BT 21.2.24

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to you. Hello there, I'm Jenny. Welcome to our BT listeners. Yes indeed, this is a special birthday edition you know. It's the fourth birthday of the radio station KTCR FM and along with that the fourth birthday of our show Believe Together. Yes, it's good that you're with us today. Thank you for joining in. Right then, I'm Peter. Blaze, what's coming up next? I know it's time for our Just for Fun quiz. Time for question one. Thank you Blaze. Now, what do you think the subject of our quiz will be this week? Hmm, yes, it's about birthdays. So here is indeed question one. In which month of the year are most babies born? March, June, September or December? Well, that's an interesting question. I'll have to think about that one I think. Right, now I've got a few very simple facts about birthdays. Come on, let's share these. First of all, statistics show that those who have the most birthdays live the longest. Well, fancy that. Second, birthdays are nature's way of telling us to eat more cake. What? Yum. And lastly, don't get weird about getting older. Age is simply the number of years the world has been enjoying us. Of course. Happy Birthday! Bye! Lord of all, I depend on you. I call out to you, again and again. I call out to you, again and again. You are my rock in time of trouble. You lift me up when I fall down. All through the storm, your love is the anchor. My hope is in you alone. Faithful one, so unchanging. Ageless one, you're my rock of peace. Lord of all, I depend on you. I call out to you, again and again. I call out to you, again and again. You are my rock in time of trouble. You lift me up when I fall down. All through the storm, your love is the anchor. My hope is in you alone. Thank you, Boyan Dirksen, for Faithful One. God is indeed faithful every year. Indeed. And now, for the Thought for the Week for the Keynsham Talking Newspaper. Hello, my name is Kevin Durrant and I'm the Minister of Keynsham Baptist Church. In my recent epilogues, I've been exploring the subject of trees and how they provide us with so many physical and spiritual benefits. Last week, we saw that trees can challenge us about the meaning of community. Today, I want to suggest that they can also encourage us through their embodiment of rejuvenation. The Old Testament character Job, due to the terrible misfortunes he'd suffered, had a very jaundiced view of life. At one point, he laments, At least there is hope for a tree. If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil. Yet, at the scent of water, it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant. But a man dies and is laid low. He breathes his last and is no more. Job had clearly noticed how trees were able to rejuvenate, Despite being cut down to just a stump or completely shriveled up by drought, a tree can still respond to the coming of rain and sprout new shoots. Job compares this with human beings, who, as far as he could see, had no such hope. The irony is that, later on in the story, Job does experience a kind of rejuvenation. His relatives befriend him again, he becomes even more prosperous than he was before, and he goes on to father ten children. And that is the abiding message of the Bible, that the rejuvenation we see taking place in trees each springtime is a picture of what God can do for each one of us. We can't avoid the harsh winter experiences of our lives, those times when our comforts get stripped away and none of our plans seem to bear fruit, when illness strikes or relationships break down and we feel we're left feeling shriveled. But like the trees in spring, we can still bud again. Isaiah uses this image to encourage the exiled people of Israel. He writes, A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse, from its roots a branch will bear fruit. Now Jesse had been the father of King David, but now David and all his successors were dead, and the kingdom chopped down by the Assyrian army. It looked like it was going to be a long winter. But, says Isaiah, from the stump of Jesse another shoot will come up, another David-like king who will restore the nation. Many Christians see this as pointing to Jesus. And Jesus, of course, was the supreme rejuvenator. He was the one who offered Nicodemus the chance to be born again. He did the same for the tax collectors and the prostitutes, inviting them to blossom into a new way of life. He touched the lepers who, of all people, must have felt like they lived in a continual winter. Not only did he heal their bodies, but he gave them back a social life. In the presence of Jesus and his water of life, human tree stumps sprouted and shriveled up branches budded. So, as you witness the rebirth of a tree this spring, as you smell the upwelling of its sap and hear the rustling of its newly-fledged leaves, know that the same is possible for you. With God's help, you can be born again. In the company of the risen Jesus, you can reshoot. By way of illustrating this truth, I want to close with a poem by Philip Larkin. In it, he begins by admitting that even in the spring, there is a hint of grief, because the previous year's riot of colour and fruit has gone forever. Also, the death that occurs in winter is real, even for trees, who memorialise each harsh season as a narrower tree ring within their trunk. But, equally real, is the rejuvenation that will later produce a castle of blossom. May we take encouragement from this poem, which is simply called The Trees. The trees are coming into leaf, like something almost being said. The recent buds relax and spread. Their greenness is a kind of grief. Is it that they are born again, and we grow old? No, they die too. Their yearly trick of looking new is written down in rings of grain. Yet still the unresting castles thresh in full-grown thickness every May. Last year's dead, they seem to say. Begin afresh, afresh, afresh. Thank you for listening. I am a new creation No more in condemnation Here in the grace of God I stand My heart is overflowing My love just keeps on growing Here in the grace of God I stand And I will praise you, Lord Yes, I will praise you, Lord And I will sing of all that you have done That joy that knows no limits That light that's in my spirit Here in the grace of God I stand I am a new creation No more in condemnation Here in the grace of God I stand My heart is overflowing My love just keeps on growing Here in the grace of God I stand And I will praise you, Lord Yes, I will praise you, Lord And I will sing of all that you have done That joy that knows no limits That light that's in my spirit Here in the grace of God I stand I am a new creation No more in condemnation Here in the grace of God I stand My heart is overflowing My love just keeps on growing Here in the grace of God I stand And I will praise you, Lord Yes, I will praise you, Lord And I will sing of all that you have done That joy that knows no limits That light that's in my spirit Here in the grace of God I Here in the grace of God I Here in the grace of God I stand Thank you again, Kevin, for some more wise words about trees And thank you to Dave Bilborough for bringing us I am a new creation Now, it's time for some news headlines from around the world Pope Francis appeals for an end to Sudan's civil war This is a real problem Teenage stabbings in Bristol no longer a surprise for local church Met police pushes back against accusations of targeting Christian preachers New report warns Christians against falling into the trap of grief bots Mildmade tube line named after Christian hospital shows grace of God Public petition calls on government to safeguard religious broadcasting LEGO to debut Notre Dame Cathedral set Now, just a brief comment, we don't usually comment on news headlines But there was one there, I wonder if you were thinking what I was thinking when I read it, this headline It's about grief bots I hadn't heard about them before Well, if you haven't, why not look up and see what that is all about, grief bots Now, following on from Kevin's words, here is Chris Tomlin with I Will Rise There's a peace I've come to know Though my heart and flesh may fail There's an anchor for my soul I can say it is well Jesus has overcome And the grave is overwhelmed The victory is won He is risen from the dead And I will rise when He calls my name No more sorrow, no more fear I will rise on eagle's wings Before my God fall on my knees And rise, I will rise There's a day that's drawing near When this darkness breaks to light And the shadows disappear And my faith shall be my eye Jesus has overcome And the grave is overwhelmed The victory is won He is risen from the dead And I will rise when He calls my name No more sorrow, no more pain I will rise on eagle's wings Before my God fall on my knees And rise, I will rise And I hear the voice of many angels sing Worthy is the Lamb And I hear the cry of every longing heart Worthy is the Lamb And I hear the voice of many angels sing Worthy is the Lamb And I hear the cry of every longing heart You are worthy, you are worthy Worthy is the Lamb I will rise when He calls my name No more sorrow, no more pain I will rise on eagle's wings Before my God fall on my knees And rise, I will rise I will rise And now it's time for our dress for fun quiz Time for question two Yes, question two Who sang the hit song Happy Birthday to you To President John F. Kennedy On his 45th birthday in 1962 Well, I don't think I was there I'm not sure who that was We'll find out later Happy Birthday Now here's my diary verse for the week It's from Psalm 29 verse 11 The Lord will give strength unto His people The Lord will bless His people with peace Strength for us to wait upon the Lord We will wait upon the Lord We will wait upon the Lord Strength for us to wait upon the Lord We will wait upon the Lord We will wait upon the Lord Our God, You reign forever Our hope, our strong deliverer You are the everlasting God The everlasting God You do not make Your own You are the way, the peace You come as a defender of the weak You come for those in need You have done the only right thing Strength for us to wait upon the Lord We will wait upon the Lord We will wait upon the Lord Strength for us to wait upon the Lord We will wait upon the Lord We will wait upon the Lord Our God, You reign forever Our hope, our strong deliverer You are the everlasting God The everlasting God You do not make Your own You are the way, the peace You come as a defender of the weak You come for those in need You have done the only right thing Our God, You reign forever Our hope, our strong deliverer Our God, You reign forever Our hope, our strong deliverer You are the everlasting God The everlasting God You do not make Your own You are the way, the peace You come as a defender of the weak You come for those in need You have done the only right thing You are the way, the peace You come as a defender of the weak You come for those in need You are the everlasting God The everlasting God You do not make Your own Go with me You are the defender of the weak You come for those in need You have done the only right thing Thank you Jenny That song, that beautiful song Was Chris Tomlin again With Strength Will Rise Hey you Have you ever felt like listening to our sister program On a Friday evening To kickstart your weekend early? And perfectly opposite of calm It's The Lighter Show Hey, every Friday here At 4pm on KTCR FM Join us for the best possible way to start your weekend Remember folks, you're listening to The Lighter Show On KTCR FM Tough tunes, unique radio features Guaranteed to leave you feeling lighter Leave feeling lighter or your money back Barbra Streisand That's us, The Lighter Show Friday, 4pm We'll be seeing you You're listening to Believe Together A Churches Together in Kingsham and Salford production On KTCR FM 105.8 and online Happy Birthday! Now, if anyone would like to contact the team here At Believe Together It could be answers to the quiz It could be a birthday dedication Or you could be dedicating a track Maybe to some other big moment in your life Or another person's life It's all good We'd love to hear from you Or you could just contact us about anything at all that's interesting I mean, that's what local radio is so much fun for, isn't it? Here's how you can get in touch We've got multiple ways to get your pencil at the ready The first way is easy It's if you want to text message us Or use the WhatsApp application on your mobile phone This is the number for WhatsApp or texting 07879 402 114 That's 07879 402 114 Now, if you prefer email You can email BT at Melted.com That's BT at Melted.com Perhaps you prefer Facebook Not a problem We have a Facebook page where you can contact us as well And you can search in Facebook for Believe Together Radio And you'll find us on Facebook That's Believe Together Radio And finally If you go to your place where you normally get your podcasts from There are many places But wherever that is for you Just search for Believe Together And you'll find us wherever you get your podcasts from We hope to hear from you soon Go on, get in touch And now it's time for our Just for Fun quiz And time for question three Now then, question number three Jewish boys have a bar mitzvah And Jewish girls have a bat mitzvah But on which age birthday is that? Oh, you mean the Jewish coming of age Well, I'm sure it's not 21 or 18 OK Happy birthday, KTCR Now we're going to play you just a clip From a song which I think you'll recognise Definitely know that tune It's something that I think At bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs They would play it Lots of celebrations going on on those occasions And the words are very simple in it They are, in English Let's rejoice and be happy Let's sing and be happy And awake my brothers with happy heart So here it is, a clip from Harry Belafonte singing Haba Nagila Haba Nagila Haba Nagila Haba Nagila Haba Nagila Haba Nagila Haba Nagila Haba Nagila Haba Nagila Haba Nagila Haba Nagila Haba Nagila Haba Nagila Haba Nagila Haba Nagila Haba Nagila Haba Nagila Haba Nagila Haba Nagila It's time for us to begin some what's ons But first, let's have some what was on Were you there with me At the Men United meeting last Saturday morning We had the pleasure of listening to Andy Padgett A church minister from Bristol Telling us about life as a police chaplain And it was really interesting Some of what he said was actually Probably too distressing to include in this show But I'll play a couple of clips from what he was saying About life as a police chaplain It was the chaplaincy that opened a new area for me I think because from those very early days of my own Christian faith What became part of my DNA and what seemed so important to me Was that that faith had no relevance Unless it was expressed wherever we were Being where people were And so chaplaincy became an avenue for that It's very much a presence ministry It's not about preaching, it's not about lecturing people It's not about really sharing Christian faith in an overt way It's very much a presence ministry Being with people at their point of need Thank you Andy Padgett Now as we record this show We are hearing about the horrific murders in Sea Mills in Bristol Now we know that Andy Padgett is trying hard to support the police Who are trying hard to support the public And we know the local church is involved as well So we know that all prayers are extremely welcome So if you are a person of prayer Then please hold up all of those involved to God Thank you Happy birthday, Believe Together Well it's our birthday isn't it And birthdays often seem to involve sweets If it's not cake, well still there might be some sweets hanging around But whether or not they are good for us is by the by Now then, have you ever been to the scrumptious sweet shop in Keynsham High Street They have all sorts of old fashioned sweets there But there is also a truly scrumptious sweet shop in Poole in Dorset And they have told us a bit about Jelly Babies Do you like Jelly Babies? Well did you know Jelly Babies were originally known as Peace Babies Apparently they were launched in 1918 to celebrate the ending of World War 1 They stopped production during World War 2 due to not being able to get the ingredients Then they started production again in 1953 and renamed them as Jelly Babies Now did you know that Jelly Babies have names? No Well apparently they do So we're going to tell you now what these colours represent I wonder which colour is your favourite Jelly Baby If indeed you've ever had one So let's find out Lime Green Boofer Strawberry Red Brilliant Orange Bumper Lemon Yellow Bubbles Blackcurrant Big Heart Bosbury Baby Bonnie They seem like very strange names don't they Peter? Well they're strange babies Yeah well we didn't call any of our babies those names No Hmm So before we now play that lovely song Courageous by Casting Crowns Let's celebrate and have a snippet of the Jelly Baby song Sing something sugar So come on sing along Everybody's dancing To a Jelly Baby song All kinds of colours And they look so fine If you haven't got a Jelly Baby you can have some of mine We were made to be courageous We were made to lead the way We could be the generation That finally breaks the chains We were made to be courageous We were made to be courageous We were warriors on the front lines Standing unafraid But now we're watchers on the sidelines While our families slip away Where are you men of courage? You were made for so much more Let the pounding of our hearts rise We will serve the Lord We were made to be courageous And we're taking back the fight We were made to be courageous And it starts with us tonight The only way we'll ever stand Is on our knees and lift it up Make us courageous Lord make us courageous This is our resolution Our answer to the call Of our wives and children We will use to let them fall We will reignite the passion That we buried deep inside May the watchers become warriors Let the men of God arise We were made to be courageous And we're taking back the fight We were made to be courageous And it starts with us tonight The only way we'll ever stand Is on our knees and lift it up Make us courageous Lord make us courageous Seek justice, love mercy Walk humbly with your God Seek justice, love mercy Walk humbly with your God In the war of the mind I will make my stand In the battle of the heart And the battle of the hand In the war of the mind I will make my stand In the battle of the heart And the battle of the hand We were made to be courageous And we're taking back the fight We were made to be courageous And it starts with us tonight The only way we'll ever stand Is on our knees and lift it up Make us courageous Lord make us courageous We were made to be courageous Lord make us courageous We were made to be courageous Lord make us courageous On our knees and lift it up More about that in a minute But there's now something else starting On Thursdays from the 22nd of February And this is Dorothy House Hospice Care are holding weekly support group meetings at Community 67 on Thursdays from 22nd of February from 10 o'clock in the morning until 12 noon The community-based drop-in sessions will provide support for anyone affected by a life-limiting illness or associated bereavement The group will provide an opportunity to connect with other people in a similar situation and chat to the staff from Dorothy House and volunteers If you or someone you know would like support please come along refreshments are available Right, a reminder of the prayer time for anyone who'd like to join in praying about the appointment of the St John's Parish Team Rector a very important post within the town of Keynsham So, for toast and prayer you're welcome to go along to St Francis Church Hall in Warwick Road on Saturday 24th February from 8.30am If you can't come this time the next one will be on Saturday 23rd March in the parish hall by St John's Church Then, on Sunday 25th February the Keynsham Baptist Church are having another messy breakfast I'm hoping to get to that one see what goes on there and have some fun It's Sunday 25th February at 9.30am so an early start there Fun, singing, crafts, stories and of course breakfast Everybody's welcome including especially families It does sound delicious and fun Right, now, Churches Together Lent Talks They're being held in Keynsham Baptist Church on Tuesday evenings with refreshments from 7pm starting at 7.30pm for the talk The theme for this season of Lent is Deepening Discipleship Now, the first talk was on Tuesday 20th February The Father Heart of God for Us That was with Reverend Denise Cowher-Fully Next week's talk is on Tuesday 27th February The Reverend John Hayes will be talking about a way of life as a discipleship journey Then there'll be 3 more weeks of Churches Together Lent Talks Maybe we'll see you there Then, the other thing I was talking about at Community 67 is Breakfast with Babies This new group started just last week and it's every Friday from 10-12 noon at Community 67 It's to support mothers with babies aged 0-6 months particularly those mothers who are mothers for the first time and they can share their experiences exchange advice and build strong networks of support and friendship Free tea, coffee and snacks are available So do mention this new group to anyone who might want to go along It's free OK, a date for your diary Coffee Morning with Cakes Saturday 9th March at Victoria Methodist Church on the High Street 10am until 12 midday in aid of Huntington's Disease Association Now something else we've mentioned before at the Keynesian Median Church about a quiz On Saturday 9th March the doors are open there at 6pm the quiz starts at 6.30pm There's a free buffet and drinks It's a fun and relaxed evening for all Will your team walk away with the trophy or else the famous wooden spoon? All donations go towards the Romanian Summer Camp for disadvantaged children in Romania So why not get your team ready and register with Rachel or ask to be put in a team or just turn up on the night and be put in a team Now Christian Aid are announcing the next event is a Soup Lunch on Saturday 23rd March in St John's Parish Hall And now we have a message from Pip Lovell who works with the youngsters in St John's Parish She says Movement Worship Night March 24th 6.30pm in St John's Parish Hall We're going to be spending time worshipping Jesus together Hear a short message and expectantly wait upon the Holy Spirit So please invite your friends as this is a night you won't want to miss This worship gathering is aimed at youth and young adults Please arrive for a 6.30pm start and you can find out more by going to the website wearemovement.net Now, can you help? The St John's Youth Group is looking for two new Playstation 4 controllers to allow their young people to enjoy more multiplayer games on game nights in Youth Club Group If you or anyone you know has any to donate or for a reasonable second-hand cost please email Pip at her address in the parish office or just call in there Biscuits donations are also accepted Ha ha! Thank you says Pip and the Youth Group Mmm! I just want to say thank you for the biscuits Happy Birthday Believe Together My leprosy calendar verse from the Bible for February says We love him because he first loved us O love that will not let me go I rest my weary soul in thee I give thee back the life I owe That in thine ocean depths it flow May richer forever be O light that follows all my way I yield my flickering torch to thee My heart restores its borrowed rays That in thy sunshine's blaze Its day may brighter forever be O joy that seeketh me through pain I cannot close my heart to thee I trace the rainbow through the rain And feel the promise is not vain That morn shall tearless be O cross that liftest up my head I dare not ask to fly from thee I lay in dust, life's glory dead And from the ground there blossoms red Life that shall endless be O love that will not let me go Thank you to Danny Gaither for that beautiful, quiet song O love that will not let me go which so nicely followed on from Jenny's verse for February Now, we often mention special days during the year Well, this time of year apparently there are loads of them So I'm just going to mention a few now Our birthday on the radio is actually the National Pistachio Day Also, National Saul Day Now, I don't know anybody called Saul at the moment, do you Peter? No, I don't No, it doesn't seem to be a common name Maybe everybody's called Paul instead nowadays Thinking of Paul in the Bible who started off as Saul Also, of course, there was King Saul in the Old Testament Maybe you'd like to read about Saul and Paul then in the Bible Now, it's also National Tell a Fairy Tale Day Wow So, I wonder what's your favourite fairy tale? What's your favourite fairy tale, Peter? Oh, I'll have to stop and think about that one Oh, alright then, we won't know then, will we? National Set a Good Example Day Well, we can all do that, can't we? We can try I guess, yeah And interestingly, it's National Letter to an Elder Day They mean an elderly person People don't write letters much now, do they? Although people do love to receive a written letter They certainly do Especially even older people than us Like to receive written letters So, maybe we should think about that one, Peter And, well, hello listeners Do you ever write letters, I wonder? Or is it emails, texts, Whatsapps and whatever else you get up to? Anything is good Any communication is good Yes Yes, absolutely So, that's my list of special days for now, Peter Now, it's time for the answers for this week's quiz Well, I wonder if you got all the answers right today about birthdays Number one was in which month are most babies born? March, June, September or December? Did you know or guess that it's September? I wonder why that is Maybe if parents are planning to have children in September They're thinking ahead so that their child gets a good head start If their birthday is in September, they start school in September They'll be one of the oldest in the class Maybe that's an advantage, I don't know Then, number two Who sang the hit song Happy Birthday to You to President John F. Kennedy on his 45th birthday in 1962? I reckon the older ones amongst you out there and myself included will know that answer It was, of course, the actress Marilyn Monroe Did you get that, Peter? No Oh, alright then Now, number three Jewish boys have a Bar Mitzvah and Jewish girls a Bat Mitzvah On which age birthday? Now, I admit I'd never heard of a Bat Mitzvah I had to look that up So that's for the girls But it is the same age as the boys having their Bar Mitzvah And the age is 13 Right, 13 Did you know that, Peter? I've heard about it before I'm sure I must have heard it before I wasn't quite sure if it was 12 or 13 It's 13 So, I wonder if you've got any or all of those questions right today Happy Birthday, BT And now, it's time for the blessing Over to Deb Thank you, Blaise Heavenly Father, give us all the grace to put aside works of darkness and so evermore wear the armour of light that we can go forward under your light to receive your mighty blessings In Jesus' name, Amen Thank you for being with us for this hour Now, if you've just had a birthday or about to have a birthday or maybe it's even your birthday today a happy birthday to you too Goodbye Yes, and so it's goodbye from me too and all that remains for us to do is to say thank you to all the people involved in this week's special birthday show and to play out now with most of the song How He Loves Us brought to us by the David Crowder Band Bye for now See you next week He is jealous for me Love like a hurricane I am a tree Standing beneath The weight of His wind and mercy When all of a sudden I'm unaware of these afflictions Eclipsed by glory And I realize just how beautiful You are How great Your affections are for me And oh, how He loves us Oh, oh, how He loves us How He loves us Oh, He is jealous for me He is jealous for me Love like a hurricane I am a tree Standing beneath The weight of His wind and mercy When all of a sudden I'm unaware of these afflictions Eclipsed by glory And I realize just how beautiful You are How great Your affections are for me And oh, how He loves us Oh, oh, how He loves us How He loves us Oh Oh Yeah, He loves us Oh, how He loves us Oh, how He loves us Oh, how He loves us And we are His portion And He is our pride Drawn to redemption By the grace in His eyes His grace is an ocean We're all taken And as the weeds spurt I come over thinking My heart burns violently inside of my chest And I don't have time to maintain these regrets When I think about the way That He loves us Oh, how He loves us Oh, how He loves us Oh, how He loves us Yeah, He loves us Oh, how He loves us Oh, how He loves us Oh, how He loves us Yeah Oh, how He loves us Oh, how He loves us Oh, how He loves us Oh, how He loves us Oh, how He loves us Oh, how He loves us Oh, how He loves us Oh, how He loves us Yeah, He loves us Oh, how He loves us Oh, how He loves us Oh, how He loves us Oh © transcript Emily Beynon