News from Dave Fraser, our Church and Outreach Worker
I am pretty sure on Sundays past or Sundays to come you will have heard or will hear the Bible read out loud during the service. One thing that will not have happened is that you won’t have had the Bible read to you in Latin. We take it for granted, but being able to hear and read the Bible in English was a milestone moment in the life of our church. In part it was because of the invention of the printing press but was also because of some brave souls who pioneered the idea of the Bible being accessible to all and not just the few.
At one time, the Bible could only be read in Latin and it wasn’t till Tyndale and then the compilers of the St James translation that the Word of God was opened up to many. That opening up is a process that has continued from that day, with many different translations now being available allowing people to hear the Word in ways that their ears, mind and heart can hear.
If you go on the Bible Gateway website, you can see the many different translations that are now available. Although all slightly different, they have one thing in common, the shared zeal to make the Word accessible.
We too are taking our place in that important tradition - on Saturday 28th June at 7pm we are hosting a translation of John’s Gospel, a dramatic production of the life of Jesus presented by the professional Saltmine Theatre Company and entitled ‘The Liberator’.
It will not be in Latin but in a modern idiom because as Tyndale would tell you “You can only have ears to hear if you can through heart, head and ears, hear it!”.
Tickets are free but to book a place, contact Dave on outreach@altrinchamurc.org.uk or sign up on the list on the servery in the Friendship Area. Please do come, bring a friend, but most importantly bring your ears, mind and heart.
The Liberator is the finale, but just one part of our June Festival – a fantastic week of events from 23rd to 28th June. Please click here to learn more about the Festival.
As the flyers say, there will be an art exhibition every afternoon that week, plus special events led by our ministers, local artists and ecumenical guests.
Please do pop in and if you would like to volunteer with me to welcome anybody who does pop in from the community then do please be in touch
Dave