What is this time about?
What’s all the fuss about a baby?
Thousands of babies are born every day.
What’s so different about baby Jesus?

If you join us for this special service you may find something different. You will find some of the traditional.

There will be traditional carols (with modern music).
There will be traditional readings from a book called The Bible.

However the message may well be different. It may even be relevant to all of us in some way helping us in our every day lives. Now that has to be different. If we are really lucky the preacher won’t drone on for too long. Now that’s a major challenge. And of course, if you make it to the end there is always the refreshments. Hope to see you on Sunday evening.

Pastor Andrew Ireland

Andrew, our beloved pastor passed to be with the Lord last night. He passed peacefully in his sleep. We rejoice that God has released him from the cancer that was slowly eating away at him. He is now with his Father in Heaven rejoicing with the multitudes. We want to thank all of you for your consistent prayers since Andrew received his diagnosis.

In his all too short pastorate his dedication to Gods service has made a huge impact in our small fellowship, and into the community beyond. He will be greatly missed by his family, our fellowship and our community. Please continue to pray for Cathryn and the boys through this difficult time. We pray that, in time, great sadness will turn to wonderful memories.

Funeral:
Family and close friends will attend the Wells (Mendip) crematorium at 12 noon on Thursday 14th July.

Service of Celebration:
Following on from the cremation at Wells Crematorium there will be a service celebrating Andrew’s life and ministry in Wincanton on Thursday 14th July 2011.

Venue: St. Lukes and St. Teresa’s Catholic Church, South Street, Wincanton.
Time: 2pm

For all visitors free car parking is availoable at Churchfilds Car Park, or in the Carrington Way Car Park. Both are a short walk from the church.

Then, just before you open the door to the church pause and look at the garden on the left. We should be very grateful to those who take the time to care for our grounds. Arthur and Nancy have excelled themselves with the current arrangement. Lovely grasses and plants planned to bring pleasure to all who visit WBC.

At the moment we have small plants with varying shades of green. But if we watch with patience I am sure that we will see small (maybe large explosions of colour to brighten our worship days. Lets all watch the progress and give God thanks for the beauty of the plants we have access to. A big thanks also to Barry and Ian who have both worked very hard to keep our buildings up together. The prayer room didn’t magically appear. We are so grateful for all their hard work and support.

Oh! Before I forget, the plants tied to the canes are not runner beans, contrary to popular opinion. If you want to know speak very nicely to Arthur and Nancy. Maybe we should have a competition to gues the name of this mysterious plant. Use the comment section below to give us your thoughts on this one.

It finally happened. They tied the knot yesterday at Halcon Baptist Church in Taunton. It was great to be there to witness this special event. It was good to see so many from our fellowship making the effort to support them on this special day.

Cherie looked radiant, and Ian was the smart groom, looking nervous as he waited for the bride to arrive. The service went well with the church being packed out. We had the added bonus of a local Christian ladies choir to lead us.

During the signing of the register we were entertained by a duet comprising piano and flute. This was followed by a flute solo, giving a very professional performance that clearly touched the hearts of the congregation.

Well, that’s it Ian. You now have a lovely wife to look up to………..and obey??? We all know who the boss in that new household. Well that’s what they think. WRONG! I was thinking smaller and four legs. Hee! Hee!

Jane and I were in London for the weekend with Joanna and had been to a production of “The Passion” in Trafalgar Square, on Good Friday. We were looking forward to celebrating the ressurrection on Easter Sunday. We were just about to l;eave for church when Sue rang us with the news of Dave’s passing.

Despite a clear feeling of loss and sadness, all the way through the church service celebrating the risen Christ I could only think about Dave and the fact that as far as I can see, he had just made the most perfect transition from this life to a new life, not in Christ, but “WITH” Christ. Dave had risen from the dead to be with Jesus on the very day that we celebrate Jesus own resurrection. Typing this account weeks after the event I still feel the emotion of it.

We will miss his cheeriness at WBC, but know that he is now with his Master. Our hearts and prayers remain with Maggie. Please keep the
prayers going for Maggie and her son Matthew, who is also fighting the same cancer as Pastor Andrew.

As most folks are well aware our Pastor, Andrew has retired due to ill health. However, even in ill health Andrew remains an amazing example to us all. Facing a new chapter in his relationship with God, Andrew continues to be an amazing example to us all. He may have retired as our pastor, but the pastor’s heart is clear Sunday by Sunday as he and the family faithfully attend worship. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has seen him still ministering in prayer after services.

We thank God for his service here at WBC. It may only have been a short pastorate, but in that short time he has made a huge impact on us as a fellowship. He has also made a huge impact in surrounding churches and the schools.

We are so pleased that Cathryn, Matthew and Luke will be staying with us. They are part of WBC, as we all are. We are part of God’s family here in Wincanton. Please continue to support them, and Peter and Francis in prayer.

On April 19^th we held a Quiet morning at Wincanton Baptist Church. It was an informal morning with displays based on Psalm 23.

People came from the Quakers, Community church and the Baptist church.

Following an opening reading and prayer we could sit and be quiet anywhere in the church, read books provided or move around and sit at the displays.

Read through Psalm 23. What words or phrases jump out at you as you sit with this Psalm.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want, He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters.

As you look at this shepherd and at the sheep just relax and sit here for as long as you would like to, resting in the care of a loving Shepherd, who provides all we will ever want. We will not be in need.

He lets me rest in the fields of green grass
And leads me to quiet pools of fresh water
He gives me new strength.
He guides me in the right paths.
As He has promised.

Pray to be emptied of self- drink from His fountain of life. Pray to go on being filled with His Holy Spirit.

John 4 v 13 -14

Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’

We drink water and are thirsty again but the water Jesus gives us will satisfy us all our lives.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
For you are with me;
Your rod and your staff they comfort me.

Meditate on this empty tomb. We may like to write words, sentences, poems, draw pictures that come to us.

Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest mine head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

My cup overflows with blessings.
We may want to write prayers of praise and thanks at this last stop in the Psalm.

Luke 22: 14 – 23

Most Christians still consider Judas a traitor. Indeed the term Judas has entered many languages as another word for a betrayer.

Very little is told us in the New Testament concerning the history of Judas Iscariot beyond the bare facts of his call to being a member of the twelve, his treachery, and his death.

His birthplace is indicated in his name Iscariot, which, in Hebrew, means he was from the town of Kerioth, a town in Judah, 12 miles south of Hebron. Judas started out as an outsider amongst his fellow disciples as his origin separated him from the other Apostles, who were all Galileans.

However difficult it may be to understand, we cannot question the guilt of Judas as a betrayer. But I cannot agree with the view of some scholars who deny that he was a real disciple. In the first place, this view seems hard to reconcile with the fact that he was chosen by Christ to be one of the Twelve. When The Lord added Judas to the Twelve it implies that The Lord knew he had good qualities.

In fact as we read in John 6: 60 -70, that when many disciples turned and left Jesus because they found Jesus teaching hard to stomach, Judas was among those who stayed.

Jesus chooses the 12 out of about 72, an inner circle who would accompany Him, learn from Him and carry out His mission. Jesus prays about it first, and spends the night in prayer before making a decision. Too often, when we are under pressure prayer is one of the first things to go.

And what a team to pick. Thomas turns out a doubter, Simon Peter is impetuous and denies Jesus when He most needed support. James and John argued so much that Jesus called them ‘Sons of thunder’. And then there was Judas. Jesus tells them ” Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil.” ( and John adds – He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, would betray Him” John 6: 70 – 71) Christ, then and now, has to work with the raw material of sinful people. Jesus’ transforming power made spiritual giants out of all of His chosen, except Judas. And even the treachery of Judas was used to bring Christ’s greatest glory – The Cross.

Judas was a true disciple of Jesus. He was one of His followers and Jesus chose him to be part of the twelve. The outsider was included, just as each and every person, whatever their personal characteristics, background or past life, called by Jesus to follow Him are part of the family today. We all have the same status in the Kingdom of God.

As a disciple Judas would have been close to the action.he would have heard Jesus’ teachings, seen the healings, the raising of Lazarus from the dead and many other wonders, yet. what was it that made Judas the disciple, become Judas the Betrayer. What is it that makes a Christian disciple deny the faith, or turn to another religion? Doubt, lack of firm faith ( like the sower’s seeds landing on the path?.

There are several explanations why Judas could have betrayed Jesus. As we read in scripture the main explanation is that Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Not a fortune, but a substantial amount in those days.

It seems that one of Judas’s main weaknesses, as we read in John’s gospel, seemed to be money (John 12:4-6).

Judas’ love of money is highlighted by John in his description of Judas’ annoyance of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume whilst they were at Bethany. According to John ( 12: 4 – 5 ), Judas protested at this apparent extravagance, suggesting that the perfume be sold and the money given to the poor.

In John 12:6 John calls Judas a thief, and says that he used to help himself to what was in the communal money bag. Yet Judas must have been thought of as reliable in the first place to be the keeper of the money bag, and Jesus chose ‘the thief’ to be the treasurer of the group, giving Judas every opportunity to change his hunger of money. Have you ever noticed that when you thought you had conquered a particular failing, how often you find yourself tempted to do that very same thing again?

Another possibility for the betrayal is that Judas expected Jesus to overthrow Roman rule of Israel.

Judas could have felt betrayed, as could many of Jesus’ disciples who had all been brought up with the Temple leaders view of what the Messiah would be, a leader to defeat Israel’s enemies.

In this view, Judas would be a disillusioned disciple who betrayed Jesus not so much because he loved money, but because he loved his country and thought Jesus had failed it.

Judas could not get his head around the realisation that Jesus’ was not teaching about a military victory, but rather that He was going to die. How was this going to work? And as we read in Luke 22:3-6 , Satan entered into him and he went to the High Priests and said to them: What will you give me, and I will deliver him unto you? (Matthew 26:14-15).

In the accounts we read in the Gospels it will be noticed that it is Judas who takes the initiative: he is not tempted and seduced by the priests, but approaches them on his own accord.

The Gospels tell us that Jesus foresaw (John 6:64, Matthew 26:25) and allowed Judas’s betrayal (John 13:28). An explanation maybe is that Jesus allowed the betrayal because it would allow God’s plan to be fulfilled. And if not Judas, then who else would do it?

Matthew is the only Evangelist to mention the sum paid by the chief priests as the price of the betrayal.

The thirty pieces of silver would have been very attractive and Judas still wanted to be in control of his own life. He’d probably thought that they would arrest Jesus and imprison him, or maybe even beat him but then let him go. No one need know what he had done. Certainly not the disciples and so he went back to join Jesus and the disciples.

The Last Supper marks the beginning of the end for Jesus’ Earthly ministry, and the prelude to betrayal, desertion, violent assault, gross injustice and murder. But Jesus is prepared. The room has already been prearranged, Jesus is prepared for Judas’s betrayal, as He is later for Peter’s final denial. In the same way Jesus makes provision for us. He is prepared for our weaknesses, and nothing in our lives takes Him by surprise. Today you may be overcome with pain or failure.

Rest assured that Jesus knows all about it and has prepared a way through for you.

Have you ever done something you thought was secret, but then over time you realise that other people know.the person that you have undermined knows? This is what it must have been like for Judas at the Last Supper. When Jesus said, “one of those whose hands are at the table with me will betray me” (Luke’s account).

As we read in John 13, John, at Peter’s request, asked who this was. The scriptures tell us that no one at the table understood what Jesus had said to Judas. John tell us about Judas going out into the darkness to emphasise the point of him leaving the light of Jesus’ presence to get ready for the final act of betrayal.

History portrays Judas as a scowling, twisted man, jealously clutching his bag of cash. Luke’s Gospel doesn’t. Luke 22:23 ‘Then the Apostles started arguing about who would ever do such a thing’. Luke does not tell us that eleven disciples immediately pointed their finger at Judas. Judas was one of them. Over their time together, sick people had been healed on Judas’s command and evil spirits had fled. ( Matthew 10), Bread and fish had multiplied in his hands, just as they had in Peters and Johns. Even Peter in Acts 1 as he talks about the betrayal of the Lord says in v17 “He was one of our number and shared in this ministry”.

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John 13: 18 – 30

‘No one at the table knew to what purpose Jesus had said this things to Judas? John 13

The disciples would have been reclining around Jesus to eat the meal, and despite their normal chatter their ears would have been attuned to any words that their Master would have said. (Saying things in crowded room) Surely the disciples could not have missed the conversation between Jesus and Judas recorded in Matthew 26: 20 – 25, Mark 14: 17 -21 and John 13: 18 – 30. Jesus made it perfectly plain what Judas was going to do, and encouraged him to get on with it and according to John’s gospel he and Peter definitely heard and knew.

What would you have done if you had been there and heard that Judas was going to betray your Master? Maybe follow him out into the night and make sure he didn’t carry out the deed, permanently.

Or maybe, as put forward by an Australian Pastor, the disillusioned disciples were all in on it. And Judas was the fall guy. Judas, maybe in common with the other disciples looked for a temporal kingdom of the Messiahs, and did not anticipate the death of Christ, but wished to precipitate a crisis and hasten the hour of triumph. Maybe they thought that the possibility of arrest would provoke Jesus to use His power and cause an uprising of the people and with Angelic powers behind them set Jesus free and place Him on the throne. And they would be there to support Him. Jesus, to date, had not shown himself to be the Messiah they expected. They knew He was God’s son, but just needed that ‘Push’ to get Him to use His power to destroy the established Roman authorities. Maybe that’s why the disciples went to Gethsemane armed with swords. When the temple guards came to arrest Jesus, we read in Luke 22:49 ‘When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen , they said “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”‘ In those days to carry a sword showed you were a rebel, and invited a death sentence.

In support of this theory it is pointed out that when Judas found that Christ was condemned and given up to the Romans to be executed, he immediately repented of what he had done.

Origen of Alexandria (185-254 BC) was one of the greatest Christian theologians, and who wrote the first commentaries on the Gospels, and in his writings on Matthew (Matt., tract. xxxv) he obviously knew of a tradition according to which the greater circle of disciples betrayed Jesus, but does not attribute this to Judas in particular.

Origen seems did not deem Judas to be thoroughly corrupt.

And then we have the recently found Gospel of Judas. Written by members of a heretical Gnostic sect 2 or 3 centuries after the death and resurrection of Jesus. This gospel seems to point to the fact that Judas just did as Jesus commanded. He was just following orders and must be honoured. These thoughts are all maybes and supposition, we can but only follow scripture. But the story of Judas does show us about human weaknesses. Would we have done the same if we were there, without knowing the full story?

Judas came to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus had been praying to His Father in heaven Judas came with armed soldiers of the Temple Guards and other representatives of those who were opposed to Jesus. Jesus knew the detail and told Judas to get on with it. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss.the accepted mark of friendship, confirming to the armed guards around him, who to arrest.

Jesus was arrested, Judas’ job was done. He had his money. All was well, or was it.

Judas had switched sides, but do we betray Jesus. Do we give a kiss of friendship, while inside our hearts are seething with rebellion against His will and His way. Perhaps we betray Him by seeking to make Him fit our agenda, instead of submitting to His will. In my heart I know that I have betrayed Jesus many times by deserting Him or turning my back on Him and going my own way.

Many people have been betrayed in the past. Maybe a trusted friend has gossiped about some private fears you have confided in them, maybe a marriage partner has decided they want a change and left you for someone else. These are painful things. But just think how painful it was for Jesus when one of His friends betrays Him – to death.

In Matthew 27: 3 – 5 he tells us of the repentance and suicide of the traitor, on which the other Gospels are silent, though we have another account of these events in the speech of St. Peter in Acts 1:15-17.

Perhaps in some way, Judas had still expected Jesus to be freed. The realisation struck him, that it was his testimony that was to send Jesus to his death. He knew it was wrong and so he went to the chief priests and pleaded with them to take the money back and ignore his testimony. In this moment Judas was hoping to put right what he had done.

He is still acting in his own strength and not trusting God. Those in authority said ‘Your false testimony is your problem, but we’re going to use it’.

The Last Supper was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci in Milan, and took seven years to complete. The figures representing the Twelve Apostles and Christ himself were painted from living persons and the live model for the painting of Jesus was chosen first. Hundreds and hundreds of young men were carefully viewed to find a face and personality completely devoid of the debauchery caused by sin. Eventually a nineteen year old young man was selected as the model for Christ. For six months Da Vinci worked on this figure, and then over the next six years he continued in his work using chosen persons to sit for each of the eleven apostles. A space was left for the final figure, Judas Iscariot. For weeks Da Vinci searched for a man with a hard, callous face, with a countenance marked by the scars of greed and deceit. The face of a man who would betray his best friend. Eventually word came to him that a man who’s appearance met all his requirements had been found. He was in a dungeon in Rome and sentenced to death for a life of crime and murder. Da Vinci rushed to Rome and asked to see the prisoner. The prisoner was brought out to him and Da Vinci saw before him dark, swarthy man, his long shaggy, unkempt hair covering his face. A face which portrayed a character of viciousness and complete ruin. Just the face for Judas Iscariot.

Da Vinci got permission from the king for the prisoner to be conveyed to Milan to sit as his model. For six months the prisoner sat before Da Vinci as he painted this vile fellow as the traitor and betrayer of the Saviour.

As he finished the last stroke, he turned to the guards and said ‘I have finished, take him away’ The prisoner broke free from his guards and fell at Da Vinci feet crying ‘Oh Da Vinci do you not know who I am? ” Da Vinci, a great student of people, carefully scrutinised the face of the man he had gazed at for six months, and replied ‘No, I have never seen you in my life until you were brought before me from the dungeons in Rome’.

Lifting his eyes to heaven the prisoner cried, ‘Oh my God, have I sunk so low’. He the turned back to Leonardo and said ‘ Look at me again, for I am the same man you painted seven years ago as the figure of Christ.’

It is said this is a true story, though I have never made a close study of the painting to check it out. But the story tells of a young man who’s character was so pure and unspoiled that he could represent Christ, and after seven years of sinful living could only be the model for the most notorious character ever known in the history of the world.

Judas had heard Jesus say so many times that men should turn to God for repentance. But when he was in a jam, Judas went to human beings in order to get a way out of his problem, which was the symptom rather than the cause. Men could not help him.only God could do that. Judas was sorry for what he had done, or at least for the consequence of what he had done, but he could not understand that his action was part of God’s plan to redeem sinners.

Scripture tells us that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins. Judas repented, so what went wrong? Was it just too late?

No, the problem was he confessed to the wrong people, and possibly for the wrong reasons. To be forgiven we must confess to God. The Chief priests and the elders were the last people who could help Judas.

I wonder what would have happened had Judas held on for just a few more days to witness the resurrection?

Jesus might well have made a deliberate appearance to His betrayer and greet him with a kiss. Imagine Judas coming to the realisation that his treachery had been turned to good. Imagine The Holy Spirit filling Judas on the day of Pentecost as surely as satan had filled his heart at the Passover. I believe that there was grace awaiting Judas on Easter Day, as there is for every sinner who repents. If only he had held on. But everything seemed hopeless to him. His betrayal had condemned Jesus to a horrible death and to him, Judas’ guilt appeared irreversible.

He was overwhelmed by the enormity of what he had done. Yet he was not able to remember Jesus’ promise that on the third day after His death He would be raised from the dead. For Judas the darkness had overcome the light and he hung himself. Matthew 27:1-10;

When he did, perhaps grace was robbed by a mere three days of one of the greatest testimonies of all time.

Judas had heard what would happen for Jesus has said His betrayer would be dammed, but did not understand. The devil tempted him and he was found wanting. It was not the betrayal, but rather the lack of faith, which brought Judas to killing himself. Jesus knew what would happen, because He knew Judas inside and out, just as He knows you and me.

There is no sin too bad for God to recover you from, as John Newton and Johnny Cash knew. No matter how hopeless life may seem sometimes, no matter that there appears to be no obvious solutions to your problems, hang on in there. The darkest night always precedes the dawn. Jesus is the only hope for the hopeless and depressed. Don’t despair, turn to Him, for He is the Light of the World