The Parish Magazine April 2024

32 The Parish Magazine - April 2024
History
Was it really? . . .
What do safety pins and cats eyes have to do with April?
dreamstime.com
. . . 300 YEARS AGO on 7 April 1724 the German composer
Johann Sebastian Bach’s St John Passion was performed
for the first time at a church in Leipzig.
. . . 300 YEARS AGO on 22 April 1724 Immanuel Kant, the
German philosopher was born. He was one of the leading
philosophers during the Age of Enlightenment.
. . . 200 YEARS AGO on 19 April 1824 Lord Byron died.
One of the greatest British poets and leading figures in
the Romantic movement, he died, aged 36, of sepsis/fever
while fighting for Greek independence from the Ottoman
Empire.
. . . 175 YEARS AGO on 10 April 1849 American mechanic
Walter Hunt was granted a US patent for his invention of
the safety pin. He immediately sold the rights for $400
— about $12,000 today. The company he sold it to made
millions from it.
. . . 150 YEARS AGO on 5 April 1874 Johann Strauss II’s
operetta Die Fledermaus was performed for the first time,
in Vienna.
. . . 125 YEARS AGO on 29 April 1899 that Duke Ellington,
American jazz/swing pianist, composer and orchestra
leader, was born.
. . . 100 YEARS AGO on on 23 April 1924 that the British
Empire Exhibition opened in Wembley, London.
. . . 90 YEARS AGO on 3 April 1934 that British inventor
Percy Shaw patented the Cat’s Eye reflective road stud.
He created a company to manufacture them in 1935 and
in 1937 he was awarded a government contract to mass
produce them for national use.
. . . 75 YEARS AGO on 4 April 1949 that NATO (North
Atlantic Treaty Organisation) was founded.
. . . 70 YEARS AGO on 26 April 1954 that the Soviet
Union transferred Crimea from Russia to Ukraine. In
2014 Russia annexed Crimea, but it was not recognised
internationally and sanctions were imposed on Russia.
. . . 60 YEARS AGO on 15 April 1964 that 12 men convicted
of carrying out the Great Train Robbery in August of 1963
were jailed for a total of 307 years.
. . . 50 YEARS AGO on 6 April 1974 that ABBA won the
Eurovision Song Contest with 'Waterloo'.
. . . 40 YEARS AGO on 17 April 1984 that British
police officer Yvonne Fletcher was shot dead during a
demonstration outside the Libyan Embassy in London.
. . . 30 YEARS AGO on 26 April 1994 that the first postapartheid
multiracial elections were held in South Africa.
BOOK REVIEWS — 1
The Empty Tomb - a story of Easter
By Brian Sibley, SPCK, £6.99
Here is an illustrated retelling of
the Easter story in short chapters,
ideal for 6+ years. It would be a
good introduction to the stories of
Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, the
death and resurrection of Jesus, his
Ascension, and Pentecost.
The book includes the procession
of the singing crowd as Jesus
entered Jerusalem, and the moment Jesus shared the
bread and the cup at the Passover meal. It also tells of
how the disciples’ sorrow turned to joy and wonder when
they saw Jesus once again after his death, eating and
drinking with them. The book also relates the excitement
of Pentecost. The stories can be read alone, or read aloud.
Facing Fear 365 - daily reflections for hope,
peace and courage
By Dan Blythe and Rocky Nti, SPCK,
£13.99
Every day we face a choice: to give
into fear, or meet it with faith? From
health concerns to comparison-rife
social media, the world offers us
plenty of reasons to live in fear. Yet
God offers us countless reasons to
live life to the full, facing cowardice
and stepping forward with courage.
There are 365 daily reflections to
help cultivate courage to fight fear with faith each day.
A Christening Gift Prayer and Memory Book
Various authors, SPCK £8.99
This could be a good gift for a
grandparent, godparent, or family
member, to give to a young child.
It is an illustrated gift book
to commemorate a young child's
christening and includes a
collection of prayers, Bible verses,
and pages for recording details,
memories, and messages of the
special occasion. Parents can add their own memories,
with photos and special blessings from the guests, as well
as recording key milestones in their child's early years.
Yearning for the Vast and Endless Sea - the
Good News about the Good News
By Chris Russell, Canterbury Press £16.99
The book takes its title from a quote
by Saint-Exupery: 'If you want to build
a ship, don’t drum up the people to gather
wood, and give orders. Instead, teach them
to yearn for the vast and endless sea.'
Drawing on Bonhoeffer, Newbigin
and Pope Francis’ Euangelii Gaudium,
Chris Russell asks how the church and
individual Christians can communicate
the love of God in language and action, and also explores
how the good news is received.