Righteousness and Justice I was listening to the song by Frank Sinatra from before I was born. You may know it: Love and marriage, love and marriage They go together like a horse and carri age This I tell you, brothe r You can't have one without the other. The irony of the song is that, of course, you can have one of them without the other. It did however remind me of two words th at are frequently linked in the Bible, right eousness and just ice. They are often co nnected, but they have distinct meanings, and unlike the irony in the Sinatra so ng, you actually can’t have one withou t the other. Righteousness and justice are core values in the life of a believer, as they re fl ect the character of God and His call to us. Understanding these concepts helps us live in a way that mirrors God’s own love, mercy, and truth. Righteousness, in a C hris tian context, often refers to living in right relationship with God. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for righteousness, tzedakah, suggests a n ethical and moral standard that aligns with God’s laws and ways. The Ne w Testament continues this idea, portraying righteousness as a heart that seeks God's w ill and loves what He loves. Jesus emphasised this when He said, “Blessed are tho se who hun ger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satis fi ed” (Matthew 5 :6). Righteousn ess is, a t its core, about the integrit y of heart and life that comes from seeking God and following His ways. Justice, on the other hand, focuses mo re on fairness and equity, particularly in relation to others. The Hebrew word mishpat is often translated as “justice” and is found throughout the Old Testamen t. Justice means giving each person their due, protecting the vulnerable, and correctin g wrongs. Micah 6:8 captures this call: “He has told you, O mortal,

what is good; and what does the Lord require of you? To do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Justice here is n ot mainly about punishment or enforcing laws; it is about showing compassion and fairness to others, especially the margin alised. In the Christian life, righteousness and justice are intertwined. While righteousn ess re fl ects a person’s relatio nship with God, justice speaks to how we treat others. Righteousness without justice can lead to self-righteousness, while justice without right eousness can lead to straight legalism. These verses remind us that by embracing both righteousn ess and justice, we mirror God’s love in the world, o ff ering a glimpse of His kingdom here o n earth. This I tell you, brother You can't have one without the other …..

On Sunday, 2 n d February, we receive in to Membership our friends Catherine and Peter Ball. Already known to many of us, we look forward to seeing them more often as we welcome them into the family of St Jo hn’s U RC. At the beginning of 2025, Hadleigh URC jo ined the Ipswich & East Pastorate and, on Sunday, 9 th February at 2.30 pm, we ar e invited to Hadleigh for a service of celebration. I’ll put a ‘sign up’ list in the church reception so that car t ravel can be shared. Spring is not too far o ff so please help at o ur Church Work morning on Saturday, 1 5 th February at 9.30 am when we give our buildings and grounds so me tender loving care. We have many church members at St John’s so, please don’t forget, Church Meeting is very much part of who we ar e. The next meeting is at : 2.00 pm on Thursday 20 t h February.

THANK YOU Our  appreciation goes to Richard Wallace and Gwen Gee who have resigned after serving for many, many years as Saf eguarding Officers. We are obliged to follow many guidelines to protect the young and older people using our buildings. Richard and Gwen have carried out their duties in their quiet and efficient manner. Thank You fro m us all. We are pleased to announce that, as from 1 st February, Brian and Lesley C take on this important role. Val V

TREASURERS REPORT You are thanked for O ff erings i n December of £1,897 and donat ions to t he Communio n Fund in January of £34. You will be interested to know that in 2024 St John’s were able to send a total £510 to the various Charities we support ed through the Communion Fund. We were able to donate £295 t o t he Sh oe Box Link to Hope charity and a further £195 was raised for the Selig Su ff olk Homeless charity through the Christmas Day collection. Well done to yo u all for your generosity. The Accounts for 2 024 will show a healthy surplus , due to t he Legacy we received. Much of this will need to be earmarked for the necessary building repairs we are having to undertake following the recent major survey. Full details will be published at the AGM later in the year. As always, many thanks for your continued financial support.

I would just like to say a very big Thank You for the car d and Hobbycraft voucher I received during the Service on Sunday the 5 th of January, to recognise my retirement from Girlguiding. One of my favourite TV programmes is VERA and like her, I decided it was time to retir e. I really miss working with the girls but I have a lot of memories. I have also made so me special friends through Girlguiding and my membership of St John’s, who have helped me through the not so good times in my life. For that I am really gratef ul. I did wonder what I would do with my extra time but I guess with a voucher to use in a craft shop I shall be spen din g more time on one of my favourite hobbies and so thank you very much. Gwen Celebration of the life of Pauline Salmon This will be at St. John’s United Reformed Church on February 5th at 2 pm The goodness of God delights me, The love of God ov erwhelms me, The mercy of God restores me. By all three I am comforted, Through all three I am sustained.

F lo w er Ro t a

Sunday 2 n d February Communion offering – Myanma r Sunday  2 nd 6.30 pm – NE Ipswich Churches – Colchester Road Baptist Church Monday 3 r d 10:30 am Felixstowe Final Bible Study Session Revelation and Review Wednesday 5 th at 2.00 pm – Memorial service for the late Pauline Salmon. Saturday, 8 th – 10.30 am – Community Coffee Morning Sunday 9 th – 10.25 am – Pause for Prayer 2.30 pm – Service at Hadleigh URC Monday February 10th Bible Study at 10.30 am via Zoom. ID is 889 953 6542 Wed 12 th – 10.30 am – Pastoral Group meeting Thurs 13 th – 7.00 pm – Elders Saturday, 15th – 9.30 am – Church Work morning Thurs 20th – 2pm – Church Meeting

02 Feb Jenny C 09 Feb M ary A 16 Feb Audrey W 23 Feb Lesley C 02 Mar Jill L 09 Mar Maureen B