Theatre Space North East returned to St Paul’s just before Christmas with their latest pantomime, penned by Jamie Brown. The Frog Prince told the story of a frog who was made into a mutant by the illegal polluting of rivers next to a factory in the kingdom. A very topical theme but with a canny fairy tale twist. Or at least I hope so or we will be overrun with mutant talking frogs in modern day Britain with the current state of our waterways. The show had a small cast of four, with some playing several roles - most effectively illustrated when the king fought the chef in an amusing, chaotic scene with the chef’s hat being dropped on the actor’s head to indicate he was that character and being removed when he became the king. The frog was puppeteered by one of the young cast members who handily wore green so he also looked frog like. The panto had the usual mix of original songs, dancing and topical jokes - the recently abolished winter fuel allowance and prisons overflowing with inmates got mentions. But it also very much appealed to the youngsters present. The toddler in front of me was entranced and kept shouting out “hiya froggie” - to her delight the frog replied “hiya!”. There was a happy ending of course with the frog being turned into a boy at the end and made into a Prince. The King and princess got their phones back after they had been confiscated early in the show. We should all maybe put our phones down for a moment and go to watch live shows like this. It was a pleasing, energetic romp through a story suitable for old and young alike. By Elaine Shanks
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind but now I see. Dear All.We all know the hymn ‘Amazing Grace.’ Those words could easily apply to St Paul, our patron saint. Because by his own admission he was a wretch, the chief among sinners. He was lost in his hatred towards Jesus and his Church, until the Lord found him. And, although he was blinded on the Damascus Road, the Lord restored his sight. But those words could equally apply to every sinner saved by the Amazing Grace of Jesus down the ages, and they certainly apply to John Newton, the person who wrote the hymn in the first place. John Newton was not a nice person. He was a slave trader who worked along the coast of West Africa. You know you’ve come to no good when you’re able to sell your fellow human beings to line your own pockets, and eventually his shipmates got sick of him too. They abandoned him in a slave colony and sailed off without him. Probably John Newton was too debauched at this point to care. But if John Newton didn’t care, God did, and he set his Amazing Grace in motion to save him. We can see this in two instances. First, God’s grace was at work in John Newton’s father who’d never forgotten him, despite what he’d become. He dispatched a sea captain to see if he could find and rescue his son. Through God’s grace the sea captain was successful and brought him back on the ship Greyhound. But this was when God revealed more of his goodness. The Greyhound was struck by a severe storm and began to sink. John Newton threw himself on the mercy of God and prayed that he might be saved. Against all hope the storm abated and the ship sailed on in safety. Nothing could stop Grace from leading John Newton home. This was a decisive moment in the life of John Newton. He turned his back on his former life, repented of his sins and turned to Jesus. In time he would become an ardent campaigner against the slave trade and work for its abolition. The message of John Newton and St Paul is that no one is exempt from the Grace of God, and that there is hope for us all. Sometimes we think that we are unworthy of his Grace because of the things that we have done. We think that we are cast out of his kingdom because of our mistakes. But that’s to diminish God’s grace which is amazing in its capacity to save us. If he can save people like John Newton and St Paul, he can certainly save us. Let us hold on to his promise, which is good for us, and his word, which secures us. Your friend and vicar, David.
Please note there will not be a service this Wednesday morning, 1st January. Normal services will resume from Sunday 5th and 8am and 10:15am, then Wednesday 8th at 9:30am.Thank you to all who have supported our church, shop and community throughout the year. May you all have a blessed 2025!From all at St Paul's Church.
Faith in the face of Persecution. Rumana, a nine-year-old girl from Bangladesh has breakfast, prays and packs her school bag and sets off for school. When she arrives, no one says hello or sits near her. In fact, the teachers tell the others not to go anywhere near her, as she is a Christian and will defile them. She is mocked and attacked while walking to church. Neighbours verbally abused her and shout death threats. There are hundreds of young Christian converts in Bangladesh who face similar issues. Despite all she faces, Rumana's faith is amazingly strong. " Jesus loves me" she says it is only because of Jesus love that l have survived until now. Please pray for Rumana to know she is not alone this Christmas time. But part of a loving global body of Christ. For they are the future of the church of Bangladesh Will you please pray for Christians in Sudan? The country is almost on the brink of extinction. Through government factions that are at war with each other. They also face drought and famine. Help is very limited and difficult to come by. Sudan Relief Fund is a charitable organisation established for the purpose of bringing food, clothing, shelter and medical attention to Sudan. The Christians there have asked that we pray for them. St Mungo s Help the Homeless. Teams search the streets every night for those sleeping rough. They carry foil blankets, a first aid kit. A torch hat s and gloves everything that may help those living on the streets. They also carry Naloxene to administer in case of overdose. Some homeless people have dogs and they provide for them too. This work requires compassion, empathy and a listening ear. Together they are responding to the homeless crisis. God bless them on all that they do. By June Davis
