North Wingfield Team Blog:
Mary Sumner – founder of the Mothers’
Union
The Mothers’
Union is now nearly 145 years old. It has accomplished a
staggering amount in that time, and nowadays numbers
more than four million members, doing good work in 83
countries. That is a far cry from the modest circle of
prayer for mothers who cared about family life, which is
how it all began with a rector’s wife, Mary Sumner.
Mary was born in late 1828 in Swinton, near Manchester.
When she was four, her family moved to Herefordshire.
Mary’s father, Thomas Heywood, was a banker and
historian. Her mother has been described as a woman of
“faith, charm and sympathy” – qualities which Mary
certainly inherited. Mrs Heywood also held informal
‘mothers’ meetings’ at her home, to encourage local
women. Those meetings may well have inspired Mary’s
later work.
Mary was educated at home, spoke three foreign
languages, and sang well. While in her late teens, on a
visit to Rome she met George Sumner, a son of the Bishop
of Winchester. It was a well-connected family: George’s
uncle became Archbishop of Canterbury, and his second
cousin was William Wilberforce. Mary and George married
in July 1848, soon after his ordination. They moved to
Old Alresford in 1851 and had three children: Margaret,
Louise and George. Mary dedicated herself to raising her
children and supporting her husband’s ministry by
providing music and Bible classes.
When in 1876 Mary’s eldest daughter Margaret, gave
birth, Mary was reminded how difficult she had found the
burden of motherhood. Soon she decided to hold a meeting
to which she invited the local women not only of her own
class, but also all the village mothers. Her aim was to
find out if women could be brought together to offer
each other prayer and mutual support in their roles as
wives and mothers. That meeting at Old Alresford Rectory
was the inaugural meeting of the Mothers’ Union.
For 11 years, the Mothers’ Union was
limited to Old Alresford. Then in 1885 the Bishop of
Newcastle invited Mary to address the women churchgoers
of the Portsmouth Church Congress, some 20 miles away.
Mary gave a
passionate speech about the poor state of national
morality, and the vital need for women to use their
vocation as mothers to change the nation for the better.
A number of the women present went back to their
parishes to found mothers' meetings on Sumner's pattern.
Soon, the Mothers’ Union spread to the dioceses of Ely,
Exeter, Hereford, Lichfield and Newcastle.
By 1892, there were already 60,000 members in 28
dioceses, and by 1900 there were 169,000 members. By the
time Mary died in 1921, she had seen MU cross the seas
and become an international organisation of prayer and
good purpose.
Feel
the tug
Have you ever wondered how you
can be certain about who and what God really is? One
Christian put it this way: “I’m reminded of the story of
the little boy who was out flying a kite. The wind was
brisk and large billowing clouds were blowing across the
sky. The kite went up and up until it was entirely
hidden by the clouds. Then a man came by and asked the
little boy what he was doing, staring up at an empty
sky. “I’m flying my kite,” he replied.
The little boy agreed that he
could see nothing, “but every little while I feel a tug,
so I know for sure that it is still up there and is
connected to me!”
When it comes to God, you don’t
need to take anyone else’s word for it. You can find Him
for yourself by inviting Jesus Christ into your life.
Then you too will know by the warm wonderful tug on your
heartstrings that though you can’t see Him, He is up
there, and that He lives in you. You are connected!
Don’t chase what isn’t there
‘…those who chase fantasies have no sense.’
Proverbs 12:11
Have you ever been attracted
to computer gaming?
For many people it has become addictive; and they
spend so much time in their fantasy world that their own
avatar and those of their fellow players have come to
seem more real to them than their own family and
friends.
You can get so drawn into this
virtual world that you can resent the time you have to
spend in the real world. Instead, you have come to
prefer living in your fantasy world, where you always
have the power and control. Problems come when a person
spends so much time in their virtual world that they are
too tired and distracted to do anything productive in
their real world.
Some people say that
Christians live in a fantasy world, that our faith has
no basis in reality. But faith in God is not a crutch -
nor is it a fantasy.
Jesus was an historical person who lived and died
- and rose again. Those who follow Him as Lord find that
knowing Him, and having His Spirit within them, gives
them the strength they need to live the right way in the
real world, and to reach out to other real people with
God’s love.
Thursday 6th August -
Feast of The Transfiguration.
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The
story is told in Matthew (17:1-9), Mark (9:1-9) and Luke
(9:28-36).
It was a time when Jesus’ ministry was
popular, when people were seeking Him out.
But on this
day, He made time to take Peter, James and John, His
closest disciples, up a high mountain. In the fourth
century, Cyrillic of Jerusalem identified it as Mount
Tabor (and there is a great church up there today), but
others believe it more likely to have been one of the
three spurs of Mount Hermon, which rise to about 9,000
feet, and overlook Caesarea Philippi.
High up on the mountain, Jesus
was suddenly transfigured before His friends. His face
began to shine as the sun, His garments became white and
dazzling. Elijah and Moses, of all people, suddenly
appeared, and talked with Him. A bright cloud
overshadowed the disciples.
Peter was staggered, but, enthusiast that he was - immediately suggested building three tabernacles on that holy place, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. But God’s ‘tabernacling’, God’s dwelling with mankind, does not any longer depend upon building a shrine. It depends on the presence of Jesus, instead. And so, a cloud covered them, and a Voice spoke out of the cloud, saying that Jesus was His beloved Son, whom the disciple should ‘hear’. God’s dwelling with mankind depends upon our listening to Jesus.
Then, just as
suddenly, it is all over. What did it mean? Why Moses
and Elijah? Well, these two men represent the Law and
the Prophets of the Old Covenant, or Old Testament. But
now they are handing on the baton, if you like: for both
the Law and the Prophets found their true and final
fulfilment in Jesus, the Messiah.
Why on top of a mountain? In Exodus we
read that Moses went up Mount Sinai to receive the
sacred covenant from Yahweh in the form of the Ten
Commandments. Now Jesus goes up and is told about the
‘sealing’ of the New Covenant, or New Testament of God
with man, which will be accomplished by His coming death
in Jerusalem.
That day made
a lifelong impact on the disciples. Peter mentions it in
his second letter, 2 Peter 1:16-19, invariably the
reading for this day.
The Eastern Churches have long held the Transfiguration
as a feast as important as Christmas, Epiphany,
Ascension and Pentecost. But it took a long time for the
West to observe the Transfiguration. The feast starts
appearing from the 11th and 12th centuries, and the
Prayer Book included it among the calendar dates, but
there was no liturgical provision for it until the 19th
century.
HYMN: The
story behind … ABIDE WITH ME
One
of the most famous hymns in the world came out of
Brixham, near Torbay, Devon, in 1847.
In
those days it was a poor, obscure fishing village, and
the vicar was the Rev Henry Francis Lyte. It was a
discouraging place to be a pastor, but Henry felt that
God wanted him there, and so he stayed, though it was
lonely work, and he suffered constant ill health.
By
the time he was 54, Henry had contracted tuberculosis
and asthma, and he and his family knew he was dying. It
would have been so easy for him to look back on his life
and feel a complete failure.
What had he ever much accomplished? And yet – and
yet – Henry knew that in life it is not worldly success
that matters, but how much we respond to Jesus Christ,
and how much we follow Him.
In
September of 1847 Henry was preparing to travel to the
south of France, as was the custom for people with
tuberculosis at that time. One day before he left, he
read the story in the gospel of Luke about the two
disciples on the road to Emmaus. They were met by Jesus
on the day of His resurrection, and they invited Him to
stay with them because it was getting late. “Abide with
us”, they said “for it is towards evening.”
“Abide with us - for it is
toward evening.” These words struck a chord with Henry,
who knew that it was getting ‘towards evening’ in his
life. So, he sat down and wrote this hymn as a prayer to
God – (the
following are just some of the verses)
Abide with me
The
darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide!
When
other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help
of the helpless, O abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O
Thou who changest not, abide with me.
I
fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills
have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting?
Where, grave, thy victory?
I
triumph still, if Thou abide with me.
Shortly after Henry wrote that hymn, he preached his
last sermon. He was so ill he practically crawled into
the pulpit to do so. A few weeks later, in Nice, France,
he died, and so of course he never knew that his hymn
would go on to become greatly loved the world over.
Sithney - the saint who preferred mad dogs to women
You know how some men find women’s
interest in romance and clothes hard to cope with? Well,
Sithney (or Sezni) should be the patron saint of all
such men.
According to a Breton folk legend,
Sithney was a hermit of long ago, minding his own
business, when one day God told him that he was going to
make him the patron saint of girls. Sithney was
horrified. He foresaw a future where thousands of young
women were forever plaguing him to find them good
husbands and fine clothes... the thought of it appalled
him. So Sithney begged God for some other job, something
more peaceful, than dealing with young women. “Very
well,” said God.
“You can look after mad dogs, instead.”
Sithney
replied cheerfully: “I’d rather have mad dogs than
women, any day.” And so it was. Since that time, young
women have pestered other saints to bring them husbands
and fine clothes, while sick and mad dogs have been
taken to drink water from the well of St Sezni, patron
of Sithney, near Helston in Cornwall.
Psalm 23 - a psalm for the pandemic
There are few psalms as personal and real as Psalm 23.
It records David’s experience of God as his Shepherd
going through dark times. In the midst of the effects of
a global pandemic, this psalm speaks to the fears that
can overwhelm us.
He Knows Me: ‘The Lord is my shepherd…’ Just as a good shepherd knows every sheep in his flock, so God know each one of us intimately.
He Provides for Me:
‘He
makes me lie down in green pastures…’
Just as the shepherd knows the needs of his sheep, so
God will provide what we need in our lives and
circumstances.
He Guides Me: ‘He guides me along the right paths…’
Just as the shepherd leads the sheep to the best
pastures, so God provides the best for us, as we listen
and follow Him.
He Protects Me:
‘Even though I walk through the darkest valley…’
Just as the sheep have no need to fear danger when
following the shepherd, so we live knowing God’s
presence and protection.
He Comforts Me:
‘your rod and your
staff, they comfort me.’ As the shepherd’s rod
defends the sheep, and the staff enables him to control
the sheep, so God comforts us through His Word and
discipline.
The final verses of the psalm (v5-6) offer the security
of knowing that our lives are in His hands, even through
death, as He leads us to the home we’ve been looking for
all our lives.
Some years ago, a great actor was asked to recite Psalm
23, but asked one of the other guests to do the same.
His remarkable rendition was followed by the other man,
an older Christian speaking from the heart. Afterwards
the actor said:
‘The difference between us is that I know the psalm, but
he knows the shepherd.’
MU’s
‘Thank You Key Workers’ Appeal
The Mothers’ Union wants to help
families of key workers by offering them a range of free
day trips/experiences and short breaks. It is appealing
to MU supporters to help make this possible.
As a spokeswoman for MU
explains: “There has been an outpouring of compassion
and care during the crisis from our hospital workers to
our delivery drivers, carers to cleaners and our refuse
collectors to bus drivers. But because of their personal
sacrifices, quality family time has not always been
possible.
“Therefore, we are extending our
existing Away from it all Programme (AFIA) to say a
special ‘thank you’ to key workers in these
unprecedented times.
“Any donation will help provide
a range of day trips/experiences and short breaks for
families of key workers, especially for those who have
been kept apart or who are on low incomes - families who
would generally be unable to have experiences like
this.”
Where is God in a Messed-Up World? By Roger Carswell, 10Publishing, £6.99
This book asks (and answers) questions that people are asking about God, life and suffering. Questions such as: ‘If God exists and really is a God of love, then why doesn't He stop the suffering and problems in our world?’
People often ask these questions in the
wake of major tragedies. Glib answers don’t help.
Instead, Roger Carswell is realistic, admitting
that there are things God reveals to us, and things He
doesn't reveal.
But Carswell argues that the starting point is to
find out who God is, and to figure out if He can be
trusted – even if we don't have all the answers.
The author's own experience of suffering
with depression, and the real–life stories that are
included, make this a compassionate book. Carswell
encourages us that our questioning need not be a barrier
to entrusting ourselves to God.
He says: "God has not only been faithful to me,
He has been overwhelmingly kind, incredibly merciful,
consistently good and unbelievably patient."
William Wilberforce, Olaudah
Equiano & Thomas Clarkson
During
the 18th century many people in England were
involved in the campaign to abolish the slave trade. The
CofE remembers especially William Wilberforce, Olaudah
Equiano and Thomas Clarkson - three very different but
all tireless campaigners against the evil practice.
Thomas
Clarkson
(1760-1846) was an Anglican clergyman and one of the
most prominent of the anti-slavery campaigners. In 1787
he helped form the first Abolitionist Committee, and his
energy and hatred of injustice made him a ‘moral
steam-engine’. He travelled hundreds of miles, gathering
evidence from people caught up in the slave trade, from
ship captains to doctors.
Olaudah Equianon (1745
– 1797) had been kidnapped in Nigeria, sold into slavery
and sent to the West Indies. When he finally escaped, he
made his way to London and became one of the most
prominent black campaigners. His brutal autobiography of
1789 ran to nine reprints, and was translated into many
languages, bringing home to people the horrors of the
slave trade.
William Wilberforce
(1759 – 1833), of course, became the main figurehead in
Parliament.
He came from a wealthy family in Kingston-upon-Hull and
represented the town in Parliament. He was recruited by
Thomas Clarkson, who saw the need for a brilliant
advocate within Parliament.
Wilberforce was an inspired choice: not only wealthy and well-connected,
but a gifted orator with a social conscience, especially
after his conversion in 1785. He made his first speech
in Parliament against slavery in 1789, but it was not
until 1807, after a debate that raged for many years,
that the Abolition Act was finally passed.
The
Talking Centipede
A man decided to get an unusual pet.
So he went to the pet shop and after some
discussion, finally
bought a talking centipede, (100-legged
bug), which
came in a little white box to
use for his house.
The man took the box home, put
it carefully on the table, and decided he would start
off by
taking his new pet to
church with him. So next morning he asked the centipede
in the box, "Would
you like to go to
church with me today? We
will have a good time."
But there was no answer from his new pet. This bothered
the man, but
he waited a few minutes and
then asked again, "How about going to church
with me?” But again, there was no answer from
his new friend and pet. So
he waited a
few minutes more, and
decided to invite the centipede one last time. This time he
put his face up against the
centipede's house and shouted, "Hey, in there! Would
you like to go to
church with me – or not?”
This time, a little voice came
out of the box:
"I heard you the first time!
I'm putting my shoes on!"
Talking better with your hands
Do you move your arms about when
you speak? Probably you do – at least sometimes.
Gesturing while we speak has been common behaviour for
thousands of years, but it has been less clear as to WHY
we do it.
Now
a study by scientists at the University of Connecticut
has found that there are changes in the size and shape
of our chests when we gesture. These changes affect our
speech in both tone and volume.
Because of the way our bodies
are made, our hand movements influence our torso and
throat muscles and our gestures are tightly tied to
amplitude. So, that means that, rather than just using
your chest muscles to produce air flow for speech,
moving your arms about as well can add acoustic emphasis
and improve your overall communication.
When tourists get lost
Have you ever got into trouble while abroad? The true story is told of
a group of tourists who went to Israel some years ago
and arrived in Jerusalem very eager to see the sites of
the old city.
Four members of the group were so engrossed in taking pictures of each
other by the Wailing Wall that they ignored the summons
from the tour group leader to go back to the bus. A
little while later, they realised that they were all on
their own in Jerusalem. That’s when their problems
started.
The four tourists decided to head back to their hotel.
But no one could remember the exact name of the hotel.
So, they hailed a taxi, and asked it to drive around
Jerusalem looking for the hotel. An hour or so later,
the driver gave up and demanded payment.
That’s when they discovered that they did not have enough money to pay
the driver.
So the driver took them to the police, who
demanded some identification. That’s when the four
tourists remembered that they had left their passports
in the hotel safe...
Some hours later, the tour guide tracked down the
missing tourists. They greeted her with tears of relief
as she provided the police with their passports, paid
their debt, and prepared to lead them safely back to
their hotel. The police gave some parting advice to the
tourists: “From now on, you stay close to your friend!”
Stay close to your friend. It’s good advice for all of
us. If your life is going in the wrong direction, if you
have run up debts of wrong-doing, if you feel lost and
alone, you need to take action. You need to stop going
on like this. Turn around and go in another direction.
The Bible calls this action of ‘stopping and turning
around’ repentance.
Repentance is when you stop one direction, and you
turn to God. For the good news is that there is
a heavenly tour guide on whom we can all call. Only
God can save us from the mess we are in. He sent us His
Son to forgive us our sins, to provide us with an
identity, and, if we walk with Him, lead us safely
through life.
As the Bible says: “The wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord.”
(Romans 6:23)
The
Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, proving a nap is good for you
Do you tend to avoid conflict?
When you feel stressed, do you crave sleep? Then the
Seven Sleepers of Ephesus would be good patron saints
for you. But - you may find it hard to copy their
successful method of avoiding trouble!
Legend has it that The Seven
Sleepers were third century Christians who lived in
Ephesus during the persecutions of the Roman Emperor
Decius. When things got very bad, the Seven Sleepers
decided to ‘go to ground’. Literally. They found a cave
on the outskirts of the city and walled themselves in.
The story goes that then God simply put them to sleep.
200 years later they woke up and
peeped out of the cave again. Things had changed:
Ephesus had converted to Christianity.
Unfortunately, the Seven Sleepers did not get much time
to enjoy the new freedoms, because within a short time
they all died – of extreme old age.
The story was popularised in the
6th century by Gregory of Tours and Jacob of
Sarugh, who venerated the Seven Sleepers as saints. But
it was challenged by Baronius and many scholars since.
It is sometimes called a Christianised pagan or Jewish
legend akin to Rip Van Winkle.
A possible moral for anyone
today is that when you find yourself in a storm of
conflict, you don’t have to fight all the battles
yourself. You can indeed seek refuge in God. He may not
put you to sleep for 200 years, but He will be a safe
hiding place for your soul.
Psalm 40 – desperation to security
‘I waited patiently for the
Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.’
(Psalm 40:1).
‘Dear God, I pray for patience, and I want it now!’
Most of us can identify with this prayer, especially as
we face an uncertain future. Psalm 40:1-3 describes how
David waited
patiently on God (lit:
‘I waited, waited
for the Lord.’).
Do we also intensively wait on God?
David speaks of falling into a deep, dark well
and sinking deep into the
sludge: ‘a slimy
pit of mud and mire’. This expresses his desperate
helplessness that threatened to take his life. We don’t
know what David was going through, but in our current
situation we can easily identify with him.
David cried out to God, who answered his prayer:
‘He lifted me out of the slimy pit, he set my feet on a rock’.
There is a world of difference between quicksand and
rock, as God lifts us from desperation to security.
Waiting on God is not inactivity, but it means engaging
in service to God and others, as we discern His will and
accept His wisdom and timing.
In response, David offers praise to God:
‘He put a new song in my mouth. Many will see and fear the Lord and put
their trust in him.’ His song is an expression of
gratitude and trust in God, who can deliver us from
every sort of pit and mire. People of praise never take
their life for granted and they are credible witnesses
to others, with a personal story of faith to tell.
‘Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not
look to the proud.’
Whatever our current circumstances, we can confidently
turn to God alone for help, as our loving heavenly
Father.
St
Christopher, patron saint of motorists
The legend goes that St
Christopher was a Canaanite who lived in the 3rd
century. He
was a giant of a man, of fearsome appearance.
At first, he decided to serve the devil, but when
he discovered that the devil was afraid of Christ and
His Cross, Christopher decided to serve Christ instead.
A nearby hermit instructed Christopher in the Christian
faith and assigned to him a place near a river:
Christopher’s job was to help travellers cross it
safely.
All went well, and Christopher
helped lots of people on their way until one day a child
came along and asked to be carried across. Christopher
put him on his back and set off, but was soon staggering
under the astonishing weight of this child. The child
then told him that He was in fact Jesus Christ, and that
He carried the weight of the whole world. The
Christ-child then told Christopher to plant his staff in
the ground: the next day it bore flowers and dates –
confirmation that the child was indeed who He claimed to
be.
After some time more of
helping travellers cross the river, Christopher went to
the city of Lycia, where he preached the gospel with
such success that the Roman emperor (Decius?) had him
arrested and imprisoned – especially when Christopher
refused to sacrifice to the gods. Two women sent into
his cell to seduce him came out converted Christians
instead. So, Christopher was beaten, shot with arrows
and finally beheaded.
Christopher has been
well-loved of the English down the centuries. Many
wall-paintings of him have been placed on the north wall
of churches, opposite the porch, so that he would be
seen by all who entered. There was good reason for this:
as patron saint of travellers, it was believed
that anyone who saw an image of St Christopher would not
die that day. As the ancient saying goes: ‘Behold St
Christopher and go thy way in safety’.
A kind of daily insurance policy
against death - this was so good that in due course St
Christopher became the patron saint of motorists. There
is even a church in the Javel area of Paris where
Citroen cars are made, that is dedicated to St
Christopher. In modern times, with the increase in air
and motorway travel, Christopher has remained popular.
When
in 1969 the Holy See reduced his feast day, there was a
sharp protest in several countries, led in Italy by a
number of popular film stars. If you ever travel in a
taxi on the Continent, look out for a little St
Christopher hanging from the rear-view mirror beside the
driver. Now you know why it is there!
HYMN: The
story behind … JUST AS I AM
The hymn ‘Just As I Am’ must be
one of the most famous in the world. It has been sung by
tens of millions of Christians at Billy Graham Crusades
the world over, just for starters! Yet it was not
written by a professional who was ‘aiming’ at a specific
market, as many songs seem to be written today. Instead,
it was written by an artist in Victorian times.
Her name was Charlotte Elliott,
and she was born in Clapham in 1789. She grew up in a
well to do home, and became a portrait artist and also a
writer of humorous verse. All was well until Charlotte
fell ill in her early 30s, and slid into a black
depression. A minister, Dr Caesar Malan of Switzerland,
came to visit her. Instead of sympathising, he asked her
an unexpected question: did she have peace with God?
Charlotte deeply resented the question and told him to
mind his own business.
But after he left, his question
haunted her. Did she have peace with God?
She knew that she did not, that she had done some
very wrong things. So, she invited Dr Malan to return.
She told him that she would like to become a Christian,
but would have to sort out her life first.
Dr Malan again said the
unexpected: “Come just as you are.” The words were a
revelation to Charlotte. She had assumed that she would
have to put her life in order before she could hope to
be accepted by God. Instead, she realised that Jesus
wanted her just as she was - and He would take care of
the sin. Charlotte became a Christian that day.
14 years later, in 1836,
Charlotte wrote some verses that summed up how it had
been between her and Jesus that day.
They ran:
But
that thy blood was shed for me,
And
that thou bids’t me come to Thee
O
Lamb of God, I come! I come!
Just
as I am, tho tossed about
With
many a conflict, many a doubt
Fightings within, and fears without,
O
Lamb of God, I come! I come!
Charlotte could not have dreamed
that 150 years into the future, her verses would be sung
by millions of people all over the world, as they
responded to the Gospel presented at many great Billy
Graham crusades, and made their way forward to do just
as the hymn describes - to come to Jesus Christ, despite
sin and fear and doubts, to come ‘just as I am.’
Eternity in the human heart
‘He
has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also
set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom
what God has done from beginning to end.’
(Ecclesiastes 3:11).
The 60s hit ‘Turn! Turn! Turn!’ by the Byrds is based on verses in this chapter: ‘There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.’ The different seasons of life are not random, for God is in control and His timing is perfect: ‘He has made everything beautiful in its time.’
The
verse goes on to say that God
‘has also set
eternity in the human heart.’ This means that we all
have an in-built sense that there’s more to life than
what we can see, as we search for meaning in life.
However, we can fill our lives with other things:
career, pleasure, shopping and relationships. While good
in themselves, these things can never ultimately
satisfy. It is only a relationship with God through
Jesus that truly satisfies. How does this challenge us?
Firstly, we are to live for
God in all that we do, knowing that it all counts for
eternity. This includes helping others find a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ for eternity.
Secondly, we accept that there
is lots in the current
‘season’ where
it’s difficult to know what God is doing:
‘no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.’
However, we do know that everything has consequences for
eternity.
Finally, how can we be more aware of eternity every day?
Spending time with God in worship and prayer will bring
us the true pleasure that belongs to eternity.
‘You
made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until
they find their rest in you.’
(St Augustine).
Mary Magdalene?
Fake news is not new. Perhaps
one old example is the assertion that Mary Magdalene was
a prostitute. Back in the 6th Century, Pope Gregory is
said to have confused her with two other women in the
Bible. Medieval Bible scholars also attempted to name an
unidentified sinful woman who had washed and anointed
the feet of Jesus. As Mary Magdalene is mentioned in the
next chapter, they regarded her as the same person!
After this, many classical artists painted Mary
in various states of undress, perpetuating a falsehood.
So what do we really know about
Mary? The Gospels tell us that she came from Magdala, a
town in Galilee, and Jesus healed her by casting out
seven evil spirits. After this she followed Jesus, with
other women, on His ministry providing resources. Later,
Mary watched Jesus die on the cross, and having cared
for His needs while He was alive, wanted to care for Him
after His death.
It was when Mary went to anoint
the body of Jesus at the tomb that the risen Jesus
appeared to her. He told Mary to go to His disciples and
tell them about His return to Heaven. She was obedient
and became the first emissary of the resurrection. In
those days, the witness of a woman was worthless.
Despite ridicule, Mary had the courage to speak about
Jesus in a place of great disbelief. We have to ask
ourselves, do we have the same courage as Mary? How
prepared are we to stand our ground to share Jesus with
others in the face of those who mock and scoff at us?
Although we usually associate
Mary with the Easter story, this month on 22nd
July, the Church celebrates her Feast Day. In this
snapshot of Mary’s life we know she had experienced
great distress and suffering. After Jesus healed her,
Mary expressed her gratitude by being utterly committed
and devoted to Him.
Jesus can give everyone a
new start; a new purpose and direction in life. Like
Mary we can thank Him for blessing us, loving us and
forgiving us and moving into practical forms of service.
Only Jesus can transform our lives so that we can
glorify God in all that we do.
The
problem with a good story – and hers is as good as it
gets – is that people can’t leave it alone. Down the
centuries she has been John the Apostle’s fiancée until
he left her to follow Christ. She has gone with Jesus’
mother and the same John to live in Ephesus and died
there. In art and in literature she has become an
alluring, sexual figure, disapproved of by the mother of
Jesus. There is no historical evidence whatsoever for
any of this. In fact, the Gospels suggest the two Marys
were close in their shared devotion to Jesus.
Her
popularity is shown in the fact that 187 ancient
churches in Britain are dedicated to her, and a college
at both Oxford and Cambridge. Whatever the details of
her story, we cherish it because it shows that having a
‘past’ is no reason not to have a future.
Keep
your distance!
I never thought the comment, "I wouldn't touch you
with a six-foot pole" would become national policy, but
here we are!
Do you have a sister? Is she
‘good news’ in your life? Macrina the Younger (c. 327
-79) should be the patron saint of all ‘sisters’ whose
generosity helps their siblings to succeed.
Macrina the Younger was the
eldest of 10 children. Their father was Basil the Elder,
a leader in the church in 4th century
Cappadocia. When Macrina’s fiancé died when she was 12,
she decided not to marry, but instead to stay home and
help educate her nine brothers and sisters.
Because of her self-sacrifice, they all learned
to read the Bible and to have a deep faith in God.
Macrina’s life was not in vain:
because of her example, two of her brothers, Gregory and
Basil, entered the priesthood. They went on to become
famous: Gregory of Nyssa became a much-loved bishop and
Basil the Great became a great theologian. Along with
another priest, Gregory of Nazianzus, they became known
as The Cappadocian Fathers, and played a major role in
protecting the 4th century church from
heresy. Yet they would never have even learned to read
without Macrina.
When in 379 Macrina fell ill,
her brother Gregory rushed to her side. He found her
lying on two planks on the floor of a small hut. Her
poverty was absolute and her preparations for death
complete.
She prayed: ‘Thou hast freed us from the fear of death.
Thou hast made the end of this life the beginning of
true life...May my soul be received into the hands...’
she died at the time of Vespers and was buried amid
widespread grief and lamentation.
I encourage you to accept the, maybe rare, occasions when there is not so much to deal with. If you have days, or parts of days, without Zooms, or pre-recording, or scheduled phone calls / visits / preparation – accept the space, and don’t rush to fill it with outstanding emails or the next risk assessment or, or, or …
It's OK to stop a while. In fact, we need to stop a while. And it’s OK if you don’t think any big thoughts in that time. Of course, there are big things to deal with, but if you are able to let them go for a while that’s probably a good thing. They'll still be there when you come back to them – and you might deal with them better because you’ve returned to them a little refreshed.
Accepting the need to pace ourselves individually, will help us do that together as communities.
Don't rush to pick up all the things that were paused when lockdown happened. Don’t assume you have to carry on everything that you took up because we were in lockdown - It’s OK that you’re not doing everything all at once: do less, be thoughtful about what is done – and if you have the grace of space and time, be thankful.
“Do not strive … consider the lilies of the field that neither toil nor spin … but seek first the Kingdom of God, and your heavenly Father will add all the rest” Luke 12
Bishop Libby
The Lockdown Lifts
There's life in the town!
No longer 'locked down'!
The people stroll out in the sun
The majestic trees
Sway in the light breeze
Like they wanted to join in the fun!
Like light after dark!
We can walk in the park!
Buy our tea, and sit out on the grass!
We can chat to our friends
As our loneliness ends
And we smile at the strangers we pass!
Yes there are still queues
Which cease to amuse
But things are no longer so black!
As they sing in that song -
You miss what is gone,
But it's great when at last it comes
back!
By Nigel Beeton
Chinese government removes 250 crosses from churches
Chinese authorities removed 250 more church crosses
earlier this year, according to Bitter Winter, an
organisation which monitors persecution of Christians.
The crosses were removed from ‘Three-Self’ churches in
Anhui province. The action was part of an on-going and
wider campaign aimed at deleting Christian images and
replacing them with Communist ones.
One congregation of 100 Christians defended their cross
at the historic Gulou Church in Fuyang city. But the
next day government officials returned, and it was taken
away.
An elder from a Three-Self church in Hanshan county said
that to know that crosses were being taken down on many
churches “makes us very sad because the cross [is] the
primary symbol of our faith. But we don’t dare to
disobey central government orders: little fish don’t eat
big fish.”
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Still love your neighbours?
One side-effect of lockdown has
been seeing more of our neighbours – which of course can
be very nice indeed. But if those neighbours constantly
play loud music or hold smoky barbecues, it can be
tiresome. And just wait until they invest the latest
craze: a big
bubbling hot tub for their garden.
The craze seems to have started
when we realised that summer holidays were not happening
this year.
Sales of garden Jacuzzis went up 490 per cent on eBay,
and at Argos almost every style was sold out. On Amazon,
hot tubs feature on the ‘most wished for’ list.
But now social media is buzzing
with complaints about neighbours who flout lockdown
advice with ‘hot-tub parties’, and neighbours who are
inconsiderate when emptying their hot tub – sending a
flood of water over into your garden.
St
Camillus de Lellis, patron of the sick
Sometimes those who suffer are
best at helping others in a similar situation.
Discharged from the Venetian army with an incurable leg
wound, St Camillus (1550 – 1614) founded a religious
order called the Ministers of the Sick (the Camellians).
Both in their Holy Ghost Hospital in Rome, and by
travelling to plague-stricken parts of the world, the
Camellians dedicated their lives to caring for the sick.
Camillus is the patron of the sick and of nurses.
Talking better with your hands
Do you move your arms about when
you speak? Probably you do – at least sometimes.
Gesturing while we speak has been common behaviour for
thousands of years, but it has been less clear as to WHY
we do it.
Now a study by scientists at the
University of Connecticut has found that there are
changes in the size and shape of our chests when we
gesture. These changes affect our speech in both tone
and volume.
Because of the way our bodies
are made, our hand movements influence our torso and
throat muscles and our gestures are tightly tied to
amplitude. So, that means that, rather than just using
your chest muscles to produce air flow for speech,
moving your arms about as well can add acoustic emphasis
and improve your overall communication.
What
is lurking in your garden?
Is there something alien in your
garden which is beginning to worry you? Something that
is growing too fast, spreading too fast, for you to keep
up with?
Gardeners across the country are
being asked by the Botanical Society of Britain and
Ireland (BSBI) and the University of Coventry to find –
and report – the next Japanese knotweed before it ‘jumps
the garden fence’ and causes havoc.
Japanese
knotweed and Himalayan balsam both began innocently, as
pretty ornamental garden plants. Then they escaped and
have since marched across the UK like something out of
War of the Worlds, causing immense damage to homes and
waterways.
So now the question is: can you help a citizen science project to identify the next plant which could become a similar menace? The project is called Plant Alert. It offers you an easy way to report any ornamental plants in your garden that you suspect are becoming aggressive.
Scientists say to look out for:
vigorous growth, prolific self-seeding, longer
flowering periods. Plants which are logged on the Plant
Alert app will be studied by botanists, and potentially
restricted from sale.
Kevin Walker, head of science at
BSBI, says: “Bitter experience has shown that species
that are invasive in gardens are also the ones that are
likely to ‘jump the fence’ and cause problems in the
wild.”
THE
WAY I SEE IT:
What have you missed most during lockdown?
It's a good question, because it
is about the things that make us tick. When I examined
my list, I found obvious things - going to church, live
sport on TV, meeting up with friends for a coffee or a
beer.
But as I thought more deeply
about it, I realised that what I missed most was TOUCH.
For nearly four months I have not touched another human
being!
That is an astonishing
deprivation. When a baby is born, its first experiences
are all of touch. The strong hands of the midwife,
mother’s excited and loving embrace, tiny hands reaching
out to feel mummy’s face.
We touch our way into life.
And then it goes on. Holding
hands with friends, being hugged by grandma, your first
serious kiss, and perhaps a last tearful one at the end
of a much-loved life.
We greet each other with a holy
kiss, the Bible says. And why not?
Sight, smell, hearing and touch.
Four senses. And I think lockdown has taught me that the
greatest of these is touch!
Canon David Winter
Useful Links (websites) during Covid -19.:
Travel advice
Self development
Check your health with HNS
Children
Book of remembrance
Other interesting sites:
Star Viewing
Listen to radio stations around the world
BBC Bitesize
We get a deal
Grow Veg
Radio Garden
World Quizzing
Knitting Reference Library
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Debts and lockdown
All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered round him (King David), and he became their commander… 1 Samuel 22:2
Over the lockdown period there has been a honeymoon for
people in debt, when some official action has been put
on hold. Honeymoon is perhaps not the best word;
holiday may be better.
At the beginning of the
coronavirus emergency, the Government introduced
regulations to temporarily prevent court officials such
as bailiffs seizing goods in people’s homes or on
highways (where your car may be).
There has also been a suspension of enforcement of house
possession orders. In addition, many banks have agreed mortgage repayment holidays, or agreed overdrafts
at lower interest rates. Some taxes such as VAT or other
taxes will not be collected during the emergency. Many
court hearings on are hold.
It all sounds too good to be true. This has
been a unique experience offering a breathing space to
people in debt, but what happens when the debt holiday
ends? Many people must be very concerned at the
reduction in income at the moment, and dread what will
happen when things begin to get back to normal and the
little brown envelopes start coming through the
letterbox. So, what can you do? You can start preparing
now.
Put some money aside every week if you can.
Set a budget and stick to it.
Talk to the people you owe money to. Make a note of what was said and
confirm it by email or post.
Get advice from a debt counsellor or free advice agency.
Do not be afraid to ask for help or more time.
Do not do nothing!
Look out for each other. If you know of someone
in trouble, suggest they get help.
As always this is a light-hearted comment on a complex
subject. Always get proper professional advice.
Sick of preaching
Our new vicar had just been prescribed bifocals. The
reading portion of the glasses improved his vision
considerably, but the top portion of the glasses didn't
work so well. In fact, he was experiencing dizziness
every time he looked through them. He tried to explain
this to the congregation on Sunday: "I hope you will
excuse my continually removing my glasses. You see, when
I look down, I can see fine, but when I look at you all,
it makes me feel sick."
Did you know?
Handle wrote the "Messiah" in just over three weeks because he was in debt and needed some money.
Thomas More, Reformation martyr
These days, lawyers and politicians are held in the
lowest esteem by the public, along with tabloid
journalists and estate agents. St Thomas More was both a
lawyer and politician, who is today much admired for
holding steadfastly to his faith-based principles. He
lived in dangerous times, when anyone, even queens, who
displeased King Henry VIII could find themselves in a
condemned cell in The Tower of London.
Sir Thomas More held the office of Lord High Chancellor
and at one time was the king’s most trusted adviser. But
when King Henry took personal control of the Church in
England in order to divorce his first wife, More
courageously opposed him.
Thomas More was a social philosopher and the author of
‘Utopia’. This book described an imaginary republic
governed by an educated elite who employed reason rather
than self-interest for the general good of everyone. He
was himself one of the pre-eminent scholars of his age.
As a Christian theologian he supported orthodox
doctrine, vigorously opposed heresy and argued strongly
against the new Protestant ideas taking hold in Europe.
Although holding the highest political and legal office
he was far from being a pragmatic politician and
opportunist lawyer. In every matter he was a man who
held firmly to what he believed was right in God’s eyes.
When Thomas More fell from favour with the king, as a
result of his unflinching views, he was falsely accused
of taking bribes. When this charge failed, his enemies
accused him of supporting a celebrated seer of the times
who was strongly critical of the king. This too failed.
He was then required to swear to the Oath of Supremacy,
acknowledging Henry’s position as head of the Church of
England. This he could not do in conscience.
He was put on trial and condemned to be hung, drawn and
quartered for his treason, a punishment later changed to
beheading. He died in 1535 and on the scaffold his final
words were ‘I die the King’s good servant, but God’s
first.’ He has been officially declared a martyr saint
by the Roman Catholic Church.
Women in majority of deacons ordained last year,
report shows
Women made up the majority
of deacons ordained in the Church of England last year
for the first time, according to the latest statistics.
A total of 570 deacons were ordained in 2019, with women
making up just over a half, or 51% of the new intake.
Deacons are the first of three orders of ordained
ministry. Whilst all clergy continue as deacons
throughout, the majority are also ordained as priests at
the end of their first year of ministry.
The statistics show that women made up around 32% of the
20,000 active clergy last year, with a growing
proportion of senior posts such as Bishops, Archdeacons
and
Cathedral Deans, occupied by women, from 25% in 2018 to
27% last year.
Women were in the majority starting training for ordained
ministry for the third year running, with equal numbers
of men and women sponsored to train for ‘incumbent’
posts – such as Rector or Vicar - over the last two
years. However currently only 25% of incumbent posts are
occupied by women.
The number of stipendiary, or paid clergy, remained
stable, at 7,700, between 2018 and 2019, following a
period of decline. There were 7,830 Readers or licensed
lay ministers compared to just under 10,000 in 2010.
Readers and licensed lay ministers are not ordained but
can lead worship and preach in churches, among other
roles.
The statistics show the number of stipendiary clergy from
black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds stood
at 3.8%, while 7.8% of people entering training for
ordained ministry last year were from a BAME background.
Out of a total of 550 people beginning training for
ordained ministry last year, nearly a quarter, or 24%,
were under 32 years old and more than two fifths, 44%,
were aged under 40.
The Rt Revd Chris Goldsmith, Director of Ministry for the
Church of England, said: “In recent years there has been
an increasing diversity among our clergy, but we will
not be content until those in public ministry truly
reflect the whole church and the communities which they
serve.”
Sadiq Khan thanks the churches
Sadiq Khan has praised church leaders for providing
hope and leadership throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking recently to Premier radio, the Mayor of
London praised the support he has received from faith
leaders in the lockdown.
He spoke of “the massive contribution… (that) the
leadership of the Christian community has provided. I've
spent some time talking to the Archbishop, but also
Bishop of London as well as Cardinal Nichols and a
number of other faith leaders in the Christian
community.”
Music in our churches and cathedrals
The Church of England, together with the Royal School of Church Music, has encouraged the Government to be proactive in ensuring music-making can resume in church buildings, once it is safe to do so.
Responding to the latest guidance, the Bishop of
London, Sarah Mullally, said: “We
are encouraging the Government to be alert to the
consequences of our choirs’ continued silence - and to
take a proactive approach to allowing singing to return
to our churches and cathedrals as soon as it is possible
to do so safely.
“We look forward to a time where worship and music can
once again be combined, in all their different
expressions, as they have for centuries, turning our
hearts to God.”
During the Coronavirus
pandemic, the Church of England partnered with the RSCM
to provide
free hymns for
parishes for use in streamed worship, which have been
downloaded more than 45,000 times.
Reopening of church buildings for public worship
Following the recent Government announcement that church
buildings were able to reopen for public worship from
4th July, the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, who
leads the Church of England’s Recovery Group, said that
the months since
lockdown began “have been an extraordinary time - the
first period without public worship and the sacraments
in England in more than 800 years.”
We will not be returning to normality overnight - this is the next step on a journey. We’ve been planning carefully, making detailed advice available for parishes to enable them to prepare to hold services when it is safe and practical to do so. It is important to say that the change in Government guidance is permissive, not prescriptive.
"I would particularly like to thank
clergy and lay leaders for all they have done during the
time our buildings have been closed.”
Bishop Sarah warned that there will
still be restrictions, “and we must all still do
everything we can to limit the spread of the virus… The
online services and dial-in worship offerings we have
become used to will continue.
“This has been an incredibly difficult
time for the whole country, especially for those who
have been ill, who have suffered financial hardship, the
loss of livelihoods and indeed, for many, those they
love. We know that is not over and the Church has a task
ahead to bring consolation and hope.
“Churches and cathedrals have risen to
the recent challenges, finding new ways of meeting for
worship, of serving our neighbours, and of reaching new
people with the love of God. The challenge before us now
is to take the next steps carefully and safely, without
forgetting all that we’ve discovered about God and
ourselves on the way.”
Name
above all Names
Name above all Names, what’s in a name?
Alpha, Omega, Beginning and End,
Apostle and High Priest, the sinners Friend.
Walking on water, calming the storm,
God incarnate calling us home
Creator, the I Am, nailed to a tree
Lion of Judah dying for me.
Risen, the Victor, conquering King
Coming with clouds redemption to bring
To gather His bride for heaven above
To reign with the Lamb whose name is Love.
By
Megan Carter
Feast of SS Peter & Paul, the two most
famous apostles
Like
Peter, Paul (d. c. 65) also started life with another
name: Saul. This great apostle to the Gentiles was a Jew
born in Tarsus and brought up by Gamaliel as a Pharisee.
Keen was he to
defend the god of his fathers that he became a
persecutor of Christianity, and even took part in the
stoning of Stephen. He hunted Christians down and
imprisoned them, and it was while on his way to
persecute more Christians in Damascus that he was
suddenly given his vision of Christ.
It was the decisive moment of Paul’s
life – Paul suddenly realised that Jesus was truly the
Messiah, and the Son of God, and that He was calling
Paul to bring the Christian faith to the Gentiles. Paul
was then healed of his temporary blindness, baptised,
and retired to Arabia for about three years of prayer
and solitude, before returning to Damascus.
From then on
Paul seems to have lived a life full of hazard and
hardship. He made many Jewish enemies, who stoned him,
and wanted to kill him. Nevertheless, Paul made three
great missionary journeys, first to Cyprus, then to Asia
Minor and eastern Greece, and lastly to Ephesus, where
he wrote 1 Corinthians, then to Macedonia and Achaia,
where he wrote Romans, before returning to Jerusalem.
After
stonings, beatings and imprisonment in Jerusalem he was
sent to Rome for trial as a Roman citizen. On the way he
was shipwrecked at Malta; when he finally reached Rome
he was put under house-arrest for two years, during
which time he wrote the four ‘captivity’ epistles. Later
Paul may have revisited Ephesus and even have reached
Spain.
Tradition tells he was eventually martyred at Rome
during the persecution of Nero, being beheaded (as a
Roman citizen) at Tre Fontane and buried where the
basilica of St Paul ‘outside the walls’ now stands.
The belief that Peter and Paul died on
the same day was caused by their sharing the same feast
day.
It is difficult to overemphasise the
influence of Paul on Christian thought and history:
he had a major effect on Augustine, Thomas
Aquinas, Luther, Calvin and others. In art, Paul is
depicted as small in stature, bald and bandy-legged,
with a long face, long nose and eyebrows meeting over
deep-set eyes. His usual emblems are a sword and a book.
In England he was never as popular as St Peter,
and ancient English churches dedicated to him alone
number only 43.
The history
of the relics of Peter and Paul is not very clear.
Tradition says that Peter was buried at the Vatican and
Paul on the Ostian Way under his basilica. Certainly,
both apostles were venerated from very early times both
in the Liturgy and in private prayers, as testified by
Greek and Latin graffiti in the catacombs of the early
3rd century.
St Peter, ‘the Rock’
St Peter (d. c. 64AD), originally called Simon, was a
married fisherman from Bethsaida, near the Sea of
Galilee. He met Jesus through his brother, Andrew. Jesus
gave him the name of Cephas (Peter) which means rock.
Peter is always named first in the list of apostles. He
was one of the three apostles who were privileged to
witness the Transfiguration, the raising of the daughter
of Jairus, and the Agony in the Garden.
When Peter made his famous confession of faith, that
Jesus was the Christ, Jesus recognised it as being the
result of a revelation from the Father. He in turn told
Peter that he would be the rock on which His Church
would be built, that the ‘gates of hell’ would never
prevail against it. Peter and the apostles would have
the power of ‘binding and loosing’, but Peter would be
personally given ‘the keys of the kingdom of heaven’.
Jesus also forewarned Peter of his betrayal and
subsequent strengthening of the other apostles.
After His Resurrection, Jesus appeared to Peter
before the other apostles, and later entrusted him with
the mission to feed both the lambs and the sheep of
Christ’s flock.
Peter played a big part in the early Church, and he is
mentioned many times in the Book of Acts, where in the
early chapters he organised the choice of Judas’
successor, preached with stirring authority at
Pentecost; and was the very first apostle to work a
miracle. Peter went on to defend the apostles’ right to
teach at the Sanhedrin, and to condemn Ananias and
Sapphira. It was Peter who first realised that
Christianity was also for the Gentiles, after his
meeting with Cornelius. Later he took a prominent part
in the council at Jerusalem and went on to clash with St
Paul at Antioch for hesitating about eating with
Gentiles.
Early tradition links Peter with an apostolate and
martyrdom at Rome. The New Testament does not tell us
either way, but Peter being in Rome would make sense,
especially as Peter’s first epistle refers to ‘Babylon’,
which was usually identified with Rome. Peter’s presence
in Rome is mentioned by early church fathers such as
Clement of Rome and Irenaeus. Tradition also tells us
that Peter suffered under Nero and was crucified
head-downwards. There is no conclusive proof either way
that St Peter’s relics are at the Vatican, but it is
significant that Rome is the only city that ever claimed
to be Peter’s place of death.
St Peter was a major influence on Mark when writing his
gospel, and the First Epistle of Peter was very probably
his. (Many scholars believe that the Second Epistle was
written at a later date.)
From very early times Peter was invoked by Christians as
a universal saint. He was the heavenly door-keeper, the
patron of the Church and the papacy, a saint both
powerful and accessible.
In England there were important dedications to Peter
from early times: monasteries such as Canterbury,
Glastonbury, Malmesbury, Peterborough, Lindisfarne,
Whitby, Wearmouth, and especially Westminster.
Cathedrals were named after him, too: York, Lichfield,
Worcester and Selsey. In all, it has been calculated
that 1,129 pre-Reformation churches were dedicated to St
Peter, and another 283 to SS Peter and Paul together.
Images of Peter are innumerable, but his portraiture
remains curiously the same: a man with a square face, a
bald or tonsured head, and a short square, curly beard.
Not surprisingly, his chief emblem is a set of keys,
sometimes along with a ship or fish.
Who do you tell your problems to?
One day a chaplain found a woman
crying at the back of the hospital chapel.
He suggested
they pray together about her problems, but she refused.
“It won’t do any good,” she said hopelessly. “God
won’t hear me.”
The chaplain thought a moment.
“Okay, then,
let’s curse God together, shall we?”
The woman was shocked.
“Certainly not,” she said. “He’ll punish me.”
The chaplain replied: “So you
believe that God will hear you if you curse him, but not
if you pray to him?”
The Bible is full of verses encouraging us to come to
God in prayer.
“Call upon me and I will answer you,” says the
Lord (Jeremiah 33.3) . The
key to having your prayers answered is NOT to go to God
for a miracle now and then, but for a relationship all
the time.
Jesus said that if we come to him, and stick around,
then his Father will hear us.
As for right now?
“Come to me, all you who are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest,” Jesus urged.
That promise can be yours today.
The Psalmist said:
‘I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and
he heard me.’
(Psalm 3:4)
He will hear you, too.
In the Bishop Libby covid update
issued today (26 June) she says after the “Government
announced that church buildings will be able to reopen
for public worship from Saturday, 4 July, providing
physical distancing remains in place. The Bishop of
London, Sarah Mullally, who leads the Church of England
Recovery Group, said: “I welcome the Prime Minister’s
announcement … that we will soon be able to begin to
meet and worship together in our church buildings again
… We will not be returning to normality overnight - this
is the next step on a journey. We’ve been planning
carefully, making detailed advice available for parishes
to enable them to prepare to hold services when it is
safe and practical to do so. It is important to say that
the change in Government guidance is permissive, not
prescriptive.” Detailed advice for parishes will be
updated, as necessary, in the coming days to reflect the
detail of the Government guidance once published. We are
not expecting this government guidance until next week.
Weddings will be able to resume, along with other
services.
As we begin to reopen our
church-buildings, we are aware that during the period of
lockdown many parishes have begun to consider
prayerfully the place of their buildings for the future
of Christian mission and ministry in their communities.
For some, there has been a wrestling with very difficult
and challenging questions about how buildings best serve
the opportunities and challenges in particular places
moving forward. The bishop, archdeacons and area deans,
together with the DM&M team, positively welcome these
discussions - and are on-hand to listen and help frame
those conversations." 
Early Morning
In the quiet of early morning
As a new day is unfurled,
It’s a privilege to sit and gaze
At the beauty of God’s world.
The golden rays of sunshine
The grandeur of the trees,
The nodding of the flowers
In the gentle morning breeze.
A carefully woven tapestry
With joy in every strand,
A vision of sheer loveliness
Created by a master hand.
Colin Hammacott
More than other idols, personal
success and achievement lead to a sense that we
ourselves are god, that our security and value rest in
our own wisdom, strength and performance…. The false
sense of security comes from deifying our achievement
and expecting it to keep us safe from the troubles of
life in a way that only God can…
Idolatry is not just a failure to obey God, it is
a setting of the whole heart on something besides God….
Jesus must become more beautiful to your imagination,
more attractive to your heart, than your idol. -
Timothy Keller
Actual complaints received by a resort chain (before lockdown!)
On my holiday to India, I was disgusted to find that almost
every restaurant served curry. I don't like spicy food.
We booked an excursion to a water park, but no one told us we
had to bring our own swimsuits and towels. We assumed it
would be included in the price.
The beach was too sandy. We had to clean everything when we
returned to our room.
No one told us there would be fish in the water. The children
were scared.
It took us nine hours to fly home from Jamaica to England. It
took the Americans only three hours to get home. This
seems unfair.
We had to line up outside to catch the boat and there was no air-conditioning.
I was bitten by a mosquito. The brochure did not mention
mosquitoes.
During the war, the rose window
in the great Rheims Cathedral was shattered into bits by
an indirect hit. The parishioners lovingly got down onto
their hands and knees to gather together all the tiny
pieces of broken glass. When the war was over, they
hired the most skilled workmen available to rebuild it,
piece by piece, from the gathered fragments. Today’s
rose window in Rheims is more beautiful than it ever
was. So God can take our broken lives and reshape them
as we pray, ‘Lord, please forgive my mistakes of this
day.’ - Reuben Youngdahl
St Alban, Britain’s first Christian
martyr
Alban was the
very first Christian martyr in Britain - or at least the
first we know of. A ‘martyr’ is someone who has died for
the faith - the word literally means ‘witness’. He was
probably killed during the persecution under the emperor
Diocletian in the early years of the fourth century, in
the late stages of the Roman occupation of Britain. His
martyrdom took place in the amphitheatre outside the
Roman city of Verulamium, which is now St Albans, in
Hertfordshire.
The church historian Bede, writing six hundred years after Alban‘s death, records that Alban was a Roman citizen (possibly a soldier) who gave shelter to a priest who was being hunted by the Romans. During the priest’s stay in his home, Alban was converted to the Christian faith. When the soldiers eventually tracked the priest down, they arrived at Alban’s house and insisted on searching it. What they found was Alban dressed in the priest’s clothes, while their real prey escaped. They arrested Alban and demanded that he make a sacrifice to the Emperor - a common test of loyalty. He refused. He was then condemned to death and taken into the amphitheatre, which still stands in the fields below St Alban’s Abbey, to be put to death. One of his executioners was converted, Bede claims, but the other one took a sword and beheaded him.
He was buried nearby, on a site where a shrine was later
erected. In the early fifth century two Continental
bishops, Germanus of Auxerre and Lupus of Troyes, were
sent to Britain and record that they visited the shrine
of Alban at Verulamium. The date of their visit was
given as 429.
The martyrdom of Alban is a reminder that Christianity
was planted first in these islands during the Roman
occupation, though it was all but extinguished in
England in the dark centuries that followed, until
people like David, Cuthbert and the other Celtic
missionaries restored the faith in many parts of the
land - especially in the north. The fact that his shrine
existed and was venerated right through to the time of
Bede also demonstrates that the faith did not die out
completely, even in the south of England.
Not a great deal is known about Alban apart from the
story of his martyrdom, but what we do know is probably
enough to give him a substantial claim to be the patron
saint of England ahead of the foreigner St George.
Fathers’ Day, a time to celebrate male
role models
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In the UK,
USA and Canada, the third Sunday in June is Father's
Day. It’s usually a good time for sons and daughters to
take their father to his favourite restaurant, or to
watch a favoured sport, or whatever else he enjoys
doing.
How will you celebrate it this year? If your own father
cannot be with you, how about a Zoom meeting?
How do these special days ever get started, anyway?
Well, Father’s Day began because way back in 1909
there was a woman in Spokane, Washington, named Sonora
Louise Smart Dodd. That year she heard a church sermon
about the merits of setting aside a day to honour one's
mother. Mother's Day was just beginning to gather
widespread attention in the United States at this time.
But Sonora Louise Smart Dodd knew that it was her father
who had selflessly raised herself and her five siblings
by himself after their mother had died in childbirth. So
the sermon on mothers gave Sonora Louise the idea to
petition for a day to honour fathers, and in particular,
her own father, William Jackson Smart.
Sonora Louise soon set about planning the first Father's
Day celebration in Spokane in 1910. With support from
the Spokane Ministerial Association and the YMCA, her
efforts paid off, and a ‘Father’s Day’ was appointed.
Sonora Louise had wanted Father’s Day to be on the first
Sunday in June (since that was her father's birthday),
but the city council didn't have time to approve it
until later in the month. And so on June 19th,
1910, the first Father's Day was celebrated in Spokane.
Gradually,
other people in other cities caught on and started
celebrating their fathers, too. The rose was selected as
the official Father's Day flower. Some people began to
wear a white rose to honour a father who was dead, and a
red one to honour a father who was living. Finally, in
1972, President Richard Nixon signed a presidential
proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as
Father's Day - a permanent, national holiday.
Summer Solstice – longest day of the
year
June, of course is the month of the summer solstice, the
month of the Sun.
Sol + stice
come from two Latin words meaning ‘sun’ and ‘to stand
still’. As
the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until
it seems to stand still in the sky. The Summer Solstice
results in the longest day and the shortest night of the
year. The
Northern Hemisphere celebrates in June, and the Southern
Hemisphere celebrates in December.
While the Druids worship at Stonehenge and elsewhere,
here are some Christian alternatives that honour the
Creator rather than the created.
Praised be You, My Lord, in all Your creatures,o:p
Especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who
makes the day and enlightens us through You.
He
is lovely and radiant and grand;
And
he heralds You, his Most High Lord.
St Francis of Assisi
God
in All
He
inspires all,
He gives life to all,
He
dominates all,
He supports all.
He
lights the light of the sun.
He furnishes the light of the night.
He
has made springs in dry land.
Hs the God of heaven and earth,
of sea and rivers,
of sun, moon and stars,
of the lofty mountain and the lowly valley,
the
God above heaven,
and in heaven,
and under heaven.
A
prayer of St Patrick
The
queue
While waiting in a long queue early one morning for the
supermarket to open for us ‘seniors’, I was surprised to
see a young man saunter along and try to cut in at the
front of the queue. A furious old lady waved her cane at
him, and he quickly backed away.
A moment later, the young man tried again. He managed to
dodge the old lady, but then two old men started
shouting at him. Again, the young man backed away.
But he wasn’t giving up, and soon the young man approached the queue for the third time. By now, all of us pensioners were ready for him, an angry wall of opposition.
The young man stood there for a moment, and then shrugged his shoulders. "If you people won't let me unlock the door, none of you will ever get in to shop."
Peace be with you
(Jn 20:24-31, 14:5,11:16)
Through absence,
Through doubt,
Through questions
And fears,
Through locked doors
And longing
Jesus comes.
His risen presence
Bringing blessing,
Hope and healing,
Restoration
And His precious,
Faith-affirming
Gift of peace.
Coronavirus and local churches
‘Going to church’ is not what
it used to be. With our church buildings closed, many of
us now ‘go’
to services transmitted
via YouTube or other social media. They last only about
45 minutes, half the length of a normal Sunday church
service.
Some churches also transmit a daily prayer slot, or
provide a children’s programme on line once or twice a
week. All such seem to be popular and attract
those who may well not have visited the relevant church
for years!
So – what are the positives in
all this?
For there are some!
Many non-regular church people watching. It would seem that many people in isolation are watching
these streamed services at home, many more than usually
attend the church in question. Many churches are
reporting increases from viewing of 20%, 50% or even
100%.
Advantages of social media viewing.
It is easier to ‘attend’, especially for the elderly or disabled,
and you can have a cup of tea alongside you if you wish!
Popularity of format.
Some say they like the ‘personal’ approach with the preacher as
he/she seems just a couple of feet away, which means the
sermon is more likely to be listened to! It’s
usually shorter also. It may help bring calm to
worried people. Some may be seeking answers from
the Christian faith as to why God has sent or allowed
this worldwide plague.
What about the negative aspects of online services?
Middle-class and/or resource dominance.
Many churchgoing people, particularly the elderly and less
well-off, do not have a smart phone, a tablet or
computer.
Primacy within the preaching is not known.
How far the Gospel is actually being
preached is unknown; how many people are coming to faith
is unknown.
Long-term impact uncertain.
Online services cannot give
the connectedness of face-to-face interaction, though
they may suggest a wider and simpler framework for the
future. They cannot help loneliness to the same
extent, nor can the minister get to know people
personally.
One probable long-term implication
Helpful service supports faith image.
Churches which are now serving their local community, especially
with meals, food banks, and other like services, are
building an image of love and care. Finance for
such is often being donated by the churches, and
volunteers are coming forward. Those churches
which do the most are likely to emerge the stronger, or
at least more respected than they were.
Churches soon to lose a friend
in the media?
One of the many casualties of
the coronavirus shutdown has been the country’s local
and regional newspapers.
As businesses have closed or cut
back, they have withdrawn advertising in local titles.
Sales have dropped as people in lockdown can’t venture
out to get a newspaper.
In response, Housing Secretary
Robert Jenrick has called on people to buy a paper to
help local, regional and national publications survive
the coronavirus shutdown.
Speaking at a Downing Street
briefing, he said: “A free country needs a free press
and the national, the regional and the local newspapers
of our country are under significant financial
pressure.”
The thousands of local papers
and their associated websites and social media feeds
have often been – alongside parish magazines – the best
ways for local churches to promote their services,
activities, and events to the community around.
Local titles have often given
the best coverage to grassroots church projects and been
open to publishing regular Christian comment columns.
But now the outlook looks
increasingly bleak. Even before the lockdown, local
titles were facing major challenges with much
advertising revenue going to Facebook, Google and other
digital platforms. People are increasingly consuming
their news free online, with often the originators of
the news receiving little or no payment.
Research shows that people value
local news. Objective, professional reporting cannot be
replaced by community Facebook or WhatsApp groups. The
local and regional media play a vital role in holding
elected officials to account, and keeping people
informed of decisions being taken in their name. They
highlight the work of numerous local charities from food
banks to debt counselling services and publicise their
fund-raising. They promote voluntary groups that bring
people together.
Christians can play their part
by paying for their news – online or in print –
promoting support for the local media in their church
networks and supplying them with news and information.
Good
tips to help you avoid the virus
If
you receive a package in the post, it is a good idea to
leave it alone for 72 hours before opening it, in order
to reduce the risk of infection.
That
is just one of a number of tips which the website is
offering to anyone who wants to reduce their risk of
infection transmission.
This website is run by researchers from the universities of Bath, Bristol and Southampton, who are working closely with Public Health England.
Lawyers in Lockdown
For the Lord is
our judge, the Lord is
our lawgiver… (Isaiah
33:22)
The last
few months has proved a busy time for many solicitors.
Sadly, the added stress, uncertainty, isolation, and
changes to daily life brought on by coronavirus has led
to many disputes. People have ended up fighting their
business contacts, colleagues, neighbours and even
family members.
Strangers may also prove a threat. There are increasing
numbers of scam emails, as crooks try to hack into your
computer or try to get you to invest in some
get-rich-quick scheme. Then there are those
advertisements for gambling on television. They are
disguised as ‘fun’, but in reality, they are anything
but fun: gambling during lockdown can escalate very
quickly.
The lockdown has thrown up some questions: what
to do if the post office is prevented from delivering
mail to tenants on an estate and whether you still have
to pay rent for a student accommodation if the student
has gone home. The tenants have a right to receive mail
and the answer to the other question is probably ‘yes’,
because student lets are often for a fixed period
without an option to end the letting early.
People are spending more time close together, although
in isolation. This can lead to domestic violence and
anti-social behaviour. Neighbours, tenants and landlords
can get on each other’s nerves.
Anti-social behaviour indoors or outdoors is
always taken seriously by the authorities.
Some of us are spending more time in the garden and this
can lead to noticing problems about that tree which
overhangs your house and the branches that bang on the
roof in a high wind or the fence that needs a repair.
Being a good neighbour/colleague/family member is more
important now than ever. It is always best to first talk
to people - at a safe distance!
Why sometimes you need a broken
heart
There is a Hasidic tale which
evokes Deuteronomy 11:18, and seems especially apt for
now:
‘The pupil comes to the rabbi and asks, “Why does Torah
tell us to ‘place these words upon our
hearts’? Why does it not tell us to place these holy
words in our
hearts?”
‘The rabbi answers, “It is
because as we are, our hearts are closed, and we cannot
place the holy words in our hearts. So, we place them on
top of our hearts. And there they stay, until, one day,
the heart breaks, and the words fall in.”’
It’s often the case that our own
breakthroughs seem to happen when we, ourselves, break
open, isn’t it?
This has been, without doubt, a
time of breaking open; if not for us personally, then
almost certainly for some of those we know and love.
And we’re all affected, in
different ways. We’ve all experienced disorientation.
We’ve all lost direct contact with people we love. Many
still have no physical contact with others. There’s a
place for keeping calm and carrying on, but there’s time
enough to honour sorrow, too.
The words of the Aaronic blessing have flowed so
beautifully through the world, in song, this season. So
often, it’s when ‘all is well’ that we perceive God’s
blessing in our lives. But how resonant, those words,
from within a place where all is not?
Perhaps we can treasure those
words that may have rested gently on our hearts,
awaiting the time they fall a little further into place.
May we thus be open, within this historic opening. And
may, indeed:
‘the LORD bless you
and keep
you;
the LORD make his face shine on you
and be
gracious to you;
the LORD turn his face towards you
and give you peace.’
One in 20 starts praying since Coronavirus began
Is the nation turning to God in
prayer? Well, not quite yet, but recent research from
Tearfund has shown that prayer is more common than many
would think, with just under half (44%) of UK adults
saying that they pray, and one in twenty (5%) saying
they have started praying during the lockdown.
In addition, a quarter (24%) of
UK adults say they have watched or listened to a
religious service since lockdown, 5% of whom say they
have never been to church before. Some churches are
seeing double, sometimes triple, the number of people
watching their Sunday meetings online that would
normally attend in person.
I am struck by Augustine’s
prayer, ‘You have made us for yourself, and our hearts
are restless until they find their rest in you’. Could
it be that as the noise and busyness of normal life have
subsided, restlessness has started to surface and, faced
with new fears and uncertainties, hearts have started to
turn to God?
Let this research give you a new
courage to offer to pray for people you know who are
struggling, or invite them to watch an online service.
And let’s also turn our prayers and actions beyond our
immediate horizons to remember that we are part of a
global community.
Barnabas , Paul’s first missionary companion
Would you have liked to go to
Cyprus on holiday this year? If so, spare a thought for
the Cypriot who played such a key role in the New
Testament.
He was Joseph, a Jewish Cypriot
and a Levite, who is first mentioned in Acts 4:36, when
the Early Church was sharing a communal lifestyle.
Joseph sold a field and gave the money to the apostles.
His support so touched them that they gave him the
nickname of Barnabas, ‘Son of Encouragement’.
Barnabas has two great claims to
fame. Firstly, it was Barnabas who made the journey to
go and fetch the converted Paul out of Tarsus, and
persuade him to go with him to Antioch, where there were
many new believers with no one to help them. For a year
the two men ministered there, establishing a church. It
was here that the believers were first called
Christians.
It was also in Antioch (Acts 13) that the Holy Spirit
led the church to ‘set aside’ Barnabas and Paul, and to
send them out on the church’s first ever ‘missionary
journey’.
The Bible tells us that they went to Cyprus, and then
travelled throughout the island. It was at Lystra that
the locals mistook Barnabas for Zeus and Paul for
Hermes, much to their dismay.
Much later, back in Jerusalem, Barnabas and Paul decided
to part company. While Paul travelled on to Syria,
Barnabas did what he could do best: return to Cyprus and
continue to evangelise it. So, if you go to Cyprus and
see churches, remember that Christianity on that
beautiful island goes right back to Acts 13, when
Barnabas and Paul first arrived.
In England there are 13 ancient church dedications and
not a few modern ones. Barnabas the generous, the
encourager, the apostle who loved his own people – no
wonder he should be remembered with love.
Psalm 46 – a psalm of comfort in anxious times
To say that we are living in uncertain times is an
understatement!
Psalm 46 speaks into our anxiety and fear, just as it
did to Israel originally. At this time, we must focus on
God, who alone can deliver us in such times.
He is our refuge:
‘God is our refuge
and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.’ (1).
In the midst of our difficulties, God
promises Himself to be our refuge, strength and help. A
‘refuge’ is a place of trust, where God promises to protect us. When
the whole world is turned upside down, we can come to
Him without fear.
He is our resource:
‘There is a river
whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place
where the Most High dwells.’ (4,5). Jerusalem was
able to withstand enemy attack, because of the water
that resourced it. For us, this is a picture of the
presence of God’s Spirit, who resources us when we are
under pressure. This psalm promises that God’s is with
is in all our troubles on a daily basis: ‘The
Lord Almighty is with us...’ (7,11).
He is our ruler:
‘He says, ‘Be
still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among
the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ (10).
When we consider all that God has done in the past, we
can see the way in which He has worked among us to
provide, protect, and deliver us. We are called to
‘cease fighting’
God and surrender our lives to God. Let’s worship Him,
as we let go fear and as we depend on Him in this
current time of crisis.
‘A
mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our
helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing’
(Martin Luther).
Columba of Iona, missionary to the UK
In 563 AD St Columba sailed from Ireland to Iona – a
tiny island off Mull, in the Western Highlands. He
brought Christianity with him.
Columba (c. 521 -97) was born in Donegal of the royal Ui
Neill clan, and he trained as a monk. He founded the
monasteries of Derry (546), Durrow (c.556) and probably
Kells. But in 565 Columba left Ireland with twelve
companions for Iona, an island off southwest Scotland.
Iona had been given to him for a monastery by the ruler
of the Irish Dalriada.
Why would a monk in his mid-40s go into such voluntary
exile? Various explanations include: voluntary exile for
Christ, an attempt to help overseas compatriots in their
struggle for survival, or even as some sort of
punishment for his part in a row over a psalter in
Ireland. Whatever the reason, Columba went to Iona and
spent the rest of his life in Scotland, returning to
Ireland only for occasional visits.
Columba’s biographer, Adomnan, portrays him as a tall,
striking figure of powerful build and impressive
presence, who combined the skills of scholar, poet and
ruler with a fearless commitment to God’s cause. Able,
ardent, and sometimes harsh, Columba seems to have
mellowed with age.
As well as building his monastery on Iona, Columba also
converted Brude, king of the Picts. Columba had great
skill as a scribe, and an example of this can be seen in
the Cathach of Columba, a late 6th century psalter in
the Irish Academy, which is the oldest surviving example
of Irish majuscule writing. In his later years Columba
spent much time transcribing books.
Columba’s
death was apparently foreseen by his community, and
even, it seems, sensed by his favourite horse. He died
in the church just before Matins, and it is a tribute to
this man that his traditions were upheld by his
followers for about a century, not least in the Synod of
Whitby and in Irish monasteries on the continent of
Europe.
Here is a prayer of St Columba:
Christ With Us
My
dearest Lord,
Be
Thou a bright flame before me,
Be
Thou a guiding star above me,
Be
Thou a smooth path beneath me,
Be
Thou a kindly shepherd behind me,
Today and evermore.
The
Frailty of Life
According to one survey, during
the lockdown, a quarter of adults in the UK have watched
or listened to a religious service and one in 20 have
started praying. While the majority of people who
contract Covid-19 survive, it reminds us that we are
much more frail and weak than we like to think. As the
prophet Isaiah says, ‘All
people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is
like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the
flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on
them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and
the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures for
ever.’
(Isaiah 40:6-8).
Isaiah’s words really resonate
at this time. In more normal times we can avoid facing
up to our vulnerability, but this pandemic has forced us
to recognise our weakness and fragility.
However, this shouldn’t lead us
to despair or fear; rather it is an opportunity to
worship and praise for His constancy and care. In
Peter’s first letter he quotes this passage from Isaiah
and says, ‘For you
have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of
imperishable, through the living and enduring word of
God’ (1 Peter 1:23). Peter contrasts our mortality
with the eternal Word of God, which bring us new birth
and life through the power of the Spirit. Jesus died for
our sins and rose again to make us right with God, so
that through faith in Him we can know eternal life. We
don’t need to be afraid of our frailty, for God is a
dependable foundation on which to build our lives and
face eternity.
‘We
blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree. And wither
and perish, but nought changeth Thee.’
(Immortal,
invisible, Walter C Smith).
The Trinity is easier to say than to explain. Christians believe in
one God, made up of three equal Persons. It is
fundamental to the Nicene Creed, which sets out the
definitive doctrine of the Trinity for more
than two billion Christians worldwide, including all
Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans,
Presbyterians and Reformed Christians.
The theologian Ian Paul,
writing on the Book of
Revelation, points out that chapter five has a wonderful
depiction of the Trinity in action. He writes:
““…another figure appears in the drama, the lion who
looks like a lamb. … Here is the one who fulfils the
hopes of God’s people Israel, as the promised anointed
Davidic king who was to come. Here is one who is fierce
and powerful enough to conquer their enemies, and tear
them apart.
Christian Aid’s concern for women during Covid-19
The ACT Alliance, a network of 135 faith-based actors and
churches operating in 120 countries, has called
attention to the gendered dimension of Covid-19.
It is urging that the international community,
including churches and religious organisations, should
take this into account.
Women are afforded fewer rights than men worldwide, and
although the disease itself might cause higher mortality
amongst men, it is clear that the social impacts of
Covid-19 will impact women the most.
Women living in poverty do not have the ability to take
time off work, do not have adequate access to housing to
self-isolate, and cannot stockpile provisions. o:p>
Poor women, girls and vulnerable groups are least likely
to be able to access healthcare and treatment. The
situation will be critical for women migrant workers,
women on the move and those living in refugee camps or
slums.
Daniela Varano, Communications Officer at ACT Alliance
said: "Domestic violence cases have risen dramatically
as women and girls across most countries have been
quarantined, often with their abusers. It is crucial
that all governments put in place affirmative actions
and inclusive policies that level the playing field.”
ACT Alliance, together with its members, has launched a
Global Appeal to support the most marginalised
communities during this crisis.
Praying for end to coronavirus crisis, for frontline
workers and the world’s poor
British adults are praying for an end to the Covid-19
crisis, as well as for frontline workers and those
living in poverty both in the UK and around the world,
according to a new poll commissioned by Christian Aid.
The research, undertaken by Savanta ComRes, found that
one in four (26%) British adults say they have prayed
for an end to the Covid-19 crisis since lockdown, while
an equal proportion (26%) say they have prayed for
people working on the frontline and other key workers
since the crisis began.
One in five (21%) British adults say they have prayed
for people living in poverty in the UK or around the
world since the lockdown.
The poll also indicated that the Covid-19 lockdown is
slightly more likely to increase than decrease people’s
faith in God (5% vs. 2%), life after death (4% vs. 2%)
and the power of prayer (5% vs. 2%). This was
particularly true of younger Brits aged 18-24.
Chine McDonald from Christian Aid said: “At times of
crisis like the world is experiencing now, faith can
play a key part in helping people to cope with daily
realities and pressures.”
Online book of remembrance opened at St Paul’s
St Paul’s Cathedral has launched Remember Me, an online book of remembrance for all those who have been living in the
UK who have died as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
People of all faiths, beliefs or none are invited to
contribute to Remember Me.
HRH The Prince of Wales , who recorded a video
message, said:
“This virtual book of remembrance is here not just to
recall our loss and sorrow, but also to be thankful for
everything good that those we have loved brought into
our lives.” Family,
friends and carers of those who have died can submit,
free of charge, the name, photograph and a short message
in honour of a deceased person via the Remember
Me website.
The deceased person must have been living in the UK. Remember
Me will
be open for entries for as long as needed.
It is intended that the Remember
Me site
will
become a physical memorial
at the Cathedral.
Gardening Against the Odds?
The Conservation Foundation has relaunched Gardening
Against the Odds as
a virtual network and is getting some excellent
interest.
As a result, it may be making a radio series soon,
featuring some of the projects it has discovered over
the years which show how
people combat ‘odds’ – mental, physical and
environmental - by gardening, even when they have no
garden.
These people plant seeds which they watch grow, eventually
producing growth leading to flowers and fruit. Sometimes
they work alone, sometimes there is an opportunity to
share, producing a sense of community. All this is
nothing new, but many people are discovering the
benefits of gardening as a result of lockdown –
discovering how gardening can help combat loneliness and
depression with a sense of caring and wellbeing
sometimes with life changing results.
This is a very topical issue and so if you have discovered
the benefits of gardening recently – or know someone who
has – the Conservation Foundation would love to hear
from you as soon as possible.
Please contact : davidshreeve@conservationfoundation.co.uk.
The Coronavirus, Church & You Survey
You are invited to take part in this national
survey…details below
The Covid-19 pandemic has obviously had a profound effect
on churches. The lockdown has severely restricted
ministry in areas such as pastoral care, fellowship
groups, and serving the community. On the other hand,
for those with online access, worship has taken on new
and creative forms over the last few weeks. Many clergy
and ministry teams have risen to the challenge of
operating in the virtual environment.
As we pass the most severe period of lockdown, it seems a
good time to assess how churchgoers have responded to
the experience, and what they think the future might
hold. How well have people coped with the pandemic? Has
it strengthened or weakened their faith? How has it been
for clergy and ministry teams trying to work in this new
environment? How have those receiving ministry found
this novel experience? Will virtual ministry become part
of the post-pandemic landscape, and will this be a good
move for your church?
We have developed a survey over the last few weeks in
discussion with bishops, clergy and lay people which we
hope will enable you to record your experience of the
pandemic, the ministry you have given or received, and
what you think will happen to churches in a
post-pandemic world.
In an article to launch the survey in the Church Times,
the Bishop of Manchester, David Walker, wrote: “This
survey is an attempt to go beyond anecdote… It will
capture evidence of both excitement and fears for the
future, of where stress levels have changed, and whether
personal faith has weakened or grown.”
This is an online survey, which we estimate it will take
you about 20-30 minutes to complete. Most of the
questions simply require you to tick boxes, though there
are options to specify your particular circumstances,
and an opportunity at the end for you to tell us your
views in your own words. Alongside questions about the
pandemic and ministry there are sections which ask about
you: these are important because they will allow us to
see how the lockdown is affecting different sorts of
people in different contexts.
The survey can be completed on mobile phones, though it is
more quickly completed on devices with larger screens
such as tablets or computers.
Please forward this link to any
churches or churchgoers you feel might want to take part
in the survey and support this research. We should have
some initial results within a few weeks and will make
these available as widely as we can.
God gives His gifts where He
finds the vessel empty enough to receive them. - ib C S
Lewis, writer
Whit Sunday - Day of Pentecost: Whit Sunday
Pentecost took place on the
well-established Jewish festival of Firstfruits, which
was observed at the beginning of the wheat harvest. It
was seven weeks after Easter, or 50 days including
Easter.
A feast day to celebrate the country’s wheat harvest
does not sound exactly world-changing, but that year, it
became one of the most important days in world history.
For Pentecost was the day that Jesus sent the Holy
Spirit - the day the Church was born.
Jesus had told His disciples that something big was
going to happen, and that they were to wait for it in
Jerusalem, instead of returning to Galilee. Jesus had
plans for His disciples, but He knew they could not do
the work themselves. They would need His help.
And so, they waited in Jerusalem, praying together with
His other followers, for many days. And then on that
fateful morning there was suddenly the sound as of a
mighty rushing wind. Tongues of flame flickered on their
heads, and they began to praise God in many tongues, to
the astonishment of those who heard them. The curse of
Babel (Genesis 11: 1- 9) was dramatically reversed that
morning.
That morning the Holy Spirit came to indwell the
disciples and followers of Jesus. The Church was born.
The Christians were suddenly full of life and power,
utterly different from their former fearful selves. The
change in them was permanent.
Peter gave the first ever sermon of the Christian Church
that morning, proclaiming Jesus was the Messiah. His
boldness in the face of possible death was in marked
contrast to the man who had denied Jesus 50 days before.
And 3,000 people
responded, were converted, and were baptised. How’s that
for fast church growth!
Of course, Pentecost was not the first time the Holy
Spirit had acted in this world. All through the Old
Testament there are accounts of how God’s Spirit guided
people and strengthened them. But now, because of
Christ’s death and resurrection, He could INDWELL them.
From now on, every Christian could have the confidence
that Jesus was with them constantly, through the
indwelling of His Holy Spirit.
Joan of Arc: saving France from the English
How far would you go to respond to God’s call on your
life? When, as the daughter of a peasant family in
Champagne in 1426, 14-year-old Joan heard heavenly
voices calling her to ‘save France’ from the English,
she decided to obey the call, no matter what the
consequences.
Teenage girls who want to rescue their country from
foreign troops were considered every bit as crazy back
then as they would be now. But Joan eventually came to
the notice of the Dauphin (Later Charles Vll) who
decided to make use of her obvious ability to inspire
people – in this case, the French, to fight. And so
Joan, dressed in white armour, rode at the front of the
French army when they relieved Orleans in April 1429.
Her presence and belief in her divine calling to
get rid of the English, did wonders for the morale of
the troops, who loved her even more when she sustained a
wound in the breast, and made little of it.
A campaign in the Loire followed, and
then in July the Dauphin was crowned at Rheims with Joan
at his side, carrying her standard. More battles
followed that winter, until Joan was captured and sold
to the English. They attributed her success to
witchcraft and spells, and imprisoned her at Rouen. She
was brought before judges, where her spirited
But the judges declared her false and diabolical, and
she was condemned to die as a heretic. She was burnt at
the stake in the marketplace at Rouen on 30 May 1431.
Joan died as she had lived; with total faith in God and
certainty that she was obeying His will for her life.
She died with fortitude, looking at a cross and calling
on the name of Jesus. Her ashes were thrown into the
Seine.
Joan’s integrity and courage are what shine down the
centuries. Here is a patron saint for you if you feel
that God is calling you to do something extraordinary:
something that is way, way beyond your comfort zone; but
something that could right wrongs and make a difference
in the world. Are you up for it?
Mothers’ Union offers range of resources
The Mothers’ Union has made a very practical response to
the coronavirus.
As their website explains, “We know that our work and
experience in re-building communities and supporting
family life is going to be more important than ever once
the threat of COVID-19 subsides. Our members will be
some of the first in line to support those around them.”
In the meantime, MU has drawn together a range of
resources to “help nurture our members and their friends
and neighbours through this challenging time.”
The resources will “help combat feelings of
loneliness, to nourish faith and to help you continue to
feel connected to your friends and community.”
These include: rainbows, prayer cards, prayer resources, puzzles resources, and Bible study resources.
Mend
and make do
According to handicraft expert
Kirstie Allsopp, a missing button was the number one
reason why 350,000 tonnes of wearable clothing may end
up in UK landfill this year.
But that was before lockdown. Now you have time to make do – and mend! Rescue and reuse your clothes. After all, it saves money and the planet.
What
kind of stress do you have?
These are stressful days.
The towering
storm clouds of coronavirus and financial trouble are
casting a long shadow over all of us.
Many
of us deal with our stress by expressing it. Loudly! We
lose our temper, swear, shout and even throw things at
our loved ones. We over-react to various personal
setbacks because we can’t retaliate against the virus or
the stock market.
But
some of us do the opposite: we under-react. We display
‘quiet stress’.
“We
quietly hold our stress within: we don’t speak up about
how we feel. And
crucially, we become inert. We don’t act on situations
that require action.” So warns Jillian Lavender of the
London Meditation Centre.
“We
stay in unhappy relationships and unfulfilling jobs. We
feel overwhelmed, yet we ignore important admin tasks.
We procrastinate.
Quiet stress creates an emotional paralysis that
keeps us ‘stuck’ in unhappy situations.
Inaction is just as much of an inappropriate
response to stress as over-reaction is”
A further danger of ‘quiet
stress’ is that instead of taking positive action,
people can withdraw into themselves, and turn to comfort
eating or drinking too much. This further lowers their
immune system.
The
Valley of Dry Bones has a future hopeThe
Valley of Dry Bones has a future hope
At
this time of global pandemic, we live with stark reality
of death and life. Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry
bones (37:1-14) was given when God’s people were in
exile in Babylon. They felt dead, being separated from
home and God! The vision answers God’s question:
‘can these bones
live?’.
We can also feel cut off from
God, facing the loss of job, business, home or health,
with churches unable to meet on Sundays. This vision
assures us that God has power over death and can breathe
new life into what is hopeless.
When Ezekiel is told to
‘prophesy to the
bones,’ God brings them back to life: the bones come
together and are covered with muscles and skin. He then
prophesies to the wind, from the four corners of the
earth, to bring the bodies alive. The physical bodies
are then filled with God’s breath to bring new life. The
miracle of this story is that God not only makes these
bones live, but also brings the life of His Spirit.
The Covid-19 virus robs people
of their life by suffocation, so that they can’t
breathe. Our hope beyond the pandemic is that the gift
of God’s Spirit will bring new life to our lives,
churches and world. Life will certainly look very
different in the future, but we can be assured that God
is with us and that we are safe in His hands.
‘I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live, and I
will settle you in your own land. Then you will know
that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it,
declares the Lord.’(vs14)
Christians and the bubonic plague of London
The Reverend Richard Peirson was one of the exceptions.
Most of the other clergy in the City of London had fled
the Great Plague in 1665, but Peirson stayed behind to
look after the parishioners of St Bride’s Church, Fleet
Street, where he was Rector. The parish was densely
populated and the pandemic was catastrophic. The
church’s register records 636 burials that year in the
month of September alone, with 43 interred in one day.
Houses of infected people were
marked with a red cross on the door, with occupants kept
inside for 40 days. Handcarts were pulled along the city
streets to cart away the bodies; the drivers’ cries of
“Bring out your dead”, became etched in the memories of
subsequent generations.
Relatives were banned from attending funerals.
The official count numbered 68,596 deaths in London
alone, but other estimates suggested two or three times that
number. Bubonic plague – for that is what it was – was
incurable. Poor people were fatalistic about it but
complained that even their ‘spiritual physicians’ had
abandoned them. Clergy of the Church of England were
often supplanted by non-conformist preachers.
It wasn’t just the St Bride’s Rector who put his life in
jeopardy by staying at his post. While most wealthy
people, along with King Charles II and his court,
escaped the plague-ridden city, Churchwarden Henry
Clarke also chose to remain at the church. When he
succumbed to the illness, his brother William took over.
William survived for a fortnight.
Plague cases continued to occur sporadically at a modest
rate until mid-1666. That year the Great Fire of London
destroyed St Bride’s Church and much of the City of
London. It was rebuilt to a design by Christopher Wren,
but almost obliterated once more in 1940 during World
War II before being restored yet again.
Today’s Rector, Canon Alison Joyce, says that compared
with her predecessor Richard Peirson, she has it easy.
Like everyone else, she is confined by the lockdown
rules to her Rectory next to the church. But her
pastoral work continues, and she collates sermons and
archive music to create a Sunday webcast service. Alison
writes, “these days it is a ministry of telephone calls,
emails and Facetime. I offer such practical help and
support to the vulnerable as I can . . . I keep a candle
burning before our main altar and continue a ministry of
prayer.”
Alison says she is surprised when people regard the
faith as a kind of celestial insurance policy against
bad things happening to them. The first followers of
Jesus knew that in dedicating their lives to following
the crucified and risen Christ, their discipleship would
take them into the very heart of darkness, not away from
it.
She adds, “Hope is no hope at
all unless it can engage with utter despair and
meaninglessness.”
John & Charles Wesley, evangelists & hymn-writers
John and Charles Wesley
were the founders of Methodism. Two of 19 children born
to Samuel and Susannah Wesley of Epworth Rectory in
Lincolnshire in 1703 and 1707, their father was the
local rector, while their mother was a spiritual
inspiration to her many children.
Both John and Charles went
to Christ Church, Oxford (1720 and 1726). John was
ordained, and Charles and some friends formed a ‘Holy
Club’ while still at college. It consisted of men who
dedicated themselves to Bible study, prayer, fasting and
good works. Such regular disciplines soon earned Charles
the nickname ‘Methodist’. The name stuck.
Both Charles and John felt
called to the mission field, and so in 1735 they sailed
to Georgia. Their time among Indians in America was not
a success – they struggled for any real spiritual
authority in their ministries. Feeling failures, they
returned to England in some depression. John summed it
up: “I went to America to convert the Indians; but, oh,
who shall convert me?”
Then the Wesleys made
friends with some Moravians. They stressed that
salvation cannot be earned, but must be received by
grace through faith in Christ.
Charles was the first to experience this ‘true’
conversion, when on Pentecost Sunday, 21st
May 1738, he wrote that the Spirit of God ‘chased away
the darkness of my unbelief.’
Only
three days later, on 24th
May, 1738, it was John’s turn. As he wrote in
his journal: “In the evening I went very unwillingly to
a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading
Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a
quarter before nine, while he was describing the change
which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I
felt my heart strangely warmed.”
John and Charles Wesley then devoted the rest of their
lives to sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. In doing
so, they turned England upside-down. When the
established Church threw John out, he took to the
fields, preaching to coal miners and commoners. His
itinerant evangelism took him 250,000 miles on horseback
and to preach over 40,000 sermons.
His small ‘societies’ attracted some 120,000
followers by the time of his death.
Charles became the most
prolific and skilled hymn-writer in English history,
writing hymns that are sung widely today, such as ‘Love
Divine, All Loves Excelling.’ In all, he wrote more than
6,000 hymns.
The legacy of the two
brothers lives on. As well as Methodism, their teaching
has widely impacted the holiness movement, the
Pentecostal movement, and the charismatic movement.
St Alban, helping a stranger in need
Alban should
be the patron saint of anyone who impulsively offers to
help a stranger in need… and finds their own life turned
upside down as a result.
The story goes that Alban was a Roman citizen quietly
living in England in the third century.
Then, miles away in Rome, the emperor, Diocletian
ordered a persecution of the Christians. Nothing to do
with Alban… except that suddenly he found a desperate
priest on his doorstep, being hunted down by local
soldiers. Alban decided to give the priest shelter, and
within days was converted to Christianity himself, and
then baptised.
As if this
was not brave enough, when the soldiers arrived, Alban
decided to take the priest’s place. He dressed up in the
priest’s clothes to enable the priest to escape. Not
surprisingly, the soldiers then arrested Alban himself.
Now a Christian, Alban refused to offer sacrifice to the
Roman gods, and so was condemned to death.
But the story doesn’t end there, for Alban went to his
execution with such holiness and serenity that one of
the executioners was converted, and the other
executioner’s eyes fell out (or so the story goes).
Alban was buried nearby, and the shrine built to his
memory was soon known for its healing powers. Alban’s
cult extended all over England, and nine ancient English
churches were dedicated to him.
One-line quiz questions
21st May - Ascension
Day: 40 Days with the Risen Christ
40 days after Easter comes Ascension
Day. These are the 40 days during which the Risen Christ
appeared again and again to His disciples, following His
death and resurrection. (Matthew
28; Mark 16; Luke 24; and John 20.)
The Gospels give us little of Christ’s
teachings and deeds during those 40 days. Jesus was seen
by numerous of His disciples: on the road to Emmaus, by
the Sea of Galilee, in houses, etc. He strengthened and
encouraged His disciples, and at last opened their eyes
to all that the Scriptures had promised about the
Messiah. Jesus also told them that as the Father had
sent Him, He was now going to send them - to all corners
of the earth, as His witnesses.
Surely the most tender, moving
‘farewell’ in history took place on Ascension Day. Luke
records the story with great poignancy: ‘When Jesus had
led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, He lifted up
His hands - and blessed them.’
As Christmas began the story of Jesus’
life on earth, so Ascension Day completes it, with His
return to His Father in heaven. Jesus’ last act on earth
was to bless His disciples. He and they had a bond as
close as could be: they had just lived through three
tumultuous years of public ministry and miracles –
persecution and death – and resurrection!
Just as we part from our nearest and dearest by
still looking at them with love and memories in our
eyes, so exactly did Jesus: ‘While He was blessing them,
He left them and was taken up into heaven.’ (Luke
24:50-1) He was not forsaking them, but merely going on
ahead to a kingdom which would also be theirs one day:
‘I am ascending to my Father and to your Father, to my
God and your God...’
(John 20:17)
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The disciples were surely the most
favoured folk in history. Imagine being one of the last
few people on earth to be face to face with Jesus, and
have Him look on you with love. No wonder then that Luke
goes on: ‘they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem
with great joy. And they stayed continually at the
temple, praising God.’
(Luke 24:52,53)
No wonder they praised God! They knew
they would see Jesus again one day!
‘I am going to prepare a place for you... I will
come back and take you to be with me that you also may
be where I am.’ (John 14:2,3) In the meantime, Jesus had
work for them to do: to take the Gospel to every nation
on earth.
Nature out and about
The lockdown this Spring at
least gave Nature a brief respite. Wild goats, herds of
deer, sparrowhawks, stoats, snakes, badgers, spawning
toads and songbirds all seemed to have enjoyed the peace
and quiet.
We, in turn, have enjoyed
watching them from our windows. As Mark Thompson, a
presenter on Stargazing Life, said, “This
lockdown is giving people a chance not just to connect
with our families, but also to connect with Nature
around us. It has
given us the change to recalibrate.”
St Sofa’s
We worship at St
Sofa’s now
Since Covid came to stay
We don’t dress up or do our
hair
But still we come to pray!
Our Vicar is a clever chap
A Zoom with his IT
And so we sit down ev’ry week
And meet up virtually!
Our Parish Church stands empty
With praise she does not ring;
But still her people gather
round
To pray, and praise, and sing!
The virus is a nasty thing
Yet it has helped us see
The church is NOT a building
But folk like you and me!
Over 6,000 calls in first 48 hours to Daily Hope
A free phone line offering hymns, prayers, and
reflections 24 hours a day while church buildings are
closed because of the coronavirus received more than
6,000 calls in the first 48 hours.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, recently launched ‘Daily
Hope’ as a simple new way to bring worship and prayer
into people’s homes, during the lockdown period.
The
line – which is available 24 hours a day – has been set
up particularly with those unable to join online church
services in mind.
The service is supported by the Church of England
nationally as well as through the Connections group
based at Holy Trinity Claygate in Surrey and the
Christian charity Faith in Later Life.
Within 48 hours the line had received more than 6,000 calls from
across the country, with many being referred by friends,
family or members. Calls have so far spanned more than
50,000 minutes, with some of those accessing the service
listening to the music, prayers and reflections for up
to 50 minutes at a time.
The Revd Canon Dave Male, the Church of
England’s Director of Evangelism and Discipleship, said:
“The volume of calls shows that Daily Hope is meeting a
need.
“We have a duty in these strange and difficult times to find new ways
of bringing prayer and worship to people wherever they
are, and this is one more way of helping people to
connect with God from their own homes.
“This is such a simple idea – planned and
launched all within a few short weeks by a small
dedicated team – but I pray it will bring real comfort,
hope and inspiration to people at this time.”
Callers to the line hear a short greeting from the
Archbishop before being able to choose from a range of
options, including hymns, prayers, reflections and
advice on COVID-19.
Join the celebration of nurses and healthcare workers in an online service on 10 May by clicking above. Bishop of London and former Chief Nursing Officer Sarah Mullally lead the service, with contributions from the current Chief Nursing Officer and many more, in recognition of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale.
St Matthias, the replacement apostle
If you’re saying to yourself, ‘Who?’
you’ll be in good company. May 15th is the feast day of
St Matthias the Apostle, and in describing him thus we
have said just about all there is to know about him. He
gets just one mention in the Bible, in the first chapter
of Acts, immediately prior to the day of Pentecost,
where it tells us that he was elected to take the place
in the ranks of the twelve apostles recently vacated by
the betrayer Judas Iscariot.
Eusebius, in the fourth century, says
in his history of the apostolic era that Matthias was
one of the 70 disciples sent out by Jesus (Luke 10:1),
and that seems reasonable. When it was necessary to fill
the vacancy among the apostles it would be natural to
turn to someone who had followed Jesus from earlier
years, as well as being a witness of the resurrection.
Two names were suggested and prayed over. Then the
apostles cast lots, following the Old Testament practice
of the high priest’s Urim and Thummim, one assumes. When
they did, ‘the lot fell on Matthias’.
Casting lots to fill vacancies on
committees or councils, or even to appoint bishops,
might seem to us to be rather risky. The Victorian
preacher Campbell Morgan even suggested, that the 11
acted in haste and pre-empted God’s choice of Saul
(later known as Paul), who at that time was busy
persecuting the Church, arresting Christians and having
them thrown into prison. He hadn’t yet travelled the
Damascus Road.
Be that as it may, Matthias was
elected, and for us he can stand for all those
excellent, consistent, reliable and faithful servants of
Christ who never make a headline, not even in a blog or
parish magazine. Yet still he was chosen because he
could be a ‘witness’, and so are we.
Doubtless he
fulfilled that responsibility admirably, without, as we
say, ‘setting the Thames on fire’. Let’s salute him on
his day - the ‘Unknown Apostle’.
#FaithAtHome aims to make prayer a
household habit
The Church of England has recently
launched #FaithAtHome, a new programme which it is hoped
will “make prayer a household habit once again.”
#FaithAtHome will feature
weekly video content to help families to talk about
faith and pray together. The videos will be led by
children, young people, staff and school leaders from
across the country.
The #FaithAtHome programme will run
for an initial 11 weeks, until the end of July, and can
be accessed at
churchofengland.org/faithathome.
It
will explore
themes including courage, patience, generosity,
resilience, love and hope.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin
Welby, said: “The aim of these resources is to offer
simple ways for families and households to approach
complex and difficult topics, such as illness, fear and
bereavement.
The coronavirus pandemic has forced people to confront
difficult and painful questions that none of us can
explore on our own.
“My hope and prayer is that
#FaithAtHome will not only equip children and young
people to engage with difficult questions, but also
inspire them.”
The Church of England’s Chief
Education Officer, Nigel Genders said: "Home is the new
normal, and faith at home is a habit we need to
rediscover. #FaithAtHome will offer people of all ages
and faith backgrounds a chance to pause, think and
reflect, and to rebuild lost habits of prayer and
faithful reflection in the home.”
Psalm 34
Amid the current coronavirus pandemic, we all live with
fear and uncertainty. How do we deal with fear?
‘I
sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me
from all my fears.’
(Ps 34:4). In this psalm,
David expresses real fears. He was on the run from Saul,
who was trying to murder him! Yet David points to three
simple habits that help overcome fear.
Praising God always:
‘I
will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always
be on my lips.
(1). It was David’s pattern of life to praise God daily,
whatever his circumstances. He was acknowledging God’s
lordship over his life. Praise affirms that my
circumstances are in His hands and He is with me in all
that I am going through.
Seeking God continually:
‘This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; He saved
him out of all his troubles.’
(6). David looked to God, who released him from all
his fears. It’s easy for our fears to overwhelm us and
rob us of the assurance that God loves us and wants the
best for us. When we seek God, He hears us and responds,
as He is not powerless to act.
Finding refuge in God:
‘Taste
and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who
takes refuge in Him.’
(8). David’s personal invitation is to taste and see
that God is good. Our fears often tell us that the
opposite is true for us. Fear tells us that God cannot
be trusted and that He will abandon us. We can make God
our secure refuge and not be afraid.
This psalm helps us to see fear from a totally different
perspective: ‘Fear
the Lord, you His holy people, for those who fear Him
lack nothing.’ (9).
Creative things you can do with your Bible
Bible Society is urging people to make good use of their
enforced time at home by using their creativity to read
the Bible with better appreciation. To help with this,
Bible Society is
offering a range of creative Bible-based resources to help
people learn new skills, such as journaling, colouring
or doing crafts that are Bible-based.
These include:
Bless Our Nest (£5.95) - a colouring
book filled with Bible verse designs, featuring colour
charts and tools for Bible journaling.
Faithful Papercrafting (£12.99) -
now you can create note cards, gift tags and scrapbook
paper, mini cards, bookmarks and envelope templates full
of inspiring Scripture.
Complete Guide to Bible Journaling (£14.99) -
offering new creative techniques for Bible journaling.
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Sometimes we need occasionaly to have a laugh so here are some items put in church notice sheets.
This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs Brown, our
children’s minister, to come forward and lay an egg on
the altar.
Send your photos to: colin_rosemary@outlook.com and we will put them on this website.
Terry Waite - on coping with lockdown
Terry Waite spent four years in solitary confinement in
Beirut. He says: “In isolation, it is easy to become
introspective and depressed. All of us, when we are
honest and examine ourselves critically, will discover
things about ourselves of which we are not especially
proud. I had to learn how to grow a greater acceptance
of myself and work towards a deeper inner harmony.
“….
Today in lockdown, it’s important to keep yourself well.
Don’t slob around all day in pyjamas and a dressing
gown. Dress properly and develop a routine. It’s
important to have a structure – get up at a certain
time, eat regular meals and so on.
“If you have faith, then that
will give you resources to draw on”, especially if you
know some hymns, psalms and prayers by heart. “When I
was captured, they were there to call on.”
How
do you feel about your health?
Having a religious faith may well
make you feel better about your health, according to
recent government figures.
The
Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published data
linking religious belief and health in an effort to
“understand the circumstances of people of different
religious identities.”
It
found that 66 per cent of Muslims, 68 per cent of
Christians, 69 per cent of Sikhs, 71 per cent of
Buddhists, 72 per cent of Hindus and 77 per cent of Jews
were satisfied with their health between 2016 and 2018.
In
contrast, only 64 per cent of non-religious people
reported being satisfied with their health during that
time.
Michael Wakelin, chair of the Religious Media Centre,
said: “I guess this has something to do with an attitude
of gratitude.
If you are of the opinion that God loves you and
He created you, you are more likely to be grateful for
what you have.
“Also, if you have a faith you
are more likely to be hopeful for a better future, so
that even if things are a bit tough now, they will
improve in God’s time.”
We
can claim the gift of sleep
Many of us have had our sleep
patterns disturbed in recent weeks.
After all, a pandemic, lockdown and growing
financial crisis are hardly conducive to relaxation.
But
the fact is that, whatever is happening out there, we
desperately need our sleep. It is vital for the proper
functioning of our brain and heart. Anyone who has ever
been deprived of sleep for a period will remember their
ever-diminishing ability to perform complicated tasks.
Sleep can also help us solve
problems. We go to bed struggling with a decision to
make or a relationship to resolve, and we wake up to
find a solution presenting itself.
The old advice to ‘sleep on it’ is true: we see things
more clearly after sleep.
The
Bible considers our sleep as a blessing from God.
As Christians, we can calmly commit ourselves to
His loving care, secure that He who watches over us
“will neither slumber nor sleep” (Ps 121:4). Knowing
that God is with us, we can let ourselves go.
If you are having trouble
sleeping, why not memorise one of the verses below, and
repeat it to yourself as you lie in bed tonight?
‘I
lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the Lord sustains
me.’
(Ps 3:5)
‘In
peace I will lie down and sleep, for you
alone, Lord, make
me dwell in safety.’
(Ps
4:8)
As the writer George MacDonald
so aptly put it: “Sleep is God’s contrivance for giving
man the help He cannot get into him when he is awake.”
Lockdown,
you and IT
How are you getting on
with technology? The
coronavirus pandemic has driven hundreds of millions of
us to use it more than ever, as we sit at home in
frustrated isolation.
If you are used to digital
meetings and Zoom, it is not a problem, but for millions
of grandparents wanting to see their families, or
non-techie people wanting to see their friends, it has
been quite a learning curve.
So, is there a patron saint of computers and
electronics and all the difficult stuff?
Some people say the
patron saint of the internet should be Saint Isidore of
Seville, a Bishop and scholar in the Seventh Century who
wrote a book called
Etymologies
or The Origins,
in which he tried to record everything that was known.
That seems to be a good basis for sainthood, or at least
for the internet.
Another candidate is Saint
Eligius who lived about the same time. He is quite busy already
as the patron
saint of goldsmiths,
metalworkers, vets, the Royal Electrical and Mechanical
Engineers (REME), horses and those who work with them.
His main qualification seems to have been his ability to
make things.
Another suggestion is Zebedee. No, not the character from The Magic
Roundabout but the father of James and John.
After all, consider this: “James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John…were
in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets,
and He called them. (Matt. 4:21)
Ok, it is not the internet, but Zebedee knew
about mending a net which would have had both good and
bad stuff all over it.
Certainly, whenever one gets in an IT muddle
during this lockdown, we would welcome any patron saint
that was willing to help us!
Coping in the Storm
‘Jesus got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves,
‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was
completely calm.’
(Mark 4:39).
What
started out for the disciples as a routine trip across
the Sea of Galilee, ended up with a storm threatening to
overwhelm their boat! Jesus was asleep in the boat, so
little wonder they feared for their lives:
‘Teacher, don’t
you care if we drown?’ (38).
Who
would have thought two months ago that the world would
be overwhelmed by the Coronavirus pandemic and our lives
turned upside down! Self-isolating and self-distancing
are now part of our daily vocabulary, as we live in an
uncertain world. What does this story say to us in our
circumstances?
Firstly, we read that Jesus calmed the storm:
‘He got up,
rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be
still!’’ (39). He is the Lord of the storm and holds
our circumstances in His hands. We are called to trust,
not fear, being assured that He is with us to protect
us. ‘Why are you
so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ (40).
Nothing is outside of His control.
Secondly, despite the calm,
the disciples were still terrified:
‘They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind
and the waves obey Him!’’ (41). Like us, the
disciples were asking why Jesus, who loved them, had
allowed the storm to happen! Our circumstances provide
us with an opportunity to understand more deeply who
Jesus is. We can’t control Him and we don’t always
understand His bigger plans for us and His world. We are
called to overcome fear and insecurity, by living lives
of peace, faith and hope. How contagious can we be for
Jesus in a stormy world?
At
this time of global pandemic, we live with stark reality
of death and life. Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry
bones (37:1-14) was given when God’s people were in
exile in Babylon. They felt dead, being separated from
home and God! The vision answers God’s question:
‘can these bones
live?’ We can also feel cut off from God, facing the
loss of job, business, home or health, with churches
unable to meet on Sundays. This vision assures us that
God has power over death and can breathe new life into
what is hopeless.
When
Ezekiel is told to
‘prophesy to the bones’ (4), God brings them back to
life: the bones come together and are covered with
muscles and skin, and then filled with God’s breath to
bring new life, by the life of His Spirit.
The
Covid-19 virus robs people of their life by suffocation,
so that they can’t breathe. Our hope beyond the pandemic
is that the gift of God’s Spirit will bring new life to
our lives, churches and world. Life will certainly look
very different in the future, but we can be assured that
God is with us and that we are safe in his hands.
‘I
will put my Spirit in you, and you will live, and I will
settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I
the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the
Lord.’
(14).
The above is available on line - click above.
Take
exercise for even half an hour a day – and lower
depression!
Here
is some good news for us all: if you are feeling low,
get moving. A recent study at Harvard has found that
even just half an hour of exercise a day can lower the
risk of depression by 17 per cent.
So –
even though we are told to stay home at present, do a
work-out in your living room, run around the garden a
dozen times, or run up and down your staircase 20 times
-anything to get your heart pounding and your body
moving!
Tearfund – still working around the world
“As
you would expect,
Tearfund's work will continue through our amazing network of courageous
Christian partners and churches around the world.”
So says Nigel Harris, CEO of Tearfund.
“We are doing all we can to follow Jesus where the need is greatest,
bringing practical help and powerful hope to the most
vulnerable people, just as we have been doing for over
50 years.
“We
are asking for God’s protection and His wisdom to deal
with this unprecedented global situation. We would
greatly value your prayers in the months ahead.
“At a recent Tearfund Prayer Day, we received a prophetic word about the
ship that leaves a safe harbour to go out into rough
waters, with the promise that our Lord will be with us.
This feels very real as I write to you today. And it is
a huge encouragement to me personally to have the
reassurance that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.
We have a God who loves and cares for us. He has
told us, ‘Do not fear, for I am with you’ (Isaiah
41:10).
“I am daring to dream that this could be the opportunity in our generation for the Church to be
known globally for its brave and compassionate response,
putting the needs of others before our own, just as
Jesus did. We know this is possible. We see acts of
heroic love every day in the countries where we work.
“In the coming months, we may need to ask you again to dig deep to enable
us to continue meeting the needs of the world’s poorest
communities. Myself and my whole team at Tearfund will
be digging deep into our own reserves of time, energy
and resources to enable our vital work to continue.”
More at:
If a prayer can move a mountain
If a prayer can stop a war,
If a prayer foster love and peace
……….Where hatred ruled before,
If a prayer can conquer hunger
If a prayer has power to heal,
If a prayer can mend division
……….Why are we so slow to kneel?
Offering prayers up to our maker,
Throughout each brand new day
To change things for the better,
……….In every kind of way.
Two books which we have not read but you may be
interested in them:
Hope beyond Coronovirus By
Roger Carswell, 10Publishing.
This is a very helpful evangelistic tract you can
bulk-order to share around, or you can download it free
in an A4 pdf at:
Where is God in a Coronavirus World?
We are living through a unique, era-defining period.
Many of our old certainties have gone, whatever our view
of the world and whatever our beliefs. The coronavirus
pandemic and its effects are perplexing and unsettling
for all of us. How do we begin to think it through and
cope with it?
John Lennox is an Emeritus Professor of Mathematics
at the University of Oxford and Emeritus Fellow in
Mathematics and the Philosophy of Science at Green
Templeton College. He is also an Associate Fellow of the
Said Business School and an Adjunct Lecturer for The
Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. He has been
part of numerous public debates defending the Christian
faith against well-known atheists including Richard
Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Peter Singer.
ITV News journalist and presenter Julie Etchingham, a
practising Christian, has defended the role played by
journalists during the Coronavirus pandemic
She told the Christians in Media website, “Reporters are
coming in for a lot of flack for the questions they are
asking government. But what else are we for? We
all get that this is a crisis like no other; that few in
government have ever had to navigate such a challenge.br>“But, if we’re still attempting to function as a
democracy in the face of this, then scrutiny is clearly
crucial. Many in our frontline services and the
wider public are demanding answers. We are there on
their behalf. We don’t always get it right. This isn’t a
moment to trip people up, but urgently to get to the
truth.”
Now is the time for truth and accuracy to be at
the centre of all our communications.
So, yes, we need to be praying for and supporting the
front-line health service staff, the public health
experts, the scientists researching vaccines to combat
the virus, and the key workers keeping our societies
running.
But we also need to be praying for and supporting the
men and women working in and with the media to publish,
upload, broadcast and distribute the most accurate
information, without spin or distortion.
So here is a prayer for the media in these challenging
days.
Loving God,
We pray for
everyone working in and with media in these challenging
times.
Encourage all who
seek to explain and interpret the fast-changing world
around us.
Embolden the
truth-tellers, truth-seekers and fact-checkers.
Promote coverage that builds our shared humanity and
where everyone has a voice.
Bring clarity where there is confusion
Bring knowledge where there is speculation
Bring wisdom and insight when the way ahead seems
unclear.
And bring us
all to a knowledge of truth that sets us free, and helps
keep us safe.
In the
Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
We are your people:
For the Christian community
We are not people of fear:
we are people of courage.
We are not
people who protect our own safety:
we are people who
protect our neighbours’ safety.
We are not people of
greed:
we are people of generosity.
We are your
people God,
giving and loving,
wherever we are,
whatever it costs
For as long as it takes
wherever
you call us.
Loneliness
From one who is ill or isolated
O God,
help me to trust you,
help me to know
that you are with me,
help me to believe that nothing
can separate me
from your love
revealed in Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Caring for the sick
For hospital staff and medical researchers
all who are caring for the sick,
and your wisdom
to those searching for a cure.
Strengthen them with
your Spirit,
that through their work many will be
restored to health;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Heal them
For those who are ill
Merciful God,
we entrust to your tender care
those who are ill or in pain,
knowing that whenever
danger threatens
your everlasting arms are there to
hold them safe.
Comfort and heal them,
and restore
them to health and strength;
through Jesus Christ our
Lord.
Amen.
Be our hope
God of compassion,
be close to those who are ill,
afraid or in isolation.
In their loneliness, be their
consolation;
in their anxiety, be their hope;
in
their darkness, be their light;
through Him who
suffered alone on the cross,
but reigns with you in
glory,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Give us strength
Lord Jesus Christ,
you taught us to love our
neighbour,
and to care for those in need
as if we
were caring for you.
In this time of anxiety, give us
strength
to comfort the fearful, to tend the sick,
and to assure the isolated
of our love, and your
love,
for your name’s sake.
Amen.
Time of distress
Keep us, good Lord,
under the shadow of your
mercy
in this time of uncertainty and distress.
Sustain and support the anxious and fearful,
and lift
up all who are brought low;
that we may rejoice in
your comfort
knowing that nothing can separate us
from your love
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.
Leave your dandelions alone
When mowing your lawn, avoid
cutting your dandelions.
That is the advice of the president of the
British Ecological Society, Prof Jane Memmott. It will
help to save the bees.
She explains: “Dandelions are
a fantastic source of pollen and nectar for the early
pollinators in particular. If they were rare, people
would be fighting over them, but because they’re common,
people pull them out and spray them with all sorts of
horrible things when they should just let them flower.
If you leave the lawn to three or four inches, then
dandelions, clover and daisies can flower and then you
end with something like a tapestry, and it’s much nicer
to sit there and watch the insects buzzing about.”
Prof Memmott encourages
everyone to get a bee hotel for their garden. “There’s
nothing nicer than being sat in a chair with a glass of
wine and watching the bees going in and out of your own
personal little beehive. Even just a potted plant on a
doorstep will provide lunch for a bee or a fly or a
butterfly.”
Church Mission Society launches a ‘lament space’ for those
in pain
Church Mission Society has opened a space on
its website for anyone to use.
It explains: “Our world, and our lives, have
changed radically. Are you sad? Angry? Scared?
Psalm 34
Amid the current coronavirus pandemic, we all live with
fear and uncertainty. How do we deal with fear?
‘I
sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me
from all my fears.’
(Ps 34:4). In this psalm,
David expresses real fears. He was on the run from Saul,
who was trying to murder him! Yet David points to three
simple habits that help overcome fear.
Praising God always:
‘I
will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always
be on my lips.
(1). It was David’s pattern of life to praise God daily,
whatever his circumstances. He was acknowledging God’s
lordship over his life. Praise affirms that my
circumstances are in His hands and He is with me in all
that I am going through.
Seeking God continually:
‘This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; He saved
him out of all his troubles.’
(6). David looked to God,
who released him from all his fears. It’s easy for our
fears to overwhelm us and rob us of the assurance that
God loves us and wants the best for us. When we seek
God, He hears us and responds, as He is not powerless to
act.
Finding refuge in God:
‘Taste
and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who
takes refuge in Him.’
(8). David’s personal invitation is to taste and see
that God is good. Our fears often tell us that the
opposite is true for us. Fear tells us that God cannot
be trusted and that He will abandon us. We can make God
our secure refuge and not be afraid.
This psalm helps us to see fear from a totally different
perspective: ‘Fear
the Lord, you His holy people, for those who fear Him
lack nothing.’ (9).
Jesus’ appearances after His
Resurrection
Other women at the tomb
Matthew 28:8-10
Peter in Jerusalem
Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5
The two travellers on the road Mark 16:12,13
10 disciples behind closed doors Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-25
11 disciples WITH Thomas
John 20:26-31; 1 Corinthians 15:5
7 disciples while fishing
John 21:1-14
11 disciples on the mountain Matthew
28:16-20
A crowd of 500
1 Corinthians 15:6
Jesus’ brother – James
1 Corinthians 15:7
Those who saw the Ascension Luke 24:44-49; Acts
1:3-8
From church notice-sheets:
This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs Brown, our children’s minister, to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.
Baptisms: after Easter, the North and South ends of the church will be utilised. Children will be baptised at both ends.
Coming up: Theological Open House. We discuss thought-provoking topics. Your opinions are hardly welcome.
Next Sunday Mrs Brown will sing a solo at the morning service before the vicar preaches on the subject of ‘Terrible experiences and how to survive them’.
Players picked for St Andrew’s darts team will be pinned to the board on Thursday.
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EASTER
Sunday: the most joyful day of the year.
Easter is the most joyful day of the year for Christians. Christ has died for our sins. We are forgiven. Christ has risen! We are redeemed! We can look forward to an eternity in His joy! Hallelujah!
The Good News of Jesus Christ is a message so simple that you can explain it to someone in a few minutes. It is so profound that for the rest of their lives they will still be ‘growing’ in their Christian walk with God.
Why does the date move around so much? Because the date of Passover moves around, and according to the biblical account, Easter is tied to the Passover. Passover celebrates the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt and it lasts for seven days, from the middle of the Hebrew month of Nisan, which equates to late March or early April.
Sir Isaac Newton was one of the first to use the Hebrew lunar calendar to come up with firm dates for Good Friday: Friday 7 April 30 AD or Friday 3 April, 33 AD, with Easter Day falling two days later. Modern scholars continue to think these the most likely.
Most people will tell you that Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox, which is broadly true. But the precise calculations are complicated and involve something called an ‘ecclesiastical full moon’, which is not the same as the moon in the sky. The earliest possible date for Easter in the West is 22 March, which last fell in 1818. The latest is 25 April, which last happened in 1943.
Why the name, ‘Easter’? In almost every European language, the festival’s name comes from ‘Pesach’, the Hebrew word for Passover. The Germanic word ‘Easter’, however, seems to come from Eostre, a Saxon fertility goddess mentioned by the Venerable Bede. He thought that the Saxons worshipped her in ‘Eostur month’, but may have confused her with the classical dawn goddesses like Eos and Aurora, whose names mean ‘shining in the east’. So, Easter might have meant simply ‘beginning month’ – a good time for starting up again after a long winter.
Finally, why Easter eggs? On one hand, they are an ancient symbol of birth in most European cultures. On the other hand, hens start laying regularly again each Spring. Since eggs were forbidden during Lent, it’s easy to see how decorating and eating them became a practical way to celebrate Easter.
Easter Saturday, on the Christian calendar, is the Saturday following the festival of Easter, the Saturday of Easter or Bright Week. In the liturgy of Western Christianity it is the last day of Easter Week, sometimes referred to as the Saturday of Easter Week or Saturday in Easter Week. In the liturgy of Eastern Christianity it is the last day of Bright Week, and called Bright Saturday,
The Bright and Holy Septave Saturday of Easter Eve, or The Bright and Holy Septave Paschal Artos and Octoechoes Saturday of Iscariot's Byzantine Easter Eve. Easter Saturday is the day preceding the Octave Day of Easter (also known as St. Thomas Sunday or Divine Mercy Sunday).
The thud of nails on open palms,
‘Father forgive’ was all He said,
‘Finished’ was His final cry,
As
death approached God bowed His head.
Born
of a woman He entered our world,
Fully man yet fully divine,
Such
is the mystery beyond comprehension
That
One such as this should step into time.
He
came to die and rise again
The
firstfruits of the Father’s love,
That
man should follow in His train
On
wings of light to realms above.
How do we say
goodbye to someone who we have known for many years and
enjoyed their company? We arrange a farewell party!
Although Jesus was the host
and should have been honoured, He changed His role and
became a servant. He got up from the meal table, removed
His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His
waist. Jesus humbled Himself and washed the feet of His
disciples, much to their dismay and Peter’s objection.
The
hot cross bun marks the end of Lent and different parts
of the bun have a certain meaning, including the cross,
representing the crucifixion of Jesus, and the spices inside signifying the spices used to embalm him at his burial.
Palm waving
It was Palm Sunday, but five-year-old Jamie stayed at
home with mum because of a bad cold. When his father and
sisters returned, they were carrying several palm
fronds. His sister explained: “People held them over
Jesus' head as He walked by.”
“That’s not fair!” Jamie protested. “The one Sunday I
don't go, and He shows up!”
Visit the C of E online page
There is now a range of
digital resources for to you connect with God at this
difficult time.
These include:
Time to Pray app:
which is free and has an accompanying daily audio
offering on SoundCloud and iTunes.
Mental health reflections:
Tips to tackle isolation:
Finally, there are the Church’s smart
speaker apps, which provide a range of Christian
resources:
GO TO
In March alone, the number of people using the Alexa app
rose by more than 70 per cent.
I work in Radiology in a hospital in the East of England – a region that is yet to experience the covid-19 virus with quite the same ferocity as colleagues in London and Birmingham, and certainly the situation is nowhere near as bad as that in China, Iran, Spain and, of course Italy. But patients are coming into the hospital in increasing numbers experiencing the respiratory distress of a covid-19 infection. So, I’m finding out what it’s like to be on the front line during an epidemic.
As I write the country is in so-called ‘lockdown’, and the virus is impacting upon every aspect of all our lives. The News outlets report the best in people and the worst in people - examples of selfish behavior, especially in and around supermarkets, but also examples of people going well out of their way to help people who become very vulnerable during this period. I’m privileged to work alongside the very best.
Fear is almost the defining feature of this crisis. Of course, the patients themselves are frightened, our hearts go out to them, and though we are separated from them by our protective equipment we can still show that we care, and that we are doing our level best to help them.
The staff are frightened, too. I have heard long-serving, experienced staff tell me how very frightened they are. The conflict between their duty to our patients and their desire to protect themselves and their families is, at times, overwhelming. I'm spending a great deal of my time trying to be reassuring and trying to keep a grip on an ever-changing situation. It's the same across the hospital. Yet, every day, these wonderful people come towards the danger when their instincts tell them to run in the opposite direction.
Am I frightened? Yes, indeed I am frightened. I'm frightened that it will get as bad here as it has been in Italy. I'm frightened that some of my staff will become seriously ill, or worse, because so many healthcare staff seem to be getting sick despite all the protective equipment that we use. And, of course, I'm frightened for the people I care about. Maybe it’s OK to be frightened, because that is better than being blasé, overconfident, and foolhardy.
However, I think our faith in our God is a way to turn fear into calm. It connects us to others across the ages who have faced far, far worse situations than this. No-one is trying to drop high explosives down my chimney. There was only basic equipment and medicine during the so-called ‘Spanish Flu’ of 1918-1920. The bubonic plagues of the Middle Ages took a much higher death toll, and the medicine of the time had absolutely no answer to it.
For our generation, who by the grace of God have only known peace, and for whom life has gone on much the same for several decades, it is a terrifying experience.
So far in most of our lives, we have not
had to rely on God to quite the same extent as former
generations but maybe, just maybe, this crisis will
bring us closer to each other and to the God who loves
us so dearly.
Five Tips for Tackling Loneliness and
Isolation
Pray. Light a candle, if safe, and
pray for hope, faith and strength to keep loving and
caring for each other during this time of struggle.
Talk about how you feel. This may be
difficult if you are self-isolating, but do use the
telephone, internet, and social media. If you need to
contact a counsellor this can be arranged by your GP, or
via local agencies, or privately. Samaritans
are there 24 hours a day, every day, and it’s
free to call them on 116 123.
Focus on the things that you can
change, not on the things you can’t.
Look after yourself - physically,
emotionally, spiritually. Plan in things that you enjoy
at regular intervals during the day – a TV programme, a
phone call, a book, a favourite dish, a game.
Look after others. Even if only in
small ways, but do what you can: a smile, a kind word,
writing a letter or an email.
Passion
Week
It began on
Palm Sunday. After all his teaching and healing, Jesus
had built a following.
On the
Sunday before he was to die, Jesus and his followers
arrived at Jerusalem. The city was crowded. Jewish
people were arriving from to celebrate Passover. This
commemorates how they had escaped from slavery in Egypt
nearly 1,500 year earlier.
Jesus rode
into the city on a young donkey. He was greeted like a
conquering hero. Cheering crowds waved palm branches in
tribute. He was hailed as the Messiah who had come to
re-establish a Jewish kingdom.
The next
day they returned to Jerusalem. Jesus went to the
temple, the epicentre of the Jewish faith, and
confronted money-changers and merchants who were ripping
off the people. He overturned their tables and accused
them of being thieves. The religious authorities were
alarmed and feared how he was stirring up the crowds.
On the
Tuesday, they challenged Jesus, questioning his
authority. He answered by challenging and condemning
their hypocrisy. Later that day Jesus spoke to his
disciples about future times. He warned them about fake
religious leaders; the coming destruction of Jerusalem;
wars, earthquakes and famines; and how his followers
would face persecution.
By midweek
the Jewish religious leaders and elders were so angry
with Jesus that they began plotting to arrest and kill
him. One of Jesus’ disciples, Judas, went to the chief
priests and agreed to betray him to them.
Jesus and
the 12 disciples gathered on the Thursday evening to
celebrate the Passover meal. This is known as the Last
Supper. During the evening, Jesus initiated a ritual
still marked by Christians – Holy Communion – which
commemorates his death. Jesus broke bread and shared it
and a cup of wine with his disciples.
Judas then
left to meet the other plotters. Jesus continued to
teach the others and then went outside into an olive
grove to pray. He even prayed for all future believers.
He agonised over what was to come but chose the way of
obedience. The Bible book, Luke, records him praying, ‘Father if you are willing, take
this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done’.
Minutes later Judas arrived with soldiers and the chief
priests and Jesus was arrested.
Pray for your neighbours – lift them to
the Lord!
Thank Him for all that they have done
for you!
Claim for your friends the promise of
His Word;
In intercession we find strength anew.
Ask of the Lord, and surely you’ll
receive
Seek now His will, and surely you will
find
Knock at His door, and truly we believe
In intercession we see God is kind.
Come to the Lord, for He is always
there!
Our worries, cares, and our concerns we
bring;
O waste no time, just come to Him in
prayer
In intercession we find God the King!
Ever wonder where the prayer … ‘May
I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and
follow thee more nearly, day by day’ comes from?
Richard of Chichester, a bishop in the 13th
century, wrote it.
He began life as Richard de Wych
of Droitwich, the son of a yeoman farmer.
But Richard was a studious boy, and after helping
his father on the farm for several years, refused an
advantageous offer of marriage, and instead made his way
to Oxford, and later to Paris and Bologna to study canon
law.
In 1235 he returned to Oxford,
and was soon appointed Chancellor, where he supported
Edmund, Archbishop of Canterbury, in his struggles
against King Henry III’s misuse of Church funds.
After further study to become a priest, Richard
was in due course made a bishop himself.
He was greatly loved.
He was charitable and accessible, both stern and
merciful to sinners, extraordinarily generous to those
stricken by famine, and a brilliant legislator of his
diocese. He
decreed that the sacraments were to be administered
without payment, Mass celebrated in dignified
conditions, the clergy to be chaste, to practise
residence, and to wear clerical dress.
The laity was obliged to attend Mass on Sundays
and holy days, and to know by heart the Hail Mary as
well as the Lord’s Prayer and the Creed.
Richard was also prominent in
preaching the Crusade, which he saw as a call to reopen
the Holy Land to pilgrims, not as a political
expedition.
He died at Dover on 3 April 1253.
In art, Richard of Chichester is represented with
a chalice at his feet, in memory of his having once
dropped the chalice at Mass!
One ancient English church is dedicated to him.
And, of course, he is author of
that famous prayer, now set to popular music, which runs
in full:
“Thanks be
to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ for all the benefits thou
hast given me, for all the pains and insults which thou
hast borne for me. O most merciful redeemer, friend and
brother, may I know thee more clearly, love thee more
dearly and follow thee more nearly, day by day.”
