Winchelsea Village Voice

WINCHELSEA FILM SHOW presents the 1987 murder mystery ‘The Name of the Rose’ which is based on the 1980 novel by Umberto Eco. Shot in Rome the film stars Sean Connery as the Franciscan friar and involves a sinister death in a Benedictine Abbey. The film will take place on Saturday March 15th at 6.30 for 7.30pm screening in the New Hall. As usual admission is free and there will be refreshments and a Pay Bar. These monthly Film Shows are organised by Winchelsea Resident’s Association in cooperation with the New Hall. Please note, a date for your diaries is Saturday March 29th when the WRA will be holding a Members Meeting at 11am in the New Hall. This is an opportunity to find out more on what the WRA do and to hear from you how they can help in the future.

JOHN WESLEY’S CHAPEL opens its doors at 3pm this Sunday March 16th for a Songs of Praise service led by Rev. Catherine Wagstaff. The organist Stephen Page will be providing the music to the many favourite hymns chosen by members of the congregation to sing and enjoy. Singing is a healthy physical and mental exercise and when the songs are hymns of praise to the LORD this will bring an added joy and nourishment to the soul. Everyone is invited to come and join in!

“TRUTH DECAY” and more is the talk given by Gavin Esler at the Literary Society’s next meeting on Friday March 21st. Gavin is a well-known journalist and broadcaster. His talk will be based on his most recent book ‘Britain Is Better Than This’ and in particular the chapter called “Dead Cats, Strategic Lying and Truth Decay” which is about the increasing falsehood and fakery in public life. Doors open at 7 for 7.30pm and please note that the venue is St Thomas’s Church (not the New Hall). The talk is free for members and non-members pay £5.

PROLIFIC COMPOSER who wrote around 100 songs Frank Monford Graham was born on March 1st 1859 in Birmingham, Illinois. His ancestors emigrated to the USA from Ulster (Northern Ireland) As well as being a singer and songwriter he served as a Wesleyan Methodist minister in the State of Georgia from 1895 to 1915. During this time in 1899 Graham was in South Carolina where he held an evangelistic revival in the town of Mayo. The Graham Chapel Wesleyan Church in Mayo was later named after him. Graham was also one of the founders of the Wesleyan Methodist Bible Institute which was established in 1906 in South Carolina and is now the Southern Wesleyan University. In 1907 he became president of the North Georgia Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Church and served the Wesley Chapel Circuit. The essential Wesleyan beliefs include a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Trinity, the need for holiness and the authority of scripture. Graham’s most popular hymn written in 1902 is “The Old Account (was settled long ago)”. A favourite with many groups and soloists it has a memorable tune and also conveys an important gospel message. The first verse begins: “There was a time on earth when in the books of heaven, An old account was standing for sins yet unforgiven, My name was at the top and many things below, But I went unto the keeper and settled it long ago.” In this verse Graham recalls a time when like the prisoner in the dock his sins condemned him. The Bible makes clear that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) This means all are sinners by nature and God the Creator who sees all keeps a record of everyone’s lives. The day will come when those who have died unforgiven will stand before Him to be judged for everything written in the books, according to their works in thought, word and deed. Yet it would have been far better to have settled out of court through Jesus Christ. The Bible states: “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.” (Revelation 20:12) All the transgressions of a person have been recorded in Heaven and there is a debt to be paid because God is holy and sins deserve a just punishment. God is “the Keeper” of the records and it is to Him that all must go when the account has not been cleared or closed. Graham was aware of his own sin and the future pain of hell, having accumulated a great debt of sinning. This instilled upon him the importance of settling the debt for which he was liable. The answer to how the debt was settled was in the chorus of the hymn: “Long ago (down on my knees), long ago (I settled it all), Yes, the old account was settled long ago (Hallelujah!); And the record’s clear today, for He washed my sins away, When the old account was settled long ago.” Graham looked back to when he knelt in prayer before Jesus Christ and humbly repented of his sin and asked for pardon. It was then that his debt was settled. The “old account’ was actually settled some 2000 years ago when the Lord Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for sinners. Through the shedding of his blood sins are washed away making it possible for all who trust in Him to be forgiven. A Bible reference is: “The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7) This is the foundation of the New Covenant between God and humanity which is a promise of forgiveness and restoration. The next verse begins: “When at the judgment bar, I stand before my King, And He the books will open, He cannot find a thing; Then will my heart be glad, while tears of joy will flow, Because I had it settled, and settled long ago.” In this verse Graham looks forward to when he stands before the Lord. The books are opened and the account underneath his name shows no convicting record because the page is totally blank. This is because “the old account was settled long ago”, and it was during Graham’s life on earth when he came to Jesus Christ and accepted him as his Lord and Saviour that joy and gladness followed. The last verse is an appeal to all: “O sinner, seek the Lord, repent of all your sin, For thus He has commanded, if you would enter in; And then if you should live a hundred years below, Up there you’ll not regret it, you settled long ago.” To “enter in” to heaven the person must repent of their sin. Today repentance which means to apologise and turn away from sin is given little prominence. Luke 13:5 makes clear: “but unless you repent, you will all perish”. The word perish means the eternal fate of those who reject God. This is emphasised in Acts 17:30 where God commands everybody to repent of their sin. God says choose life and not be bound in debt and those who receive the Lord will never regret their decision. The invitation is one of urgency: “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found” (Isaiah 55:6) and this is what Graham did through earnest prayer. In his lifetime Graham published eight editions of the ‘Songs for Jesus’ collection of hymns with the subtitle “The Book You Need for Revivals”. These books were compiled for use in gospel meetings and revivals. It was once stated that Graham considered his songs were gifts from God and so did not copyright his work but left it for others to use. Graham died in 1931 aged 71 and is buried at the Wesley Chapel Cemetery in the State of Georgia along with his wife and son. On his tombstone is inscribed: “The Holiness Singer and Preacher”.

THE SECOND LENT LUNCH is served at Icklesham Parish Church on Thursday March 20th at 12pm. All are invited to enjoy good company along with a variety of homemade soups, bread, cheese and fruit inside this 12th century historic church. Donations are welcomed in aid of the charity Caring and Sharing which supports various overseas projects by providing basic needs.

Cindi Cogswell [email protected]