless

I didn’t have room for these Bible Quotations but thought I would share them with you, particularly during these trying times. Deuteronomy 31:8 The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Psalm 56:3-4 When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Psalm 29:11 The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses His people with peace. Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Thank you and God Bless

The 15th of September commemorates St. Cyprian. A controversial figure during his lifetime, known for his strong pastoral skills and firm conduct during the outbreak of the Plague of Cyprian (named after him due to his description of it). The Plague of Cyprian was a pandemic that afflicted the Roman Empire about from AD 249 to 262. The agent of the plague is highly speculative because of sparse sourcing, but suspects have included smallpox, pandemic influenza and viral hemorrhagic fever (filoviruses) like the Ebola virus. Thank you and God Bless

Attached is our October 2020 issue of the Rockburn Wider Fellowship - #126 Isaiah 41: 10 - Do not fear: I am with you; do not be anxious: I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 43: 2 - When you pass through waters, I will be with you; through rivers, you shall not be swept away. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, nor will flames consume you. 2 Timothy 1:7 - God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. Thank you; please stay safe, and God Bless

Romans 5:3–5 “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts.” Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Thank you; please stay safe, and God Bless

"And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.'" - Luke 2:10 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6 "When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." - Matthew 2:10 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" - Luke 2:14 Wishing you, and all whom you love, a very happy Christmas and a healthy New Year. Thank you; please stay safe, and God Bless

A New Year dawns, and we pray for the promise of better times ahead for all of us. Please stay safe and healthy. Thank you, and God Bless

The Feast of Saint Valentine was established by Pope Gelasius I in AD 496 to be celebrated on February 14 in honour of Saint Valentine of Rome, who died on that date in AD 269. The day became associated with romantic love in the 14th and 15th centuries when notions of courtly love flourished, apparently by association with the "lovebirds" of early spring. In 18th-century England, it grew into an occasion in which couples expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). Please stay safe and healthy. Thank you, and God Bless

Attached is our May 2021 issue of the Rockburn Wider Fellowship - #132 We are running out of material for our Wider Fellowship and badly need short articles, scripture thoughts, light humour etc. etc. for inclusion in future issues. We appreciate all those who have contributed but we need more!! Any suggestions or ideas? Please stay safe and healthy. Thank you, and God Bless

Attached is our June 2021 issue of the Rockburn Wider Fellowship - #133 Good News – our church in Rockburn is holding an outdoor service tomorrow (Sunday 13th June) at 09:30 – we’ve all been waiting a long time! Please stay safe and healthy. Thank you, and God Bless

Attached is our July 2021 issue of the Rockburn Wider Fellowship - #134 Thank you to everybody who is sending me items for inclusion in our Wider Fellowship. Please keep sending – I can never have enough and e need more!! Please stay safe and healthy. Thank you, and God Bless

Attached is our August 2021 issue of the Rockburn Wider Fellowship - #135 Thank you again to everybody who is sending me items for inclusion in our Wider Fellowship. Please keep 'em coming!!

Attached is our September 2021 issue of the Rockburn Wider Fellowship - #136 Around 27th September 2021, although dates do vary, the Christian (Western, Anglican and Free Churches) celebrate Harvest Festival. Special services are held around this time of year to give thanks for the goodness of God’s gifts in providing a harvest of crops along with all the other fruits of society. Displays of produce are often made, usually distributed afterwards to those in need. Increasingly the emphasis is on a wider interpretation than just the harvests of the fields and seas. Thank you, and God Bless

A little “Trivia”: All Hallows' Eve falls on 31st October each year, and is the day before All Hallows' Day, also known as All Saints' Day in the Christian calendar. The name derives from the Old English 'hallowed' meaning holy or sanctified and is now usually contracted to the more familiar word Hallowe'en. In the 8th century, on 1st November, Pope Gregory III dedicated a chapel to all the saints in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Gregory IV then made the festival universal throughout the Church, and 1st November has subsequently become All Saints' Day for the western Church. Thank you, and God Bless

Greeting to everyone, on this Remembrance Day. While doing the research for this month’s issue, I came across some history from the Canadian Legion that was new to me. “The idea for the Remembrance Poppy was conceived by Madame Anna Guérin of France. She was inspired by Canadian John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields.” Anna had originally founded a charity to help rebuild regions of France torn apart by the First World War, and created poppies made of fabric to raise funds. Later, Anna presented her concept to France’s allies, including the precursor to The Royal Canadian Legion, The Great War Veterans Association. The idea was considered at a meeting in Port Arthur, Ontario (now Thunder Bay) and was adopted on July 6, 1921.” Thank you, and God Bless

Attached is our December 2021 issue of the Rockburn Wider Fellowship - #139 Greeting to everyone, on this, our second “Pandemic Christmas”. Our celebration of Christmas should not be dampened by Covid! Let us spread more hope, peace, joy and love this Season than ever before! Thank you, and God Bless