August 2008 — Volume V - the Methodist Church - LID

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Methodist Methodist Link Link By: Rev. Amos Browne Impressions of the St. Thomas/St. John Circuit Aldersgate Service Rev. Amos Browne is a Nevisian by birth. He has been in Christian Ministry for more than 40 years; most of which were spent in the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church. He retired as a District Superintendent in 2002 and now resides in the Nevis Circuit with his spouse Viola (Trotman) T he story is told that a stranger visiting a community in England asked a Cornishman to explain the obvious morality and spirit of the villagers, He replied, “A man named Wesley passed this way." The commitment and devotion of the people called Methodist of the St. Thomas/St. John Circuit reminds me that the Wesleyan legacy has indeed passed by four congregations. Such was the spirit of hope and promise that reverberated through the 2008 Aldersgate combined worship service held at Christ Church on May 18. It was like the sound of incoming showers of rain. There were four distinctive ingredients of the service that particularly demonstrated that the church is alive and well in the circuit. • The singing of the Wesley hymns by the respective choirs and their congregations. • The drama presentation by the Christ Church Confirmation Class. • The trio rendition by the three circuit ministers. • The general response to the proclamation of the Word. That great prince of Methodist hymnody, Charles Wesley, would have been proud of the way the hymns attributed to his authorship were sung: #568 by St. John; #554 by Trinity; #173 by Wesley; #80 by Christ Church. In Select Hymns, 1761, his brother, John, outlined Seven Directions for singing the hymns of the church. Directions IV and VII read in part: "Sing lustily and with a good courage ... lift up your voice with strength." "Above all, sing spiritually ... Have an eye to God in every word you sing." He too, would have applauded the way in which St. John adhered to his suggestion when they sang: Since the Son has made me free, Let me taste my liberty; There behold with open face, Triumph in thy saving grace. And would have been pleased with Trinity's rendition of: I want the witness, Lord, That all I do is right, According to thy will and word, Well pleasing in thy sight. Wesley and Christ Church might have moved the brothers to do a "step or two" when the two congregations offered their pieces: 0 let me kiss thy bleeding feet, And bathe and wash them with my tears The story of thy love repeat In every drooping sinner’s ears, Rev. Amos Browne That all may hear the quickening sound, Since I, even I, have mercy found. A helpless sold that looks to thee Is sure at last thy face to see, And all thy goodness to partake; The sinner who for thee doth grieve, And longs, and labours to believe, Thou never, never wilt forsake. By the way, it was like a breath of fresh air to hear all the verses of each song sung by the respective congregations led by their choirs. The young people’s item was as profound in its content as it was inspiriting in its artistic presentation. The skit underscored the point that the story of early Methodism in these islands is a story of enduring love, sacrifice and preserving faith. It also reminded us that our heritage is not only rooted in the soil of history but grounded in the faithfulness of our common brotherhood. Methodist ministers are thankful for whatever oratorical gifts the Spirit gives to us. But when a good singing voice is thrown into the mix, the Church considers it a real bonus. There is no better example that in the circuit where Frankly Manners, Jefferson Niles and Brian Seymour serve. Those three servants teamed up and brought down the church with their rendition of: Be it my only wisdom here, To serve the Lord with filial fear, With loving gratitude; Superior sense may I display, By shunning every evil way, And walking in the good. (#576) Page 4 I dare say the Circuit was bless with a double portion of harmony by that trio—the richness of the voices blending together and the richness of the symbolism (Continued on page 7)
Methodist Methodist Link Link MANAGING YOUR MONEY IN TIMES OF RISING PRICES * Robertine Chaderton PhD * Dr Robertine Chaderton is an academic and professional accountant. She is the Director of Studies at the North Eastern Caribbean Accounting School which prepares students for the British professional accounting examinations, among other things. She can be contacted at rachad@sisterisles.kn Budgeting hen all is said and done, you can- W not spend more than you make, at least not for long. If the income from wages or salaries is fixed and costs continue to rise, then we must cut back on our expenses. The first advice is one which my mother often said to us as children “Cut your coat according to your cloth”. That is, spend only what you can afford. Figure out which of your expenses are wants and which are needs. Actual needs are fairly limited – food shelter, clothing. Nearly everything else is a want, but even the way we get our needs involves choice. Do you know where your money goes right now? You can take a note book and over the next couple of weeks write down how much money you spend and what you spend it on. If you like using the computer, do this on a spreadsheet; keep track of your spending and you will know what you need to cut back on and what you need to cut out. The common items we spend on are: food, utilities (electricity, water, telephone and cable), food, transport (the bus, petrol or gas and the other costs of owning a vehicle), housing (rent or mortgage) and entertainment. If there are children there will be school related items such as books, shoes, uniforms, perhaps tuition or after school lessons and activities. With a baby, there is daycare or babysitting, pampers and all the other necessities to keep a baby, clean and comfortable. There are also a couple of big, once a year expenses that we have to deal with such as car or house insurance and property tax. On the other side, we consider what is coming in. This is usually in the form of wages and salaries. It is useful to remember that income does not have to come from one source. In certain Caribbean islands we have a saying “one, one, fills basket”; you can have a full time job and a part time job; a day job and an evening job or a job on the weekend. In times of rising prices, you have to manage your money from two fronts - what is coming in and what is going out. Cost of Food As Caribbean people, we like to eat well. There are ways of continuing to eat well in spite of the rising price of food. We can all go back to growing some of the things we eat. There are several items that can be Page 5 grown in the back yard even in a small space. They include potatoes, pumpkin, tomatoes, and lettuce. Growing vegetables in an old vehicle tyre can assist where the yard space is tiny. When you go shopping you need to make a list so that you buy what is really needed. Look in your food cupboard and refrigerator to see what you have. Plan nutritious meals, decide what your family likes to eat and make your grocery list at that time. It is helpful to discuss the cost of food with children, so that they are encouraged to eat what is set before them and not waste food. A few useful tips – Do not go shopping on an empty stomach; if you are hungry, you will be tempted to buy snack items to eat on your way home or once you get home while you prepare a meal. Shop once a week or once a month if possible. One sure way to save money is by staying away from the shops – try to avoid running to the shop every day for a few items. Unless you have very strong discipline, you may go in to buy one item, but usually end up picking up three or four; at least one will not be a necessity. When you are in the store compare prices; buy ‘no name’ brands, they are usually cheaper than the well known ones and are often made by the same company; buy items that are on special or in season. In the store, be prepared to bend and stretch your limbs. It is a normal display strategy to place goods that are high priced at eye level. Look for items that are on the top shelf and on the bottom shelf. If you do not go home for lunch, bring lunch to work from home. Make drinks from the local fruits in season. Buy in bulk at the wholesale price; form a food co -op at your place of work, where you worship or in your neighbourhood. There is a church on a Caribbean island where they are using some radical methods to cushion the sting of the high cost of living for its congregation. These include setting up a chicken farm (members purchase the packaged chickens for less than they could at some supermarkets) using feed, molasses and aloes, no steroids. They own a half acre of land on which they have planted carrots, lettuce, beets and tomatoes. These are sold to members at a very reasonable price.
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August 2008 — Volume V - the Methodist Church - LID

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