The Parish Magazine October 2022

THE ARTS — 2
Book Reviews
Bible Sunday 30 October update
Wycliffe Bible Translators latest report, as of 2021, says:
— There are now 3,495 languages which have some
Scripture available to 7.04 billion people.
— There are 717 languages with a complete Bible giving
5.75 billion people access to a Bible in their own language.
— 1,582 languages have a complete New Testament (some
also have Old Testament portions) - 830 million people
— 1,196 languages have some translated Bible portions -
457 million people
Meanwhile, there are a further 828 languages which have
work in progress – 67.6 million people. And also, there are
1,892 languages still waiting for translation (or preparatory
work) to begin – 145 million people. As for the remaining
need for Bible translation: 1.51 billion people, speaking 6,661
languages, do not have a full Bible in their first language.
And 145 million people, speaking 1,892 languages, still need
translation work to begin, this includes:
— Africa with 558 languages, 16 million people
— Americas with 119 languages, 2.4 million people
— Asia with 751 languages, 124 million people
— Europe with 59 languages, 2.3 million people
— Pacific with 405 languages, 0.43 million people
More at: https://www.wycliffe.net/resources/statistics/
Abba Amma– Improvisations on the Lord’s Prayer
By Nicola Slee, Canterbury Press, £14.99
The Lord’s Prayer is the first, and perhaps only prayer,
that we learn by heart. However, its patriarchal and
kingdom imagery do not resonate universally today. How
do we pray the prayer Jesus taught us in ways which
are authentic and life-giving? This book offers a series
of prayers and poems written in response to it. Each
prayer uses the address Abba or Amma: Aramaic terms of
intimate address to God as father or mother which reflect
Jesus’ usage, drawing on the Abbas and Ammas of the
desert tradition as well as our own parental relationships.
Invest Your Future – Listening to God’s Voice
Without Abandoning Your Bible or Your Brain
By Paul Mallard, 10Publishing, £8.00
Making big decisions can be difficult. Often, we end
up paralysed with indecision, afraid that making the
wrong choice will ruin our lives. So how do we make good
decisions? When does the Bible guide us, and when should
we just use our common sense or talk things through
with friends and family? Using his huge experience and
pastoral heart, Paul Mallard shows us where to find
wisdom and how it works in God’s economy. He helps us
find the balance in what is, for many of us, a constant
challenge. He teaches us how to understand God’s
purpose, so we can see the truly important factors in
making our decisions. You don’t have to spend your life
in indecision, confusion, guilt or regret. You can cultivate
spiritual discernment in order to grow in maturity and
wisdom, and know where to turn for guidance when
making decisions.
The Parish Magazine - October 2022 35
Arts & Craft Fair to
reduce food poverty
The main beneficiary of this year’s Reading Charity Art
and Craft Fair will be the Thomas Franks Foundation’s
Feeding Communities which aims to reduce food poverty
by providing free packaged meals for those in need. The
ingredients for the meals are collected from surpluses in
catering sources and so also reduces food wastage.
The Art & Craft Fair, organised by the Rotary Club of
Reading Maiden Erlegh, will be held from 29-30 October
at Leighton Park School. Income from the fair will help
Feeding Communities to increase its production of food
parcels for local support organisations such as food banks,
the Churches Together in Reading Drop-in Centre, and
others in the Reading, Woodley and Earley communities.
The Maiden Erlegh Rotary Club supported these
organisations throughout the pandemic and its aim now
is to help reduce food waste, and the increasing burden of
food poverty expected during the difficult months ahead.
FOOD PARCELS
Thomas Franks is a top-quality catering contract
company serving restaurants of prestigious companies
in the UK and Europe. In the Reading area the company
also provides catering at various independent schools,
including Leighton Park where the Art & Craft Fair is
being held in the Oakview centre which, during school
time, is a spacious restaurant.
Feeding Communities was created to aid as many
people as it could through the early months of the Covid
pandemic, its main focus being on vulnerable people who
were struggling or suffering from food poverty.
Using its clients facilities, Feeding Communities
began producing food parcels and freshly prepared meals
in response to the food shortages that were happening
globally. It states that as long as food poverty exists, it will
continue to provide free meals to all who need them — 'It
doesn’t take much to change a life and it can start with as much
as a meal'.
Entry to the Art & Craft Fair is free and visitors can
enjoy a hot or cold drink and a cake in the Art Café run by
the Inner Wheel Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh as well
as viewing a wide range of paintings and craft exhibits.
There will also be the opportunity to purchase art and
craft items produced by local artists and artisans with 25%
of the purchase price being given to Feeding Communities
and other local community support organisations.
For more information:
http://www.readingcharityartfair.org www.thethomasfranksfoundation.org
http://www.feedingcommunities.co.uk/home