Faith News (Including dates for your diary at St John’s this month)

September dates for your diary at St John’s Church, Boxmoor

Songs of Praise at St John’s takes today, Sunday, September 7, from 6.30pm.

We shall be welcoming Rufus Frowde as our organist for this special service of favouritehymns chosen by members of our congregation – come and join us!

Our weekly Tiny Tots meetings for under 5s and their mums or carers begin again from 9.30am in the Hall on Tuesday, September 9, followed by our Toddlers’ Service in church at 10.30am. New members, from birth age upwards, are always very welcome – just come along!

A Proms Concert will be held at the church next Saturday, September 13 from 7.30pm. The evening will feature the Vale Symphonic Wind Band, and audience participation will be required. Tickets available are available from Alan Munford at the church for £8, £5 for under 18s, or £9 on the door.

The Quiz Night takes place on Saturday, September 20 from 7.30pm in the Church Hall. Tables are made up of 8 people, with tickets costing £8.50 per person, including supper. Contact Alan Munford to book.

Sounds of Jazz come to All Saints’ Church, Kings Langley

“Sounds of Jazz” took place on Friday, September 5 at 7.45pm in support of Home-Start Dacorum and the mission of All Saints’ Church.

The concert featured The Infinite Jazz Ensemble – a group of professional musicians who regularly get together to play jazz standards.

The band members each have distinguished pedigrees in their own right, comprising Donna Jones - the vocalist from the 70’s group Springfield Revival who has spent the last 30 years singing with The New Seekers; John Jackson, co-owner of historic Jackson Studios punk and heavy metal recording studio who ‘polished his brass’ with the Band of the Coldstream Guards, Pete Lennon – guitaist with the re-formed Mixtures, the Mick Flinn Band and, in the 80’s, The Heroes, who has jammed with Leonard Cohen, Mark Sugden – drummer across the musical spectrum from new wave artists with Stiff Records, through country, cabaret, rhythm and blues, the London pub rock era & jazz; and Reverend Rickey Simpson-Gray – recently ordained and appointed as Assistant Curate in the Parish of St Mary’s and St Paul’s, Hemel Hempstead.

Rickey used to play bass with a gospel choir signed to CBS Sony, he has worked with a variety of producers and artists including rock group Yes, The Royal Philharmonic & London Symphony Orchestras, Louis Clark of ELO, and regularly performed with contemporary Christian and jazz bands.

The band’s repertoire is very much American songbook – Cole Porter, Gershwin, Cry Me a River, Fly Me to the Moon, and similar.

Christian Viewpoint

‘Make love not war’ – a 1960s cry. What about, ‘Be love, not at war’? As individuals we can be at war, with others, ourselves, and God. Bitterness, resentment, jealousy, these things and others keep us at war. God is love, fact. So much is he love that he gave his only son Jesus to die on a cross to restore our relationship with him. Receive Jesus by prayer, accepting God’s love, then pass it on, to those who for you, are difficult to love. Receiving love is good, so is giving it. Be blessed, and be a blessing to others.

Robin McEwen, Methodist Church