CELEBRATING ASHBOURNE ROYAL SHROVETIDE FOOTBALL

The Shrovetide Souvenir Postcards Collection
2014: Friendship and more...

"Shrove Tuesday, you know, is always the day,
When pancake's the prelude and football's the play
Where Uppards and Downards men ready for fun,
Like the French at the battle of Waterloo run!"

[From "The Reliquary", a comical poem about Ashbourne Shrovetide Football written in 1867! Possibly by John Fawcett.]

Even in our modern world of phones, tablets, Skype, email and Facebook, many people still feel desperately isolated and alone. Opportunities to bring families and communities together are precious occasions, whether it is a family eating pancakes around their table, or thousands of people coming together to watch and participate in the fun of the Shrovetide Match!

Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday come in our calendars six weeks before Easter. On the Thursday of "Easter Week" Jesus sat down with his closest friends for a meal. He knew the following day he would die on the cross, and he sought the company of his friends.

The Bible speaks of all of us being "excluded... separate... foreigners... without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ." (Found in the Bible: Ephesians chapter 2, verses 12 & 13)

The true answer to knowing peace and friendship with others, as well as peace and friendship with God, is found, not in pancakes or football, but at the cross of Jesus Christ. If you trust in him, he offers forgiveness and peace to you, so you will never be isolated or alone, but a child of God.

You are very welcome to come along to Ashbourne Baptist Church to find out more, or to ask questions. We meet at 10.25am and 5.55pm every Sunday, at the Empire Ballroom, Ashbourne (at the entrance to Sainsbury's car park).