Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you all.

It seems funny to be writing those words when it is still November, but that is just the way our society is these days. always engaged in a desperate mad rush into the future. Christmas decorations were up in the shops before Halloween was over, lights were lit before bonfires were extinguished. Even worse, at the last Worship consultation meeting we were beginning to talk about lent - before Advent had even started !!!

There is something almost manic about our need to plan ahead, to be prepared, to look to the future which disturbs me. Whatever happened to living in the moment - especially when it comes to worship? Of course I recognise that some things need to be prepared for : for a choir to sing well it needs to rehearse, for a sermon to hit home, the preacher has to prepare it, for a reading to make sense and be understood it needs to have been read through several times before it is read aloud.. etc etc etc.. but there must also be space in our worship and our lives for God's time.

God's time is that wonderful mix of the Father's fullness of time, the Son's incarnational now, and the Spirit's spontaneous leap into the future. God's time is so much more than our busy planning - it is about waiting for God in the presence of Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. God's time can be our time when we take the time to rest in it and work with it.

It has always seemed really crazy to me that people try to ‘make time’ for God - God is the author of time and the only one that can give time real meaning. The truth is that I have never known anyone who has got into the habit of taking time out to spend with God, say that they have missed out in any way. Time after time, people say that family life is enriched - not lessened, work life enhanced - not jeopardised. God has a way of making sure, in spite of our fears, that when we make spending time with God a priority there is more than enough time for everything else. God made time to spend it with us - it seems wrong for us to complain that there is no time to spend it with God.

This Christmas therefore, I wish you what I wish for myself, time with God so that I can really wonder at the miracle of the moment when God speaks light into our restless world. Peace.

God Bless

Rev Angie

I'm going to talk for a few moments about our friend Tim, and explain to everybody gathered here what he meant to us through shared experiences and the qualities that he had. Some of us first met Tim at Birmingham University, where he was studying Geography.

Tim was incredibly easy to get on with, from the first time you met him. Friendships were very important to him, and his ability to gain the trust and respect of people whom he met was obvious through the mentoring work he carried out with the disadvantaged young people of Doncaster, helping them get back on track with their lives. He was someone to look up to, in terms of stature and integrity.

Due to his genuine desire to help and to do the right thing, both morally and ethically, he was one of the more successful members of his team that promoted the charity Greenpeace.

He was someone with a tremendous, child-like sense of adventure, always hungry to take on new challenges and experiences. He has travelled to many parts of the world, and some of us here today have accompanied him abroad. A lot of times he travelled alone, which I'm sure you agree, is a very courageous act in itself. His trip to the Caribbean, mapping coral reefs, was one that he found invaluable. Of course he made many friends there too, and was known to them as the "algae man".

He was a very brave, disciplined and determined person- his Muay Thai training and subsequent fight in Thailand was testimony to this. Not only was it his first fight, but his opponent was an experienced fighter and Tim was expected to lose heavily; but he won against the odds. Even considering his love for Thai boxing, he was an incredibly passive person. We struggle to remember a single occasion where he raised his voice. This outloook on life was also reflected when he joined the peaceful protest against the war in Iraq.

Tim was very much his own person. He was very genuine and there was never any pretence with him. He was very honest and spoke openly. He always focussed on the positives and would prefer to see the good in people.

He was talented at a variety of things. Music was a big part of his life, and he was gifted at writing songs on his computer, as well as DJ ing on his decks. Even his university dissertation was about the music he loved. His ability and coordination with juggling, hakisack, and especially the Diablo, were incredible, winning over crowds at a festival in the Czech Republic a couple of years ago.

He was very kind and considerate, and in our circle of friends, he had a rare ability to talk openly about his feelings and also to be concerned and compassionate about the interests and feelings of others - something that many of us find difficult to do.

Tim will always be remembered by us as a fun-loving person who all of us respected and admired, and we can all recall many occasions when we used to party alongside him. One thing we will always remember about him was his infectious smile, which would lift your spirits if you felt low.

Tim has had a lasting and positive influence on all our lives, and we will always remember him fondly

Flight to America

An early start - 4:30 am. Loaded the mini-bus and David drove us to Heathrow for our first flight to Toronto. We ‘Check-in’ successfully and await our 8:20 am departure. We operate a ‘Buddy-Pair’ system in order to maintain the integrity of the group.

Arrival at Toronto at 11:15 am local time. Experienced the US Customs. These people were so rude and racist. What a bad ‘first impression’ of America we had. There were eight Customs Officers and these people have the responsibility for this Welcome to all visitors.

Never mind, after a couple of hours in Toronto airport lounge we board our flight for Newark. Air Canada staff are again very friendly and helpful. Most airlines allow groups of young people to pre-board which is very helpful. Now we have a delay of about 20 minutes due to Newark Airport experiencing overloading.

Short flight then we land in Newark. No customs here thanks to us doing that in Canada. We used the airport shuttle to the car-hire area and picked up our fifteen-seater mini-van. Loaded, somehow, all our bodies and bags and set off for Caldwell.

First problem, our phones can only receive calls and send text. So, with our Autoroute instructions and courage in four hands we attempt our navigation. As we entered Caldwell we parted company with our directions. Barbara phoned to ask our progress and while she was helping us get back on route the phone dropped the line and we were on our own again. Very frustrating because we then had to wait for Barbara to ring us again. Finally we were re-united with our directions and arrived at The First Presbyterian Church of Caldwell.

Reception and Welcome

What a welcome! Barbara had told us while we were getting lost that some of the people couldn’t wait any longer so we weren’t expecting much more than the host families. We were pleasantly surprised to be greeted by about fifty people and received a very warm welcome. Lavish amounts of food and drink were set before us and we were just about ready for it. We were introduced to the host families and had some ‘ice-breaker’ introductory games. Then it was off to our host’s homes to rest and recuperate.

High School

We were very pleased to have arranged for our young people to experience a day in High School. They went with their host families children - their half-term is different to ours. What an experience. This is a memory that few will have had.

Revue and Care Homes

As a way of rewarding our hosts we decided to put on the sketches from ‘Entertaining Angels’. Prior to our trip, we had been rehearsing at our Church.We had intended to rehearse all day Tuesday for the performance in the evening but Barbara had arranged for us to put on a selection at one of the Care homes during the lunchtime. Talk about pressure! After piling in the mini-bus and following Barbara for about 25 minutes we arrived at a Hospital which had a residential section. They collected the residents in the day-room and allowed us to set up at one end.

This was very hard for all of us. What a first audience! We did some sketches and Angie performed a few songs. Then we separated and went to talk to the people. We met some very interesting people and had some good discussions. A gentleman named Cosmo was very entertaining and found his fellow Italian Alex handsome and admired Katie very much.

Back to the church then for more rehearsals. We were presenting the sketches in the magnificent church, so we needed to set up the sound and lighting. Ably assisted by their people we were finally ready. There was just time for feeding at a local ‘Diner’ before the performance.

What can I say? The performers were excellent and, mostly, everything went without a hitch. We were complimented later on learning all the lines including the, scripted, mistakes!

After the show the church had laid on a small buffet. These people are great aren’t they? Tired heads hit host pillows and another day was done.

On Wednesday we had another Care home performance scheduled for lunchtime. Closer this time. Only five minutes away. Seasoned veterans now we find this home slightly easier and meet more people.

Youth Club

Wednesday early evening we help out at their Youth Club. They are having a Halloween party so everyone is in fancy dress. They are dressed as witches, ghosts, football stars, Hawaiian ladies and one Statue of Liberty. As part of the meal each table decorates a graveyard (chocolate mousse) with tombstones (biscuits and sweets).

New York Tour

Thursday morning sees us congregating at the church at 9:00 am to catch the bus into New York. Just over an hour later we are at the bus station meeting with Steve our self-appointed and very welcome ‘Tour Guide’. First stop is the Empire State Building so that we can gain some appreciation of what we are seeing and where everything is. After queuing for about an hour and a half, minus Angie, we climb the last six flights of stairs to the observation platform. I have a heart attack as we lose one of our number briefly! What a view. All the places we have only seen pictures of and heard of in the news are now laid at our feet. The descent is a little quicker than the ascent and we re-unite with Angie.

On the Metro now to Greenwich from where we experience New York street vender food, what Dave describes as a ‘Dirty Water Dog’, and guess what? Burger King.

We walk to Ground Zero and wonder at the space that once was home to the twin towers. The subway station which was once protected by the buildings above now lays open, exposed to the sky. There are information boards and a long ‘Role Call’ of the people who perished there.

This scene could not prepare us for our visit to St. Paul’s Church to the side of the area. The church was lined with tributes from all around the world and pictures and stories of the lives that were touched by the tragedy.

Many of our group were affected by the testimonies of the people involved and we spent some time reflecting on the magnitude of the event.

Another metro trip took us to Central Park. A welcome change of scene. While walking through the park we encountered a Carousel and Hot-Dog stand. A few of us could not resist having a ride on the Horses whilst some of us gave in to the call of blue cotton-candy (Candy Floss). A gentle walk, including a loo-stop, brought us to the Rockefeller Center with its skating rink in the central area. Then we walked to Time Square - still daylight. We planned to eat here so that we would finish eating after dark in order that we could experience the lights of Time Square. Everyone enjoyed eating at Planet Hollywood where we were able to get several request played by the DJ. The food was very good and the service excellent – best steak I have eaten for a very long time! Back to the bus station then for the journey back to Caldwell and our hosts.

Grateful thanks to Steve who made it all possible and without whom it would have been a much less rewarding experience.

Ferry Trip and Malls

Friday morning and we all meet again at the church. Today we are taking the mini-bus to Liberty State Park to take the ferry which visits Ellis Island and Liberty Island. Once again we encounter an unexpected delay. Apparently it is the Statue of Liberty’s Birthday! Organisations from all over the United States are attending a ceremony at which they celebrate the Birthday and present gifts and donations to the society.

What this means to us is a two hour wait to get onto the ferry. Eventually we board and journey to Ellis Island and decide not to disembark due to the delay. Some good views of the Statue of Liberty from the ferry. Back to the Liberty State Park from which we drive to a ‘Mall’. Some of our people have a thing about shopping. I’ll let you guess who.

‘Lock-in’

Friday evening the church is holding a ‘Lock-in’. this is similar to our Maundy Thursday ‘Stop-up’ except that sleeping bags were provided and we were allowed to sleep. They play a couple of games of ‘Sardines’. The church is in semi-darkness and two people set off to hide. After a suitable delay, the rest of the people go to find them. There is a twist to this game, as some of you may be aware, in that when the hiders are found, instead of broadcasting the ‘find’, the finders hide with them. As you can imagine it quickly becomes very cramped hence the name ‘Sardines’.

When the games were finished a TV and VCR were set up to watch some videos.

Hosts Day/Halloween

Saturday morning we were woken at 7:30 to prepare for breakfast. Bagels, buns and coffee! Then people were collected by their hosts to spend the day with them.

In order to celebrate Halloween, some people had made their home into a ‘Haunted House’ with donations accepted in aid of the Red Cross. Rodney’s screams can still be heard in Caldwell!

We then spent a very pleasant evening relaxing at on of the hosts homes.

Flight Home

Sunday Morning 7:30 and I fill the mini-bus with petrol from my small change. We pack the mini-bus at the church and say our thanks and goodbyes to our hosts. What an amazing gift they have given us with their hospitality and friendship. We will certainly treasure these memories.

Steve, wonderful chap, again comes to our assistance in providing us with a guiding escort to the Airport. He even provides us with the Toll money. I drop everyone at the Terminal and return the mini-bus.

By the time I meet with everyone Air Canada, those nice people, have checked all the bags and we are ready for our flight. Pre-boarded again and off to Montreal. Now we have a seven hour wait for our flight to London so, time to relax and reflect.

The ‘Red-Eye’ to London is up to the standard we have now come to appreciate from the Air Canada Staff and we arrive refreshed at Heathrow. Colin is lurking, waiting patiently, in the services awaiting our call when we land. By the time we have collected our bags he has arrived and is chatting to a pleasant traffic warden.

We shoe-horn back into the mini-bus and within an hour we are back home in, sunny?, Beckenham.

Prologue

What can we say? Angie and I are so pleased and grateful for the love and support that the people of the church and the families of our young people. It has been hard work for a number of people but, we have been able to provide our youngsters with the experience of a lifetime and the introduction to the wider family of the church. Many people, some unsung, have made this possible and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We look forward to many more such journeys together. We have an audio CD of the ‘Entertaining Angels’ revue and if you see me I’ll get you a copy.