NOvember MInister's Letter

Dear All,
November was once the ninth month of the year, hence “novem”, the Latin word for nine. The birth flower for November is the chrysanthemum, which in some European countries symbolises death - an appropriate symbol for autumn when all the trees become bare. 
 
Last November, I challenged everyone to think about what type of firework they would be and how, sadly, I would probably be the firework that people are quite excited about but ends up being a damp squib. 

As I have been spending a lot of time reading the Bible and preparing sermons for the website and my own enjoyment, I came across an article from the editor of the Barnsley Chronicle. The editor offers his own Ten Commandments and I think it is good for us all to consider the rules by which we lead our lives. It goes without saying that Exodus 20 is the pinnacle of that but how do we live and what commandments do we live by? The editor came up with these ten:

1. Speak to people, there is nothing as nice as a cheerful greeting. 
2. Call people by name, not names. The sweetest music is to hear one’s name called.
3. Have humility. There is something to be learned from every living thing.
4. Be friendly. If you have a friend, be one.
5. Be cordial. Speak and act as if everything you do is a pleasure.
6. Be interested in others. You can like almost everybody if you try.
7. Be generous with praise and cautious with criticism. 
8. Give your word then keep it. 
9. Be considerate of the feelings of others.
10. Be alert to give service. What counts most in life is what we do for others. 

So, I challenge you in these darker nights as November leads into December to write out your own commandments and think about what you value. 

Blessings,
Martin

​Fun Fact: The Geneva Bible is the first Bible to use numbered verses. It is also the Bible Shakespeare used and the one that the Pilgrims brought to America in 1620.

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