North Wingfield Team Blog:
Comgall, the saint for those in education.
Here is a great saint for all teachers, head teachers and principals of educational institutions, and indeed anyone whose vocation is to train and equip others. For Comgall (c 516 – c 601) was founder and first abbot of Bangor, which became the largest monastery in Ireland. And large means LARGE – for including several daughter houses, the total population is reckoned to have been 3,000.
If you have ever run an educational institution of 3,000 pupils (!), you will know it takes a special kind of person to cope with that, and Comgall seems to have been perfect for the job. A biographer at the time called him ‘the outstanding father of the monks in Ireland, known for his insistence on study and strict discipline.’
Comgall’s rule had what it took to succeed. It was ‘strict, holy and constant’, both ‘graced with the hope of salvation and made perfect in love’, according to the 7th century writer Antiphoner of Bangor. Above all, followers were to love Christ, and reject the love of money.
Comgall also had a gift for friendship, for on the death of a close friend, he wrote in grief: ‘My soul-friend has died and I am headless; you too are headless, for a man without a soul-friend is a body without a head.’
Like heads and principals today, Comgall knew a lot of important people. He had trained Columbanus and knew Columba, whom he visited on Iona. They even preached the Gospel together in Inverness, to the pagan chieftain Brude.
Rogation Sunday (Sunday before Ascension).
Rogation means an asking of God - for blessing on the seed and land for the year ahead. It is appropriate in any emergency, war, plague, drought or foul weather.
The practice began with the Romans, who invoked the help of the gods Terminus and Ambarvalia. In those days a crowd moved in procession around the cornfields, singing and dancing, sacrificing animals, and driving away Winter with sticks. They wanted to rid the cornfields of evil.
In about 465 the Western world was suffering from earthquake, storm and epidemic. So Mamertius, Bishop of Vienne, aware of the popular pagan custom, ordered that prayers should be said in the ruined or neglected fields on the days leading up to Ascension. With his decision, ‘beating the bounds’ became a Christian ceremonial.
Rogation-tide arrived in England early in the eighth century and became a fixed and perennial asking for help of the Christian God. On Rogation-tide, a little party would set out to trace the boundaries of the parish. At the head marched the bishop or the priest, with a minor official bearing a Cross, and after them the people of the parish, with schoolboys and their master trailing along. Most of them held slender wands of willow.
At certain points along the route - at well-known landmarks like a bridge or stile or ancient tree, the Cross halted, the party gathered about the priest, and a litany or rogation is said, imploring God to send seasonable wealth, keep the corn and roots and boughs in good health, and bring them to an ample harvest. At some point beer and cheese would be waiting.
In the days when maps were neither common nor accurate, there was much to be said for ‘beating the bounds.’ It was still very common as late as the reign of Queen Victoria. Certainly, parish boundaries rarely came into dispute, for everyone knew them. (Do you know yours today?)
Julian of Norwich, a voice from a distant cell.
Julian of Norwich was born in 1342 and wrote at the end of the 14th century, when our modern English language was slowly emerging from its origins in Anglo-Saxon and Middle English.
We know little about Julian’s early life, but when she was 30, she fell ill and was near death when suddenly her pain left her, and she received 16 visitations. Julian wrote these down, in what became known as the ‘short text’. 20 years later she extended this to become her ‘long text’.
She was an anchoress – someone who had committed herself to a life of solitude, giving herself to prayer and fasting. St Julian’s, Norwich was the church where she had her little ‘cell’.
Julian taught that all things depend upon the love of God for their being. Her spirituality was focussed on the cross, and she wanted to share the sufferings of Christ. She believed that humanity is separated from God by sin, but redeemed through Christ, who reunites us with God. Julian also emphasised Christ as mother, but within a clear Trinitarian understanding of the godhead.
Her masterpiece, Revelations of Divine Love, reveals a mystic of such depth and insight that it is still read by many thousands of Christians today. One of the notable features is that her theology determined her experience, rather than the other way round.
She is honoured this month in the Lutheran and Anglican Churches, but although she is held in high regard by many Roman Catholics, her own Church has never felt able to recognise her as a ‘saint’. This is probably because she spoke of God as embracing both male and female qualities. Revelations is an account of the visions she received in her tiny room, which thousands of pilgrims visit every year.
Her most famous saying, quoted by T S Eliot in one of his poems, is ‘All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.’ These words have brought comfort and strength to many a soul in distress.
Don’t make decisions on an empty stomach.
Scientists at Harvard have found that when you have higher levels of the body’s hunger hormone, ghrelin, in your system, you are more likely to be impulsive. This means that you will be liable to make poor decisions, tending towards instant gratification rather than long-term achievement.
In one experiment, hungry women with a higher amount of the hunger hormone chose to receive £20 the same day, instead of £80 in two weeks’ time.
So, ghrelin may well “play a broader role in human related behaviour and decision making, such as monetary choices.”
Grace - God’s kindness towards us.
The word ‘grace’ is one of the most important words found in the New Testament. It means God’s loving disposition towards us as sinners. God’s ‘grace’ is almost another word for God’s love. This grace is the foundation of our salvation. So Paul can say that ‘we are justified freely by His grace’ (Romans 3:24); ‘where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more’ (Romans 5:20); ‘by grace you are saved through faith’ (Ephesians 2:8).
But the word ‘grace’ is also used in another way in the New Testament. It means the godly character being reproduced in Christians; Christ living in His people by His Spirit and making them like Himself – gracious.
Luke records that as Jesus grew up ‘the grace of God was upon Him’ (2:40), and that the people wondered at the ‘gracious words’ that He spoke (4:22). John says that Jesus was ‘full of grace and truth’ (1:14). The most common benediction bestowed on Christians in the letters of the New Testament is ‘the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (eg Romans 16:20; 1 Cor. 16:23).
From this understanding of grace comes the reminder and the exhortation that all of us as Christians are ‘to grow in grace’ (2 Peter 3:18). Our lives should manifest the grace of God in love and compassion and kindness.
But grace is not something we can achieve on our own. True grace is only found in close communion with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Wake up!
Remember the story of Jacob, and how God met him in a dream when he was sleeping on the desert floor with a rock for his pillow? The story in Genesis 28 says this: ‘When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”’
I wonder what place you find yourself in today, and if you are aware of God’s presence with you there?
It may be a geographical place, the place where you live or work. That may be a beautiful place to be, or it may be a very hard place to be, and you would much prefer to be somewhere else. Either way, God is with you there, for He is everywhere, and there is no place where He is not.
It may be an emotional place, as when we say, ‘I’m not in a good place right now’. How are you feeling today – up or down? Again, whatever mood you are in, God is with you for He knows us through and through. Having become human, He understands all our fluctuating emotions. He can comfort us right where we are.
It may be a phase of life that you are passing through, a stage on life’s journey or a transition as you move from one situation to another. You may be passing through the valley of grief and loneliness, or anxiously waiting for news of a loved one who is ill. No matter where you are, you are not alone, for God is with you whether you can feel His presence or not.
What is needed is for us to become more aware of God’s surrounding presence, to wake up to His closeness as did Jacob.
Lord, wake me up to your abiding presence, even this day.
The story behind the HYMN: ‘Lord, for the years’
Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided,
urged and inspired us, cheered us on our way,
sought us and saved us, pardoned and provided:
Lord for the years, we bring our thanks today.
Lord, for that word, the word of life which fires us,
speaks to our hearts and sets our souls ablaze,
teaches and trains, rebukes us and inspires us:
Lord of the word, receive your people's praise.
*Lord, for our hopes, the dreams of all our living,
Christ and his kingdom one united aim;
Rulers and peoples bound in high thanksgiving,
Lord of our hopes, our trust is in your Name. …
By Timothy Dudley Smith
This well-loved hymn was written in 1967 by the Revd Timothy Dudley Smith, who later became Bishop of Thetford. He later confessed: “I wrote it on a train when I was very pressed for time. I’m thankful if something I write gets picked up, but I suspect anyone who does something in a rush later regrets that they didn’t find time to apply the sandpaper a bit more!”
Dudley Smith had been asked to write a hymn for the centenary service of the Children’s Special Service Mission, now Scripture Union, in St Paul’s Cathedral. His commission was to write words that could be fitted to Jean Sibelius’s Finlandia, as it was to be accompanied by an orchestra with this tune in their repertoire. And so – ‘Lord for the years’ was written.
Dudley Smith need not have worried about lack of time – his lyrics were a ‘hit’ in the cathedral on the day, and went on to become so well-loved that George Carey chose the hymn to be sung at his consecration as Bishop of Bath and Wells, and then again later, in 1991, or his consecration as Archbishop in Canterbury Cathedral.
The hymn continued to be widely sung and loved, until in 2002 Timothy Dudley Smith was asked to write an extra verse for it so that it could even be sung around the time of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.
Many of the words in the hymn are true for the Queen herself, as she celebrates her 95th birthday
next month. She does indeed thank God ‘for the years your love has kept and guided, urged and inspired us, cheered us on our way’…
And so indeed the ‘extra’ verse added for the Queen has also held true:
Lord for our hopes, the dreams of all our living,
Christ and his kingdom one united aim,
Rulers and peoples bound in high thanksgiving,
Lord of our hopes, our trust is in your Name.
Church Commissioners to reduce carbon intensity of its portfolio by 2025.
The Church Commissioners for England have announced their goal to reduce the carbon intensity of their investment portfolio by 25% by 2025.
The 25% reduction target, based on a baseline of 2019, is “a realistic goal in our mission to create real world change to transition to a net zero global economy.”
The Church Commissioners have therefore committed to “increasing engagement activity with the highest emitting companies in our portfolio, as well as with our investment managers across all asset classes.”
They go on: “We are also increasing our policy work in the build-up to COP26 and beyond. This includes Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Deforestation and the Green Recovery.”
The 2025 target includes the Commissioners’ public equities and real estate portfolio.
James the Less, quiet son of Alphaeus.
One thing for sure: the apostles were not self-obsessed. In fact, many a church historian has wished that they had left us just a few more personal details about themselves in the New Testament. James the Less is an excellent example.
This is the name we give to James the son of Alphaeus, but beyond that, who was he? Sometimes he is identified as the James whose mother stood by Christ on the cross. Sometimes he is thought to be the James who was ‘brother of the Lord’. Sometimes he is thought to be the James who saw the risen Christ. He has also, and often, been called the first bishop of Jerusalem. And finally, sometimes James the Less has been thought of as the author of the Epistle of James.
But who really knows? If none of these identifications are correct, we know practically nothing about James the Less. So perhaps on this day we can simply recall ‘all’ of the James’ above, and thank God for the mother who stood by the cross, the brother that supported Jesus, the apostle who saw his risen Lord and gave his life to proclaiming the truth, the first bishop of Jerusalem, and the author of the marvellous Epistle of James. Whether it was one James or several, they were all faithful to Jesus, and proclaimed Him as the Messiah. So perhaps that should make them James the More!
James the Less has been given an unusual iconographic emblem: a fuller’s club. Tradition has it that he was beaten to death with one, after being sentenced by the Sanhedrin in AD62. In England there are only 26 churches which are dedicated to James the Less.
(Rosemary & I used to worship at James the Less,
Dorney).
Prayer is not an argument with God to persuade Him to move things our way, but an exercise by which we are enabled by the Holy Spirit to move ourselves His way. -Leonard Ravenshill.
True story.
Several years ago, a notice appeared on the vestry noticeboard of a church in Hampshire, after a Holy Week performance of Stainer’s ‘Crucifixion’.
The choirmaster wrote “The Crucifixion – well done, everyone!’
Later that day, someone had added, ‘The Resurrection – well done, God!’
You know you're into middle age when you realise that caution is the only thing you care to exercise.
Peter Chanel, missionary and martyr in the South Pacific 1841.
Many of us can show great dedication in pursuit of a career that will bring us a good salary or position. Peter Chanel should be the patron saint of anyone who shows quiet determination in doing what they believe to be God’s call upon their life; regardless of the harsh personal consequences.
Chanel was born at the end of the 18th century in mid-eastern France. He’d heard stories of the foreign missions as a youngster and wanted to be a missionary. His first step was seminary training and ordination in 1827.
But then Chanel hit a blank wall. Though eager to go abroad, his bishop sent him to a run-down local parish instead. Obedient, Chanel went – and revitalised the parish within three years. But he also joined the then still forming Society of Mary (Marists) who had a heart for foreign missionary work. But then – another blank wall – as even the Marists kept him in France, as the spiritual director at the Seminary of Belley.
It was not until 1836, that Chanel finally was allowed to join a mission to the South West Pacific. He set out with a band of Marist missionaries for Tahiti and Tonga, and finally reaching the neighbouring island of Futuna, in November 1837.
Chanel and the other missionaries were initially well received by the island's king, Niuliki. But when they began preaching to the people, the king grew restive. He feared Christianity would threaten his supreme powers. When the king's son, Meitala, sought baptism, the king decided to take action. His favoured warrior, Musumusu went to Chanel feigning need of medical attention. While Chanel tended him, Musumusu took an axe and clubbed Chanel on the head. Chanel died that day, 28th April 1841.
Chanel had only three and a half years on the mission field, but he did not die in vain: his work had laid the base for a future mission there. Within a very few years the people of Futuna converted, and even the warrior, Musumusu converted. As Musumusu lay dying he asked to be buried outside the church at Poi, so that those who came to revere Peter Chanel in the Church would walk over his grave to get to it. Chanel had achieved his life’s goal: a mission that took Jesus Christ to people in a far-flung corner of the world.
Tertullian, fierce firebrand of the Early Church.
Tertullian was born in Carthage, North Africa, about 155 AD. He had pagan parents and his father may have been a centurion. Carthage was a prestigious Roman colony and Tertullian was given a good education in Greek, Latin, literature, history and philosophy. On arrival in Rome, Tertullian probably worked as a lawyer.
In Rome, he also enjoyed visits to the arena, to see gladiators kill each other and Christians devoured by lions. However, Tertullian grew impressed with the Christians; by their courage, and willingness to die for their belief in one God. He was also moved by their compassion for the poor, the orphans and widows, and how they prayed for their persecutors. In AD 185, he converted, and married a Christian woman.
On Tertullian’s return to Carthage, he became a vociferous, if not always orthodox, defender of Christianity. He wrote in Latin, instead of Greek, and used legal terms to persuade the Roman establishment to cease its relentless persecution of Christians. He argued they had a right to a fair trial, instead of just being condemned to death.
Tertullian advocated that Christianity should stand uncompromisingly against the surrounding culture. He addressed a whole range of issues, from appropriate dress and marriage, to idolatry, repentance and baptism. He also wrote essays on prayer and devotion. Tertullian used the Scriptures to refute heresies, especially Gnosticism, which was a major threat to the Church at the time.
His prolific works are full of memorable phrases, puns and wit. While he could be gentle, sensitive, self-critical and reflective, he could also be aggressive and sarcastic. He devised the term New Testament, and also introduced the words penitence and sacrament. His most famous statement was the defiant: ‘The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church.’
Late in life, Tertullian sadly decided that Jesus and the Holy Spirit were not wholly equal with the Father. This was Montanism, one of the early Christian heresies. Although he coined the word Trinity, a word that does not appear anywhere in the Bible, sadly he did not mean a triune God, but a group of three. This was heresy, and so the Early Church was not able to recognise him as a saint. According to tradition, he died about AD 225.
Mark, disciple, apostle, writer of the second gospel.
Mark, whose home in Jerusalem became a place of rest for Jesus and His 12 apostles, is considered the traditional author of the second gospel. He is also usually identified as the young man, described in Mark 14:51, who followed Christ after his arrest and then escaped capture by leaving his clothes behind.
Papias, in 130, said that in later years Mark became Peter’s interpreter. If so, then this close friendship would have been how Mark gathered so much information about Jesus’ life. Peter referred to him affectionately as his ‘son’.
Mark was also a companion to Paul on his journeys. When Paul was held captive at Rome, Mark was with him, helping him. Mark’s Gospel, most likely written in Italy, perhaps in Rome, is the earliest account we have of the life of Jesus. Mark died about 74 AD.
Early in the 9th century Mark’s body was brought to Venice, whose patron he became, and there it has remained to this day. The symbol of Mark as an evangelist is the lion, and is much in evidence in Venice.
How to stay safe this Spring.
1. Avoid riding in automobiles. They are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents.
2. Do not stay home. 17% of all accidents occur in the home.
3. Avoid walking on streets or pavements. 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians.
4. Avoid traveling by air, rail, or water. 16% of all accidents involve these forms of transportation.
5. Of the remaining 33%, 32% of all deaths occur in Hospitals. So, above all else,
avoid hospitals.
BUT:
You will be pleased to learn that only .001% of all deaths occur in worship services in church, and these are usually related to previous physical disorders. Therefore, logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is at church!
A Bible study is safe, too. In fact, the percentage of deaths during Bible study is not even .001%...
So, attend church, and read your Bible - IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!
Notices found in church newsletters - that didn’t quite come out right!
This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs Brown, our church warden, to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.
Ladies are requested not to have children in the church kitchen.
For those who have children and don’t know it, we have a crèche in the crypt.
Bring & share church supper: Prayer and medication will follow.
Don’t let worry kill you. Let the Church help!
The organist invites anyone who enjoys sinning to volunteer for the choir.
At the church meeting last week the rector spoke briefly and delighted the audience.
Remember in prayer the many who are sick both of our church and the community.
Smile at someone who you find hard to love. Say ‘hell’ to someone who doesn’t much care about you.
I
It’s most likely that St George was a soldier, a Christian who was martyred for his faith somewhere in Palestine, possibly at Lydda, in the early fourth century. At some point in the early centuries of the Church he became associated with wider military concerns, being regarded as the patron saint of the Byzantine armies. There is no doubt that St George was held as an example of the ‘godly soldier’, one who served Christ as bravely and truly as he served his king and country. .
The story of George and the dragon is of much later date and no one seems to know where it comes from. By the Middle Ages, when George was being honoured in stained glass, the dragon had become an invaluable and invariable visual element, so that for most people the two are inseparable. Pub signs have a lot to answer for here: ‘The George and Dragon’. .
However, it’s probably more profitable to concentrate on his role as a man who witnessed to his faith in the difficult setting of military service, and in the end was martyred for his faithfulness to Christ..
The idea of the ‘Christian soldier’ was, of course, much loved by the Victorian hymn-writers - ’Onward, Christian soldiers!’ The soldier needs discipline. The heart of his commitment is to obedience. The battle cannot be avoided nor the enemy appeased. He marches and fights alongside others, and he is loyal to his comrades. In the end, if the battle is won, he receives the garlands of victory, the final reward of those who overcome evil..
St George’s Day presents a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is to distance the message of his life from the militarism and triumphalism that can easily attach itself to anything connected to soldiers and fighting. The opportunity is to celebrate the ideal of the ‘Christian soldier’ - one who submits to discipline, sets out to obey God truly, does not avoid the inevitable battle with all that is unjust, wrong and hateful in our world, and marches alongside others fighting the same noble cause.
Discipline, obedience, courage, fellowship and loyalty - they’re not the most popular virtues today, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve our admiration.
After the service they approached the priest, who spoke English, and asked him what had been so funny. The priest said he had announced a birth in the parish and had asked the father to stand up.
Anselm was born at Aosta in 1033, the son of a spendthrift Lombard nobleman, whom Anselm detested. In time he decided to become a Benedictine monk, and so joined Lanfranc’s famous monastery at Bec (c. 1060). He became prior, then abbot. He was loved by his monks, appreciated for his sensitivity and intuitiveness. He remained friends also with Lanfranc, who had gone on to be Archbishop of Canterbury. After Lanfranc’s death, Anselm reluctantly agreed to accept the job.
Archbishops did not have press offices in those days, but Anselm made his views on Church-versus-King known all the same, and they did not please the king. William Rufus exiled him in 1097 and King Henry I exiled him in 1103. Anselm was utterly committed to what he saw as the cause of God and the Church, and therefore had no time for temporal politics. Peace between archbishop and monarch was not achieved until 1106.
Anselm spent the rest of his life in England. His theological stance of ‘Faith seeking understanding’ and ‘the mind at faith’s service’ were the keys to his life and teaching.
For you believe in Me,
And I am with you, I will show
The way ahead of thee.
My Father’s house has many rooms
You know my words are so!
My Spirit and my Word illumes
The way that you shall go.
I am the Way, the Truth, the Life
Believe and you shall see
The way through tempest and through strife
To My eternity.
By Nigel Beeton
Alphege began like many other leading churchmen of his time; born of a noble family, with a good education, he decided to become a monk. Alphege joined the Benedictine Abbey at Deerhurst in Gloucestershire, and then became a hermit at Bath, before becoming Abbot of Bath. From there, he was appointed to be Bishop of Winchester, where he was loved for his frugal lifestyle and great generosity towards others.
In 954 King Ethelred the Unready sent Alphege as a peace envoy to the Danes, seeking some relief from the constant Viking raids against England. Alphege secured a time of peace, and in 1006 was made the 29th Archbisjhop of Canterbury.
But the Viking raids increased again, until the south of England was largely overrun. In 1012 they surrounded Canterbury, and with the help of a treacherous archdeacon, Elfmaer, captured and imprisoned Alphege. A vast sum was demanded by his captors, so much that it would have ruined the people of Canterbury. And so Alphege refused to be ransomed.
This infuriated the Danes, who wanted the gold of Canterbury, not the Archbishop. After seven months of ill-treating him, one night they got very drunk and began pelting him with ox-bones from their feast, until in a frenzy they hacked him to death with an axe.
Alphege was mourned as a national hero and venerated as a martyr: he had given his life in order to protect his people from harm.
Chocolate makes us feel better. The chemicals it contains trigger the release of endorphins similar to those we naturally produce when we fall in love.
But nutritionists warn against using chocolate as a pick-me-up, especially in the evening. Chocolate eaten before bedtime can cause blood glucose levels to plummet during the night, which will disrupt your sleep. Chocolate eaten in quantity every day can lead to mood and energy swings, weight gain and poor immunity. If you have mad cravings for it, you could have a problem with blood sugar, or a deficiency in magnesium, copper, zinc or iron.
But occasional consumption of cocoa can provide medical benefits. Chocolate containing 60 per cent or more cocoa solids is rich in essential trace elements and nutrients such as iron, calcium and potassium, and many vitamins. Cocoa is also the highest natural source of magnesium.
Good as all this may be – most of us enjoy chocolate simply because of its high sugar and caffeine content. Chocolate simply gives you an instant sugar hit, providing a sudden burst in energy, unfortunately followed by a slump and the desire for another sugar-fix.
So warns the Food Standards Agency. In a recent study, the regulator found that half of us do not always check use-by dates.
Many of us still smell the milk to see if it is still okay, and even Theresa May, the former Prime Minister, has admitted to scraping the mould off jam in order to cut waste.
The agency has warned that some Britons who actively ignore use-by dates could risk being hospitalised. Use-by dates are carefully calculated by assessing bacteria on food which could multiply to make them ill.
A spokesman for the agency said: “It’s great that consumers are trying to minimise food waste, but there are lots of ways to do that without gambling with your health, such as planning your meals ahead of time, checking what you have in the fridge that is close to its use-by date, and freezing food right up until the use-by dates.”
Sadly, there are around 2.4million cases of food poisoning each year, and 180 deaths.
Petals of every colour and hue,
Rain and sun caressing the earth
Inspiring spring bulbs to come into view
Now is the time of new beginnings
Giving us pleasure all season through.
By Megan Carter
The religious affairs of a parish, as well as its secular business had been controlled by a single committee, which met in the church and was known as the ‘Vestry’. Then, in 1894, Parish Councils were formed to deal with secular matters; the Vestry continued to oversee church affairs until 1921, when Parochial Church Councils (PCC) were established. People still get confused by the two.
Churchwardens have been around since the 13th Century and legally ‘own’ the movable contents of the church. They are meant to maintain order in the church and churchyard, with the assistance of their staves, if necessary. In the event of serious disorder today, a mobile phone might be a safer instrument, with staves reserved for ceremonial occasions! Churchwardens are now chosen by parishioners, though the Incumbent (ie Vicar or Rector) has a limited right of veto.
Today, anyone on the Electoral Roll of the church (sorry, this is another confusion, for the secular Electoral Roll is entirely separate) can attend the Annual Parochial Church Meeting, which elects the PCC. The Incumbent is an ex officio member, as are other licensed clergy and Churchwardens, members of the Deanery Synod, plus any member of the Diocesan Synod and General Synod who lives in the parish or is on the Roll. The Incumbent chairs the PCC, which elects a Vice-Chair and appoints a Standing Committee to transact business between meetings.
The purpose of a PCC, which must meet at least four times a year, is to consult together with the Incumbent “on matters of general concern and importance to the parish”, and that includes the “whole mission of the Church”. Did you know that changes to the forms of service, or the vesture or the minister, can only happen after consultation?
Inevitably, money and building maintenance take up a lot of room on the Agenda, though we all know they are less important than mission. It’s a real challenge for every PCC member to pray for non-churchgoing parishioners and to find imaginative ways of introducing them to Christ and His Church.
If you’ve got this far and are a member of your PCC or DCC - congratulations - you are a hundred years old this year!
He rang the vaccination centre and asked if he should go straight to the hospital for help. He was told NOT to go to the hospital, but instead to return at once to the vaccination centre and pick up his glasses….
Carpus, Papylus and Agathonice lived in Pergamum (Asia Minor) in the late second century. Carpus was a bishop, Papylus was a deacon, and Agathonice was his sister. Trouble began when the proconsul Optimus ordered them to sacrifice in the name of the emperor.
Carpus refused, saying, ‘I am a Christian and because of my faith and the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I cannot become one of you.’ He was hung up and tortured by iron claws.
Papylus was a wealthy citizen, but he had also led many people to faith in Christ. As he suffered the same fate as Carpus, he said, ‘I feel no pain because I have Someone to comfort me; One whom you do not see suffers within me.’ Both men were then burnt alive.
Finally, it was his sister’s turn. She too refused to sacrifice to demons. ‘If I am worthy,’ she said, ‘I desire to follow the footsteps of my teachers.’ On being urged to have pity on her children, she replied, ‘My children have God, who watches over them; but I will not obey your commands.’ As she was consigned to the flames, she cried out three times: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, help me because I am enduring this for you.’ She died soon after.
Terrible deaths, but also, triumphant ones. These three Christians loved Jesus so much that the only thing they could NOT bear was to deny Him. Sadly, the persecution goes on today, in countries where Jesus Christ is still bitterly hated. Pray for the Christians who live in these countries, that they too may have courage and endurance – to the end.
For instance: ethnic diversity...church-planting… teaching…. concern for the poor… women’s ministry in the church… sound like modern-day Christian concerns? Not a bit of it – this was the life work of Zeno, bishop of Verona in the fourth century.
Ethnic diversity? Zeno was an African who had been consecrated a bishop in Italian Verona. Church-planting and teaching? Zeno had a reputation as a hard-working pastor and dedicated preacher who founded churches throughout his domain. Some of his sermons still survive.
Concern for the poor? Zeno was zealous in alms-giving, and encouraged others to do the same. Women’s ministry? He founded nunneries and encouraged virgins living at home to be consecrated long before ever Ambrose did the same in Milan.
As for down-time? Zeno may well have been addicted to fishing in his spare time – he is, after all, usually represented with a fish. Nothing wrong with that: the links between fishermen and Christian leaders go back a long way!
But as Christians we live in expectation all the time, don’t we? We live in the hope and promise of Christ’s return – even though we don’t know the ‘when’ or the ‘where’.
Of course, there’s waiting and there’s waiting. I won’t say I’m the most patient person I know! If the internet goes down or something mechanical takes a few seconds too long to process, you can often hear me chuntering. But there are other times when the waiting itself is precious. I’m thinking this month of when we receive the bread and wine at the distribution of Holy Communion.
Perhaps you have avoided church since the original lockdown in March, or been going but not receiving communion, or indeed you have been participating with an online service with your own equivalents at home. Whichever it is for you, cast your mind back to when you were last in that position – or indeed look forward to when we are all able to gather together again and we ‘queue’ to approach the altar.
Actually, we don’t ‘queue’. We ‘process’ to the altar. We join the procession – a line of like-minded people with a similar intention to receive Christ. A time of physical movement and spiritual anticipation for holding those elements of Christ Himself: God being placed into our hands. How amazing is that!
This month: What do you think about when you are processing and waiting for Holy Communion? Are you conscious of those around you or immersed in the moment? Do you pray quietly to yourself, join in with the singing or let your mind focus on the moment?
I wonder what St James would say about emails! He had plenty to say about how what we say can cause lots of damage. He wrote that the tongue is a like a spark which starts a forest fire. It is easy to say a thoughtless thing or inadvertently spread gossip or speculation.
Emails are a great way of communicating. You can send a message to someone in the same parish or across the world almost instantly. Lawyers always ask, “have you got evidence in writing?” Telephone calls or face to face conservations are still evidence but it is difficult to prove what was said. Conversations are recorded so you can see the chain of who said what and when. Emails are quick and free.
Emails can, however, easily be harmful. You can accidentally send a personal or private message to the wrong person or even worse copy it to lots of people. It is also difficult to judge the tone of an email, whether it is light-hearted or serious, cross or joyful. When are on the telephone or speaking face to face it is easier to tell whether the speaker is feeling angry or light-hearted.
Sometimes we need a break. Emails are good but many people find you can never get away from them and constantly check for business messages while at home or on leave. Perhaps we should not send emails to the vicar on a Sunday night while she is watching Strictly. Some discussions are better face to face, and always double check who you are sending it to or copying to.
And more than half of us have actually gone on to repeat jokes with punchlines which we don’t ourselves understand. More than half of us have even researched a joke in order to try and figure out what was supposed to be so funny about it.
In research done by a British neuroscientist, it was found that humour that relies on puns or more obscure concepts is the most likely to confuse audiences. While laughter is universal, humour is very subjective. People all over the world laugh, but what they find to be funny varies widely, depending on culture, context and language.
During the research, it was found that two of the most misunderstood jokes are:
Some Omega-3 vitamins fell on my head when I opened the cupboard. I got super fish oil injuries.
What does a dyslexic, agnostic insomniac do at night? He stays up wondering if there really is a dog.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been thousands of shining examples up and down the country of people going the extra mile to help the elderly, vulnerable and those at risk. The helpers have been shopping, cooking meals, making regular telephone calls, and checking that needs are being met. We must sincerely hope that these acts of kindness will continue well beyond the coronavirus outbreak.
Simple acts of kindness are so important in cementing the fabric of our society. Some years ago, this thought inspired the following poem:
There is much we can do just to brighten
This world of all take and no give,
There's a great deal that we can contribute
Through the everyday lives that we live.
By supporting one's elderly neighbours
Or through lending a hand in some way
It's by taking a bunch of spring flowers
To someone to brighten their day.
It's by sparing a few precious hours
In the service of those most in need
It's all about setting a standard
And trying to give others a lead
It’s the way that we tend to treat others
And help and aid folks in distress
It’s the care and assistance we offer
That will set us apart from the rest.
The choice that we face is quite simple
The rewards plain for all men to see
‘As you did all of this to my brother
Then’ said Christ, ‘you did it to Me.’
By Colin Hammacott
Jesus’ appearances after His Resurrection.
The following list of witnesses may help you put all those references in order….
| Mary Magdalene | Mark 16:9-11; John 20:10-18 |
| 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 |
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 the first Good Friday: Friday 7th April 30 AD or Friday 3rd April, 33 AD with Easter Day falling two days later. Modern scholars continue to think these two Fridays to be 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 22nd March, which last fell in 1818. The latest is 25th April, which last happened in 1943
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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.
One Solitary Life
Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was 30, and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never travelled two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. He had nothing to do with this world except the power of His divine manhood.
While still a young man, the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth while He was dying—and that was his coat.
When He was dead, He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. 19 wide centuries have come and gone and today He is the centre-piece of the human race …
All the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that One Solitary Life.
Good Friday, Jesus and the thieves on the Cross.
Luke’s account of the crucifixion (Luke 23:32-43) emphasises the mocking of the crowd, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself’ (35,37,39). In their view a Messiah does not hang on a cross and suffer. In considering the two men who were crucified with Jesus, we are also confronted with the issue of how Jesus secures salvation for us.
The words of one of those crucified with Jesus reflected the crowd’s taunts: ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us.’ He highlights the question of Jesus’ identity: how can He save others, when He cannot save Himself from death? He failed to see that the cross itself was the means of salvation.
So - what kind of Messiah was Jesus?
The other criminal’s response in his last moments is a moving expression of faith. When challenging the other man, he spoke of the utter injustice of the crucifixion: ‘this man has done nothing wrong.’ He perceived the truth that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. In a wonderful picture of grace, ‘remember me when You come into Your kingdom’, the second thief confessed his guilt and secured Jesus’ forgiveness and mercy.
In reply, Jesus promised the man life from the moment of death; ‘Today you will be with Me in paradise.’ Jesus used the picture of a walled garden to help the man understand His promise of protection and security in God’s love and acceptance eternally.
Each one of us has to choose how we react to Jesus on the cross. Do we want Him to ‘remember’ us when He comes into His kingdom, or not? If you were to die tonight, how confident would you be of going to be with Jesus? ‘For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God’’ (1 Peter 3:18).
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?
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.
Easter Hope
“So many people right across the country are anxious about employment, anxious about food, isolated from loved ones and feel that the future looks dark.” These are words from the Archbishop of Canterbury’s sermon on Easter Day 2020. Who would have thought that we are experiencing the same uncertainties this Easter!
Yet the Easter story remains one of hope overcoming darkness and despair. The women arrived at the tomb on Easter morning with mixed emotions, as they came to anoint Jesus’ body. ‘But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.’ (Mark 16:4). They were confused, as they tried to make sense of Jesus’ death. Their hopes were dashed with an uncertain future. In the current pandemic, we too are left asking: Where is God in all this?
The young man at the tomb reminds them that God is still in control: “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.” (Mark 16:6).
The women had forgotten Jesus’ promise to the disciples that He would die and rise from the dead. Jesus’ resurrection is also the sure foundation of hope for us in the present crisis. He turns our confusion and fear into joy and wonder! We can trust Jesus’ plan for the future of our world and lives, despite the fact that things can’t return to the way they were: “There needs to be a resurrection of our common life, a new normal, something that links to the old, but is different and more beautiful. We must dream it, build it, make it, grasp it, because it is the gift of God and the call of God.” (Justin Welby).
As we celebrate Easter, it raises the question: What difference can the Resurrection make to my life?
My past is forgiven:
Have you ever been half-way through a project and wanted to start again? In life we all have regrets about things we have done, said or thought. The good news is that Jesus died to forgive these things: ‘All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant cancelled and nailed to Christ’s cross.’ (Colossians 2:14, The Message). The resurrection is the guarantee that we can know Jesus’ pardon and forgiveness. Do we need to let go a load of guilt and unforgiveness that we are carrying?
My present is under control:
How often do we say ‘My life is out of control.’ We can’t control life, but God can! The ‘incomparably great power at work for those who believe’ is the same power that raised Christ from the dead (Ephesians 1:20). God promises us the power that we need to face any situation, as we trust Him: ‘I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.’ (Philippians 4:13).
My future is secure:
Death is the great certainty, ‘one out of one dies!’. Yet Jesus overcame death by the resurrection, that we might experience the life of heaven, both now and for eternity. ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in Me will never die’. (John 11:25,26). We don’t need to fear death; but if we are to really live, we have to be ready to die! How does the resurrection affect our view of death?
‘The best news the world has ever had came from a cemetery near Jerusalem: the tomb was empty!’
What was the largest ever Easter egg hunt?
The most-ever entrants for an egg hunt competition was 12,773. It was The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt, as part of World Record London, in London, UK in April 2012.
What was the largest-ever decorated Easter egg?
This was built in March 2008, by Freeport in Alcochete, Portugal. It measured 14.79 m (48 ft 6 in) long and 8.40 m (27 ft 6 in) in diameter.
What was the largest ever chocolate Easter egg?
It was made in Tosca (Italy) and weighed 7,200 kg (15,873 lbs 4.48 oz). It had a circumference of 19.6 m (64 ft 3.65 in) at its widest point. It was exhibited in a shopping centre in Cortenuova, Italy, in April 2011.
What was the largest ever Easter egg tree?
This was set by Zoo Rostock GmbH, Rostock, Germany, who decorated a tree with 76,596 painted hens’ eggs in April 2007.
What about the most expensive hot cross bun?
This was baked in 1829 in Stepney, London, UK. It was bought by Bill Foster (UK) for £155 at the Antiques for Everyone show at the NEC in Birmingham, West Midlands, UK, in April 2000. Hot cross buns were originally made to hang in the kitchen to ward off evil spirits.
What was the biggest-ever (real) Easter bunny?
So far, the longest rabbit was Darius, a Flemish giant rabbit owned by Annette Edwards (UK), who was found to be 4 ft 3 in (129 cm) long when measured for an article in the UK’s Daily Mail newspaper in April 2010.
As of April 2019.
Holy Week began yesterday with Palm Sunday, when the Church remembers how Jesus arrived at the gates of Jerusalem just a few days before the Passover was due to be held. He was the Messiah come to His own people in their capital city, and yet He came in humility, riding on a young donkey, not in triumph, riding on a war-horse.
As Jesus entered the city, the crowds gave Him a rapturous welcome, throwing palm fronds into His path. They knew His reputation as a healer, and welcomed Him. But sadly, the welcome was short-lived and shallow, for Jerusalem would soon reject her Messiah, and put Him to death. On this day churches worldwide will distribute little crosses made from palm fronds in memory of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem.
Palm Sunday & Holy Week.
The events of Easter took place over a week, traditionally called 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 the 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.
Rupert the salty Rupert is the saint for you if you like The Sound of Music – or salt with your food!
Rupert (d c 710) was bishop of Worms and Salzburg, and it was he who founded the great monastery of St Peter in Salzburg in the eighth century, thus firmly establishing Christianity in that city. True, it would be another 11 centuries before a certain young wanna-be-nun wandered about singing of her ‘Favourite Things’ and ‘Something Good’, but you have to start somewhere.
In the meantime, Rupert also helped the people of Salzburg by developing the salt-mines nearby. This was ‘something good’ as well, because it brought in an income. Though if salt became a too ‘favourite thing’, it would also have raised the locals’ blood pressure.
Rupert’s iconographical emblem is a barrel of salt, which makes sense, but is not as romantic as raindrops on roses, or whiskers on kittens.
The good news about your forgetfulness.
You know the scenario – you go into the lounge, and then wonder what you wanted. Or you need to make a phone call but can’t find the phone. You go to the cash point and forget your pin number. Or your car keys are lost in the kitchen, but even when you find them and go shopping, you forget stuff on the list.
If at times you find yourself living in an annoying brain-fog, the good news is that it is not because you are ill or getting old. To varying extents, everyone does it.
A recent study at the University of Edinburgh has found that forgetfulness is as common in people in their 20s as it is in people in their 50s. Although some of the people in the study were worried about getting dementia, a neuropsychiatrist at the university reassured them: “People think that if you are starting to forget things – something like misplacing your keys – that is something to worry about. But it is normal.”
Good reasons for forgetting things range from the fact that too much was happening in your life at the time, you were stressed about something, not paying attention to what you were doing, or just too busy thinking about something else entirely.
Lady Day or The Annunciation.
This beautiful event (Luke 1:26-38) took place in Nazareth, when Mary is already betrothed to Joseph. The Archangel Gabriel comes to Mary, greets her as highly favoured, tells her not to be afraid, that she will bear a son Jesus, and that her elderly cousin Elizabeth is already pregnant (with John the Baptist).
The church calendar is never quite as neat as some would like it. To celebrate the Annunciation on 25th March does indeed place the conception of Jesus exactly nine months from His birth on 25th December, but the latter part of March almost inevitably falls during Lent. But the birth and death of Jesus are intrinsically linked - He was born to die, and thus fulfil God’s purposes.
The Annunciation is a significant date in the Christian calendar - it is one of the most frequent depicted in Christian art. Gabriel’s gracious strength and Mary’s humble dignity have inspired many artists. Certainly, Mary’s response to the angel has for centuries been an example of good faith in practice - humility, enquiry of God, and trusting acceptance in His will for her life.
Lessons of Lockdown
This past year may have altered your perspective on life. Some of the following statements may be worth thinking about….
o Life is precarious
o A nurse is worth more than a professional footballer
o Spare time isn’t a waste of time
o A smile is precious
o Being alone isn’t the same as loneliness
o Hard work doesn’t guarantee employment
o I’m spending more on food & drink and less on church & charity
o Silence opens us to creative ideas
o Social media are a mixed blessing
o Shopping needn’t be addictive
o Driving less and walking more is good for humanity
o Isolation teaches us we need each other to generate energy
o Getting back to ‘normal’ isn’t God’s plan for the human race
o When everything else is shut, God is open
Prayer for Families.
Dear Father God,
In this month, when we especially think about mothers, we thank you for the families and friends you have given us. You know how hard it has been to have been separated over these past months, how much we have missed and longed for their hugs, their physical presence and fellowship.
As we hold on to the hope of overcoming the pandemic, help us to be strengthened by the power of the love we receive - and to strengthen others by the love we give.
May we know that, wherever we are, whatever our circumstances, we and our loved ones are held safe and connected by your unfailing love for us, revealed in Jesus – who is alive - and from whom nothing, no pandemic, no man-made turmoil, absolutely nothing and no-one can separate us, when we put our trust in Him.
Thank you, Father, that we belong to your family. Thank you for the love and security we have in you.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thoughts
‘Tis God’s will I would do,
My own will I would rein;
Would give to God his due,
From my own due refrain;
God’s path I would pursue,
My own path would disdain;
For Christ’s death would I care,
My own death duly weighed;
Christ’s pain my silent prayer,
My God-love warmer made;
‘Tis Christ’s cross I would bear,
My own cross off me laid;
Repentance I would make,
Repentance early choose;
Rein for my tongue would take,
Rein for my thoughts would use;
God’s judgment would I mind,
My own judgment close-scanned;
Christ’s freedom seizing bind,
My own freedom in hand;
Christ’s love close-scanned would find,
My own love understand.
From Poems of the Western Highlanders
Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury & Reformation Martyr
If you have ever been caught up in a great event at work, which has gone on to change your own life, then Thomas Cranmer is the saint for you. He was the first ever Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, following King Henry VIII’s decision to pull away from Rome, and set up the Church of England.
Born in Nottingham in1489, Thomas Cranmer became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1533. He was adviser to both Henry VIII and Edward VI. He helped Henry with the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, and along with Thomas Cromwell, supported the principle of Royal Supremacy (where the king is sovereign over the Church in his realm).
Under Edward VI, Thomas Cranmer made major reforms to the C of E. He put the English Bible into parish churches, compiled the first two versions of the Book of Common Prayer, and worked with continental reformers to change doctrine on everything from the Eucharist and veneration of saints.
But kings and queens, like American presidents, change, and the Catholic Queen Mary I was determined to wipe out Protestantism. Thomas Cranmer was imprisoned for two years, found guilty of heresy, and burned at the stake on 21st March 1556.
Spring Harvest 2021 goes online
Christian festival Spring Harvest has axed its 2021 in-person events, saying it is "no longer viable or responsible" to host the gatherings at their flagship Butlins locations.
Spring Harvest continues to plan for events in 2022. But in the meantime, Spring Harvest Home 2021, the online event which has already been months in the planning, is set to be “bolder and better than ever before”. Spring Harvest will now start online on Easter Sunday evening.
According to Spring Harvest, Butlins will issue refunds to anyone who has already paid a deposit for the 2021 in-person full event.
What can you share with each other right now?
Why not ring round and invite three or four people in your church to share ‘A day in my life under lockdown’? – get them to send you 100 words of how they are spending their time at home, and what they actually like about it?
Or invite them to send in 100 words on ‘The three things I most want to do when coronavirus is over.’
Or start a list of those in your church who have had the vaccine, and then add to it each month. That may encourage the others, that there is indeed a ‘way out’ of all this.
Or, why not ring round and invite people in your church to share ‘What my mother has meant to me this past year.’ – 50 words of praise for all the loving care their mother has provided to the family.
A reflection on The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:1-18)
Our Father in heaven, please help us.
We, your children, learn slowly.
So often we say nothing when your name is mis-used.
Often our lives do not reflect your ways,
Mostly we do what we want on earth,
And this can make heaven unimaginable.
We expect so much more than we actually need each day.
Sometimes we think we don’t need forgiveness,
Sometimes we think we are unforgivable,
And we forget that other people make these same errors of thinking.
When it comes to temptation, we find our own ways,
We are confused about what is and is not evil,
We are confused about deliverance,
We are confused………………
And here is the wonder, the grace and the mystery,
That you know us completely,
Our failings, our secrets,
And love us forever and ever,
Amen.
St Patrick, beloved apostle to Ireland.
St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. If you’ve ever been in New York on St Patrick’s Day, you’d think he was the patron saint of New York as well... the flamboyant parade is full of American/Irish razzmatazz.
It’s all a far cry from the hard life of this 5th century humble Christian who became in time both bishop and apostle of Ireland. Patrick was born the son of a town councillor in the west of England, between the Severn and the Clyde. But as a young man he was captured by Irish pirates, kidnapped to Ireland, and reduced to slavery. He was made to tend his master’s herds.
Desolate and despairing, Patrick turned to prayer. He found God was there for him, even in such desperate circumstances. He spent much time in prayer, and his faith grew and deepened, in contrast to his earlier years, when he “knew not the true God”.
Then, after six gruelling, lonely years he was told in a dream he would soon go to his own country. He either escaped or was freed, made his way to a port 200 miles away and eventually persuaded some sailors to take him with them away from Ireland.
After various adventures in other lands, including near-starvation, Patrick landed on English soil at last, and returned to his family. But he was much changed. He had enjoyed his life of plenty before; now he wanted to devote the rest of his life to Christ. Patrick received some form of training for the priesthood, but not the higher education he really wanted.
But by 435, well-educated or not, Patrick was badly needed. Palladius’ mission to the Irish had failed, and so the Pope sent Patrick back to the land of his slavery. He set up his see at Armagh and worked principally in the north. He urged the Irish to greater spirituality, set up a school, and made several missionary journeys.
Patrick’s writings are the first literature certainly identified from the British Church. They reveal sincere simplicity and a deep pastoral care. He wanted to abolish paganism, idolatry, and was ready for imprisonment or death in the following of Christ.
Patrick remains the most popular of the Irish saints. The principal cathedral of New York is dedicated to him, as, of course, is the Anglican cathedral of Dublin.
Signs found outside churches....
* Free Trip to heaven. Details Inside!
* Searching for a new look? Have your faith lifted here!
* Dusty Bibles lead to Dirty Lives.
* Come work for the Lord. The work is hard, the hours are long and the pay is low. But the retirement benefits are out of this world.
Thank God for dentists.
Here is something gruesome: last year the sale of DIY dentistry first aid kits nearly doubled. People actually attempted to give themselves lost fillings, caps and crowns.
Most popular were products that offered ‘long-lasting’ temporary repair for caps and fillings, and a first aid kit.
The British Dental Association understands why; because of lockdown, there were 20 million fewer dental treatments available last year than in 2019. That left some people desperate.
But experts warn against the damage that could be done. Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation, says: “DIY home dentistry is a terrible idea and should be avoided at all costs. Home treatments in untrained hands … can lead to permanent damage to your health.”
The good news is that dental surgeries are now back to relative normality. So – book an appointment if you need one!
Mothering Sunday & Mother Church.
The Fourth Sunday in Lent was called ‘Mid-Lent’ or ‘Refreshment Sunday’, when the rigors of Lent were relaxed more than was normal for a feast day. It is called Mothering Sunday as a reference to the Epistle reading for the Day (Galatians 4:21-31). The Lenten Epistles follow from each other with teaching about our life as Christians and how we are to follow Christ.
On Mid-Lent Sunday the Epistle talks of bondage and freedom; the bondage of the Law and the Old Covenant as compared to the freedom in Christ, "the promised one", and the New Covenant. Verse 26 reads "But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all." We gain our freedom from Christ and, as it was seen before the Reformation, the Church.
Thus, Mothering Sunday is about the freedom that we gain through the promise of Jesus Christ delivered through our Mother the Church. People were encouraged to go to their ‘Mother Church’ (their home church or their home Cathedral) to worship and give thanks. Hence apprentices, and others, went home for the weekend and often brought gifts (or accumulated pay) home to their family.
On the other hand, Mother's Day is a secular festival invented in 1904 and is celebrated on the 2nd Sunday in May in most countries in the world. The UK seems to be the exception. In recent years Mothering Sunday has been hijacked to take the place of a special, secular day to give thanks for our mothers.
From the Vicar.
It was just over a year ago that the WHO discussed the coronavirus that was starting to spread around the world. None of us could have foreseen the devastating effect on our world, with over 80 million people infected and nearly 2 million deaths. How has the pandemic challenged our faith over the last year?
Firstly, it has forced us to face up to the reality of our situation. We cannot underestimate the health, social and economic effects of the virus on our lives, churches and communities. We have learned how to do church online, but the future shape of church life is uncertain! As the apostle Paul writes: ‘We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus’ (2 Cor 4:8-10). The pandemic has challenged so much of what we take for granted, but also demonstrated that God is alongside to help us in these circumstances.
Secondly, alongside the fear and uncertainty of this year, we have also learned to find new faith and hope in Jesus. The experience of Jesus’ death and His resurrection provides a pattern for us in facing the future: ‘so that His life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.’ (2 Cor 4:10-12).
During the season of Lent, it’s good to focus on the promise of sharing in the death and resurrection of Jesus. As we consider our present struggles, are we ready to surrender them afresh to Jesus?
Editor: The Revd Canon Paul Hardingham considers the need to stay connected
When your prayer is not answered.
2 Cor. 12:8; ‘Three times I asked the Lord about this …BUT…’
Paul is talking about one of the most mysterious and one of the most baffling aspects of prayer – when God does not say yes.
On the face of it, Paul’s prayer was very modest. For some time he had been troubled by ‘a thorn in the flesh.’ He doesn’t tell us what the ‘thorn’ was and down the centuries theologians and commentators have made suggestions. Most of them have thought that the affliction was physical because Paul says it was ‘in the flesh.’ Some have suggested that he suffered from epileptic fits which caused him to fall down, while others have suggested that he was laid low by constant fevers or that he had very poor eyesight, the last based on his remarks in Galatians 6:11. But in spite of this great servant of the Lord praying earnestly three times that the thorn would be removed, God did not answer as Paul expected. A number of things in this passage (verses 7-10) are very helpful to all of us in the matter of prayer.
First, although God’s answer was not what Paul asked for, God did answer him. God is never indifferent to the prayers we utter from the depth of our heart. Unlike the idol Baal in the Old Testament story about Elijah, (1 Kings 18) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus is not on a journey, nor is He busy elsewhere, nor is He sleeping. He hears our prayers and our cries when we come to Him in our need and pain and distress.
Second, although Paul did not get the answer he wanted, God made him a wonderful promise. He said, ‘My grace is sufficient for you’ (v.9). This was not what Paul asked for, yet what a promise it was! God said in effect. ‘I will not take the thorn away – but my daily grace is all-sufficient.’ In spite of the thorn, Paul will triumph. When God gives us all-sufficient grace, it will take care of everything in our lives.
Thirdly, Paul learnt that God’s wonderful grace meant that in his weakness ‘the power of Christ’ (v.9) would be with him, the power that would make him effective and fruitful in his ministry.
Fourthly, this experience taught Paul that he could be ‘content with weaknesses and insults’ (v.10) because it was for Christ’s sake, and when he is weak in himself, he is strong in Christ (v.10).
So what about unanswered prayer? Unless our prayer was selfish and not for our good in the first place, God does answer our cry. When the answer is not what we expected, then it means that our loving Father has something for us even better and more important than what we asked for.
Dr Herbert McGonigle was formerly Senior Lecturer in Historical Theology and Church History, Nazarene Theological College, Manchester
Getting outside: Time outdoors in a natural environment is very good for you – and you can’t argue with the happy hormones produced by exercise. Attending to the details of nature can also inspire awe, which has been linked to positive mood, and increased life satisfaction. Enjoying creation can also help us connect with God.
Looking outside: If you are truly stuck indoors, try putting bird feeders outside your window so creation comes to you. This is also an act of kindness (see below)!
Lament & praise: The Psalms are a rich resource to help us express both our grief and our thanks to God. Try reading one or two each day.
Journaling: Keep a journal of thoughts, experiences or practices you have engaged with during the day. Constructing a personal narrative or story is now recognised as a very powerful psychological and spiritual tool for building resilience. It is also a vital learning tool that we can go back to when tough times return in the future.
Acts of kindness: Helping or encouraging someone else is obviously a good thing to do in itself, but it also has a very positive effect on the giver - spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and even physically. Whichever way you look at it, finding new ways to show kindness to others can be a very effective way to help ourselves feel better too.
Gratitude: Gratitude is another natural drug – in a sense – that can help us feel better. Try keeping a grateful diary, adding a few things each day.
Laugh, sing, make music, dance: All of these activities are deeply rooted in our physical and mental makeup. You may have forgotten how great they feel, especially in times of sadness, but we can learn from children who do them very naturally.
I hope these ideas may help bring us closer to God, each other, and His creation.
Even a five-minute nap can offer your brain a chance to down-time and replenish itself, so that it is ‘good to go’ again.
If you want longer than five minutes, try to stop at 40 minutes, before you enter the deepest stage of sleep. If you do carry on, sleep for two hours, which is a full sleep-cycle. The study was published in the British Medical Journal.
Savio (1842 – 57) was born into a poor family in Riva, near Turin. There were 10 children. The father was a blacksmith, the mother a seamstress. Somehow, they managed school fees, and when Dominic was 12, he was sent to the famous school of John Bosco at Turin.
A strict Roman Catholic school wasn’t exactly the set for ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’, but Savio loved it. He responded with enthusiasm to the wise and moderate spiritual guidance of Bosco, and began to grow. He was soon widely loved for his cheerfulness and friendliness to all. He was respected by fellow students for his mature, sound advice. Behind it all lay the key: Savio had discovered God for himself, and had responded with all his heart: one story of him tells how he was rapt in prayer for six hours continuously.
Sadly, Dominic Savio contracted tuberculosis. He accepted his disease with dignity and composure. He did not fear death – his deep and radiant faith assured him that something far better lay beyond.
Savio died aged only 15. He had never been a millionaire; his riches lay in his faith in Jesus Christ. The memory of this lovable lad lived on, so deeply had he touched the hearts of the people who knew him. Over 100 years later he was still remembered – and made a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.
And it all began with one man, back in 630 A.D, a bishop named Felix. His name in Latin means ‘successful’ and ‘happy’ – an excellent description of someone who brought great good and stability to this beautiful corner of England.
Felix came from Burgundy in France. At some point he was consecrated bishop, and went to Canterbury, to see Honorius, the Archbishop of Canterbury. In 630 the Christian King Sigebert returned from exile in Gaul to rule the East Angles, and Honorius sent Felix along with him, to evangelise the people. According to local legend, Felix went by boat, and arrived at Bablingley in Norfolk.
Felix may well have known Sigebert back in Gaul, for the two men worked exceptionally well together. Sigebert settled Felix in Dunwich, which became the centre of his diocesan ‘see’. Then, with the support of Sigebert, Felix set up the first-ever school in East Anglia. He brought teachers up from Canterbury to staff it, and the school became, according to Bede, the place “where boys could be taught letters".
Felix had a fruitful ministry to the Anglo Saxons for 17 years. He preached Christianity, encouraged the school to grow, and did a lot of other good. All in all, Felix brought the love of God, the good news of Jesus, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit, delivering "all the province of East Anglia from long-standing unrighteousness and unhappiness," according to Bede. Certainly, the people came to love Felix.
When Felix finally died on 8th March 647 or 648, he left the Christian faith firmly embedded in East Anglia. Six ancient English churches are dedicated to Felix, and Felixstowe bears his patronage.
The stream is flowing,
The small birds twitter,
The lake doth glitter,
The green field sleeps in the sun…
There’s joy in the mountains,
There’s life in the fountains,
Small clouds are sailing,
Blue sky prevailing,
The rain is over and gone.
From a poem by William Wordsworth
For if you think your teens were difficult, consider this: when Casimir was only 13, in 1471, his father decided to send him to war. He put him in charge of a large army, aimed at fighting on the Hungarian border.
At 13, this was hardly easy, but worse was to come. Casimir’s father had not bothered to pay the troops. Very soon young Casimir faced a crisis: his soldiers, quite reasonably, were reluctant to fight Hungarians when they were not even being fed. The troops deserted, and Casimir had a difficult time surviving the journey home.
Then his father, far from welcoming his son’s safe return, put all the blame of the lost army on Casimir. He banished his son to the castle of Dobzki. But instead of being crushed by this, Casimir used the time to think, and he grew up fast. Next time his father summoned him, he was met by a determined young man who had seized control of his own life. Casimir flatly refused to fight again against any Christian country, and he refused to marry a daughter of Emperor Frederick III. Casimir had decided he would prefer a life of celibacy, devotion to God, and austerity, and he stuck to his decision.
When Casimir became king in 1481, he ruled over much of Poland for three years. In stark contrast to his father, he was loved for his justice, prudence and firmness. He died in 1484 of tuberculosis, at the age of only 26, and was buried at Vilna. But his good deeds lived after him, and he was canonised by Leo X in 1521.
I’ve been thinking a lot about contentment in the past couple of years, and have been struck by the fact that we can choose to be content.
As Paul says in Philippians 4:12, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation ... whether living in plenty or in want.” He doesn’t explicitly tell us what the secret is – but the word ‘learned’ is significant.
Contentment isn’t something we have to hope we might be given, or something that would blossom in our lives if only we received or achieved all the things we’re longing for. Contentment isn’t the result of everything being the way we want. Nor is it a gift randomly given to some people to enable them to bear difficult circumstances.
Rather, it is something we can learn, something we can actively pursue. We do that by choosing to seek Christ’s glory over our own, to emulate His life of grumble-free humility, and to learn from others how to press on towards the goal of becoming more like Him.
And we do it by choosing to rejoice. Paul doesn’t say ‘Rejoice in the Lord when things work out’, or ‘Hang in there; we’ll be able to rejoice one day’. No, he commands us to rejoice in the Lord always. God is always good. There are always things to praise him for, in our plenty and in our want, in promotion or demotion, on a luxury holiday and in a long, lonely lockdown. (Isn’t it interesting that Paul had to learn how to be content with plenty as well as with want? Even the dream job, ideal home, and perfect partner won’t bring automatic contentment.)
This doesn’t mean denying the reality of our situations. We can and should ‘present [our] requests to God’, we just do it in an attitude of thankfulness not anxiousness. And as we play our part, God will respond by giving us something greater than what we have asked for – He’ll give us His peace, ‘which transcends all understanding, [to] guard [our] hearts and [our] minds’.
True contentment is a gift from God – as indeed is everything good in life – but God in His goodness allows us to choose whether to receive it or not. So, make the choice: rejoice!
Jennie Pollock is a writer with London Institute for Contemporary Christianity. She blogs at:
jenniepollock.com.
Any flying instructor will tell you that aeroplanes need to be ‘trimmed’ or ‘balanced in flight’ on a regular basis. After flying through storms and hitting air pockets, they get knocked out of line. That’s true of our path through life. The bad storms of sickness, redundancy, divorce and disappointment, can knock us off our balance, too.V
In other words, our attitude needs to be constantly checked and adjusted. Have you checked yours lately? What are you encountering at the moment that is putting pressure on you to veer off course? So long as we live, we will always need to look to God, to stay ‘trimmed and balanced’. Lent is an excellent time to do this.
The best way to stay balanced is to read God’s Word. It gives us a true map of the world around us, and it shows us where we are on that map. Here’s an idea you can try for Lent: every week, for the next few weeks, choose a Bible verse and write it down on a small card. Carry it with you wherever you go and memorise it. In one year, you’ll know 52 new scriptures, and more importantly, your attitudes will be more naturally in line with God’s Word, your faith will be strengthened, and your life will be moving in the right direction.
It all began about the middle of the 7th century, when Oswiu, King of Northumbria, made Chad the bishop of the Northumbrian see. But due to a scarcity of appropriate bishops, two dubious bishops did the job of consecrating him. This led to Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, deciding to depose him about three years later.
Chad took his dismissal with good heart, and peacefully retired. But then Theodore had second thoughts: Chad was of excellent character: humble, devout, and zealous. So, Theodore re-consecrated him – to be the first bishop of the Mercians. Second time around, Chad was a great success - again.
When Chad died in about 672AD, he was quickly venerated as a saint. People took a great fancy to his bones, believing that they would bring healing. Even today, four large bones, dating from the 7th century, and believed to be Chad’s, are in the R.C. cathedral in Birmingham.
Bishops today may still argue about consecration, but they are unlikely to have their bones disturbed.
We do know that David - or Dafydd - of Pembrokeshire was a monk and bishop of the 6th century. In the 12th century he was made patron of Wales, and he has the honour of being the only Welsh saint to be canonised and culted in the Western Church. Tradition has it that he was austere with himself, and generous with others - living on water and vegetables (leeks, perhaps?!) and devoting himself to works of mercy. He was much loved.
In art, St David is usually depicted in Episcopal vestments, standing on a mound with a dove at his shoulder, in memory of his share at an important Synod for the Welsh Church, the Synod of Brevi.
The first temptation was to turn stones into bread: Jesus’ ministry was not about meeting His own needs, but being nourished by God’s Word. ‘We do not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’ (Deuteronomy 8:3). Like Jesus, we are called to make God our priority and trust Him completely.
The second temptation was to put God to the test: Jumping off the Temple pinnacle would have been a dramatic way for Jesus to gain popularity, but this is not God’s way! ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ (Deuteronomy 6:16). We too need to learn this lesson!
The third temptation was to worship Satan: Finally, the devil took Jesus to a mountain to offer Him worldly power. In contrast, His calling as Messiah was marked by suffering and honouring God. ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only’ (Deuteronomy 6:13). This is often our experience in living for God.
Jesus stands with us in our temptations. As we claim the promises of Scripture, we will find strength in the power of the Spirit and the victory of the Cross.
‘If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you'll be at rest!’ (Corrie Ten Boom).
He was born in Wales but grew up in a wealthy family in England. As a student he felt called to ordination, but when he had graduated, he was drawn instead into the government of the time. As a protégé of King James (yes, the one of the ‘King James Bible’) he could have pursued a career in government, but that youthful call persisted and after a while he turned instead to the ministry of the Church of England. It was an era when many clergy were absentee incumbents, paying someone else to do the parish work while they lived elsewhere, but Herbert set himself to be a true parish priest, noted for his pastoral care and practical support of his parishioners. The whole of his ministry was fulfilled in that one parish, until he died at 39 from what we would now call tuberculosis.
It is of course his hymns for which he is chiefly remembered today, though his Collected Poems are also regarded as jewels of English poetry.
Stress makes us want to eat badly, exercise less and drink more. It also has a profound effect on our immune system.
While brief or ‘acute’ stress can spur us on to some specific achievement, the opposite is true of ‘chronic’ stress, which does only damage. It suppresses our immune system, making us more susceptible to bugs. That is why a stressful event can leave you feeling run down, or trigger a bad cold, shingles, or asthma.
So how do we give our immune systems some help during this crisis?
Eat well. A balanced diet includes at least all six plant-based food groups: fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, legume, nuts and seeds.
Exercise every day: regular moderate exercise helps your immune system.
Get enough sleep. It has been called “the foundation of the immune system.” Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and keep devices, laptops or screens away from you for an hour before bedtime. Instead, stretch and relax, and consider a hot shower or bath.
Finally, don’t be mean to yourself. Practise some self-compassion. Give yourself some private time, forget perfectionism, and accept that ‘sometimes half-good is good enough.’ Be kind to yourself – because even that will help your immune system.
Jesus, in the wilds You tarried
Forty days and forty nights
By the Tempter often harried
You the victor in each fight!
In this Lenten time renew us
Make us perfect in Your sight!
Bread alone cannot sustain us
But each word from God above
Worldly goods can nothing gain u
s
If we lack our Father’s love
In this Lenten time renew us
Come upon us like a dove!
God our judge should not be tempted
He alone is fully just
His laws can’t be circumvented
Satan’s world will turn to dust!
In this Lenten time renew us
Teach us where to place our trust!
All Earth’s kingdoms are but trifles
If our Lord we can’t adore
Worldly wealth our worship stifles
And, in truth, it makes us poor
In this Lenten time renew us
Guide us to Your Heav’nly shore!
God Almighty, everlasting
Perfect all that you create
Be with us in feast or fasting
Cleanse our hearts from greed and hate
In this Lenten time renew us
That our joy may ne’er abate!
By Nigel Beeton
If so, then Matthias is definitely the patron saint for you! Matthias came into the picture shortly after the suicide of Judas. The early Church was missing an apostle, and so the remaining 11 apostles prayed for guidance on who to choose as a replacement for this key role.
The qualifications for the job were specialised: the person had to have been a follower of Christ from His Baptism to His Ascension, and a witness of the Resurrection. There were two possibilities: Joseph Barsabas and Matthias. How to choose?
Again, Matthias’ experience may mirror yours: the decision was out of his hands, and up to others. In this case, the apostles drew straws – and the ‘lot’ fell to Matthias. He had been chosen to replace Judas! The tragedy of Judas’ betrayal had led to an opportunity for service by Matthias – and he was well prepared for the task. Are you prepared for any task that God might suddenly open before you?
Like the other apostles, Matthias had been in Jerusalem and had received the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and he went on to do a good job. It is said he preached the Good News first in Judea, and then maybe in Cappadocia and by the Caspian Sea. It is thought he was martyred by the axe or halberd, and his relics eventually ended up being taken to Rome by the empress Helen.
Matthias is an encouragement to us to be faithful in small things - because you never know what the future might hold!
Near the end of his long life, Polycarp paid a visit to Rome to discuss with the bishop there the possibility of agreeing a uniform date of celebrating Easter. When they found they could not agree, they amicably agreed to differ, and parted in good faith.
Polycarp returned to Smyrna, where a riot broke out at a pagan festival. The crowd suddenly turned on the Christians, whom they called ‘atheists’. Polycarp was on a farm nearby, neither provoking nor fleeing martyrdom. When his captors arrived, he invited them to eat a meal, while he prayed alone for an hour. Then calmly, he agreed to go with them to his interrogation.
All the pagans’ threats and promises did nothing to shake Polycarp. When ordered to execrate Christ, Polycarp gave this dignified reply: “For 86 years I have been his servant and He has never done me wrong; how can I blaspheme my king who saved me?… I am a Christian: if you wish to study the Christian doctrine, choose a day and you will hear it.”
The crowd were outraged and cried first for the lions and then for Polycarp to be burnt at the stake. He was bound, but an official killed him with his sword before his body was burnt. Later, grieving Christians collected his bones and buried them. They also wrote an account of his trial and martyrdom, which is the earliest authentic example of its kind.
In England there are no ancient and only a few modern churches dedicated to this deeply courageous saint of the Christian Church.
Yet with the help of Fairtrade, many of these producers of food, drinks and cottons can be equipped to meet more everyday needs, and to deal with the challenges facing them.
So this month, why not visit:
S
We’ve given our children short shrift, we’ve betrayed our marriage partners, we’ve been dishonest at work, we’ve been ruthlessly greedy and ambitious, no matter what the cost to anyone else. And now the memory of the wrong we’ve done lingers, and makes us ashamed. Our past failings make us very reluctant to turn to God. Why should He forgive the damage we have done?
If you think this way, then you have a big surprise waiting for you: God isn’t like that. You haven’t yet encountered His GRACE. God knows all about you, and most of all He knows you need His help. Jesus said that He came into the world to reach sinners, to help anyone who turns to Him in true repentance to find forgiveness, and a new start.
You can’t do anything to turn yourself into a good person. But you don’t have to. All that God asks of you is that you turn to Jesus in prayer, and say you are sorry, and ask Him to forgive you, and to put His Spirit within you. Then you find His GRACE – which means His loving-kindness, beginning in YOUR life. Just try it.
Today let God begin to set you free from the past!
Love thinks no evil. It does not suspect unkindness in kindly deeds. It does not imagine an enemy in every friend. It does not fear insincerity in sincere professions of esteem. It does not impugn others’ motives nor discount their acts.
On the other hand, it overlooks foibles and hides the multitude of faults that belong to every human being, even to those who are the holiest and the best. Love believes in the good that is in people and tries to think of them always at their best, not at their worst.
It looks, too, at the possibilities that are in people, what they may become through divine love and grace, and not merely at what they now are. It is wonderful how seeing through love’s eyes changes the whole face of earthly life, transfiguring it. If the heart be filled with suspicion, distrust, and doubt of people, the world grows very ugly. But love sees brightness, beauty and hope everywhere.
Whatever the reason, when we keep giving, without also receiving, we put ourselves in danger - we will burn out quickly. It is as important to know when we need to TAKE attention and care, as when we need to give it to others. If you do not pay careful attention to your own needs - whether physical, emotional, mental or spiritual - you will not last the distance.
If you want to remain a joyful giver for years to come, you need also to be a joyful taker and accept God’s love, given to you through other people.
My memory of the Passover in Jerusalem
by David Winter.
Ash Wednesday introduces the Christian preparation for Easter, which normally coincides with Passover, the major Jewish celebration of the year. It’s near Easter because Jesus was crucified at Passover, having just shared this very meal with His disciples.
Passover celebrates and recalls the Israelites’ escape from slavery in Egypt. Led by Moses they crossed the Red Sea and 40 days later entered the ‘Promised Land.’ They shared the Passover meal at their last night in Egypt and have kept it all for nearly the past three thousand years or so that have followed.
Many years ago, when I was in Jerusalem to produce a radio programme, I was invited to join a Jewish family for their Passover meal. It was a great occasion, very like our Christmas, a family event with deep religious significance for those who seek it.
At the meal in Jerusalem, we ate modest lentils and unleavened bread – Matzos as we now call it. We also drank plenty of wine but not from the cup at the end of the table. That is ‘Elijah’s cup’, only to be drunk from when the prophet comes to announce the arrival of the Messiah. At the last supper Jesus instructed His disciples to drink from that cup after supper, which may have shocked them at the time. The Messiah had come!
Shrove Tuesday: Who’s for pancakes?
by David Winter.
Why do we have pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day, as we call it today? And what is Shrove Tuesday? And why do thousands of people feel it rewarding to race along a street somewhere tossing pancakes from their frying pans as they go?
Thomas Bray, founder of SPCK.
Thomas Bray was once called a ‘Great Small Man’, with good reason. This diminutive 18th century English clergyman (1658 – 1730) not only helped to establish the Church of England in Maryland, but he was also founder of the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge (SPCK) in 1698 and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (USPG) in 1701.
Valentine’s Day.
There are two confusing things about this day of romance and anonymous love-cards strewn with lace, cupids and ribbon: firstly, there seems to have been two different Valentines in the 4th century - one a priest martyred on the Flaminian Way, under the emperor Claudius, the other a bishop of Terni martyred at Rome. And neither seems to have had any clear connection with lovers or courting couples.
Do your days rush by at a hectic pace?
Have you ever stopped to think that your mobile phone and emails have not given you more time? Just more things to do in the same amount of time.
JESUS
If I could package faith into one parcel
Scholastica, the persuasive sister.
Scholastica (d.c. 543) should be the patron saint of any woman who can bend her brother to do her will - no matter how ‘powerful’ that brother might seem to other people.
Seen on a birthday card:
Forget about the past,
Truth Encounter
(Luke 4:1-14, John 17:17, James 4:7)
Led by the Spirit
The birds and bees.
Here is some good news: all new major roads will have wildflower-friendly verges that could boost our numbers of birds and bees.
Want to feel better?
Cuddle your pet
If you think you feel better after cuddling your dog or cat, there is a good reason: you really do feel better.
The Martyrs of Japan, courage in persecution.
Persecution of Christians in various countries is making the headlines these days. Believers facing such opposition might well find inspiration from the courage of the Japanese Christians of the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Your daily walk should be a sacred ritual.
Under lockdown, millions of us who rarely walked around our immediate locality are now well acquainted with every nearby driveway, every crack in the pavement, and every pothole in the road. We have developed views on our neighbours’ gardens, on their oddly coloured garage doors, and on their dogs, children and cars. If we go out at the same time every day, we may even be saying hello to the same people we don’t know every day.
‘Zoomed Out?’
‘You’re still on mute!’ If you’ve used Zoom over the past year, you’ll be familiar with this cry! After a day on Zoom, the last thing we often want to do is using it for a chat with friends or a church service on Sunday! Now this reveals a wider problem that we face. We know that staying connected in the pandemic is hard. When we’re tired and busy, it’s easy to stop connecting with others, which would encourage our faith or wellbeing. This might also include not sending a text, Facebook comment or phoning somebody up.
'Spycops' – the latest from the Church of England in Parliament
The Church of England’s Lead Bishop for Children and Families has supported moves in the House of Lords to introduce legal protections for children from being used in undercover operations by police and other authorities.
Candlemas, The Presentation of Christ in the Temple.
In bygone centuries, Christians said their last farewells to the Christmas season on Candlemas, 2nd February. This is exactly 40 days after Christmas Day itself.
Brigid of Ireland, compassion and love
Brigid, you could say, was the female Patrick of Ireland.
Historical facts about this first abbess of Kildare (d.c. 525) may be scarce, but her ‘Lives’, written from the 7th century, tell many anecdotes and miracles which over the centuries have become deeply rooted in Irish folklore. Brigid came from a village near Kildare, of parents of humble origin, and is said to have been baptised by Patrick and became a nun at an early age. She is credited with founding the monastery of Kildare, a powerful influence for Christianity in Ireland.
St Maedoc of Ferns, smart about beggars
Are you wondering about which charities to support this year? Does it matter to you if your money is used wisely or not? If so, then Maedoc of Ferns is the patron saint for you this month. He certainly knew how to deal with people who would waste his money.
World Leprosy Day - 30th January
It is not just Covid-19 that makes other people want to avoid us. Up to three million people worldwide are living with leprosy, a disease that can separate sufferers from their loved ones for years.
Why parking your car is getting more difficult.
Have you noticed that it is getting harder to park your car? And that when you finally do get parked, you can barely get the door open enough to squeeze out?
St Angela Merici, helping children in need.
With international concern about the welfare of children, Angela is a good saint to remember. Not only did she herself survive a harsh childhood, but she went on to dedicate her own life to helping children in need.
St Timothy and St Titus, how local church leaders should be!
Timothy and Titus are the saints for you if you’ve been a Christian for some time, and now suspect that God wants you to move into some form of leadership. A daunting prospect!
St Paul, the first Christian intellectual.
On this day the Church celebrates probably the most famous conversion of all. At least, what happened to a young man called Saul on the road to Damascus has become a byword for all instant conversions - what is known as a ‘damascene’ moment. Saul was a devout Jew, a Pharisee, a student of Gamaliel and a fierce critic of the followers of Jesus, then a very new sect on the religious scene.
Conversion of St Paul.
January is a month of the beginning of great things! As well as the naming of the Son of God, we celebrate the conversion of the greatest ever apostle of the Christian faith
today. Many books have been written on Paul, and here is the briefest of introductions.
How do you become a vicar?
Have you ever wondered how someone becomes a vicar? Here is a brief description of the journey:
So, what is a Fresh Expression of church?
The simple answer is: it’s a church. It’s not a traditional church with a pointy spire or square tower. It’s an even more traditional church: a gathering of people coming together in the name of Christ.
So, what is exactly ia a rural or area dean?
If a Church of England diocese is a business and its bishop is the managing director, an archdeacon is the head of a division and a rural dean manages a department: not quite an accurate description but not a bad comparison. When the call centre cannot answer your problem and you ask to speak to a manager, the next voice you hear is probably the equivalent of the rural dean.
So, how does the Church of England General Synod run?
The C of E General Synod has always met in public but now, thanks to the internet, it is more public than ever. Anyone can watch or listen via links on the Synod page of the
www.churchofengland.org website.
In England in 2005, 39% of churches had no-one attending under 11 years of age, 49% no-one attending between the ages of 11 and 14, and 59% no-one attending between the ages of 15 to 19. “Half the Church of England parishes had no work among young people in 2005,” said an official Anglican publication. These figures are for Sunday attendance, so mid-week numbers are excluded.
With the US Presidential inauguration in mind…
What do presidents say on the day that they become President of the United States? Here are some brief glimpses backwards….
Amy Carmichael, founder of the Dohnavur Fellowship.
Not many teenagers, on becoming a Christian, will devote themselves to winning others for Christ in a foreign land. Amy was such a person. She left Britain to live in a tiny village in Southern India. Here, for the next 56 years, Amy rescued hundreds of orphaned and vulnerable children, and served her Lord in Dohnavur.
Stories from the Streets – an insight into the work of Street Pastors
By Luke Randall and Sue Shaw, Instant Apostle, £9.99
Doing housework can help you live longer.
If you spend half an hour a day tidying the house, going up and down your stairs, and doing household chores, you are reducing the risk of an early death.
Plants in your front garden.
What’s in your front garden? If it is sparse, why not consider adding some plants this year? Apparently, the presence of greenery can lower your stress levels as much as two months of mindfulness sessions. Plants can also help you to feel happier.
Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers.
Heroes are not always men or women of action. Sometimes the fight for right over wrong can be even more powerful when done through words and argument.
A Prayer for Light
Fountain of light, source of light,
A Scientist’s Letter to the UK Church:
Power, love and self-control
I want to share a message of hope that Christians in the sciences around the world can bring to the church. Dr Francis Collins, who leads medical research in the US, spoke earlier in the pandemic about his faith and his hope in God to help us through this time. He expressed the grief that so many are experiencing, described an intensity of scientific work he has never experienced before, and shared his conviction that he is in exactly the right place just now - serving God with science. He is holding on tight to the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 1:7, ‘for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.’
‘Quarantine’ - the 2020 word of the year.
The Cambridge Dictionary has named ‘quarantine’ as its ‘word of the year’ for 2020. Apparently, it was the word most looked up between January and October of last year. ‘Quarantine’ even beat ‘pandemic’ and ‘lockdown’.
Five things I’d like to see in 2021:
I keep hearing people say that 2020 was a ‘year like no other.’ Friends have been writing a special journal recording the year, so they can pass it on to their grandchildren. Others just want to leave 2020 behind and look to a happier new year.
1.
Let’s make sure the vaccines are distributed fairly and speedily. Those who need the vaccine most urgently should receive it first, with a fair system for ensuring everyone else can be vaccinated quickly and efficiently. We need to ensure that everyone receives the vaccine wherever they live in the world – from the poorest to the richest. Especially, in those parts of the world where there is war, and people are living as refugees.
2.
Let’s learn the lessons of the pandemic – not just going back to how life was, as quickly as possible. Many of us learnt to appreciate our family so very much more – especially when we could not be with them for months on end. We learnt lessons about how important our neighbours and local businesses are, how precious our NHS, medical researchers, care providers and other frontline workers are. Let’s not forget them.
3.
Let’s value nature. Those of us with gardens, or with parks or fields nearby, have been massively blessed. I’ve learnt to pay attention to birdsong, to the changing colours of the trees, and how unexpected plants have taken root in our garden. Pets have played a major part in helping us endure the lockdowns, especially for people who live alone. May we all learn to value the natural world on our doorsteps in the year ahead and beyond.
4. Let’s bless technology. Without the use of the internet, meeting people ‘online’ or keeping in touch via email, Facetime or other technologies, 2020 would have been a whole lot tougher. Churches across the country moved their Sunday services online, and soon adapted to a different way of worshipping – not the same, but still helping us to worship together and see familiar faces. Let’s continue to give thanks for the science that made that contact possible in 2020.
5. Let’s value our church family. Imperfect we may be, like any family. But the months without being physically able to worship with them, share communion with them, sing alongside them have been hard. I value so much how many churches have risen to the pandemic challenge and sought to serve their communities in all kinds of ways.
May we take all this experience into 2021 and build upon it.
Whatever 2021 holds for you and all those that you love, I pray that you may know the love of God in your life, and be able to pass it on to others.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
(An acrostic poem where the first letter of each line
spells out the title of the poem)
Prayer for New Year 2021
Dear Father God,
Christmas Eve
- How do you celebrate Christmas Eve?
It has its own customs, the most popular of which is going to Midnight Mass, or the Christ-Mas. This is the only Mass of the year that is allowed to start after sunset. In Catholic countries such as Spain, Italy and Poland, Midnight Mass is in fact the most important church service of the entire Christmas season, and many people traditionally fast beforehand. In other countries, such as Belgium and Denmark, people dine during the evening, and then go on to the Midnight Service.
Believe in God and you’ll believe in miracles. Believe in the baby of Bethlehem, and you’ll experience one. - Anon
The Story is still the same!
'Christmas may look different, but the story is still the same!’ That’s the message for Christmas in 2020. Coronavirus will make our celebrations this year look very different from usual. However, the message of the baby born in Bethlehem is still relevant!
Was Jesus really born on 25th December?
Almost certainly not. But the story of how that date came to be chosen as His ‘birthday’ is one that stretches back long before His birth.
Who is ‘Santa Claus’?
On the whole British people are happy with the title ‘Father Christmas’, a suitably neutral name for the central character in children’s Christmases, writes David Winter.
Thank Dickens for Christmas as you know it!
Ever wonder where many of our Christmas traditions come from? A surprising amount of our modern Christmas celebrations can be traced back to the well-loved story of ‘A Christmas Carol’, by Charles Dickens.
We three kings of Orient are... what?
“A cold coming they had of it at this time of the year, just the worst time of the year to take a journey, and specially a long journey, in. The way’s deep, the weather sharp, the days short, the sun farthest off, in solstitio brumali, the very dead of winter.” (TS Eliot)
Mistletoe’s smelly history.
Did you know that the word ‘mistletoe’ means dung on a tree? The Anglo-Saxons thought that mistletoe grew in trees where birds had left their droppings. Mistel means dung, and tan means twig.
World’s oldest fake tree.
Did you know that it is a family in Wiltshire, the Parkers, who claim to own the world’s oldest artificial Christmas tree? It was bought in 1886, and it is still put up every year.
The story of mince pies.
Did you know that mince pies have been traditional English Christmas fare since the Middle Ages, when meat was a key ingredient? The addition of spices, suet and alcohol to meat came about because it was an alternative to salting and smoking in order to preserve the food. Mince pies used to be a different shape - cradle-shaped with a pastry baby Jesus on top.
Why the world was ready for Christmas
Ever wonder why Jesus was born when He was? The Bible tells us that “when the time had fully come, God sent forth His Son…” The Jewish people had been waiting for their Messiah for centuries. Why did God send Him precisely when He did?
Why was Jesus born in a barn?
Our pretty Christmas cards do not do it justice – the stable that Jesus was born in would have been smelly, dirty, and full of mess. So why did God not provide something better for His beloved Son? Why let Joseph and Mary scrounge around until they ended up in a smelly stable?
Where did Christmas stockings come from?
No one is really sure, but a story is told of St Nicholas, a bishop who lived in the 4th century, who may have started the custom by accident. St Nicholas was of a wealthy family, and of a generous heart. As Christmas approached one year, he wanted to help a poor family whom he knew, but he did not want them to know it was him. So he climbed up on their roof on Christmas Eve and dropped some coins down the chimney.
Where did Christmas trees come from?
There are two early stories that mention fir trees. The first involves St Boniface, who went to Germany in the 8th century as a missionary and found people sacrificing a child to their god under an oak tree. Boniface was appalled, and he rescued the child. He then chopped down the oak tree and found a tiny fir tree growing nearby. He gave this to the people and said: “This is a symbol of life. Whenever you look at this tree, remember the Christ-child who is the One who will give you life, because He gave His life for you.”
And there were shepherds…
Luke’s story of the birth of Jesus is brilliantly told – the angel’s visit to Mary to tell her she would be mother of the long-promised Messiah, the old priest in the Temple told by another angel that his wife would have a son to be called ‘John’, who would prepare the people of Israel for that event, and then Mary and Joseph making the 60 mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, as required by the Roman census. When they got there, no room at the inn, and they settled instead for a convenient stable, where Mary gave birth to a boy child.
The man who married Mary
The traditional Nativity scene on our Christmas cards has Mary with the Holy Babe. Around her are the shepherds and Magi. We may also see stable animals, angels and a star! While Joseph is often included, his presence seems to be of minor importance.
Why begin at midnight with Holy Communion? The hour was first chosen at Rome in the fifth century to symbolise the idea that Christ was born at midnight – a mystical idea in no way hindered by historical evidence! No one knows the real hour of His birth.
Christingle - a generous present from the Moravians
It is the Moravians whom we have to thank for bringing us the Christingle. Especially one Moravian clergyman: John de Watteville.
The story of the Christingle The word ‘Christingle’ actually means ‘Christ Light’, and celebrates the light of Jesus coming into the world. Stories of how the Christingle began look back to the Moravian Church, which is found in the Czech Republic. The Moravians have held Christingle services for more than 200 years, and according to them, this is how the first Christingle might have been made:
Many years ago the children in a village were asked to bring a Christmas gift to put beside the crib in the church. One family was very poor, and had no money for gifts, but the three children were still determined to take something. The only nice thing they had was an orange, so they decided to give the Christ-child that.
The History of Christmas. The Bible does not give a date for the birth of Jesus. In the third century it was suggested that Jesus was conceived at the Spring equinox, 25th March, popularising the belief that He was born nine months later on 25th December. John Chrysostom, the Archbishop of Constantinople, encouraged Christians worldwide to make Christmas a holy day in about 400.
The story behind the hymn: O Come, All ye Faithful Nobody knows who wrote this well-loved Christmas carol. It was originally a Latin Christmas hymn, ‘Adeste Fidelis’. It seems to have first ‘surfaced’ in English due to a John Francis Wade, who lived in the 18th century, and who made his living copying manuscripts and, sometimes, music by hand. Wade was a Roman Catholic, and all services in the church at that time were conducted in Latin, and so he knew the language well.
Christmas: Celebrating the Incarnation
C.S. Lewis called it the Grand Miracle and the Central Miracle. He noted that “Every other miracle prepares for this, exhibits this, or results from this...The fitness, and therefore credibility, of the particular miracles depend on their relations to the Grand Miracle.”
Christmas can’t come too early
Every year it happens.
I hear Christians lamenting how ‘Christmas comes earlier every year.’
A prayer for Advent
Stir up our hearts, we beseech you,
to prepare ourselves to receive your Son.
Andrew - first disciple of Jesus Andrew, whose feast day ends the Christian year on 30th November, is probably best known to us as the patron saint of Scotland, though his only connection with the country is that some of his bones were reputedly transported in the 8th century to Fife and preserved at a church in a place now named St Andrews.
Advent Why do we need Advent?
Many people say: “I can understand God, but I can’t see where Jesus fits into the picture.”
RSPCA launches emergency appeal in wake of Covid The RSPCA has been overwhelmed this year by calls for help from people who are ill with Covid-19.
Why should you bother to pray?
The great preacher C.H. Spurgeon once said this of prayer: ‘God says to His own son: “Ask of Me and I will give you the nation for your inheritance.” [Psalm 2:7-8] If the royal and divine Son cannot be exempt from the rule of asking, that He may have; you and I cannot expect that rule to be relaxed in our favour. God will bless Elijah and send rain - but Elijah must pray for it.’ And God promises us that if we really seek Him, He will make sure that we find Him.
Ode to Job
What mysteries this book unfurls
Catherine is thought to have been a noble girl who lived in the 4th century.
She was persecuted for her Christianity, and despised marriage with the Emperor because she was a ‘bride of Christ’. According to the legend, Catherine was no push-over intellectually, either: she disputed successfully with 50 philosophers who were called in to convince her of the errors of Christianity.
Church of England launches its Anti-Racism Taskforce A Taskforce has been set up to ensure racial equality in the Church of England.
The Church is the only society in the world that never loses any of its members, even by death. – John Blanchard
Nurture your friendships Lockdown has damaged our social life, so badly that many of our friendships may not be the same for up to a year after lockdown. And although Zoom is ‘extremely good’ at slowing down the rate of a friendship’s decay, ‘nothing on earth is going to stop a relationship quietly sliding away, if you don’t once in a while meet up physically.”
Diamonds are for lockdown…
Lord, prop us up!
There is a story of an old farmer who always prayed the
same prayer at his church meeting. 'Lord, prop us up on
our leanin' side’. After hearing this many times, his
minister asked him one day quite what he meant.
The famer replied: “Well, it's like this... I’ve got an
old barn out in one of my fields. It's been there a long
time, and gone through a lot of storms. One day a few
years ago I noticed that it was leaning to one side a
bit. So, I went and got some poles and propped it up on
its leaning side, so it wouldn't fall. Then I got to
thinking about how much I was like that old barn. I've
been around a long time, and seen plenty of storms in
life. I was still standing, but I was also leaning a
bit. So, I decided to ask the Lord to prop me up, too,
on my leaning side.
Our
‘leaning side’ is where we are weakest in ourselves.
Sometimes we get to leaning toward anger, bitterness,
bleakness in life. Then we too need to pray for God to
prop us up, especially on that leaning side.
He wants us to stand tall and free, in Him.
Politicians are currently discussing the measures they should take to 'save' Christmas. This is somewhat bizarre - as Christmas does not need to be 'saved'. Here are some examples why the true meaning of Christmas does not need 'saving'. So let us go back to that first Christmas, 2000 years ago.
Fruit of the Spirit
Opportunities
To grow in your
Spirit,
Lord give
opportunities
A grain of sand at a time
This
autumn, do you feel overwhelmed with all the things that
you need to get done?
Then think of your life as an hourglass. There
are thousands of grains of sand in the top of the
hourglass; and they all pass slowly and evenly through
the narrow neck in the middle.
We
are like that hourglass. When we start in the morning,
there are hundreds of tasks which we feel that we must
accomplish that day. But if we do not take them one at a
time and let them pass through the day slowly and
evenly, as do the grains of sand passing through the
narrow neck of the hourglass, then we are bound to break
our own fragile physical and mental structure.
Do not attempt more than God designed you to do.
Lower your hostility
Keep
calm, and keep kind, if you want to live longer. It
seems that being sarcastic and irritable only makes
heart attack victims more likely to die from a second
coronary.
A
recent study in the US on the personality traits of
patients who had had heart attacks found that hostile
personality traits (sarcasm, cynicism, resentment,
impatience, irritability) was a common factor.
One
doctor at the University of Tennessee said: “We know
that taking control of lifestyle habits improved the
outlook for heart attack patients, and our study
suggests that improving hostile behaviour could also be
a positive move.”
Going to church in the
coronavirus pandemic
More than 17,000 online services and
events have been provided by Church of England churches
since the introduction of the lockdown and restrictions
on public worship earlier this year.
Figures from the Church of England’s
A Church Near You
website, which allows people to search for church
services and events, show that more than 17,000 online
services or events are now listed, including Sunday
Communion services, Bible studies and morning or night
prayer. Many of these services take place regularly and
this figure represents a snapshot of the likely total
number.
The
statistics do not include the Church of England’s
national online weekly services broadcast on Sundays and
shared on Facebook and YouTube. There have been nearly
three million views of the national online services and
posts about the weekly broadcasts have been seen 23.6
million times. Contributors have included the
Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Duke of
Cambridge and Pope Francis.
The national online services are being
watched by a wide range of ages and around one in five
people viewing go to church infrequently or not at all.
Other figures in the report show that
official Church of England apps from Church House
Publishing – the most popular being Daily Prayer, or the
Daily Office of morning, evening and night prayer - have
been used more than seven million times so far this
year, up from five million in 2019. Church of England
social media posts have been seen 86 million times so
far, nearly double the total for last year.
The growth in online services has been
helped by the Church of England stepping up its digital
training programme for congregations. More than 4,200
vicars and local church leaders have taken part in
remote digital training courses so far this year, four
times the number as in 2019.
The
Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said: “At a time
when many have felt isolated and fearful, Church of
England parishes and clergy have broadcast thousands of
online church services and events, seeking to bring
comfort and hope to their communities. We know that tens
of thousands of those tuning in will never have had
contact with their local Church of England parish before
and may never have heard the Christian message. Their
welcome presence is a sign of the great hunger we all
have for spiritual meaning in our lives.”
When life goes wrong for us
Where is God when we are
hurting? When we are sick or a loved one is sick, why
doesn’t God always answer our prayer for healing? If He
has not answered us, how do we know that He is even
there at all?
The words of Alister McGrath* are helpful;
“Experience cannot be allowed to have the final word…
the theology of the Cross draws our attention to the
sheer unreliability of experience as a guide to the
presence and activity of God. God is active and present
in His world, quite independently of whether we
experience Him as being so. Experience declared that God
was absent from Calvary, only to have its verdict
humiliatingly overturned on the third day.
“So – where does that leave us? As with the Cross, it
may be that our personal darkest hour may be also God’s
finest moment for us. It may be there that He does His
greatest work in and for us, albeit unseen by us at the
time. Thus, instead of letting circumstances consume us,
we are to be consumed with God. To that end, we should
pray without ceasing, trust in His sovereignty, and find
comfort in His love and hope.”
* Mystery of the Cross
(Zondervan, 1990)
Zoom
Zoom Zoom!
The
pandemic is leaving a “lasting digital legacy”, and
changing the UK’s internet habits and behaviour
“indelibly”.
So says a recent Ofcom study.
Since March we have broken the four-hour barrier, which
means that, on average, we spend more than a quarter of
our waking hours each day online. That is up from an
average of three hours and 29 minutes this time last
year.
Zoom
has soared in popularity. Last December it reached
498,00 people in the UK; by April this had soared to
13million in the UK.
TikTok, which lets users share short videos set to pop
music, had 5.4 million UK users in January; by April it
had 12.9million users.
In
February, 35 per cent of UK adults made a video call
once a week. By April that had soared to 71 per cent.
The largest increase has been among the over-65s, with
now 61 per cent of them making weekly video calls.
Older people favour Zoom, in
order to ‘visit’ their relatives and friends; while many
teenagers have become addicted to TikTok and endless
videos.
Churches report rising food bank demand
as a result of pandemic
Nearly 100,000 households sought food aid from the
Trussell Trust’s network of food banks for the first
time earlier this year, as a result of the coronavirus
pandemic.
Demand is surging
further this autumn, as a result of the economic fallout
from the virus.
The research
comes after food banks run or supported by Church of
England churches reported rocketing demand during
lockdown with some opening food banks for the first time
while some opened new food banks after lockdown.
Just two
examples:
Hackney Church in
East London was distributing parcels with enough food
for 1,000 meals a week at start of lockdown. This figure
rose to 8,000 and 9,000 meals a week in June, after the
church opened a second food bank. It has since served
120,000 meals.
In Co. Durham,
the Shildon Alive food bank, founded by St John’s
Church, has seen demand surge by 500 percent during
lockdown.
Honey, honey!
If
your grannie gave you honey when you had a cold, she was
right.
Research published in The British Medical Journal has
found that honey is especially good for treating upper
respiratory tract infections (URTIs) such as the common
cold.
Honey has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory
properties. These do better at soothing your cough and
sniffles than any of the over-the-counter remedies. In
fact, URTI sufferers who were given honey suffered their
symptoms for up to two days LESS than those who did not
use honey.
All good news, especially as
honey is cheap, readily available, and has virtually no
side effects.
HYMN:
The story behind … JUST AS I AM
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:
O lamb of God, I
come! I come!Just as I am, tho
tossed about
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.’
Moral questions from the pandemic
You may have missed it at the time. The movie
‘Contagion’ didn’t make much of an impact when it was
released for public viewing in 2011. Perhaps it was
thought to be unrealistic. It was about a highly
contagious, unknown virus, transmitted by an infected
bat to a pig in a Chinese marketplace. From there it
spread like wildfire round the world.
It was fiction then of course, but not so far-fetched as
to be distant from reality, as we now know. Deadly
viruses, and the plagues they cause, have been part of
world history since time began. In the early days, when
travel between continents was infrequent, their spread
was slower and usually confined to local regions.
The way the film’s imaginary plot develops bears an
uncanny resemblance to what we have experienced this
year. Panic buying empties supermarkets, whole
populations adopt social distancing, scientists work
flat out to identify the virus and then search for a
means to combat it. Meanwhile, millions are infected,
and quarantines are imposed.
The story progresses far beyond the reality which is
familiar to us. The irresponsible use of social media
and false rumours of a cure lead to the looting of
pharmacies. Emergency food supplies are ransacked, law
and order break down. Troops police the streets. Then
there’s a breakthrough: a vaccine is discovered. But
that raises a new moral problem: who will get it first
and what would be a fair distribution system?
The movie is still available via Netflix, or you can buy
a DVD online. Despite the inevitable carnage of the
pandemic and the suffering it portrays, it contrives to
have a relatively happy ending.
In real life, we haven’t got that far yet. But,
please God, we will. After all, most deadly diseases are
now under control and both vaccination and immunisation
are part and parcel of everyday life; old ‘uns take it
for granted that their GP will summon them for an
anti-flu jab each winter.
But we may face an ethical dilemma when it comes to
a vaccine for Covid-19. If there’s an initial shortage,
who should get it first? Should money come into it? Are
Christian principles applicable?
THE WAY I
SEE IT:
What’s in a word?
We were in
the supermarket queue. The woman in front of me was
greeted by a friend, who asked how she was. ‘Well,’ she
replied, ‘I’ve been under the doctor again with my
legs’. Her friend knew what she meant. I knew what she
meant and the woman at the till knew what she meant. But
try translating that into, say, French: ‘J’etais sous le
medecin encore avec mes jambes’. Now it becomes utterly
baffling, and possibly indecent.
Words are
funny things and our use of them even funnier. Most
languages, and even local areas, have ways of saying
things that are peculiar (in the proper meaning of the
word). I remember years ago driving past a scrawled sign
at the side of a major road in the north-east where
there had been several nasty accidents. ‘Gan canny,
hinnes’, it advised. Clearly ‘foreigners’ were welcome
to kill themselves if they chose.
Mostly our
little misunderstandings of what is said or written
don‘t matter, but sometimes they matter a great deal. We
ask, in the Lord‘s Prayer, that God will not ‘lead us
into temptation‘. Why on earth would he want to do that?
Later in the Bible we are told quite clearly ‘God
himself tempts no one. But one is tempted by one’s own
desire, being lured and enticed by it’ (James 1:13). The
word translated ’temptation’ in the Lord’s Prayer really
means ’tested’ - but every time anyone has tried to
change it we all complain. Familiarity always trumps
accuracy!
It’s also
true of familiar sayings. ‘The exception proves the
rule’ is commonly taken to mean that a single exception
demonstrates the accuracy of the proposition. In fact,
of course, it’s the old meaning of ‘proves’, which is
(again) ‘tests’. The exception tests the theory. If
there’s a single exception, then there’s no ‘rule’.
In
practice, we assume that people understand - and if they
don’t, they very quickly learn. Normally it doesn’t
matter. One could hear what the woman said in the
supermarket queue and remain baffled by her meaning (as
many younger people would be) without it affecting us at
all.
But sometimes it’s important.
For instance, Jesus didn’t ‘come back from the dead’. He
rose. Believe me, there’s a big difference!
‘O happy band of
pilgrims’ - leave room for God to surprise you When we
go on pilgrimage, (when this is all over!) we must
decide where to go. Then we prepare for the journey. We
read about it or google. We make plans: what to take,
where to stay, and cost it all. There is a part of us
that likes everything to be organised so that there are
no hitches on the way. But we have to remember that
pilgrimages are made in faith. Whatever our plans, we
need to find a place for God in all the preparations and
allow for those God-given moments, unplanned and
unscheduled, where we can meet His love and grace. That
is why we underpin the journey with prayer as well as
preparation. If we think of the journeys in
scripture – Abraham or Elijah, the wise men or the
shepherds – what characterised them was not the
preparation, but the spirit of faith in which they
travelled. We need to journey with that same trust in
the God who may surprise us. David Sox realised that in
the Holy Land. He had consulted maps and guides. But
when he was there in person, the places made a special
impression on him above and beyond what the books told
him - even in the barren wilderness. ‘ At sunset the
Bedouin scurry to light their fires and bring in their
wandering goats; there is an eerie quiet in this region.
Stopping in the desert at night and experiencing the
quiet is unforgettable.’ Gerard Hughes wrote about a
pilgrimage to Rome when he sat to enjoy a coffee at
Grenoble. As he stretched out on a bench, he noticed
that his boots were now without tread, his arms and legs
were sun-tanned, and the soles and heels of his feet
were hard. ‘But,’ he wrote, ‘the important change was
within me. I felt a great sense of peace, the peace of
at-oneness…I felt I was seeing more, hearing more, and
living more fully.’ He had changed physically, but he
had also changed spiritually. His experience is a moving
testimony to the way in which God can surprise each of
us when we go on a special pilgrimage or make our
journey through life. God can meet us, often when we
least expect it, and transform our lives.
Sorry
Our minister, an
avid golfer, was once taking part in a local tournament.
As he was preparing to tee off, the organiser of the
tournament approached him and pointed to the dark,
threatening storm clouds which were gathering. “Sir,"
the organiser said, "I trust you'll see to it that the
weather won't turn bad on us.
5th
November:
Guy Fawkes - an early terrorist Back in 1605 Guy Fawkes managed
to stow a good few barrels of gunpowder under the House
of Lords without anybody noticing. He was part of a
Roman Catholic plot to murder James 1 of England and his
parliament at the state opening.
Fortunately, Guy Fawkes was found - and stopped -
in time.
Need for healing
Heavenly Father,
In
praise of peanut butter
One
quirky change of life under Coivd-19 is that for some
reason, we are eating more peanut butter.
According to a recent report in The Grocer, sales
of the stuff rose by 35.5 per cent in the Spring.
Peanut butter producer Kirstie Hawkins (Whole Earth
brand) is delighted. “Peanut butter offers an easy way
to add more nutrition to breakfast and snack choices.”
Whatever the reason, sales of
peanut butter, at £98.9million in the past year, are now
£2million more than those for jam.
God
is with us in our
pain and fear’ – Bishop of London’s message of hope
The Bishop of
London, Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, has said that despite
this being a time of “great uncertainty and challenge”
as the world struggles to “overcome a devastating
pandemic that has cut short earthly lives, destroyed
livelihoods, and separated us from the people and
activities we enjoy,” yet still “we are not without
hope.”
Speaking recently
in St Paul’s Cathedral, she said: “Through word, prayer,
song and symbol, we are reminded that God’s love for us
can never be destroyed. God is with us in our pain and
fear and will lead us to a yet more glorious day.”
Bishop Sarah also
praised the ongoing work of the “real heroes and
heroines at work in intensive care units, the Emergency
Department, oncology and elderly care wards.”
These people have
been “giving their all, and are continuing to give their
all, because we are still very much in the midst of the
Covid pandemic.”
“Yet,” she went
on, ‘The hope we have in our hearts as Christians is
eternal. Hope that is in Christ will not be
disappointed.”
1st
November:
All Saints’ Day – the feast day of all the redeemed All Saints, or All Hallows, is the
feast of all the redeemed, known and unknown, who are
now in heaven. When the English Reformation took place,
the number of saints in the calendar was drastically
reduced, with the result that All Saints’ Day stood out
with a prominence that it had never had before.
This
feast day first began in the East, perhaps as early as
the 5th century, as commemorating ‘the martyrs of the
whole world’. A Northern English 9th century calendar
named All Hallows as a principal feast, and such it has
remained. Down the centuries devotional writers have
seen in it the fulfilment of Pentecost and indeed of
Christ’s redemptive sacrifice and resurrection.
The
saints do not belong to any religious tradition, and
their lives and witness to Christ can be appreciated by
all Christians. Richard Baxter, writing in the 17th
century, wrote the following:
He
wants not friends that hath thy love,
As
for my friends, they are not lost;
The
heavenly hosts, world without end,
1,255 ancient English churches were dedicated to All
Saints - a number only surpassed by those dedicated to
the Virgin Mary.
*(Maurice Frost (ed.),
Historical Companion to Hymns Ancient and Modern
(London: Clowes, 1962), no. 274, verses 1,3,6.
All
Hallows Eve – or Holy Evening
In
those long-ago days, on the last night of October, the
Celts celebrated the Festival of Samhain, or ‘Summer’s
End’. The priests, or Druids, performed ceremonies to
thank and honour the sun. For there was a very dark side
to all this: Samhain also signalled the onset of winter,
a time when it was feared that unfriendly ghosts,
nature-spirits, and witches roamed the earth, creating
mischief. So the Druid priests lit great bonfires and
performed magic rites to ward off or appease these dark
supernatural powers.
Then
the Romans arrived, and brought their Harvest Festival
which honoured the Goddess Pomona with gifts of apples
and nuts. The two festivals slowly merged.
When
Christianity arrived still later, it began to replace
the Roman and Druid religions.
1st November - All Saints’ Day - was
dedicated to all Christian Martyrs and Saints who had
died. It was called ‘All Hallows’ Day’. The evening
before became an evening of prayer and preparation and
was called ‘All Hallows’ Eve’, The Holy Evening, later
shortened to ‘Halloween’.
For
many centuries, however, fear of the supernatural
remained strong. During the Middle Ages, animal costumes
and frightening masks were worn to ward off the evil
spirits of darkness on Halloween. Magic words and charms
were used to keep away bad luck, and everybody believed
that witches ride about on broomsticks. Fortune telling
was popular, and predicting the future by the use of
nuts and apples was so popular that Halloween is still
sometimes known as Nutcrack Night or Snap-Apple Night.
Today, Christians have learned
to turn to prayer instead of charms to overcome the
powers of darkness. And the deeper, true meaning of All
Hallows’ Eve, should not be forgotten. As Christians, we
all draw closer to Christ when we remember and give
thanks for our loved ones and for others who have gone
before us through the gates of death.
"Be careful with your words. One said, they can only be
forgiven, not forgotten."
A Helping Hand
There is much we can do just to brighten
By supporting one's elderly neighbours
It's by sparing a few precious hours
It’s the way that we tend to treat others
The choice that we face is quite simple
Help
our wildlife before it is too late
A
quarter of mammals in the UK are at risk of extinction,
and this decline will continue unless their habitats are
restored and some species are reintroduced.
So
warns the chair of Natural England, Tony Juniper,
referring to a recent list of endangered animals issued
by the Mammal Society, and approved by the United
Nations.
UK
mammals most in danger are the greater mouse-eared bat,
the water vole, the hedgehog, hazel dormouse and
Scottish wildcat.
The European wolf is already extinct.
Tony
Juniper advises that reintroducing some mammals would
help others at greater risk. For example, introducing
more pine martens would help control the grey squirrels,
which in turn would give our native red squirrels a
better chance.
As one professor of
environmental biology said: “Here in Britain we are
managing to send even rodents towards extinction. Things
have to change rapidly if we want our children and
grandchildren to enjoy the wildlife that we take for
granted.”
HYMN:
The story behind … Dear Lord and Father of
mankind
Dear
Lord and Father of mankind,
In simple trust
like theirs who heard
This
is the nation’s second favourite hymn, according to a
poll taken by the BBC Songs of Praise programme in 2013.
But it did not originate in the UK, nor did it
begin life as a hymn.
It began in the USA, as part of a poem about a
drug-induced religious frenzy. John Greenleaf Whittier had been
born in Haverhill, Massachusetts in 1807. His family
were part of a pious Quaker community, and so the young
John had grown up in an atmosphere of reverence, of
waiting upon God in prayerful silence.
Whittier wanted to be a poet, but his father
directed him to journalism instead, in order to be sure
his son could earn a living.
Obediently, Whittier took up his pen and began to
write for the papers.
He was soon engaged in the fight against slavery,
which he called the ‘national crime’. He was frequently
abused and criticized for his stand, and found his
solace in turning to his first love, poetry. In 1872 he wrote a 17 verse
‘hymn-poem’ called ‘The Brewing of Soma’.
It was an attempt to depict the futile ways in
which mankind tries to engage with God.
The story line is of priests of the Vedic
religion (close to Hinduism) brewing soma, a sacred
ritual drink with hallucinogenic properties. The priests
are hoping that Soma will give them an experience of the
divine, but instead they simply get drunk.
This failure is then compared to some
Christians' use of "music, incense, vigils drear, And
trance, to bring the skies more near, Or lift men up to
heaven!" But
all their effort is in vain.
It is mere intoxicated folly.
And so the poem runs for 11
verses.
Then, in verse 12, the whole scene changes, and we are
not using props any longer, but simply looking into the
loving face of the God of the Bible.
We come to Him in penitence, and are met with
grace and love.
We encounter Jesus, and follow Him in obedience.
The result is peace, stillness, and eternal life. The poem became the hymn in
1884, when Garrett Horder took the poem’s final five
verses and made them the hymn we love today.
Here in the UK we sing it to the tune ‘Repton’,
by C Hubert H Parry.
You and your
smartphone Do you
spend more than an hour on your smartphone each day?
If so, ever wonder why?
According to a new study in the USA, it may be
that you are depressed.
The study found that the more time
we spend using a phone for any reason – including
texting and browsing the internet - the most likely we
are to have the blues.
On average, a depressed person spends about 68
minutes a day on their phone, while a non-depressed
person keeps it to about 17 minutes. “When people are depressed, they
tend to withdraw and don’t have the motivation or energy
to go out and do things,” said one scientist from
Northwestern University.
Instead, they distract themselves by using their
phones.
“…It’s an avoidance behaviour we see in depression.” As more than one in ten people in
Britain are reckoned to suffer from anxiety and
depression, the findings suggest that monitoring phone
data might be an easy way to pick up the problem.
The scientists were able to identify depressive
symptoms with 87 per cent accuracy, using the phone
data.
Understanding the Bible
The
Bible is the world’s best-selling book of all time.
However, it isn’t one book, but a library of 66 books,
composed by some 44 writers over a period of 1500 years
in a range of literature including history, poetry,
prophecy, letters and apocalyptic (end times). Despite
having a number of different writers, the Bible claims
one author: God himself!
This
is the basis of the unity of its message and
authoritative claim to be the primary way by which God
speaks to us:
‘All
Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so
that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every
good work’ (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible is inspired
(‘the word of God
in the words of men’) and presents itself as a
manual for life, equipping
us to live for God in every aspect of our lives. We also
have the promise of the Holy Spirit to guide us in
applying the words to our lives:
‘the
Spirit will guide you into all truth’ (John 16:13).
However, the Bible could also be described as a
love letter
from God, as He uses it to deepen our relationship with
him. As Jesus said:
‘You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that
by them you possess eternal life. These are the
Scriptures that testify about me’ (John 5:39,40).
Christians follow a person not a book, and the
Scriptures are intended to help us to know Jesus better.
At her coronation the Queen
was given a Bible with the words
‘the most precious
thing this world affords’. Does this reflect our
own attitude to the Bible?
BIBLE SUNDAY: Who authorised the Bible, anyway?
Question:
If it was the Church that finally decided which books
should be included in the Bible, then isn’t the Church
the top authority?
Answer:
No; the Bible produced the Church, not the Church the
Bible. This is the real issue: what caused a book to be
accepted within the ‘Canon’ of Scripture?
(Greek:
kanon, ‘standard’ or ‘rule’).
As far as the Old Testament was concerned: 1.
Books that were recognised by Jesus Christ as
infallible ‘Scripture’ could not be broken (Matthew
5:18). In John 10:35 Jesus didn’t have to explain what
He meant by ‘Scripture’, though elsewhere He did refer
to its different categories (law, prophets, psalms) as
pointing to Himself (Luke 24:44; Matthew 24:37). All was
to be believed and obeyed. 2.
Books that were recognised by God’s people
because of their impact. God’s people will always
recognise His voice (John 10:27). Jesus clashed with the
Pharisees for adding their traditions to the Scripture;
yet all were agreed that the Old Testament Scriptures
were God’s word. 3.
Books that were recognised by the New Testament.
It is significant that the New Testament features
hundreds of Old Testament allusions. Only two are from
the body of books known as the Apocrypha (Jude 9, 14) –
seemingly in similar style to Paul’s quotation from a
Greek poet (Acts 17:28). The Apocryphal books were
perceived to be on a lower level.
Next, what determined inclusion in the New Testament
Canon?
1.
Books that are Christ-centred in their emphasis.
It was inconceivable to the early Church that the
Gospels, for example, which focused so much upon the
life and death of Jesus, could have any lower place than
that given to the Old Testament Scriptures.
2.
Books that are apostolic in their teaching. It
was to the apostles exclusively that Jesus promised
guidance ‘into all truth’ through the Holy Spirit’s
inspiration (John 16:13). The result of this was the New
Testament (1 Corinthians 2:12,13). Significantly, Peter
brackets Paul’s writings with what he calls ‘the other
scriptures’ (2 Peter 3:15,16).
3.
Books that are faith-building in their effect,
and thus, to be read in the congregations (John
20:30,31; 1 Thessalonians 5:27; Colossians 4:16; 1 Peter
2:2; Revelation 1:3).
When the Christian scriptures take hold of the
thinking of masses of people, they have the effect of
‘stabilising society, without sterilising it’ (historian
T. R. Glover).
The
books of the Old Testament were becoming largely
accepted by AD 70; those of the New Testament by the end
of the second century. The drawing of a line around them
discouraged forgers and religious peddlers.
So no one really ‘put’ the
books into the Bible; they put themselves in, because of
their innate quality. No council by itself could have
conferred authority upon the books; this, they possessed
already. It is an authority that is inherent, not
imposed. If art lovers say of a Renoir painting, ‘This
is a genuine Renoir’, their acclaim in no way invests
the painting with authority; it was already authentic.
It is the same with the Scriptures; we can only
recognise them as such…. and live by them.
Do you value your Bible? If so,
Felix of Thibiuca (247 – 303) is a good patron saint for
you. The year was 303, and Diocletian was emperor in
Rome. In
February of that year he decided that Christians were
NOT a good thing. So, he issued an edict:
all copies of the Christian Scriptures and all
liturgical books were to be surrendered and burnt.
Diocletian had decided to ‘wind up’ this upstart
religion. The persecution began in Rome.
By June of that year, the edict had reached North
Africa, and Thibiuca, where Felix was bishop. Felix was
arrested and interrogated. Yes, he said, he did have a
copy of the Scriptures. No, he said, he would not hand
them over.
Felix was a highly respected bishop, and even the
authorities were loath to take immediate action against
him. So they gave him three days grace to see sense, and
back down. But Felix prayed and became only more certain
that this was a conflict between the commandments of God
and the commandments of men.
At
the end of the three days Felix was referred to the
proconsul. He still refused to hand over his Scriptures.
His last words in public were memorable “God, I thank
you. I have passed 56 years in this world. I have
preserved my chastity; I have observed the Gospels; I
have preached the faith and the truth. Lord God of
heaven and earth, Jesus Christ, I bend my neck as a
sacrifice for you, who abides for ever.” He was
condemned to be beheaded at Carthage, and became one of
the first martyrs to die under Diocletian.
Needless to say, Diocletian
did not succeed in destroying the Scriptures. Today
there are hundreds of millions of copies around the
world, and tomorrow, Christians will thank God for the
Scriptures when they celebrate Bible Sunday.
Sleep easy Don’t let
the sun go down on your anger.
That has been biblical advice for millennium.
Now a study at Oxford has found medical evidence
that agrees.
A study at the university’s sleep
and circadian neuroscience institute has found that
ending your day angry, or sleeping right after a
traumatic event, can make bad memories stick.
Instead, sleep deprivation prevents the
consolidation of bad memories, and therefore leads to
fewer flashbacks.
The findings, published in the journal Sleep, may
also suggest that the practice of giving sedatives in
trauma treatment should be reconsidered.
Give Him a Call!
The phone was a great invention. How easy it is to press
a few numbers on our small devices and speak to someone
the other side of the world. There was a time when a
phone in a home was a luxury item.
Now, it seems, we take it for granted that we
have a gadget in our pocket enabling us to contact
anyone, at any time, in any place.
However, how many times have you wanted to speak to
someone, only to be given a recorded message giving a
variety of options?
Then you have to wait in a queue for ages before
your call is answered. Sometimes a voice informs you
‘your call is important to us’ … but meanwhile you are
left waiting, listening to endless music.
Yes, a phone may be useful in all kinds of
circumstances, but they can also be very frustrating!
So, it’s good to know that God can be contacted
immediately we need Him. There is no celestial call
centre where our messages are delayed or referred. With
prayer we can call on God
directly.
This service is free with no charges. He hears
our every call and we can be confident that our Creator
will answer us in ways which are only for our good.
‘When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to
me, I will respond.’
(Isaiah 58:9)
Discovering the vital route from Atlantic to Pacific
It was 500 years ago, on 21st
October 1520, that Portuguese explorer Ferdinand
Magellan’s Spanish expedition to the East Indies
discovered the Strait of Magellan at the southern tip of
Chile.
His
ships, backed by
King Charles I of Spain (soon to become Charles V of the
Holy Roman Empire)
were seeking shelter in a bay after a foiled mutiny
when they unexpectedly found that they could continue
sailing west – though the route among many islands and
channels was tortuous, with mainland South America to
the north and Tierra del Fuego to the south.
Until the creation of the Panama Canal in 1914, this was
a vital passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans,
though it has a cold, foggy climate and is prone to
fierce storms. Wrecks of ships can be seen along its
banks.
Magellan and his men took over
a month to get through the strait (or straits). During
that time the master of one of the remaining ships
mutinied and sailed home.
The surviving ships continued on what became the first
circumnavigation of the globe, though Magellan himself
was killed in a fight with natives in the Philippines,
and Spaniard
Juan Sabastian Elcano took command.
From fisherman to
rock man
‘Blessed are you,
Simon, son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not
revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I
tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build
my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail
against it’ (Matthew 16: 17,18) Here is
the hinge moment of Matthew’s Gospel. The little company
had reached Caesarea Philippi, at the source of the
river Jordan. Part of it is a grotto – said to be the
birthplace of the god Pan. Jesus would have been
standing beside the ancient carved shrines to
Pan - still visible today - as he addressed the disciples: “Who do
people say that the Son of Man is?”
The answers came quickly: John the
Baptist back again? A famous prophet from the past? But
then it became personal. “But who do YOU say that I am?”
It is the sixty-four thousand dollar question. Get it wrong – and
even our very existence won’t quite make sense. People
sometimes say, “I don’t understand about Jesus!
God I can
understand - but where does Jesus fit in?”
It was that great theologian, Athanasius -
Egyptian born and Greek trained - who gave the answer
sixteen centuries ago. He said, “The only system of
thought into which Jesus Christ will fit, is the one in
which He is the starting point!”
Get it
right about Jesus, then - and everything else will begin
to glow with significance. Get it wrong – and we’ll be
like the man who does up his shirt buttons in the
morning, starting
with the wrong button!
He may say to himself, “Well, it’ll probably work
out if I just keep on” – No, it won’t! It’s the same
with Christ. Get it wrong about him, and the very
meaning of life and existence will always remain a
puzzle. Jesus Christ, the first and the last, is the
culmination of all God’s saving purposes for our world;
‘YOU… are the very Messiah of God!’ exclaimed Simon. Simon the fisherman had hit the
jackpot and so became spokesman for us all. Jesus
re-names him Peter -
Petros ‘the Rock.’ That
name – ‘Peter’ – would go world-wide. University
colleges would be called by that name. Whole cities
would be called after Peter – and countless thousands of
churches, the same. Mums and dads all down history, by
the million, would call their sons ‘Peter,’ and their
dogs ‘Caesar’ – just one of the changes Jesus makes!
JESUS
If I could package faith into one parcel
HYMN:
The story behind … O God, our help in ages past O God, our help in ages
past, Under the shadow of Thy throne A thousand ages in The sight Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748) is often
called the ‘Father of English hymnody’. Certainly before
his hymns came along, congregational singing was a
tedious business.
Watts was born in July 1674 in
Southampton.
(At the time of his birth, his father, an educated
deacon in a dissenting Congregational church, was
briefly in prison for his non-conformist beliefs.) As a
boy, Watts showed outstanding ability with language
(learning Greek, Hebrew, Latin and French).
He also had an unusual ability for easy rhyming
in English.
(At the age of five, when scolded for giggling in family
prayers, it was because he had seen a mouse on the
bell-rope, and instantly composed the line:
‘There was
a mouse, for want of stairs, ran up a rope to say his
prayers!’)
Well, the answer to the first question is that it is the day before Lent begins and for well over a thousand years that has meant it was the last chance to enjoy meat, fat and other tasty dishes until Easter Day. The ‘Lent Fast’ was widely and strictly observed. The food in the larder wouldn’t keep for six weeks so it had to be eaten. With all these rich foods no wonder the French call it ‘Fatty Tuesday’ – Mardi Gras.
So, what have pancake races got to do with all this solemnity? ‘Shrove’ is an old word for ‘forgiven’ and in those days to prepare for the rigours of Lent people would want to confess and seek forgiveness – not quite what you want at a party. The answer is quite simply enjoying yourself while you can! So, on Shrove Tuesday this year let’s have some fun and make it last as long as possible.
The most convincing (and amusing) of the explanations of pancake races is of outwitting the Sexton who rang the curfew bell that marked the start of Lent. He was reluctant to do it while the race was unfinished. So, the revelry caused by dropped pancakes, postponed the inevitable.
Those are long names for societies whose aim was to get Christian books and resources into the hands of those who desperately needed them. For the early 18th century was not an easy time for poor clergymen: books were expensive, and many of them had few, or none to guide them in their ministry. And so, Thomas Bray, who had been educated at Oxford, joined with some other clergy friends to help them.
After a trip to assess the needs of the young Episcopal Church in Maryland (he was sent by the Bishop of London), Bray became rector of St Botolph’s, Aldgate in London in 1708. From here he served his parish, and through SPCK eventually established 80 parish libraries in England and a further 39 in the Colonies. SPCK and USPG worked by asking learned authors to donate copies of their books. They also appealed to merchants to the foreign plantations for financial help in establishing the libraries.
Thomas Bray’s life has affected hundreds of thousands of people over three centuries. Not only was his work in America the first major coordinated effort to establish libraries in the New World, but SPCK is still one of our leading UK Christian publishing houses today.
As if that was not enough, Bray also worked to help poor debtors emigrate to better lives, and homeless children to get care in England. He helped feed prisoners at Newgate prison in London and joined in the political fight against slavery. He also supported outreaches to Africans and Native Americans in their home countries. When he died on 15th February 1730, thousands mourned him. A great small man indeed!
So why has Valentine become the patron saint of romantic love? By Chaucer’s time the link was assumed to be because on these saints’ day -14th February - the birds are supposed to pair. Or perhaps the custom of seeking a partner on St Valentine’s Day is a surviving scrap of the old Roman Lupercalia festival, which took place in the middle of February. One of the Roman gods honoured during this Festival was Pan, the god of nature. Another was Juno, the goddess of women and marriage. During the Lupercalia it was a popular custom for young men to draw the name of a young unmarried woman from a name-box. The two would then be partners or ‘sweethearts’ during the time of the celebrations. Even modern Valentine decorations bear an ancient symbol of love - Roman cupids with their bows and love-arrows.
There are no churches in England dedicated to Valentine, but since 1835 his relics have been claimed by the Carmelite church in Dublin.
We leave our messages in one place while we take our bodies elsewhere. Instead of doing one thing after another, we shoot out a variety of tasks, and then swoop down on them later, needing to deal with them all at once.
In a four-minute clip from a street scene from an old Orson Welles film and a similar clip from a more recent film, you will see an amazing difference. In the early film, the camera records ‘real time’ – people get out of their cars, walk across streets, wait for lights, speak to other people, enter a bank. In the more recent film, a similar sequence was reduced to a half a dozen quick cuts. Transition time was eliminated.
Modern life teaches us that ‘down time’ is wasted. Time is money. So mobile phones, emails, etc, enable us to ‘waste’ less time. The tempo of cultural life picks up, the heartbeat of daily life races, and our own body rhythms respond with adrenaline, cramped muscles and heart attacks.
To take time out for daily prayer, for a quiet walk that is not to the next meeting, for daydreaming or for Bible study becomes a cross-cultural act. Following Christ, waiting on Him, is a countercultural act.
One lovely biblical phrase is ‘in the fullness of time, it came to pass’. This suggests four things: that time crests like a wave; that there is a right moment for things to happen; that it’s not ours to plan that moment, but to recognise it; and that we are not the primary agents of what happens in the world.
So, feel free to accept God’s offer of rest when you are weary; receive each moment of your life as a gift from God’s hand; pray to discern what each new encounter you make requires of you, and freely entrust everything else to God’s care.
And collect all hope into a single can –
If I could roll all love into one heart-ball
And commoditise it in a living man
I’d already have a fully detailed label
Prepared before the world itself began -
And it would have one name -
And that name – JESUS -
At the centre of God’s universal plan
To take the world along the course
God’s surge of love provoked
Till wholeness flows through everything
With God’s Spirit of life unyoked.
by Sam Doubtfire
For Scholastica’s brother was no less than the great monk Benedict, who founded the famous Benedictine order and lived at Monte Cassino. In no way over-awed, Scholastica simply became the first ever Benedictine nun, with a nunnery five miles down the road – at Plombariola.
Now Scholastica greatly enjoyed her annual meetings with her brother at a house nearby, but the time passed too quickly. One year she begged him to stay longer, to discuss “the joys of heaven”, but he refused. So Scholastica took swift action: she prayed up such a mighty thunderstorm that her brother was forced to spend the rest of the night talking to her. Or maybe – she talked, and he listened? No one knows for sure.
In any case, Scholastica died happy three days later, and was buried in the tomb Benedict had prepared for himself. She became the patron of Benedictine nunneries.
You can't change it.
Forget about the future,
You can't predict it.
Forget about the present,
I didn't buy you one.
And tempted by the devil
He wandered in the wilderness,
Hungry
And focussed on God,
And the truth and power of His Word.
Truth and power enough
To resist His enemy and ours.
To go on - armed with the Spirit -
To give His life,
To give us life.
A lesson in tactics then:
Know the truth,
Submit to God,
Resist the devil
And our wildernesses will blossom.
We will bear fruit,
Fruit to be known by
As His.
By Daphne Kitching
Highway England has said that vibrant road verges will be created as standard on new roads over 300 miles in England, using low nutrient soils which will be seeded with wildflowers or left to grow naturally.
A staggering 97 per cent of our meadows have been destroyed since the Thirties, due to modern agriculture. This means that the 238,000 hectares of road verges across the UK could become a vital habitat for pollinators.
The Government has pledged to build 4,000 miles of new road by 2025.
After only three minutes of cuddling your pet, your levels of oxytocin, the ‘love’ hormone, increase, according to a recent study from Australia’s Monash University. And just five minutes of cuddling will also raise your levels of the two wellbeing and happiness hormones, endorphin and dopamine. So says a recent report in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research.
In her recent book, Your Pet, Your Pill, vet Margit Gabriele Muller says that caressing a dog or other pet provides exactly the same health benefits as skin-on-skin contact with another human. The hormones that are released “are the same as when you’re breastfeeding or cuddling a partner.”
Furthermore, a study at Liverpool University last year found that dog owners are four times more likely to be fit than other people.
The Jesuit Francis Xavier had first brought Christianity to Japan in 1549, when he persuaded Shimazu Takahisa, the daimyo of Satsuma, to give him permission to build the first Catholic mission in Japan. All went well at first, and the Japanese responded to the message of Jesus Christ more warmly than anyone could have foretold. By the end of the century, it has been estimated that there were nearly 300,000 baptised converts to Christianity in Japan.
But soon the very success of the Japanese Church led it into trouble: its vibrant growth as an indigenous community believing a faith brought in from the West meant trouble. It was caught up in a maelstrom of tensions between the shogunate, imperial government, Buddhist monks, Shintoists, and colonial ambitions of Spain and Portugal. Gradually, the Japanese rulers came to see Christians as a threat. So Christianity was banned, and those Japanese who refused to abandon their faith were to be killed.
Trouble flared at Nagasaki on 6th February 1597, when six European Franciscan missionaries, three Japanese Jesuits and 17 Japanese laity, three of whom were young boys, were executed in a form of crucifixion by being elevated on crosses and then pierced with spears. Within a year, more than 130 churches had been burned. The persecution subsided, then flared up in 1613. Japanese Christians were beheaded, burned alive or imprisoned. They responded with courage and a willingness to sing praises and preach the gospel even as they were led to their deaths.
Such was the brutality of the persecution that by 1630 the Japanese Church had been driven underground and was thought to be lost. So, when missionaries arrived in the 19th century, they were astonished to find a community of Japanese Christians. It had survived for 250 years without clergy, churches, the Bible and only a sketchy idea of the Christian faith beyond one main thing: that Jesus Christ was Lord.
For many of us, that daily walk has become the high point of our day. After all, it is one of the few liberties we have left. Some of us go early, to enjoy the relative peace and quiet. Some of us go midday, to at least see other people, even if we can’t talk to them. Others of us opt for dusk, the dark comfort of a street with lit houses and stars in the sky.
Whatever time you most enjoy, make sure you do make the time to go for your walk. Your mental and physical fitness can only improve!
Remember what Paul says: ‘For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.’ (Romans 7:15). It’s often easier to avoid connecting with God and others, when this would be good for our sense of value, purpose and identity. Certain patterns of behaviour can make us feel safer, but in reality they prevent us from living our lives fully as God intends.
Paul adds: ‘What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!’ (Romans 7:24,25). Through the death and resurrection of Jesus we have the freedom to act differently. Lent is an ideal time to develop new habits, especially when we are tired or anxious. It may involve spending less time on Facebook, turning the TV off to call a friend who we need to catch up with, or getting up a bit earlier to spend time in Bible reading and prayer.
Let’s keep reminding ourselves that ‘God is bigger than Zoom’ and make sure that we don’t get disconnected! Let’s be committed to doing the right thing, rather than simply the easier thing.
The Bishop of Durham, Paul Butler, backed cross-party amendments to the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill which has been before the Lords for report stage.
Bishop Paul was sponsoring an amendment alongside Baroness Massey, Lord Dubs and Lord Cormack which would prohibit the authorisation of criminal conduct by children without specific prior judicial approval.
He will also support an amendment from Baroness Kidron, Baroness Hamwee, Lord Kennedy of Southwark and Lord Young of Cookham which would provide further legal protections for under 18s.
Bishop Paul said: “Children of all ages deserve to be protected. Ideally no one under 18 should ever be used for covert intelligence but if they must be then it must be extremely rare and with thorough legal protections in place.”
"I am here to reiterate the simple moral truth that children must be treated as children. Knowingly placing a child in harm’s way and encouraging them to remain in harmful situations or with harmful behaviours may be in our interest, but it is not in the child’s best interests.
"This is exacerbated by the likelihood that the small number of children recruited as CHIS are from a potentially vulnerable background and are already deeply damaged. We should be seeking their healing, not risking damaging them further.”
In New Testament times 40 days old was an important age for a baby boy: it was when they made their first ‘public appearance’. Mary, like all good Jewish mothers, went to the Temple with Jesus, her first male child - to ‘present Him to the Lord’. At the same time, she, as a new mother, was ‘purified’. Thus, we have the Festival of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple.
So, where does the Candlemas bit come in? Jesus is described in the New Testament as the Light of the World, and early Christians developed the tradition of lighting many candles in celebration of this day. The Church also fell into the custom of blessing the year’s supply of candles for the church on this day - hence the name, Candlemas.
The story of how Candlemas began can be found in Luke 2:22-40. Simeon’s great declaration of faith and recognition of who Jesus was is of course found in the Nunc Dimittis, which is embedded in the Office of Evening Prayer in the West. But in medieval times, the Nunc Dimittis was mostly used just on this day, during the distribution of candles before the Eucharist. Only gradually did it win a place in the daily prayer life of the Church.
The miracles attributed to Brigid show her to have been a woman of great compassion and generosity. There are stories of how she could multiply food, especially butter, for the poor. Other stories tell of her changing her bathwater to beer, in order to satisfy the thirst of unexpected visitors. Even her cows gave milk three times the same day, to enable visiting bishops to have enough to drink.
Brigid’s cult grew rapidly in Ireland, where it became second only to that of Patrick. In England, there were at least 19 ancient church dedications in her honour (the most famous is St Bride’s Fleet Street). There is also St Bride’s Bay, Dyfed, which underlines the strong connection between Irish and Welsh Christianity. St Brigid is patron of poets, blacksmiths, and healers. She is usually depicted with a cow lying at her feet, which recalls her phase as a nun-cowgirl.
Maedoc (d 626) was born in Connacht and educated in Leinster and St David’s Pembrokeshire before returning to Ireland in the early 7th century. He founded a small monastery on land given by Brandrub, prince of Leinster, at Ferns, in Co. Wexford. He also founded monasteries at Drumlaane and Rossinver. He must have been loved, because after his death his bell, his staff and reliquary were carefully preserved – you can see them today in the National Museum (Dublin) or the Library of Armagh cathedral.
Maedoc had a reputation for self-denial, holiness and charity. But he was not ‘stupidly good’. The story is told of how one day some spurious beggars hid their fine clothes and dressed in rags and came to the monastery pleading for his help to buy new sets of clothes. Maedoc invited them in and did some investigating. When he discovered their fine clothes hidden outside, he gave them away to real beggars nearby, and then sent the imposters off in their dirty rags, with neither new clothes nor alms. Rather cleverly done!
Someone is newly diagnosed with leprosy every two minutes, and millions of people suffer crippling deformities.
Leprosy Mission was founded to help defeat this terrible disease, and to transform the lives of its victims. Nowadays this established Christian charity is a global network active in 34 countries across the world. 15 countries have a high burden of leprosy; Leprosy Mission works in 11 of them.
Leprosy Mission works closely with governments, local communities, partner health organisations, the World Health Organisation, local NGOs, local churches, and Christian partners.
And – you can help! This month you can pray, make a donation, or even consider working with Leprosy Mission.
It is not your fault. Modern cars have grown so big that many drivers now have as little as 21cm of room to spare in a parking space.
A recent study has found that the country’s most popular cars are as much as 55 per cent larger than they were in the Seventies, while the standard parking space has not grown at all. No surprise, then, that millions of drivers scrape their cars each year trying to park in cramped spaces.
The biggest grower is the Mini Hatch, which is now 55 per cent bigger and takes up to 22 per cent more of a parking space that the original did, back in 1959. The Honda Civic of today is 1.8m wide, an increase of 44 per cent. It now takes up nearly three quarters of a standard parking bay.
CarGurus, who carried out the research, has urged the authorities to update the guidelines for parking bays. The current size of a parking bay is 2.4m by 4.8m, and has not changed in 50 years.
Angela was born near Lake Garda, in Desenzano, where she was orphaned as a young child. The 1480s were hardly an easy time for orphaned girls, but somehow Angela survived to grow into her teens, when she became a Franciscan tertiary. However miserable her own childhood, Angela chose to let it work for good in her life: she decided to devote her own life to the education of poor girls. Girls! This was a time when most of the men were illiterate!
But Angela was an audacious woman, and she had only just begun. She and some close companions set to work in the name of Christ, seeking out the poor families in their community. Angela taught the young girls all that she could, and prayed with them, assuring them that even they were precious in the eyes of their Creator.
All of which left the Roman Catholic Church badly baffled. What should they do with religious sisters who had taken no vows, still wore their lay clothes, and who, instead of walling themselves up in some nunnery to lead an enclosed life, spent their days in a decidedly mobile, highly visible fashion – out and about in community support?
It wasn’t until 1565, some 25 years AFTER Angela’s death, that the Church decided it approved of such work. By then the Ursuline nuns, as they were by then called, were going from strength to strength. They still flourish today, with some 2400 Ursuline Sisters in 27 provinces on six continents. They have been well described as ‘the oldest and most considerable teaching order of women in the RC Church.’
It took nearly 300 years, but in 1807 the Roman Catholic Church decided that Angela, unveiled, unenclosed and unsupervised as she had been, had been a saint after all – and ‘made’ her one.
The books of First and Second Timothy and Titus are what are known as the three pastoral letters, where Paul writes to ministers in charge of important churches, instead of writing to the churches themselves. Paul gives both Timothy and Titus explicit instructions for how to shepherd the sheep in their care. Timothy had been given the responsibility of the church at Ephesus, and Titus the care of the church at Crete. Both Timothy and Titus were young men, and both felt quite daunted at the task ahead of them!
Timothy, half Jewish, had met Paul when he was still a child, living with his mother Eunice at Lystra. Paul had come to their city and preached, and they had both become Christians. Timothy had then accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey – a great training experience. But experience is given to us so that we might in turn become productive – and in due course Paul entrusted the vastly important church of Ephesus into Timothy’s care. This church was so vibrant in its faith that within 50 years so many Ephesians became Christians that the city’s pagan temples were almost forsaken. A huge responsibility!
Titus was a gentile, almost certainly converted through Paul. Paul had used Titus as a trouble-shooter with the Corinthians, and when Titus was successful in that, gave him a real bit of trouble: the church at Crete. Again, Titus served his Lord faithfully, even in this most difficult of situations.
Timothy became the first bishop of Ephesus and was finally martyred when he opposed pagan festivals (probably in honour of Dionysius). He was killed by stones and clubs, easily to hand during the pagan festival of Katagogia. His supposed relics were translated to Constantinople in 356.
Titus went on to become the first Bishop of Crete, and is believed to have died there, though history does not tell us how. His relics are supposed to be buried in Crete, except for his head, which was allegedly taken to Venice in 823.
Both Timothy and Titus were good and faithful servants, and they could look back on lives well spent.
On his way to Damascus to start a purge of Christians in that city, he was blinded by a bright light and heard a voice saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ He asked the identity of the voice, and was told: ‘Jesus, whom you are persecuting’. Stunned by the experience, he followed further instructions which led him to a Christian man in Damascus, who prayed with him. As he did, Saul’s sight was restored.
The experience convinced Paul that Jesus - crucified in Jerusalem four or five years earlier - was in fact the Messiah and had risen from the dead. After a period of instruction, Saul was baptised and took the name Paul. At first, some Christians were wary about the reality of his conversion, but over a period of time he was accepted and indeed eventually recognised as an ’apostle’, a ‘special messenger’ of Jesus Christ.
His intellectual stature and leadership gifts quickly marked him out, and within a few years he became a leading figure in the emerging Christian Church, preaching and founding churches all over the Middle East, largely of Gentile converts. He was eventually martyred in Rome, probably in 65AD.
Paul was the first intellectual of the Christian Church, the man who was able to set the events of the life and teaching of Jesus, and especially His death and resurrection, into a coherent theology, with its roots very clearly in the Jewish faith of his own upbringing.
Many people think of Paul as a rather negative, narrow misogynist, but even a quick reading of his letters actually reveals a person of great warmth, who evoked enormous affection and devotion from others. ‘You would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me!’ he writes to the Christians at Galatia. As for the charge hat Paul disliked women, even a quick read of his letters will reveal how large a role women played in his churches. In terms of the first century, St Paul was a dangerous liberal! So, all in all, the amazing Paul of Tarsus deserves a bit of celebrating on 25th January.
He was a Jew, born as ‘Saul’ at Tarsus, and brought up by the rabbi Gamaliel as a Pharisee. A devout, fanatical Jew, Saul persecuted the Christians, and watched with satisfaction the first Christian martyrdom, the stoning of Stephen. Then, on his way to Damascus, Saul had a vision of Christ that stopped him in his tracks. He realised that this Jesus whom he was persecuting was in fact the Messiah for whom he had longed.
Saul changed overnight. He was given a new name, Paul, and became an evangelist for the cause of Christ. He became a leader in the early Church, and his special calling was as an apostle to the Gentiles. He wrote epistles to the young churches that he founded - and thus, inadvertently, wrote a great part of the New Testament.
Life as the greatest apostle was hardly full of perks: Paul was stoned, beaten, mobbed, homeless, hated, imprisoned, and finally martyred. Tradition has it that he was beheaded in Rome during the persecution of Nero in 64AD, and buried where the basilica of St Paul ‘outside the walls’ now stands. His mighty faith in Christ has kindled similar belief in many hundreds of millions of people down the centuries.
It begins with a call from God upon your life. Discerning this can take months or even years of reflection and prayer.
The next step is to talk to your vicar, or to a member of the vocations team in your diocese. Your diocese will help you to identify what type of ministry could best suit your gifts and talents.
Your bishop will then send you to a selection residential known as a Bishop’s Advisory Panel. Here they will assess your understanding of the Church, your faith, your sense of vocation, leadership, and collaboration.
The panel will decide whether or not to recommend to your bishop that you go forward for ordination training.
If you are recommended, then the next step is to enter a training course at one of the theological education institutes (TEIs) based around the country. These can be either residential or non-residential.
Training usually takes two to three years. After the course, an ordinands will normally receive either a bachelor’s degree or a diploma of higher education. Your tuition fees are covered by the Church, which also pays a contribution towards your living expenses.
After ordination, newly ordained clergy begin their ministerial life as deacons. The first jobs they do are called curacies (they are known as curates).
Your curacy will be an opportunity to serve alongside an experienced vicar. Here you can put into practice the knowledge gained from your course and learn from them as you prepare for your own ministry.
After a year, most deacons are ordained again, as a priest.
All sorts of people train for ordination. There really is no such thing as ‘typical’ ordained person.
What all candidates do share is a genuine and heartfelt desire to serve God and to serve others.
And they are not strange rarities. They number in the thousands and, while they started out as a partnership between the Church of England and the Methodist Church, they now involve the United Reformed Church, Baptist Church, Salvation Army, Church of Scotland, the Congregational Federation and the Ground Level network of churches.
Across the world, they have spread to the USA, Canada and Barbados, to Germany and Switzerland, and to South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Fresh expressions are the result of traditional churches listening to communities and putting together something that will attract those for whom traditional church just doesn’t make the Gospel available. People for whom liturgy, ceremony, stained glass and choirs just don’t do it or for whom the big doors and ‘knowledgeable’ congregation are a bit scary. Or, perhaps, those who feel they aren’t ‘religious’ enough to enter a church.
Like many traditional churches, fresh expressions will attract different social groups, such as young people, new families or older adults. Unlike most traditional churches, they will offer something more associated with the secular world, too. Hence, alongside all the traditional churches, there are now fresh expressions based on skateboarding, skiing or surfing for energetic people; based on café culture and computer skills for something a bit more sedentary; teaching cookery skills to children. They are based in pubs, schools, restaurants, cafes, community centres and even churches.
They are all different. Like the people who develop them and the people they serve, fresh expressions are each unique. They each respond to the changing culture and needs where they develop. But they are all shaped by the Gospel. They all look for ways to make the Gospel available to the unchurched and aim to make new disciples. They are all maturing at their own rate and moving towards their own opportunities to worship.
Meanwhile, the traditional expressions of church they grew out of continue to live, develop and grow in their own way.
The Fresh Expressions organisation has a working definition for these new churches. A fresh expression, it says, is a form of church for our changing culture established primarily for the benefit of people who are not yet members of any church. It will come into being through principles of listening, service, incarnational mission and making disciples. It will have the potential to become a mature expression of church shaped by the gospel and the enduring marks of the church and for its cultural context.
Statistics suggest there are more than 60,000 people attending fresh expressions of church in England. That’s more than the average weekly attendance in mort dioceses in the Church of England.
You can read more about the Fresh Expressions movement at
www.freshexpressions.org.uk
.
Another way to look at it is to see the rural dean, often known as the area dean, as the senior vicar in a large group of churches and parishes. Such a group, maybe a couple of dozen parishes, is a deanery. The rural or area dean chairs all the clergy of the area when they come together with lay people elected by each parish in a council called the deanery synod.
Synods are the Church’s equivalent of Parliament (General Synod), County Councils (Diocesan Synod) and local councils (Deanery Synod), where both spiritual and administrative matters can be discussed democratically and planning and policy shaped.
Rural dean is, in fact, an ancient office with certain specified responsibilities: the incongruity of a priest in the middle of a city being called a rural dean led to many now being called area deans. In many instances, the duties of rural dean are discharged by a vicar as a temporary addition to his or her responsibilities, in return for a small honorarium. Rather than seeing the rural dean as the line manager for other vicars, therefore, the relationship is nearer to that of the Archbishop of Canterbury with other bishops: not the boss but first among equals.
As an officer of the bishop the rural dean's key roles include looking after parishes that are between vicars, ensuring everything keeps going and helping in the process of finding a new vicar; chairing meetings of all the clergy within the deanery; co-chairing, with an elected layperson, meetings of the deanery synod; and carrying out visitations and inspections on behalf of the archdeacon to ensure the good order of the fabric and the general welfare of parishes.
It’s not all about admin, however. Being the priest of a parish is not always as quiet and calm as you might think. Clergy can be affected by pressure just like anyone else and rural deans are expected to care for the clergy of their deanery as well as for the parishes. They listen to vicar’s problems, as well as those of parishioners, and help in whatever way they can.
And then they make sure that communication between the parishes and the bishop is working. They pass on messages from the bishop and send back responses, as well as making sure that the bishop hears of any problems in the parishes.
So, you might see rural and area deans as a cross between council chair, line manager and agony aunt.
But what are you seeing or imagining as you listen in?
Whether in London or York, a gallery runs behind the seating area. Look down from the gallery, and you see more than 450 seats fanned out to face a platform and top table. There is no seating plan, although the front two or three rows are reserved for the House of Bishops. That said, the bishops can sit anywhere, maybe with other members from their diocese.
In the middle of the top table sits the person chairing the current debate. A different member from a panel of clergy, laity and bishops takes the chair each time the subject under debate changes. To the right of the chair, in a wig, sits one of the legal officers of the Synod and, to the left, one of the senior staff, such as the Clerk to the Synod. These three ensure Synod members wishing to speak are called in the right order and that debates are run according to standing orders.
Behind the top table and to the left, sit the mover of the motion for debate and their support staff. To the right are other involved Synod staff. In front and below the top table sit staff running the electronic voting system, display boards and such.
Look further to the left and you see the seats for the archbishops and their staff. To the right, sit the senior officers of the Synod: the Chair and Vice-Chair of the House of Laity and their equivalents in the House of Clergy, known as Prolocutors, who chair the clergy of Canterbury and York Provinces, respectively.
When any of these six speak, they do so from where they are sitting. Otherwise, there are three lecterns for speakers. One stands next to the top table and is used by the lead speaker to introduce the debate, move the motion and respond to the debate. The other two are about half-way back on the floor of the Synod: one on the right and one on the left. Speakers tend to be called two at a time, so that there is always one ready to speak while the next one moves to a lectern.
Enjoy the debates.
The key issue is whether present trends will continue. Many teenagers left the church in the 1980s and many children under 15 in the 1990s. 20 or 30 years later there is a dire absence of those in their 30s and 40s, and no sign of younger replacements.
The need to reach out to young people is obvious and something that the church is increasingly taking on board in such initiatives as the young family orientated “Messy Church,” the employment of Youth and Children’s Workers, etc.
1961: John F Kennedy:
“We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom — symbolising an end, as well as a beginning — signifying renewal… Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans…. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”
1981: Ronald Reagan:
“Can we solve the problems confronting us? Well, the answer is an unequivocal and emphatic ‘yes.’ To paraphrase Winston Churchill, I did not take the oath I have just taken with the intention of presiding over the dissolution of the world's strongest economy…The business of our nation goes forward. These United States are confronted with an economic affliction of great proportions…It threatens to shatter the lives of millions of our people.”
2001: George W Bush:
“While many of our citizens prosper, others doubt the promise, even the justice, of our own country. The ambitions of some Americans are limited by failing schools and hidden prejudice and the circumstances of their birth. And sometimes our differences run so deep, it seems we share a continent, but not a country.”
Amy Wilson Carmichael had been born in Ireland on 16th December 1867, into a devoutly religious Presbyterian family in Belfast. When she was 16, Amy had become a Christian, and decided to start a mission for mill girls. When she came into contact with the Keswick movement, she sensed a call to serve abroad.
At first, Amy planned to go to China, but ill health prevented her from travelling. Later, for 15 months, she worked in Japan, but the climate was detrimental to her health. In 1895, she went to India to evangelise around Bangalore, and then, in order to escape rising political violence, she moved on to Dohnavur.
Here she met a girl called Preena, who had escaped being a slave in a Hindu temple. From that moment, Amy knew she had found her true calling. She dedicated the rest of her life to rescuing girls and boys who had been given by parents or relatives to serve in the temple as prostitutes.
Amy donned Indian dress and learnt about the Hindu culture and showed the love of Christ through her compassion. Overcoming much hardship and danger, Amy expanded her evangelistic work to establish a centre for homes, schools and a hospital. The Dohnavur Fellowship still continues today.
In 1931, Amy suffered a severe injury that virtually
confined her to bed for the next 20 years. Despite this,
she wrote 13 of her 35 books and many thousands of
letters. Amy based her life on prayer and trusted God
for all her needs. She died on 18th January 1951, aged
83.
This book celebrates the excellent work done by the formidable army of ‘Street Pastors’, Christian volunteers who have become a welcome presence in their various towns and cities across the nation.
Founded on the streets of Brixton by the Revd Les Isaac, OBE, in 2003 as a response to critical social issues, there are now 270 Street Pastor groups across the UK and seven internationally. More than 12,000 volunteers have been trained to serve as Street Pastors, not only on the streets but in many other public spheres as well, such as schools and after terrorist attacks.
Whether offering a listening ear to a vulnerable clubber, mentoring a troubled teen, giving food to a homeless person or responding to a national emergency, Street Pastors have been credited with saving police and NHS time and money, reducing crime and improving neighbourhoods. The work is supported by churches of every denomination.
So says recent guidance from the World Health Organisation, as it urges people to maintain regular moderate exercise on a daily basis, of up to at least 150 minutes a week. It also recommends vigorous exercise of at least 75 minutes a week.
The WHO recommendation was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, and is part of the new global guidelines on physical activity.
WHO also warned that those who stay sedentary for 10 or more hours on a regular basis will have a “significantly heightened risk of death.”
A recent trial study by the Royal Horticultural Society found that people who introduced
ornamental plants such as juniper, azalea, clematis, lavender, daffodil bulbs and petunias had a significant lowering of the stress hormone, cortisol, and many reported that they felt ‘happier’.
Hilary was such a champion of the Christian faith. Born into a wealthy pagan family in Poitiers in 315, he first became an orator of Neo-Platonism. Here he learned how to think and argue, but soon he lost confidence in paganism. By 350, Hilary converted to Christianity.
Already well known and loved in Poitiers, Hilary was made bishop only three years later. His oratorial skills in defence of Christianity were badly needed: it was a time when the Western Church was under severe attack. The heresy of Arianism, which denied that Jesus was divine, was spreading everywhere. Hilary became the outspoken champion of biblical orthodoxy, defending it at both the Synod of Bitterae in 356 and the Council of Seleucia in 359. Although briefly exiled to Phrygia in Asia Minor by the Emperor for his stand, Hilary continued to defend Jesus’ divinity, and was praised by both Augustine and Jerome as ‘the illustrious teacher of the churches’.
When Hilary returned from exile to Gaul, there was great rejoicing. He continued to write many doctrinal and historical works. He also became the first known writer of hymns in the Western Church, stressing Trinitarian themes and the unique relationship of Christ to the Father.
There are three churches dedicated to Hilary in England. His feast day begins the Hilary Term at the Law Courts and at the universities of Oxford and Dublin.
Hear our prayer.
Drive away from us the shadow of sin.
Seek us, kindly light.
You, who created us in holiness,
Who condemned our sin,
Who redeemed us from our sin,
Sustain us by your power.
Pour your gentle light into our dull minds,
Filling our heads with holy thoughts.
Pour your glorious light into our cold breasts,
Kindling holy love within our hearts.
From horror, lust and fear,
Guard us while we sleep.
And if we cannot sleep,
Let our eyes behold your heavenly host.
By Alcuin of York, c. 735 – 804, was later abbot of Tours.
Power
In 2 Timothy the apostle Paul encourages his friend to ‘fan into flame the gift of God’ that is in him. I am thankful that scientists like Francis are using their own particular talents to understand this virus, and to help prevent or treat infection. The things they discover are not just useful, but at times they can also display the beauty and wonder of God’s creation.
Love
A scientist shows their love for God, for people and for the rest of creation through their work in the lab. One scientist described his experiences to me: “I study God’s fingerprints in His creation to learn more of Him and the world He placed us in and to learn how we should take care of it and each other…I pray for inspiration and insight into how His creation works…and that He provides the opportunities to give the glory to Him.”
Self-Control
It is largely our own and others’ selfish actions that can turn one animal’s friendly virus into our own species’ personal nightmare. Thankfully Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection are the solution to evil. Our ultimate and certain hope is that one day all Creation will be renewed. We can also have hope for today, that God is with us in our suffering. When we respond in positive ways to painful events, that is evidence that Jesus is alive and working in our lives.
Science will not solve all our problems, but with God’s help and wisdom we can use the tools of science to serve him and love others. Let’s pray together for the strength to cope, and for an end to this pandemic.
The Cambridge Dictionary has now added a new meaning to the word ‘quarantine’. It runs: ‘A general period of time in which people are not allowed to leave their homes or travel freely, so that they do not catch or spread a disease.’
The editors are also considering some possible new words for the dictionary. These include ‘Quaranteam’ (a group of people who go into quarantine together), Lockstalgia (a feeling of nostalgia for the lockdown period), and Coronnial (someone born around the time of the pandemic).
Both reactions are completely understandable. But I’ve been looking ahead to 2021 and thinking about the five top things I’d like to see in the year ahead. I wonder if you’ll agree with them or not? Maybe you could put together your own list.
The Revd Peter Crumpler, a Church of England priest in
St Albans, Herts, and a former communications director
for the CofE, considers the New Year ahead.
Heaven’s gift of another year
As the old departs and the new is born,
Plans for a future and a hope
Preparing us for each new dawn.
Yesterday has gone forever,
New days and ventures lie ahead,
Even darkness turns to light
When we make the Lord our head.
Yielding to the Holy Spirit
Ever mindful that He’s there,
As we live our lives before Him
Rejoicing in His loving care.
By Megan Carter
Here we are, nervously wobbling on the brink of this New Year. All our hopes, expectations, plans and possibilities for last year stolen by the relentless pandemic.
The landscape of our lives has been shaken and changed, Lord. Nothing is the same. Normality has been redefined. 2020 was a year like no other. How dare we move into the uncertainty of 2021?
Lord, we dare - because of the one, wonderful certainty we do have - that You have been with us through it all. Thank you that You sent Jesus to save us, to offer us that bigger reality of life for all eternity - if we put our trust in Him, Jesus, who never changes.
You promise that You will never leave us or forsake us. We will be able to navigate the challenges lie ahead, if we keep our eyes on Jesus, our compass; if we trust His Holy Spirit to lead us, however strange and unfamiliar the days of 2021 may be.
You are with us! You are with us! You are with us!
Thank you, Lord of the years, that You know and love each one of us, and that we are safe in Your hands. We can go forward.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
The British are behind some countries when it comes to exchanging presents: in Germany, Sweden and Portugal the custom is to exchange on Christmas Eve. But the British are ahead of Serbia and Slovakia, where the Christmas tree is not even brought into the house and decorated until Christmas Eve.
Yule logs are not so popular since the decline of the fireplace, but traditionally it was lit on Christmas Eve from a bit of the previous year’s log, and then would be burned non-stop until 12th Night (6th January). Tradition also decreed that any greenery such as holly, ivy or mistletoe must wait until Christmas Eve until being brought into the house.
In one nativity play, the highlight was to illuminate Jesus, with a light in the manger, when all the other lights were turned off. At the appropriate time, all the lights went out, including the manger one. The silence was broken when one of the shepherds loudly whispered: ‘Hey, you turned off Jesus.’ Of course, nobody can turn off Jesus this Christmas!
The angels announced, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.’ (Luke 2: 10,11). The birth of this baby brings great joy and good news for everyone! As the king of the universe, He has come as our Saviour. In an uncertain world, He offers joy and hope, because He holds this pandemic in His hands. This is a real cause for joy!
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favour rests.’ (Luke 2:14). We may feel anything but peace amid the anxieties over our current circumstances. How can a Jewish infant born to a peasant family in first century Palestine bring peace to our lives today? Jesus established peace with God through His death on the cross. Trusting the Prince of Peace for our lives brings God’s peace amid the huge uncertainties we face. As the carol says, ‘Joy to the world, the Lord has come, let earth receive her King.’
It seems to have started on the Greek island of Rhodes in 283 BC. That year the solstice fell on 25th December, and it was also the year that the Ancient World’s largest Sun God statue – the 34 metre, 200 tonne Colossus of Rhodes, was consecrated.
By 46 BC, Julius Caesar had made 25th December the official winter solstice.
In AD 274, the Roman Emperer Aureilian chose the winter solstice to be the birthday of the Sun God. He also decreed that Sol Invictus (the unconquered sun) was ‘Lord of the Roman Empire’.
50 years after that, and Constantine had become the first pro-Christian Roman Emperor. He wanted the Church to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on 25thDecember. Perhaps it was that to him, Jesus was more or less the same person as the mighty Sun God. Or perhaps he felt that the ancient Sun God’s association with goodness, light, warmth and life would help ease the people’s transition from paganism to Christianity.
Whatever the reason, the Church went along with it, and chose 25th December to be the date of Christmas. And in an ancient mosaic in the crypt of St Peter’s Cathedral, Jesus is portrayed as adorned with sun rays and riding in a chariot – just like Sol Invictus.
As for the huge, bronze 200 tonne Sol Invictus? He fell over during an earthquake and was sold off for scrap metal in 654AD by an enterprising Arab scrap merchant. Meanwhile, Jesus lives on…
In America, however, and by a process of cultural indoctrination increasingly in other English-speaking countries, the same red-coated and bearded fellow with his sack of presents is known as ‘Santa Claus’. They are, of course, one and the same person, distantly related to a bishop in Turkey in the fourth century (hence the red coat and hat – a cope and mitre originally). His name was Nicholas, and he was known as a patron of children, who would from time to time distribute gifts to them.
From that comes the practice of giving presents at Christmas. We can’t give them to Jesus on His birthday, so we give them to someone else, in love and gratitude. That, at least, is the theory. Quite how the massive commercialisation of such giving developed probably owes more to smart marketing than Christian generosity.
It’s not Nicholas’s fault, of course, nor of the Dutch Christians who took the practice to America as migrants 300 years ago. In any case, his feast day, 6th December, is when ‘Christmas’ presents are handed over in Holland.
When you read ‘A Christmas Carol’, you discover almost a template of the ‘ideal Christmas’ which we still hold dear today. Dickens seems to have selected the best of the Christmas celebrations of his day (he ignored some of the odd excesses) and packaged them in such a way as to give us traditions that we could accommodate and treasure – more than a century later.
So, for instance, in A Christmas Carol, Christmas is a family day, with a family-centred feast. In a home decorated with holly and candles the characters enjoy a roast turkey, followed by Christmas pudding. They give their loved ones presents. Scrooge even gives donations to charity (!).
And all the while outside, there is snow and frost, while church bells ring, and carol singers sing, and hope for mulled wine. In ‘A Christmas Carol’ there is even a Father Christmas – in the shape of Christmas Present. Only the Christmas tree itself came later, when Prince Albert imported ‘a pretty German toy’ that won the heart of the English court, and hence the rest of Victorian society.
It was 1622, and the Bishop of Winchester, Launcelot Andrews, was preaching a magnificent sermon to King James I. Reckoned one of the best preachers ever, Launcelot Andrews’ words were later taken up by T S Eliot and transformed into his wonderful poem ‘The Journey of the Magi’.
What a vivid picture – we can see it all! The camels’ breath steaming in the night air as the kings, in their gorgeous robes of silk and cloth-of-gold, and clutching their precious gifts, kneel to adore the baby in the manger.
Yet the Bible does not give us as much detail as some people think. Tradition down the centuries has added a great deal more. For instance, we know from St Matthew that the magi were ‘wise’, or learned men of some sort, but we do not know if they were kings or not. The Bible tells us there were several; tradition has decided upon three, and even named them: Balthassar, Melchior, and Caspar (or Gaspar). But the Bible does tell us that the magi gave baby Jesus three highly symbolic gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. Gold stands for kingship, frankincense for worship, and myrrh for anointing – anticipating His death.
There is a lovely ancient mosaic in Ravenna, Italy, that is 1,500 years old. It depicts the wise men in oriental garb of trousers and Phrygian caps, carrying their gifts past palm trees towards the star that they followed... straight to Jesus.
Many biblical scholars believe that the ‘time had fully come’ for Jesus because of the politics of the time. The Roman Empire’s sheer size and dominance had achieved something unique in world history: the opportunity for travel from Bethlehem to Berwick on Tweed without ever crossing into ‘enemy territory’ or needing a ‘passport’.
For the first time ever, it was possible for ‘common’ people to travel wide and far, and quickly spread news and ideas. And all you needed were two languages - Greek to the east of Rome, and Latin to the west and north. You could set sail from Joppa (Tel Aviv) and head for any port on the Med. And the Roman roads ran straight and true throughout the empire.
So, the Roman Empire achieved something it never intended: it helped spread news of Christianity far and wide for 400 years. After that, the Empire crumbled, and the borders shut down. Not until the 19th century would people again roam so freely. The time for Jesus to be born, and for news of Him to be able to travel, had indeed ‘fully come’.
Perhaps because the King of Kings being born in a foul stable is a perfect picture of redemption. Jesus came from glory into a world filled with the dirt, filth and darkness of sin. And Jesus was not put off by darkness in the least – instead, He came to be the Light of the World. Thank God for His unspeakable gift. No wonder the angels sang “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14)
The next morning the coins, to the great surprise of the family, were found in the stockings of the ladies, who had hung them to dry by the fire the night before. Every year after that they put their stockings out, in the hope that some more money would fall into them. They told the story of this amazing appearance to their friends and neighbours, and the custom caught on.
The second early fir tree story involves Martin Luther in the 16th century. It is said that one year he decided to drag a fir tree into his home and to decorate it with candles. He used it as a visual aid, telling people that the candles symbolised Jesus as the light of the world, and the evergreen tree symbolised the eternal life that Jesus gives to us. Many of the people who followed Luther were struck by the idea and took up the custom.
Suddenly, Luke changes the tone. ‘And there were shepherds …’ – that’s what he actually wrote, just like that. ‘And there were shepherds’, doing exactly what shepherds do, looking after their flocks by night. But this night was different: yet another angelic message – a call to abandon their sheep and go into Bethlehem to see the baby Messiah. They were given directions and a ‘sign’ to identify Him. He would be lying in a feeding trough. Well, at least they would recognise that.
And why the shepherds, in this glorious story of our salvation? Because the event needed witnesses, and the chosen witnesses would be this bunch of scruffy, smelly shepherds straight from the sheep-pen. Nothing could speak more eloquently of God’s purpose than that. This was not a Saviour for the strong, rich and powerful, but for everybody. The carpenter and his wife guarded the Saviour of the world, and the very first witnesses were not kings or priests but a handful of shabby shepherds.
After all, we praise God for Jesus with our familiar Christmas carols, mentioning angels, shepherds, Wise Men and Mary but the name of Joseph is absent! Why is Joseph given a low profile? For he is a man to be remembered.
Joseph was a resident of Nazareth. He worked as a carpenter and his skills would have included making furniture, repairing buildings and crafting agricultural tools. Although Joseph had an honourable profession, he would not have been a man of great wealth.
The gospel writers Matthew and Luke give Joseph a few brief mentions. After the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary go to the temple in Jerusalem to dedicate the Baby to God. Afterwards, they flee into Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod and much later return to Nazareth. 12 years later, Mary and Joseph go with Jesus to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. Here they lose Jesus, only to find Him in the Temple talking with religious leaders!
Apart from these verses, the New Testament is silent about the rest of Joseph’s life. However, we do know that Joseph was father to other children by Mary. His four sons are named, and they had at least two daughters. (See Matthew 13:55)
And we also know that Joseph was someone who quietly and humbly took on the awesome role in caring for the early life of the Son of God. Joseph would have taught Jesus many things – not just the skills of a labourer, but the lore of the countryside which was evident in our Lord’s teaching. Jesus grew up within a loving family and described God as ‘Father’, knowing also the good fatherly qualities of Joseph.
In the Christmas story, Joseph is placed into a situation that brought him misunderstanding and suspicion. But Joseph remained faithful in the knowledge that as long as God had spoken, the opinion of others mattered little. Before Jesus began His ministry, it is believed that Joseph died. It is likely Jesus took on many of His father’s responsibilities before He left home.
In the eyes of the world, Joseph was a nobody. He was not a man of valour, fame and fortune. But he was the one who had parental responsibility for the greatest person who has ever lived!
It is sad that we often equate ordinariness with ineffectiveness. Down the ages, God has used many ordinary people to accomplish great things. God continues to use ordinary people. Like Joseph, we need to know that doing God’s will is the most important thing in life. May we, this Christmas, respond to God’s call to us and please Him in all that we do.
Certainly, in recent times, Holy Communion at midnight on Christmas morning has proved popular with modern families. One British writer pointed out its “domestic convenience” in 1947: “for where there are children and no servants, husband and wife may be unable to communicate at any other time.” (So things don’t change, then!)
On 20th December 1747, John de Watteville was taking a children’s service in his Moravian church in Marienborn, Germany. He led the children in some hymns and read out verses which the children themselves had written to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Then he explained to the children that true happiness only comes through knowing Jesus. Jesus, said John de Watteville, “has kindled in each little heart a flame which keeps burning to their joy and our happiness”.
John de Watteville then went on to illustrate that ‘flame’. He gave each child a little lighted wax candle, tied around with a red ribbon. He ended his service with a little prayer: “Lord Jesus, kindle a flame in these children’s hearts, that theirs like Thine become”.
The visual aid was a great success with the children; for the Marienborn Diary for that day concludes: “hereupon the children went full of joy with their lighted candles to their rooms and so went glad and happy to bed”.
The candle and red ribbon were remembered the following year, and the following after that.... The years came and went, and as the Moravians began to travel beyond Germany, so they took the custom with them: to Labrador, to Pennsylvania, to Tibet and Suriname, to the Caribbean and South Africa. In each country the Christians adapted it for their own use.
No one knows for certain when the word ‘Christingle’ was first used with regard to the custom. No one even knows where the word ‘Christingle’ comes from. Some people say it is from the old Saxon word ‘ingle’ (fire), meaning ‘Christ-fire or light’. Another theory is that it derives from the German ‘engel’ (angel), meaning ‘Christ-angel’.
In any event, the symbolism of Christingle gradually developed, until today the Moravians in the British Province use an orange, representing the world, with a lighted candle to represent Christ, the Light of the World. Nuts, raisins and sweets on cocktail sticks around the candle represent God’s bounty and goodness in providing the fruits of the earth. Red paper, forming a frill around the base of the candle, reminds us of the blood of Christ shed for all people on the cross at Calvary.
In Moravian churches, the Christingle Service is usually held on the Sunday before Christmas or on Christmas Eve. The website for the Moravian Church says: “We are glad that the Moravian Church has been able to make this contribution to the wider Christian world.”
But then they discovered the top was going green, so the eldest cut it out, and put a candle in the hole. To add some colour, one of the girls took a red ribbon from her hair and tied it around the middle of the orange. It was hard to make the ribbon stay still, so they fastened it in place with toothpicks. The toothpicks looked a bit bare, so the youngest child added some raisins to them.
The children took their decorated orange lantern to the church for the Christmas Mass. The other children sneered at their meagre gift, but the priest seized upon it with joy. He held it up as an example of the true understanding of the meaning of Christmas, for the following reasons: the orange is round, like the world; the candle gives us light in the dark, like the love of God; the red ribbon goes round the ‘world’, as a symbol of Christ’s blood, given for everyone; the four sticks point in all directions, and symbolise that God is over all: North, South, East and West; and the fruit and nuts remind us of God’s blessings.
The Children’s Society first introduced the Christingle Service to The Church of England in 1968, and it has since become a popular event in the church calendar. This candlelit celebration is an ideal way to share the key messages of the Christian faith, while helping to raise vital funds to help vulnerable children across the country. Visit:
www.childrenssociety.org.uk
In the early Middle Ages, Christians celebrated a series of midwinter holy days. Epiphany (which recalls the visit to the infant Jesus of the wise men bearing gifts) was the climax of 12 days of Christmas, beginning on 25th December. The Emperor Charlemagne chose 25th December for his coronation in 800, and the prominence of Christmas Day rose. In England, William the Conqueror also chose 25th December for his coronation in 1066, and the date became a fixture both for religious observance and feasting.
Cooking a boar was a common feature of mediaeval Christmas feasts, and singing carols accompanied it. Writers of the time lament the fact that the true significance of Christmas was being lost because of partying. They condemn the rise of ‘misrule’ – drunken dancing and promiscuity. The day was a public holiday, and traditions of bringing evergreen foliage into the house and the exchange of gifts (usually on Epiphany) date from this time.
In the 17th century the rise of new Protestant denominations led to a rejection of many celebrations that were associated with Catholic Christianity. Christmas was one of them. After the execution of Charles I, England’s Puritan rulers made the celebration of Christmas illegal for 14 years. The restoration of Charles II ended the ban, but religious leaders continued to discourage excess, especially in Scotland. In Western Europe (but not world wide) the day for exchanging gifts changed from Epiphany (6th January) to Christmas Day.
By the 1820s, the significance of Christmas was declining. Charles Dickens was one of several writers who sought to restore it. His novel A Christmas Carol was significant in reviving merriment during the festival. He emphasised charity and family reunions, alongside religious observance. Christmas trees, paper chains, cards and many well-known carols date from this time. So did the tradition of Boxing Day, on 26th December, when tradesmen who ha
d given reliable service during the year would collect ‘boxes’ of money or gifts from their customers.
In Europe Santa Claus is the figure associated with the bringing of gifts. Santa Claus is a shortening of the name of Saint Nicholas, who was a Christian bishop in the fourth century in present-day Turkey. He was particularly noted for his care for children and for his generosity to the poor. By the Middle Ages his appearance, in red bishop’s robes and a mitre, was adored in the Netherlands and familiar across Europe.
Father Christmas dates from 17th century England, where he was a secular figure of good cheer (more associated with drunkenness than gifts). The transformation of Santa Claus into today’s Father Christmas started in New York in the 1880s, where his red robes and white beard became potent advertising symbols. In some countries (such as Latin America and Eastern Europe) the tradition attempts to combine the secular and religious elements by holding that Santa Claus makes children’s presents and then gives them to the baby Jesus to distribute.
The story goes that in about 1750 he slipped this hymn into a manuscript he was copying for the English Roman Catholic College in Lisbon, Portugal. 35 years later, in 1785, it turned up in the Portuguese Chapel in London, where it became known as the ‘Portuguese Hymn’. From there the hymn appears to have ‘travelled’ across to the Margaret Chapel in London’s West End. Young William Ewart Gladstone, who later became British Prime Minister, greatly appreciated the services at this church. He said that the congregation were “the most devout and happy that I have ever seen.” The minister at that time was Frederick Oakley, one of the leaders of the 19th century Oxford Movement, who was later to convert to Roman Catholicism. Oakley believed strongly in the power of religious symbols and fine music, and before he bade farewell to the Margaret Chapel, he introduced this hymn to the congregation. Having started as ‘Adeste Fidelis’, and been for a while ‘The Portuguese Hymn’, this hymn soon became known – and loved worldwide – as ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’.
O Come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord!
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest;
So if you can believe in Christmas – the incarnation of the Son of God: the Grand, the Central Miracle, you should have no problem believing the miracles in the Old Testament narratives or the miracle of the Virgin Birth, the miracles Jesus performed of feeding the multitudes, of His healing the sick, raising the dead, walking on water and calming the storms. You also need have no problem in believing in the bodily resurrection of Jesus and His ascension back into the heavenly realms, where He reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords.
In other words, to believe the essence of the Christmas story is to believe the miracle that will open the pathway to faith and eternal life, a life of following this risen Jesus as your Lord. To understand and believe the truth of the Incarnation will not only transform your idea of Christmas—it will change your life now and your everlasting destiny.
Since this September (or before!) supermarkets, shops and garden centres have been selling Christmas jumpers, socks and pyjamas and all kinds of other seasonal merchandise. Should we be annoyed or exasperated? Should we have gone around reminding people that it’s much too early for tinsel and mistletoe?
This year, of all years, the answer from churches and Christians of all denominations must surely be a resounding ‘NO.’
As people began looking to Christmas for some light in the gloom of the pandemic – and hard-hit businesses desperately need to increase their income and chances of survival – it sounds a woefully wrong note if the Church is saying ‘hold back, it’s not time yet…’
Because Christmas is that time of year when increasing numbers of people want to come to church services and share in the story of the new-born King. It is when carols are played in shopping centres, and there are openings to speak of the meaning of the season.
Churches might not be able to host big indoor carol services this year, but the challenge is how we take the Christmas message out into the streets and neighbourhoods around our buildings.
This year has been one like no other for millions of people, with little prospect of better news into the New Year. So we need to be declaring the Christmas message of hope and light and joy in the darkness. And to be doing so at every opportunity.
But also, we need to be doing so with sensitivity and care, for the many who will find it hard to be celebrating this pandemic year, and with the prospect of large family gatherings in doubt because of Covid 19 regulations.
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell wrote in his 2009 book ‘Do Nothing Christmas is Coming’, “Christmas is one of the most joyful times of the year. It is also one of the most stressful. It is laden with expectations. It is often overtaken with grief. It might be the season of good will, but it can feel like the last straw on an already overburdened camel.” He added ruefully, “Wise men would not ride this one.”
Archbishop Cottrell is right that Christmas has to be approached sensitively, that we need to take care in how we celebrate, that for many people who have lost loved ones and livelihoods during this traumatic year, Christmas will not be easy.
We come alongside people with the news that the baby born in the manger grew up to be the Man of Sorrows, acquainted with grief, who experienced suffering and bereavement. God, born as Man, who shared our pain as well as our celebrations, ultimately died on a cross to rise again.
Our mission is to bring a message of hope, and to do so with love, humility and sensitivity to a hurting disorientated world – one that’s eager for light in the gloom.
The Revd Peter Crumpler is a Church of England priest in St Albans, Herts, a former Director of Communications with the CofE, and the author of ‘Responding to Post-Truth’ (Grove Books).
When He comes and knocks, may He find us not sleeping in sin,
But awake to righteousness,
Ceaselessly rejoicing in His love.
May our hearts and minds be so purified,
That we may be ready to receive His promise of eternal life.
from The Gelasian Sacramentary, c.500 (oldest official prayer book of the Western Church)
In fact, there are so many legends about him all over Europe and the Middle East that it’s safest to stick to what the Gospels tell us - though the strong tradition that he was martyred by crucifixion is probably true and is perpetuated in the ‘St Andrew’s Cross’, the ‘saltyre’ of Scotland.
The Gospels record that he was one of the first disciples of Jesus, and the very first to bring someone else to Christ - his own brother. Like many fervent Jews at the time Andrew and an unnamed companion had been drawn to the desert, to be taught by the charismatic prophet known to us as John
the Baptist. Many thought that he was the long-promised Messiah, but John insisted that he was not. ‘I am the voice crying in the wilderness,’ he told the crowds. ‘Prepare the way of the Lord! One comes after me who is greater than I am.’
So when one day John pointed out Jesus to Andrew and his friend and described him as the ‘Lamb of God’, the two young men assumed that the next stage of their spiritual search was about to unfold. So, as Jesus made off, they followed him.
All the more strange, then (though, on reflection, very true to human nature) that when Jesus turned and asked them what they were ‘seeking’, all they could come up with was a lame enquiry about his current place of residence: ‘where are you
staying?’ Or, perhaps, they were hinting that what they were seeking could not be dealt with in a brief conversation. If they could come to his lodgings, perhaps their burning questions might be answered.
The reply of Jesus was the most straight-forward invitation anyone can receive: ‘Come and see’. Come and see what I’m like, what I do, the sort of person I am. What an invitation!
The results of their response were in this case life-changing - for themselves, and for many other people. Andrew brought his brother, Peter, to Jesus. The next day Jesus met Philip and
called him to ‘follow‘. Philip then brought Nathaniel.
The little apostolic band who would carry the message of
Jesus to the whole world was being formed. They came,
they saw, they were conquered! And right at the front of
the column, as it were, was Andrew, the first disciple
of Jesus.
A theologian called Athanasius, Egyptian by birth and Greek by education, gave the answer to your question 1600 years ago. He said: “The only system of thought into which Jesus Christ will fit is the one in which HE is the starting point!”
Once we try to begin with our own human-based attempt at understanding God and the meaning of life – let alone the place that Christ occupies – we’ll be like the man who tries to do up his shirt buttons, beginning with the wrong button. He may hope that it will all work out, and that the shirt will eventually fit properly, but it never will.
So, you need to begin with Christ, if you want the picture to make sense. He is right there in the Bible, from the start. All Creation finds both its origin and its fulfilment in Him, its rightful heir (Colossians 1:15-17). You will notice from Colossians 1:17 that, far from Christ fitting into our system, we can only ‘fit’ – and thus find coherence and meaning – in His… or rather, in HIM.
It is through Christ alone that we can know the face of God, and His salvation in our lives. Jesus is fully God and fully human, Christ – the God-Man – is the perfect mediator. By His saving death He has bridged the gulf between heaven and earth (Philippians 2:5-11).
No one else will do. That was the blazing conviction of those first-century Christians. Beside Christ there was no other name (Acts 4:12). Historically, Christ’s name claims supreme recognition in all the areas of life that matter most. It happened in the world of worship – where the Druids, ju-ju men, witch doctors, temple priests and the gigantic gods Mithras, Serapis, Diana, Jupiter and Venus were all swept away.
It also happened in the world of suffering. When we put the leaders of history and of thought together, it is quite clear that none of them suffered as Jesus did. In Him we see God incarnate, living among us, loving, suffering, dying and reclaiming. This fact alone is enough to explain the beginning of hospitals in our world. They were never begun by a state department. They owe their origin to the influence of Christ, and reflect His compassion.
It happened in the world of creativity. Christ has inspired symphonies, paintings, soaring architectures and enduring literature. Take Christ away, and the writings of Shakespeare would be meaningless. Atheism, by its very nature, could never have this impact, for atheism has no wings.
It happened in the world of eternity. The pre-Christian epitaphs say it all: ‘I was not, I was born, I lived, I am not, that is all’. ‘Guesswork is over all’, Xenophanes had written. Into that world exploded the message of Christ, bodily raised from death, never to die again. That message alone is enough to change our view of the entire universe. The universe itself only fits because of Christ.
By the Revd Richard Bewes, a former Rector of All Souls Langham Place, London
The animal welfare charity was swamped with 442,344 calls, and responded to 106,676 incidents of animals in need just between 24th March and 5th August. That averaged out at 790 incidents a day.
Such a volume of need was especially a challenge to meet, as the charity was working with fewer officers, due to ‘furlough, shielding and ill health’, a spokesman explained.
He went on: “As well as operating an emergency service, rescuing animals in need,
RSPCA officers have also been collecting animals from the homes of people who have been admitted to hospital with Covid-19, who may not have anyone else to care for them while their owners are being treated.”
The charity has now launched an emergency fund-raising appeal, and said that its front-line animal rescue and care teams have been “stretched to their limit”.
With about 6,400 animals in the care of the RSPCA across England and Wales, it is the largest animal welfare charity in the UK.
Of a God who works His grand design
As a curtain is drawn in the heavenly realm
And plans are unveiled for all mankind.
Who can fathom His intricate workings
And the purposes that He has planned,
Or know the moving of His ways,
How could Job ever understand?
They came from afar to offer advice
Why all of this pain and woe should descend,
They wrestled with all that had happened to Job
Alas, no comfort could they give their friend.
God speaks to Job, who then makes reply,
‘These are things too wonderful to understand’
Our knowledge like Job’s is only in part
The bigger picture is held in Deity’s hands.
By Megan Carter
Catherine protested against the persecution of Christians by Maxentius, and then she herself was tortured: broken on a wheel (later called Catherine wheel), but the machine then broke down itself, injuring bystanders. Catherine was then beheaded.
This legend strongly appealed to the Middle Age imagination. Catherine became the patron of young girls, students, philosophers, nurses and craftsmen such as wheelwrights, spinners and millers.
In England 62 churches were dedicated to her, and 170 medieval bells still bear her name. ‘Lives’, poems, miracle plays, stained-glass windows, panels and paintings have all been done in Catherine’s honour.
The Anti-Racism Taskforce will carry out preparatory work ahead of the launch of the Archbishops’ Commission to address racism in Spring next year. It is expected to complete its work by the end of January.
The Revd Sonia Barron, Co-Chair of the Taskforce, and a former adviser to the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns, (CMEAC) said: “The Taskforce has been set up at a critical time in the history of the Church of England, with the Black Lives Matter movement pushing racial justice right up the agenda. The Church has an opportunity that it cannot afford to miss – we cannot just pay lip service to issues of racism as we have done for so long. It is vital that we listen to all the different voices out there and having listened, fulfil our mission as a Church, by taking appropriate action.”
Fewer than four per cent of serving clergy identify as being from a UKME background, according to the latest statistics.
The General Synod voted in February to apologise for racism experienced by UKME people in the Church of England since the arrival of the Windrush Generation.
Speaking to the General Synod, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said there was ‘no doubt’ that the Church of England was still ‘deeply institutionally racist’.
So warns an Oxford University academic, Robin Dunbar, who is an evolutionary psychology professor. He was talking to BBC Radio 4’s Today.
Here’s
an unexpected outcome of Covid-19: it has inspired more
of us to get engaged.
Engagement rings sales have risen this year, in some
firms by up to 73 per cent, a survey of various
jewellery firms has discovered.
When, at the beginning of lockdown, Dr Jenny Harries,
the deputy chief medical officer, suggested that couples
could get round the coming isolation by moving in
together, it seems that many listened to her.
They decided to give it a go and ‘test the
strength of their relationship.’
“A lot of people have now
resolved to go ahead and tie the knot,” said one
jeweller. “Perhaps they are thinking: ‘life’s too short,
let’s go for it’.”
Another jeweller said: “Maybe
if you can make it through lockdown together, you can
make it through anything.”
1. Judea was not in lockdown and therefore there were no travel restrictions and so Joseph and Mary were able to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
2. There were no restrictions on inns and hospitality venues. People were able to mix freely with people from other households from different areas - so much so that the inn was full and Joseph and Mary had to be put up in a stable.
3. The Inkeeper was able to do
this as he had sufficient staff on the premises to check that they were ok - he did not have to furlough them.
4. Joseph was able to be present during the whole process of Mary's labour and Jesus' birth. He did not have to stand worrying outside.
5. There were no restrictions on choral singing - and therefore the angels were able to sing God's praises and inform the shepherds of the good news of the birth of the King of Kings.
6. There were no rules stating that masks had to be worn indoors and in public places - and no 'rule of six' - therefore the group of shepherds could all go together to visit the Holy Family in the stable.
7.There were no international quarantine regulations for international travellers - therefore the three Wise Men were able to visit and bring their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
8. It is not Christmas which needs to be 'saved' - but ourselves. The good news of Jesus' birth was the dawn of a new beginning - and God's love for us is the same - yesterday, today and forever - especially at this difficult time.
This Christmas is going to be hard for all of us as we can't celebrate in the way we normally do. But please do not talk about Christmas being cancelled. The heart of Christmas is very much alive in our lives and in our faith.
To ripen your fruit in
our lives,
Lord, give us
opportunities.
Know your warmth
And your light,
Allow the segments of
Self-control,
gentleness,
Faithfulness,
goodness,
Kindness, patience,
peace and joy
To be lubricated and
sweetened
By love,
Showing the world
Your nature
transforming
Our natures,
In the fruit bowl of
our lives
In Jesus.
For the hungry to
taste
Your ripening fruit in
us,
See that you are good
And come to you.
Amen
Just as I am,
without one plea,
But that thy blood
was shed for me,
And that thou
bids’t me come to Thee
With many a
conflict, many a doubt
Fightings within,
and fears without,
O Lamb of God, I
come! I come!
Our minister shook his head. "Sorry," he replied. "I'm in sales, not management!”
"
We bring to you all those struggling with their mental health just now.
We pray:
For everyone who is smiling, when inside they’re in pain.
For everyone who is saying they’re fine, when inside they feel drained and empty.
For everyone struggling with fear and worry as the easing of the lockdown
brings new anxieties.
Be with them in their suffering, as so much of their world has been stripped back and emptied.
When loved family and friends have been taken by illness,
Or made distant by lockdown.
Pour your healing balm into their pain and sadness.
May you walk with them besides still waters
May you speak to them in a still small voice.
May you heal them, and fill them, and bless them with your abundant love
and fullness of life.
And may they know that they are loved by you for the beautiful unique
person that they are, created in the image of their heavenly creator and loving Lord.
In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Amen.
And made converse and walk with thee,
And
with thy saints here and above,
With whom for ever I must be...
The several vessels of thy fleet,
Though parted now, by tempests tost,
Shall safely in thy haven meet....
Shall be my company above;
And
thou, my best and surest Friend,
Who shall divide me from thy love?*
Carl Sandburg; (1878-1967)
This world of all take and no give,
There's a great deal that we can contribute
Through the everyday lives that we live.
Or through lending a hand in some way
It's by taking a bunch of spring flowers
To someone to brighten their day.
In the service of those most in need
It's all about setting a standard
And trying to give others a lead
And help and aid folks in distress
In the care and assistance we offer
That will set us apart from the rest.
The rewards plain for all men to see
As you did all of this to my brother
Then said Jesus, you did it to me.
forgive our foolish ways!
in purer lives thy
service find,
in deeper reverence, praise.
beside the Syrian sea
the gracious
calling of the Lord,
let us, like them,
without a word,
rise up and follow thee.
till all our strivings cease;
take from our
souls the strain and stress,
and let our
ordered lives confess
the beauty of thy peace.
And collect all hope into a single can –
If I could roll all love into one heart-ball
And commoditise it in a living man
I’d already have a fully detailed label
Prepared before the world itself began -
And it would have one name -
And that name – JESUS -
At the centre of God’s universal plan
To take the world along the course
God’s surge of love provoked
Till wholeness flows through everything
With God’s Spirit of life unyoked.
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home!
Still may we dwell secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure…
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the
night,
Before the rising sun.
Watts’
literary ability, combined with his interest in
theology, made him very unhappy with the congregational
singing of the day, which focused almost entirely on
strict metrical versions of the psalms.
One Sunday after church, Isaac complained to his
father about this.
His father challenged him to write something
better.
Though only 18, Watts accepted the challenge, and
produced his first hymn – which was duly sung the
following Sunday.
It was such a success that he wrote
new hymn texts every Sunday for the next two years.
In all, he went on to write more than 600 hymns.
Some of them are still well-loved today: from
this one, ‘O
God, Our Help in Ages Past’,
which is a paraphrase of Psalm 90, to ‘When I
Survey the Wondrous Cross’, and the Christmas carol ‘Joy
to the World’.
Egypt tops list as 3.7 million
Scriptures given to children last year
Bible Society teams worldwide
provided almost 3.7 million Scripture items for children
last year. More
than 1.1 million children’s Scriptures were distributed
in Egypt alone. This is the largest number for one
nation, in a place where ministry with young people is a
top priority.
Through festivals, competitions and
quizzes, the Bible Society of Egypt engages with
hundreds of thousands of children each year.
Inability does not equal inactivity
It is perhaps a well-polished
truth, but one well worth remembering again:
when it comes to salvation, “We were justified by
faith alone, through grace alone,
but we are not
sanctified by faith alone”.
In other words, we are made
acceptable to God only through the death and
resurrection of Jesus, who dealt with our sin.
But then the Bible calls on Christians to take
their transformation into Christlikeness very seriously.
Repentance and conversion and receiving the Holy
Spirit into our lives is just the beginning.
Now we need to do all we can to allow the fruit
of the Spirit to grow in our lives.
From now on, our daily walk is
never alone: we are to keep in step with his Spirit, and
to “work out” our salvation in our daily lives.
In other words,
obedience to
God is fundamental in our Christian pilgrimage.
St Paul stressed this again and
again. In
Romans 12 he set forth 23 directives to clarify what we
must do as we cooperate with the Spirit in our
transformation.
St Peter adds (2 Peter 1:10,11)
“…make every
effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you
do these things, you will never stumble, and you will
receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”.
When we truly want to “know Christ and the power of his resurrection”, we will see the Holy Spirit beginning to transform us. As Augustine wisely noted about the walk into a sanctified Christlike life: “Without us, God will not; but without him, we cannot”.
As someone once put it:
“Each morning we must raise the sails of our boat
and go where the Spirit leads. He brings the wind and he
governs the speed and direction, but we must cooperate
by ensuring that we join him on the journey.”
Prayer of thanks
Lord
Jesus,
Thank you for coming to live as one of us.
Thank you for telling those wonderful stories of
everyday people and events, which you filled with
messages of truth and eternity.
Help us, Lord, to learn from your written Word and to
recognise you as the living Word - and our Saviour, the
only way to the Father.
In your name we pray, Lord Jesus,
Amen.
Hymns
for People Over 50
Give
Me the Old Timers’ Religion
Precious Lord, Take My Hand, And Help Me Up
Just
a Slower Walk with Thee
Go
Tell It on the Mountain, But Speak Up
Nobody Knows the Trouble I Have Seeing
Guide
Me, O Thou Great Jehovah, I've Forgotten Where I've
Parked The Car
Count
Your Many Birthdays, Count Them One By One
Blessed Insurance
It Is Well With My Soul, But
My Knees Hurt
Volunteers have a
longer, happier life
Volunteering may be as helpful to
you as it is to the people you help:
a recent study has found that it may well improve
your health and make you happier.
People who volunteer report
having lower levels of depression and higher levels of
well-being than average, while some research even
suggests that it promotes a longer and healthier life.
A review of 40 papers on the
subject by researchers at the University of Exeter has
found that volunteers were a fifth less likely to die
within the next four to seven years than average.
They have lower depression and higher levels of
well-being and life satisfaction.
Volunteers often say they want to
‘give something back’ to their community, but experts
say they struggle to explain the benefits that
volunteers apparently receive.
An estimated 22.5 per cent of people in Europe
devote part of their spare time to volunteering,
compared with 27 per cent in America and 36 per cent in
Australia.
As St Paul wrote to the
Galatians, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do
good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the
household of faith.” (Gal. 6:10)
Hymns help reduce anxiety
Listening to hymns can make
older people less anxious about death, according to a
recent study.
Listening to religious music can also increase
life satisfaction, self-esteem and a sense of control
over your life.
Gospel music, in particular, has
a powerful ability to decrease anxiety about death.
The study, published online in The Gerontologist,
found that “religion has been linked with desirable
mental health outcomes among older adults.
This study shows that listening to religious
music may promote psychological well-being in later
life.”
Serve One Another
‘O
God, who art the author of peace and lover of
concord…whose service is perfect freedom’
(Collect for Peace, BCP).
Paul wrote to the Galatians:
‘It is for freedom that Christ
has set us free.’ (Gal 5:1). To a church which
consisted largely of slaves, he adds
‘serve one another
in love’ (13). How does Paul encourage us to use our
freedom to serve others?
Free to serve unselfishly
All of us would prefer to be served by
others, but Paul’s challenge is
‘do not use your
freedom to indulge the flesh’ (13). If you want to
understand the word
flesh, take off the h and
read backwards ie self! If we are serving one another,
it’s not about my needs, but looking to the concerns of
others. How available are we to serve others? Do we
offer the excuse of being too busy or resent the time?
When stepping out of our comfort zone, be prepared to
risk rejection and misunderstanding!!
Free to serve lovingly:
Luis Suárez was sent home from the 2014
World Cup for biting other players! Paul warns of the
danger of Christians falling into the same trap:
‘If you bite and
devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by
each other’ (15). We are called to love others,
rather than using or exploiting them for our own
purposes.
Are we
prepared to think about people’s needs and put ourselves
in their shoes? Paul tells us to
‘live and be led
by the Spirit’ (16,18), for it’s the Holy Spirit who
will enable us to see others with the eyes of Jesus.
‘A
Christian is the most free lord of all, and subject to
none; a Christian is the most dutiful servant of all,
and subject to everyone’ (Martin Luther).
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?
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 world famous, and that nearly 100 years later it would be the last hymn played by the brave musicians on board the Titanic the night it went down.
Prayer for Direction
Heavenly Father,
The world is broken. So many lives are broken.
People don’t know which way to turn, or who to go to for help.
And yet, you have provided everything we need.
You gave us Jesus, who is the Way to you.
Prompt us, by your Holy Spirit, to turn to him, instead of wandering aimlessly.
You gave us your written Word as a living guide book and manual for living in this world.
Open our eyes and hearts to receive your direction through it.
Thank you Father, for your unfailing love and provision
for us.
In Jesus name,
Amen.
Apps to help you pray.
Lectio
365 - daily devotional resource that helps you pray the Bible every day.
PrayerMate
- Helping you to pray faithfully and widely.
Pray
as you go - Daily prayer whenever you need it.
YouVision
Prayer - Bible reading plans and devotions.
Soultime
-
Discover Christian Meditation.
Volunteers have a
longer, happier life
Volunteering may be as helpful to you as it is to the
people you help:
a recent study has found that it may well improve
your health and make you happier.
People who volunteer report having
lower levels of depression and higher levels of
well-being than average, while some research even
suggests that it promotes a longer and healthier life.
A review of 40 papers on the
subject by researchers at the University of Exeter has
found that volunteers were a fifth less likely to die
within the next four to seven years than average.
They have lower depression and higher levels of
well-being and life satisfaction.
Volunteers often say they want to
‘give something back’ to their community, but experts
say they struggle to explain the benefits that
volunteers apparently receive.
An estimated 22.5 per cent of people in Europe
devote part of their spare time to volunteering,
compared with 27 per cent in America and 36 per cent in
Australia.
As St Paul wrote to the Galatians,
“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to
everyone, and especially to those who are of the
household of faith.” (Gal. 6:10)
Put together a
Memory Book
Do you have grandchildren? Then this winter, during those long dark days, why not spend some time putting together a sort of scrapbook of memories to pass on to them? Things you might include could be: where you lived when you were a child; what your school was like, what games you most enjoyed, who your best buddies were, what pets you had, what your first job was, and how you met your partner. What was your first car, and where was your first home as an adult? Add a selection of photographs that you have from the past.
Websites like www.blurb.co.uk has lots of ideas to help you create your memory book.
Is
your face mask making your skin break out?
Face masks are giving us skin
complaints. In fact, so many of us are now suffering
that the complaint has been given its own name:
‘maskne’.
The causes are obvious. Our
breath is warm and moist, and every time we exhale into
our masks this humid air gets trapped. Masks move, and
so we have friction. Added to that is the unpleasant
fact that our salvia is actually teeming with bacteria
(with more bugs per square inch than even a loo seat!).
Acne
mechanica
is the medical term for ‘maskne’. With all that bacteria
being trapped and rubbed against our nose and chin, no
wonder ‘mask breakouts’ are rising dramatically.
Stress is another cause for skin
complaints, and the pandemic has given many of us huge
stress this year. We may face crippling anxiety over job
security, finances, the health of loved ones, social
isolation, or even being trapped in an abusive
household. No wonder our faces are breaking out in a
rash!
Bishop’s Harvest Appeal 2020
Peace of Mind – supporting wellbeing in Derbyshire
This
year’s harvest season will not resemble previous years.
How we will celebrate in church and in schools will be
very different as the Coronavirus continues to affect
every aspect of our lives. Many people have experienced
loss during this pandemic – loss of loved ones, loss of
jobs and usual routines. This has resulted in many
people experiencing anxiety and other mental health
problems, and sadly there has been an increase in
domestic violence and abuse. That’s why this year the
Bishop of Derby’s Harvest Appeal will focus on
supporting the wellbeing of everyone in Derbyshire. This
year’s appeal is Peace of Mind: supporting wellbeing in
Derbyshire. There are a number of free online resources
and events to support positive mental health and
wellbeing. Included is an online reading group, poetry
for health and community activities. Workshops are free
and will be held via Zoom. You can book a place via the
Learning in Faith pages on the Diocesan website.
Alongside the events programme Bishop Libby has set a
target to raise £15,000 to support Derbyshire Mind’s
wellbeing programme ‘Enjoying Derbyshire’. Enjoying
Derbyshire is a project that offers a diverse menu of
activities and workshops aimed at improving mental
wellbeing. You can find more information at:
Forgive
Almighty God, most merciful
You know our thoughts and deeds
Our sins have been most plentiful
Forgive, we plead!
Our hearts are far from You, O Lord
You should be first, not last
Our neighbours have not known accord
Forgive our past!
Help us amend what we’ve become
Direct what we shall be
With justice, mercy, peace we come
Humbly with Thee!
Give people confidence
Sometimes we think that
self-confidence is something you either have or don’t
have, like a talent for music.
But really, it is something that is either
created in you, or destroyed, as you interact with other
people.
We can either intentionally encourage and empower other
people, co-creating with them the confidence they need
to pursue their hopes and dreams, or we can criticise
and undermine them, or even cripple them with fears.
We all know people who make us feel better about
ourselves for having spent time with them, and also
people who make us feel worse!
Someone once said:
‘Life is not so much about what happens
to people, but
what happens
between people.’
So – why not make an effort to aim to encourage
people? Let
them talk to you, and give them the opportunity to share
their hopes and anxieties.
As the saying goes:
‘A problem shared is a problem halved.’
The Bible puts it this way:
‘Encourage one another and build each other up.’
(1 Thess. 5:11)
Soothing power of
music
Does someone you love have heart
disease?
Want to help prevent them having a heart attack?
Praying or playing music to them can be very
effective safeguards, right up there with proper diet,
exercise and not smoking.
Greek medical researchers have
found that prayer and music, or so-called psychological
interventions, can more than halve deaths and
cardiovascular events such as a heart attack in heart
disease patients.
Dr Zoi Aggelopoulou, a Greek nurse, said: “The
nurses on our coronary care unit observed that patients
were less likely to have another heart attack, die, or
return to hospital when we talked to them about their
treatment, played music for them or helped religious
patients to say prayers.” Various medical studies have
found that psychological factors such as depression,
social isolation, low socio-economic status and chronic
stress such as occupational or marital distress, can
increase the likelihood of a heart attack in the first
place.
Come, ye thankful people,
come,
Raise the song of harvest
home!
All be safely gathered
in,
Ere the winter storms
begin;
God, our maker, doth
provide
For our wants to be
supplied;
Come to God’s own temple,
come;
Raise the song of harvest
home!
We ourselves are God’s
own field,
Fruit unto his praise to
yield;
Wheat and tares together
sown,
Unto joy or sorrow grown;
First the blade and then
the ear,
Then the full corn shall
appear:
Grant, O harvest Lord,
that we
Wholesome grain and pure
may be….
By H Alford (1810 – 71)
Very probably, you will sing this
well-loved Harvest hymn this month.
It was written by the Rev Henry Aldford, DD, a
Victorian clergyman who had been a fellow student at
Trinity College, Cambridge with Alfred Tennyson, and
whose transparent goodness and friendliness seem to have
made him liked and appreciated wherever he went.
His ministry began as vicar of
Wymeswold, a tiny village in Leicestershire with a badly
neglected church.
Over 18 years, Henry rebuilt the faltering
Christian community, faithfully visiting every person in
his parish, and preaching his way through the Bible in
sermons that were so clear that everyone could
understand him.
He then moved on to the incumbency of Quebec
Chapel in London for four years, before moving to the
Deanery of Canterbury, in 1857, where he lived until his
death in early 1871.
Henry was one of life’s good
people; gentle, kindly, grateful for everything he had
(he used to say ‘grace’ before AND after each meal), and
eager to encourage all those whom he served.
He was prodigiously productive:
writing something like 50 books.
The best known of these was a four volume
exposition of the New Testament, which took him nearly
20 years.
His famous hymn draws upon two of
Jesus’ parables:
the story of the wheat and tares (Mt 13:24-30)
and also the story of the seed that grows unbeknown to
the sower (Mark 4:26-29).
Both are parables draw from agriculture; both are
about the ultimate harvest of our souls before God.
During this lifetime we properly give thanks to
God for our harvest of his gifts of creation, but we
should also reflect on what seed we are sowing in our
lives, and what harvest we may expect; as one day God
will gather together
only his own
for the eternal heavenly harvest.
Litter Virus
A face mask is a
helpful thing –
It traps those
nasty germs!
An extra message
I must bring
In these poetic
terms:
When you’ve
finished with your mask
A bin is simply
found
So drop it in –
an easy task!
By Nigel Beeton
Mind your back!
Lots of everyday activities can
take a toll on your back, even if you don’t notice it at
the time. Here are a few tips that will help you to
avoid back problems:
Firstly, while standing to
perform ordinary tasks like ironing or folding laundry,
keep one foot on a small step-stool.
Then, when bending from the waist, always use
your hands to support yourself.
Don’t sit or stand in the same position for too
long. Stretch, shift your position and walk about a bit
when you can. When sitting, keep your knees a bit higher
than your hips and bend them at a 90-degree angle. Your
feet should be comfortably on the floor (if they don’t
reach the floor, put a book or a small stool under
them).
Finally, remember that even using a vacuum cleaner can
take a toll on your back.
So tackle a large room in chunks, spending no
more than five or ten minutes at a time on this task.
Simple tips like these will pay dividends.
Prayer when life is
difficult
Dear Father,
There are times when we don’t understand why things are
as they are; why those children are hungry and homeless;
why that person we prayed for died when they had so much
still to live for; why that relationship broke down; why
that accident happened to that lovely lady. There are
times when we don’t know how to pray, when we just don’t
know…
Help us, Lord, at such times, to
remember what we
do know;
that you are our creator; that you love each one of us
with the love of a perfect father; that you sent Jesus
for just such times as these, to be our hope, to be our
Saviour, to be with us always, in all circumstances.
Help us to remember your goodness to us in the past, to
trust that you are walking with us in the present and to
have confidence in the future, because you alone hold it
securely in your hands.
Remind us every day Lord to
trust in you with
all our hearts and not to depend on our own
understanding – which is limited by our humanity.
Thank
you Father that we are your children and you do hear our
prayers,
How to Read the
Bible in Public
But is this a necessary topic?
I’m afraid so.
I have heard the British actor David Suchet
declare that he has been up and down churches
everywhere…. and that the dull and listless public
reading of the Scriptures is generally a disgrace to the
power of the Bible.
“The
music was wonderful today”…. “That was a great talk!”….
“I loved the worship!”
Hardly ever do I
hear gratitude expressed for a Scripture reading.
Let this be the background to that occasion when
you find yourself called upon to read from the
Scriptures in a public gathering.
We are not simply pronouncing
words when we stand at the front. Unhurried preliminary
prayer is vital to the task. What is this passage all about? Why is it here in the Bible? What
is its main point? I need to ask myself which words - as
I read them - could do with a slight emphasis, a mental
underlining, a raised or lowered inflexion?
Yet others should not be
thinking, ‘What a great reader,’ but rather ‘My
goodness, that passage was speaking to
me!’ The voice must be
naturally your own. Do normal people speak with ’holy’
churchy affectation? Did Jesus, when telling his
parables?
We are to
keep the voice natural, yet with an underlying awareness
that - without straining - we need to project. True –
there may be a microphone – but be not deceived! It is
only there to impart a slight ‘lift’ to the voice; it
simply cannot do the job for you.
Across the years I have recognized
various unfortunate ‘Categories’ of reader. Be warned!
One could be named after an early English king,
unfortunately known as Ethelred the Unready.
Such a reader turns up, but has clearly not
thought the passage through at all; the reading is an
utter non-event.
By
contrast we have sometimes been subjected to The
Thespian. Here a well-intentioned reader is so intent on
‘acting’ the passage with ham-fisted phony ‘accents’
that it is truly cringe-worthy.
Public Scripture
reading can be truly supernatural in power – without it
ever becoming
unnatural in delivery.
Have you sometimes heard The
Dollard give the reading?
It is delivered in a flat monotone throughout; it
could have been a recitation of shares on the stock
market.
Then there is what may be called
The Queen’s Speech, immaculate; beautifully spoken and
with perfect diction. But somehow the reading lacked
‘Soul’ – was it a communication from heaven and a life
of prayer, or a performance from the local dramatic
society?
Give yourself some practice
sessions! Try Luke 15:11-24 as an obvious ‘story’, and
then, by contrast, Ephesians 2:1-10; then 1 Kings 18:
20-39.
Treat public Bible reading as an
honour. For centuries the Bible has been described in
the British Coronation Service as
The most precious
thing that this world affords. We are to treat it
like that!
By Richard Bewes
Growing a
Servant’s Heart
We have
seen how David was anointed to be the next king of
Israel. God used the madness of Saul to help train the
shepherd boy for his role as king (1 Samuel 16:18-19).
God uses the same tools to grow us, so that he can use
us as his servants in our church, workplace and
community.
God uses solitude:
It was on the hills with his sheep that David
learned how to be alone with God and himself (19). Away
from distractions, David learned how to hear the voice
of God and discern his purpose for his life.
We shouldn’t fear times of
solitude, as they are vital if we are to hear his voice
and walk with him. We need time to be alone with God and
find a place where you can hear his voice without the
distractions of life clamouring for our attention.
God uses
secrecy:
David also learned the lessons of servanthood in
obscurity, before he was called to public office (18).
He learned ‘how to play the harp’, so that at the
right time he would be called into Saul’s service. In
his experience of protecting his sheep against lions and
bears (cf 17: 34, 35), David learned the art of being ‘a
brave man and a warrior’.
We should never despise the days of
obscurity, when we can feel we are not being used much
by God. He knows where we are and in his time, he will
use us when, where and to the extent he chooses.
God uses sameness:
David must have found the monotony of keeping his
father’s sheep quite difficult, knowing that he was the
anointed king. However, it was in the routine of life
that he learned the valuable lesson of faithfulness.
David applied himself to giving his best during the
mundane times of life. As a result it was evident that
‘the Lord is with him’, as God the sameness of his life
to shape David for bigger things.
We are also called to keep faithful
in the small things in our lives, especially in our
workplace and with friends and family. As we live
consistently for Jesus on a daily basis, God will bring
us into those places and relationships where we can be
effective witnesses for him.
‘All we have to decide is what to
do with the time that is given to us.’ (Gandalf in ‘The
Lord of the Rings’)
The Blessings of God
What does it take for God’s blessing to descend not just on individuals,
but on Christian organisations and local churches?
Some clues may be found in the biblical books of
Ezra and Nehemiah.
In Ezra 7 we find “The king granted (Ezra) all
that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was upon
him.” What
brings the hand of God upon a person or a group of
people? Ezra
7:10 reads:
“For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the
Lord, and to do it, and to teach his statutes and rules
in Israel.”
Clearly one of the prerequisites for the blessing of God
is that their heart is set to study the Bible, to obey
it, and to pass the knowledge on. As Ezra 8:22 makes it
clear: “The
hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the
power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.”
Prayerfulness and spiritual earnestness are likewise vital and we find it
as Nehemiah prays:
“Let your ear be attentive, and your eyes open,
to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray
before you day and night for the people of Israel your
servants” (Neh 1:6).
Nehemiah also took sin and the confession of it
extremely seriously:
“We have acted very corruptly against you, and
have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the
rules that you commanded…” (Neh 1:7).
So – if anyone wants God’s blessing, the Bible
is clear on what needs to be done:
read the Bible seriously, and obey its teachings.
That is God speaking to us.
Second, be serious and committed in our prayers;
that is us speaking to God.
Third, repent of any sin which we know to be in
our lives.
That is obedience, and it will bring God’s blessing upon
us.
Think happy thoughts
– and help
your immune system
A stressed mind can put
your body at risk.
If you constantly think about negative things,
and dwell on stressful events in your life, you could
weaken your immune system and make yourself more
susceptible to illness.
A
recent study has found that simply thinking about
negative events, even if they are only imagined, can
increase the levels of inflammation in your body.
This inflammation, associated with the body’s
response to trauma and infection, can weaken the immune
system and has been linked to a number of conditions
such as heart disease, cancer and dementia.
St Paul urged a better way of
coping with the threats in our lives:
“Do not be
anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made
known to God.” (Phill. 4:6)
Feeling rough?
Not feeling great today?
You are not alone:
it seems that most of us only feel 100 per cent
fit and healthy for about 61 days a year.
The remaining 304 days we struggle with a variety
of ills, from colds and sore throats to viruses and ear
infections to cricked necks, heartburn and backache.
The research by Spire Bristol Hospital, also
found that most of us feel run-down on at least two days
every week.
Monday at 11.35am is the worst time of the week for
feeling ill and Saturday lunchtime is the healthiest
point in the week.
How you might avoid a
stroke
Now there is a good reason for you not to drift through
2014: those of us who have a clear purpose in life are
20 per cent less likely to suffer from a stroke,
according to a recent study of over-50s.
Recent research at the University of Michigan found that
people with defined goals for the future were at a much
lower risk of suffering a clot on the brain than people
with few objectives.
But it remained unclear whether setting aims
later in life makes people more likely to keep up a
healthy lifestyle or whether thinking positively about
your life somehow protects you against a stroke.
About 200 people in the UK die from a stroke every day. The NHS spends £2.3 billion a year treating the 100,000 people who suffer from one every year. Writing in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, the researchers concluded: “Among older adults, greater purpose in life is linked with a lower risk of stroke.”
The Bible intends for us to have purpose in our lives. God even promises: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way
Why we should
be like donkeys
Are you a pet-lover? Many people
own a dog, a cat or a budgie, but most of us don’t own a
donkey!
Yet in Bible times, donkeys were essential to
daily life. They did everything from helping to grind
corn, to ploughing, to carrying people, to transporting
their belongings.
Despite their small frame, donkeys are
surprisingly tough.
They are content with poor fodder like thistles,
and can travel an average of 20 miles a day.
There are two occasions in the Christian calendar where donkeys walk into the picture. At Christmas, Mary travelled the 100 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem on a donkey. And although a donkey doesn’t get a specific mention in the manger story, that same one that transported her was probably there; where else would it have been?
On Palm Sunday Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a
donkey. Jesus deliberately chose this animal rather than
a horse.
Why? In
Bible times, the horse was associated with war, conquest
and worldly might. But the donkey was a symbol of peace
and humility. Jesus used this animal to show that he had
come with the dignity of the king of peace. His entry
into the Holy City also fulfilled Zechariah’s prophecy
concerning the Messiah.
Donkeys are
hardworking and undemanding.
They wait for their master to put them to the
work he has chosen for them.
And, remarkably, each one bears the mark of the
Cross on their backs!
Perhaps that is something we
should learn—to wait for Jesus our Master, to be always
obedient to him, to serve him with all our hearts, and
to bear the mark of his grace in our lives.
Prayer for patience
Dear
Father,
Waiting is so difficult. And
we seem to have to do it so often, and in so many
situations. Waiting for news, waiting for opportunities,
waiting for test results, waiting for others – even
waiting for you, Lord, when we so long for you to do
something.
Please give us patience. Ripen
in us that ‘patience’ part of the fruit of your Holy
Spirit, so that we can wait without anger, without
frustration, without stress, knowing that you are
Sovereign, that your timing is perfect.
Help us to recognise
that, in the end, simply trusting you can take the
weight out of the wait.
So help us to trust you, Father, and to relax in your
care as we wait.
In the name of Jesus.
Amen
Want to live longer?
Eat nuts.
This sounds unlikely, but is
true: eating
an ounce of nuts each day may reduce your risk of dying
from a variety of illnesses, ranging from heart disease
to cancer.
People who eat nuts tend also to be slimmer, are less
likely to smoke, and are more likely to have healthy
habits such as exercising, taking vitamin supplements
and eating fruit and vegetables.
The research was based on a
study of nearly 120,000 men and women in the USA.
It found that as little as a handful of nuts a
day are linked to a 20 per cent lower likelihood of
dying from any cause in the following three decades.
Nuts contain unsaturated fatty acids,
high-quality protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals, and
phytochemicals.
Researchers were not able to determine which
types of nuts are the healthiest, but that peanuts,
which are in fact a type of bean, have a similar effect
on health as the walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, almonds,
Brazil nuts, pecans and pistachios.
Being a good neighbour
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift
at the altar and there remember that your brother or
sister has something against you,
leave your gift there in front of the
altar... Settle matters quickly with your
adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you
are still together on the way, or your adversary may
hand you over to the judge... Matthew
5:23-25
(NIV)
There is some really good legal advice in these verses,
especially if you include ‘neighbour’ in this. “Settle
matters quickly...” is advisable as disputes can easily
be lengthy and very expensive.
They can also ruin relationships and make it
difficult to sell your house because you have to tell
buyers if there have been disputes which affect the
property.
We are told to love thy neighbour and also that good
fences make good neighbours. This is true as knowing
where the boundaries are, sometimes in more than one
sense of the word, is beneficial. Questions of ownership
and position of boundaries are very often difficult to
resolve and the cost of sorting it out is usually far in
excess of the value of the land in question.
If there is a problem try to sort it out over a
cup of tea. Deeds sometimes show the position of
boundaries on the plans and say who is responsible for
which.
It is not only fences
and walls that come between neighbours. Pets, noise, car
parking, overgrown trees,
and rubbish can lead to complaints.
If there is a
problem, legal advice may help and this does not
necessarily mean going to court. The
law should be a last resort.
Even if you win you
may not get all your money back and you still have to
live with the neighbour. Some local authorities have
mediation services to resolve problems.
We should pray for our neighbours and enemies – even if
they are sometimes the same people!
The story behind
‘Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son’
Here is a hymn that is so well
known and loved that it has simply burst the bounds of
Easter, and gets sung regularly at other times of the
year. It has
two stories behind it.
First,
the music.
The rousing music did not start out as a hymn, but was
written by Handel for his opera ‘Judas Maccabeus’, first
performed in 1746.
Originally the words ran ‘See the conquering hero
comes’, for Handel’s opera tells the story (found in the
Apocrypha) of the leader of the Jews, Judas Maccabeus,
who led an army against the Syrians and restored worship
at the Temple.
With its triumphant refrain after each verse, the
music is easy to learn and sing, and can be (and has
been!) played to great effect either by the trumpets, on
an organ in a large resonant church, or even on guitars
(!).
Secondly, the words.
They were not written until 1884 – 138 years
after the music.
We owe them to the Rev Raymond Budry, a Swiss
pastor from Lausanne.
Ordained in the Free Evangelical Church in Vaud,
he spent 35 years as the pastor of Vevey on Lake Geneva.
Budry wrote the hymn in French (‘A Toi La
Gloire!’) to console himself after the death of his
first wife, and a year later (1885) it was published in
Chants Evangeliques.
Soon it found its way into English – translated
by a Baptist minister from Kingston-upon-Thames, Richard
Hoyle. By
1904 it had made the YMCA Hymn Book, and was being
translated into other languages.
It is not
clear who first had the happy idea of teaming words and
music, but when they did,
the hymn really took off.
The theme of ‘battle’ is never far from this
hymn, whether it was the battle of Judas Maccabeus, or
the battle over sin which was won by Christ on the cross
and in rising from the tomb.
Easter, of course, marked the biggest victory
over the biggest enemies of all time:
sin and death.
What would Handel make of it, if he
could know that his battle music had become one of the
world’s most popular and well-known Easter hymns?
He was a devout man, working for the poor,
praying twice each day, and attending St Pauls’
Cathedral.
So it seems pretty certain that he would be delighted.
The Bible in 50
words
God made
Adam bit
Noah arked
Abraham split
Joseph ruled
Jacob fooled
Bush talked
Moses balked
Pharaoh plagued
People walked
Sea divided
Tablets guided
Promise landed
Saul freaked
David peaked
Prophets warned
Jesus born
God walked
Love talked
Anger crucified
Hope died
Love rose
Spirit flamed
Word spread
God remained.
anon
Who are you really
talking to?
In the early 1950s a well-known
department store in Birmingham wanted to extend its
premises.
Close by this department story in Birmingham was an
ideal site.
But there was a problem:
it belonged to the Quakers, whose Meeting House
had been there for well over two hundred years.
Still, why should a bunch of
Quakers stand in the way of commerce?
So,
the department store wrote to the Quakers, offering to
buy the site.
Very grandly, they said, “We will give you a very
good price for the land.
In fact, we’ll send you a blank cheque.
Please fill in whatever sum of money you think
appropriate and we will honour it.”
Then they sat back and waited.
Weeks passed. Finally a letter arrived from the
Quakers. It thanked the department store for their
generous offer but declined to accept it.
“Our Meeting House has been here for almost two
hundred and fifty years,” they
explained,
“much longer than your store.
We have no wish to sell our property.
However, if YOU would agree to sell YOUR site to
us, we are very interested in buying it.
We will give you a very good price for it.
Just state your selling price and we will honour
it.”
The letter was
signed ‘Cadburys.’
The department store thought
they were dealing with a small, meek congregation of
Quakers.
Instead they were dealing with the Cadburys’ empire.
Cadburys could have bought the department store
twenty times over!
Sometimes life gives us hard
knocks.
Problems mount up and threaten to overwhelm us.
We can feel alone and very vulnerable, very weak.
But we can take heart in remembering that we are
never alone. God has not forgotten us. Only our dimness
of vision prevents us from seeing his great presence and
power and provision.
We do not need to fear, but to trust God.
He is bigger and more powerful than anything
which tries to overwhelm us.
Whatever problems 2020 throws at us, remember, we’ve got ‘Cadburys’ on our side.
What’s in your hand?
September is usually the time when we get back to our
normal routines after the summer break. With the current
coronavirus pandemic, it’s very different this year!
However, it is still a good time to consider how God can
use us to make a real difference in our workplace,
school, family, friends and community. He equips us with
everything we need to make His love known.
When God gave Moses the job of bringing the Israelites
out of Egypt, He asked the question, ‘What is in your
hand?’(Exodus 4:2). Moses was holding his staff,
which represented his livelihood (what he was good at);
his resources (his flock represented his wealth) and his
security (which God was asking him to lay down). God
asks the same question of us: What has God given you?
Our gifts, temperament, experience, relationships, mind,
education can be used in the work God has given us to
do. How will we use them to make a difference in the
places where He calls us to serve Him?
John Ortberg, in his book
It All Goes Back in the Box, speaks of Johnny, a 19-year-old with
Downs syndrome. He worked at a supermarket checkout
putting people’s items into bags. To encourage his
customers, he decided to put a
thought for the day into the bags. Every night his dad would help
him to prepare the slips of paper and he would put the
thoughts into the bags saying,
‘I hope it helps
you have a good day. Thanks for coming here.’ A
month later the store manager noticed that Johnny's line
at the checkout was three times longer than anyone
else's! People wanted Johnny's thought for the day. He
wasn’t just filling bags with groceries, he was filling
lives with hope!
What has God given you that will help and
encourage others?
St Protus and
St Hyacinth - victims of mindless violence
On this, the 19th anniversary of
the Twin Towers, we remember two innocent people who
also met their death in the flames of mindless violence.
These were Roman martyrs mentioned in the 4th century
list of martyrs. Hyacinth’s tomb was discovered in the
cemetery of Basilla, with his name and the date of his
burial (11th September). Inside were charred
bones, indicating death by fire. An inscription by
Damasus says Protus Hyacinth were brothers, and another
ancient source called them ‘teachers of the Christian
law’.
What the 23rd
Psalm is really all about
The Lord is my Shepherd
- that's
relationship.
I shall not want
- that's supply.
He makes me lie down in green pastures -
that's rest.
He leads me beside the still waters -
that's
refreshment.
He restores my soul -
that's healing.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness -
that's guidance.
For his name’s sake -
that's purpose.
Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death - that's
testing.
I will fear no evil -
that's protection.
For You are with me -
that's
faithfulness.
Your rod and your staff, they
comfort me -
that's discipline.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies -
that's hope.
You anoint my head with oil -
that's
consecration.
My cup runs over -
that's abundance.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
of my life -
that's blessing.
And I will dwell in the house of
the Lord forever -
that's security!
Have you done something
which haunts you?
Do you ever worry that your
past failings mean that God will not accept you now?
Some of us have done many things which we regret
– things that have caused us, or others, great pain.
We’ve given our children short shrift, we’ve
betrayed our marriage partners, we’ve been dishonest at
work, we’ve been ruthlessly greedy and ambitious -
no matter what the cost to anyone else.
And now the memory of the wrong we’ve done
lingers, and makes us ashamed.
Our past failings make us very reluctant to turn
to God. Why
should he forgive the damage we have done?
If you think this way, then you
have a big surprise waiting for you:
God isn’t like that.
You haven’t yet encountered his GRACE.
God knows all about you, and most of all he knows
you need his help.
Jesus said that he came into the world to reach
sinners - to help anyone who turns to him in true
repentance to find forgiveness, and a new start.
You can’t do anything to turn
yourself into a good person.
But you don’t have to.
All that God asks of you is that you turn to
Jesus in prayer, and say you are sorry, and ask him to
forgive you, and to put his Spirit within you.
Then you find his GRACE – which means his
loving-kindness, beginning in YOUR life.
Just try it.
Today let God begin to set you free from the
past!
What you have in common with a woodcarving
Woodcarving isn’t as
straightforward as it seems. You draw a plan of what you
want to carve, and only when you’ve got that right do
you start to start to shape your piece of wood.
The carver works his block with
his plan alongside it. He cuts those bits of wood away
that he doesn’t want, and shapes what’s left until it
ever more closely resembles that original plan.
Only when the design on the wood and the paper
plan are identical has the carver finished his job. He’s
then made exactly what he’d hoped for, while working all
along from that original plan.
It’s the same for our lives. God
is the master carpenter. As we go through life, God
shapes us, cutting away those bits of us that he doesn’t
want and which would spoil what he wants us to look
like: Jesus.
But there’s one big difference
between a human being and a block of wood. A block of
wood has to sit impassively on the carver’s bench while
he works at it. The wood cannot help the process along
and has no idea what’s happening to it.
God very much hopes that we’ll
help him in the process of being shaped into his
pattern. That’s why we read the Bible and worship and
pray: only when we have some idea of what he wants us to
be can we cooperate in the process.
However often we get it wrong and fail, there’s
one promise we have. God will never give up on us, until
he’s shaped us into exactly what he’s planned for us to
be all along.
The story behind
the Hymn – ‘Praise my Soul the King of Heaven’
Praise my soul the
King of heaven,
To His feet thy
tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed,
restored, forgiven,
Evermore his
praises sing.
Alleluia!
Alleluia! Praise the everlasting King.
Praise him for His
grace and favour
To our fathers in
distress;
Praise Him, still
the same as ever,
Slow to chide and
swift to bless.
Alleluia!
Alleluia! Glorious in his faithfulness.
Father like, He
tends and spares us;
Well our feeble
frame He knows;
In His hands He
gently bears us,
Rescues us from
all our foes.
Alleluia!
Alleluia! Widely yet his mercy flows.
Angels in the
height, adore Him,
Ye behold him face
to face;
Sun and moon bow
down before Him,
Dwellers all in
time and space
Praise Him!
Praise him!
Praise with us the
God of grace!
By Henry Francis
Lyte (1793-1847)
This stately poetic paraphrase of
Psalm 103 has been included in probably more solemn
ceremonies than any other hymn in the English language.
It was even chosen by Queen Elizabeth for her
wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947.
Henry Lyte had been a brilliant
theological student at university in Dublin, with a gift
for versifying.
After graduation he moved to a tiny and remote
parish in County Wexford to serve his curacy.
It was here, when he was about 25, that Henry had
a religious experience which would transform his life.
A close friend of his, another
clergyman, had fallen ill, and was clearly dying.
Henry went to visit him.
The friend was not as distressed as Henry had
imagined he would be.
Instead the friend confessed that he had been
re-reading the New Testament, with an eye on eternity,
and had made a great discovery.
There was no need to rely on religious duties and
formalities and good deeds to gain peace with God.
Instead, we can trust completely in the mercy of
Christ and his saving power.
Henry was sophisticated and had
been very formal in his ministry.
But this encounter with his friend’s faith at
death’s very door, made him reconsider his faith.
He wrote later that his dear friend ‘who died
happy in the thought that there was One who would atone
for his delinquencies’ made him ‘study my Bible and
preach in another manner than I had previously done’.
And soon after
this hymn appeared, in 1834.
Lyte rejoices in the majesty and
wonder of the living God, who in turn loves us.
He captures the measure of the Psalm in enduring
lyrics, which combine time, eternity, God and man all
swept up into one embrace.
Its last verse summons all of the created order
to join in a great act of joyous praise – surely a
preview of eternity!
Don’t
‘go it alone’
If you are helping others at this time, remember to
still leave space and time for yourself. Going the extra
mile for other people all the time will only ensure one
thing; your collapse. Work in teams. Even the Good
Samaritan did not attempt to help the injured man all on
his own; he brought in the innkeeper. By sharing the
problem, they solved it!
Why
are you facing such a temptation?
‘Happy is the man who doesn’t give in and do wrong when
he is tempted, for afterwards he will get …his reward.’
James 1:12
Are you facing a temptation of
some sort? It is easy to think of it as a bad thing. But
it can become a stepping-stone rather than a stumbling
block. Just
think: it is as much an opportunity to do the right
thing, as the wrong thing. Temptation just gives you the
choice!
God develops the fruit of the
Spirit in us by allowing circumstances into our lives in
which we are tempted – in order that we might express
the exact opposite quality!
For instance: He teaches us to love by allowing
unlovely people into our lives. It takes no character to
love people who are lovely and loving you.
God teaches us joy in the
midst of sorrow by urging us to turn to Him for comfort
and strength when all other support is gone.
God grows peace in us by helping
us learn to trust in Him in situations where we’re
tempted to worry or be afraid. Likewise, patience grows
through having to wait…
You can’t claim to be good if
you’ve never been tempted to be bad; or to be faithful
if you have never had the chance to be unfaithful.
Integrity grows through defeating dishonesty; humility
grows as you refuse to give place to pride. Endurance
develops when you reject the temptation to give up.
The truth is:
when temptation comes into your life, see it for
what it is:
a chance for you to grow closer to Jesus.
Psalm 90
‘War simply aggravates the permanent human situation so
that we can no longer ignore it. Human life has always
been lived on the edge of a precipice.’
(CS Lewis on World War II). Coronavirus powerfully
illustrates this, and Psalm 90 demonstrates a right
response to the crisis:
‘Teach us to
number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.’
(12).
The Shortness of Life
We live as though life will go on forever, but in
reality our time on earth is short: ‘A thousand years
in your sight are like a day that has just gone by’
(4). By contrast God, who inhabits eternity, sees the
whole of history in a single moment. How can we see our
lives in the light of God, who is
‘from everlasting to everlasting’ (2). True wisdom is making sure
that we don’t waste the time we are given in this life!
The Fragility of Life
Living to 80 years old is
definitely an achievement! We know how we wear out in
life until we are dust again: ‘You turn people
back to dust, saying, ‘Return to dust, you mortals.’(3).
This is the result of turning from God to sin:
‘You have set our
iniquities before you’ (88). True wisdom warns us not
to trust in our own abilities or seek satisfaction in
the things of this world.
The Love of God
During the pandemic, many have lost loved ones, yet if
we allow God’s love to take hold of our lives, even
death can bring us closer to God:
‘Satisfy
us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may
sing for joy and be glad all our days.’
(14). True wisdom is able to ask:
‘May
the favour of the Lord our God rest on us’
((17).
What’s in your hand?o:p>
September is usually the
time when we get back to our normal routines after the
summer break. With the current coronavirus pandemic,
it’s very different this year! However, it is still a
good time to consider how God can use us to make a real
difference in our workplace, school, family, friends and
community. He equips us with everything we need to make
His love known.
When God gave Moses the job of
bringing the Israelites out of Egypt, He asked the
question, ‘What is in your hand?’ (Exodus 4:2).
Moses was holding his staff, which represented his
livelihood (what he was good at); his resources (his
flock represented his wealth) and his security (which
God was asking him to lay down). God asks the same
question of us: What has God given you? Our
gifts, temperament, experience, relationships, mind,
education can be used in the work God has given us to
do. How will we use them to make a difference in the
places where He calls us to serve Him?
John Ortberg, in his book
It All Goes Back in the Box, speaks of Johnny, a 19-year-old with
Downs syndrome. He worked at a supermarket checkout
putting people’s items into bags. To encourage his
customers, he decided to put a
thought for the day into the bags. Every night his dad would help
him to prepare the slips of paper and he would put the
thoughts into the bags saying,
‘I hope it helps
you have a good day. Thanks for coming here.’ A
month later the store manager noticed that Johnny's line
at the checkout was three times longer than anyone
else's! People wanted Johnny's thought for the day. He
wasn’t just filling bags with groceries, he was filling
lives with hope!
What has God given you
that will help and encourage others?
Churches enjoy Zooming
Most
churches who used digital channels during lockdown, in
order to keep in touch with their congregations, found
that their favourite platform was Zoom.
A
recent survey by Ecclesiastical found that Zoom was used
by 78 per cent; Skype by 12 per cent, and other
platforms, including WhatsApp, by eight per cent.
Nearly one third of churches who used digital channels
have also reported an increased attendance at their
virtual services.
That has led to some 38 per
cent of churches saying that they would continue to use
digital channels, even now that churches are physically
open again.
Thank you for your presence with us, all the time. Thank
you for your goodness towards us, all the time. Thank
you for the forgiveness you offer when we put our trust
in Jesus and what He did on the cross, so that not even
the most desperate circumstances can cut us off from
you. Thank you for the on-going possibility of a new
start with bright hope for each tomorrow.
Thank you, thank you Lord,
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
My past is forgiven.
Have
you ever been half-way through a project and wanted to
start again? In life we all have regrets about things we
have done, said or thought. The good news is that Jesus
died to forgive these things:
‘All sins
forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant
cancelled and nailed to Christ’s cross.’ (Colossians
2:14, The Message). The resurrection is the guarantee
that we can know Jesus’ pardon and forgiveness. Do we
need to let go a load of guilt and unforgiveness that we
are carrying?
John Bunyan – the man who wrote Pilgrim’s Progress
After the
Bible, John Bunyan’s wonderful Christian allegory, the
Pilgrim’s Progress, is one of the most celebrated
and widely-read books in the English language. It has
been translated into more than 100 languages around the
world and keeps its place as a Christian classic.
Names of people and places from its pages have been
commonplace wherever English is spoken. We need only
recall Mr Great-Heart, Mr Valiant-for-Truth, Giant
Despair, Madame Bubble, the Slough of Despond, Vanity
Fair, the Delectable Mountains, the Hill Difficulty and
the Celestial City.
Bunyan was born on 28 November 1628, at Elstow, near
Bedford, England, of a poor family. He had little formal
education and his father taught him to be a metal
worker. His first wife died young. His second wife,
Elizabeth, helped him considerably with his blossoming
literary career. His conversion was the result of
reading the Bible, and the witness of local Christians.
From that time the Bible became the great inspiration of
his life. He wrote more than 50 books on Christianity.
A Baptist by conviction, he had little time for
the Established Church.
Bunyan became a popular preacher, but because of his
opposition to the Established Church and because he did
not have a Church of England preaching licence, he was
imprisoned in 1661. It was in prison that he wrote
Pilgrim’s Progress. It was not only Bunyan’s greatest
book, but was destined to become one of the most popular
Christian books in the world.
Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegory,
using the names of people and places from the Bible to
teach spiritual lessons. The vivid and unforgettable
imagery in the Pilgrim’s Progress covers the whole
Christian gospel from sin and condemnation all the way
through faith, repentance, grace, justification,
sanctification, and perseverance to heaven itself.
Bunyan died
on 31st August 1688. His portrayal of the
death of Mr Valiant For Truth is Bunyan at his
allegorical best. This brave old soldier of Jesus Christ
had received his summons to ‘go home.’ Calling his
friends together he says, ‘“My sword I give to him who
shall succeed me in my pilgrimage …
My marks and scars I carry with me, to be a
witness for me, that I have fought His battles, Who will
now be my rewarder.” … So he passed over, and all the
trumpets sounded for him on the other side...’
Lord
Quietly, easily,
To lean on thy great strength
Trustfully, restfully,
To await the unfolding of Thy will
Patiently, joyously,
To face tomorrow
Confidently, courageously.
God can use everything we
give him
The story is told of a man in
charge of building a great church, who was pestered by
an apprentice who wanted to design the glass for one of
the windows.
Finally, he agreed that the apprentice should be given
one very small window.
BUT – the apprentice would have to provide all
the materials himself.
Undaunted, the apprentice
carefully swept up all the stray bits of coloured glass
that had been discarded, and set to work.
Slowly, and with great care, he pieced together a
window of rare beauty.
When the church was finally opened, many people
stopped to stare in wonder at his small, but so
beautiful, iridescent window.
Our lives can be like that - no
matter how small we may feel, or that we have only
scraps to offer to God, He can still help us to use
every bit of time and energy and love we do have, to
build a life that is beautiful, and which will reflect
the glory of God to others.
Monica and Augustine - mother and son
On
consecutive days this month (27th and 28th)
the Christian Church celebrates a mother and her son.
The mother is Monica, and her son is Augustine. The
story of their relationship and how, after a long
process, they both came to share the same Christian
faith is a moving one, and perhaps has a message for
anxious parents today.
Augustine was born in 354 and grew up in north Africa in
the area we now call Algeria. His mother, Monica, was a
deeply committed Christian. His father was not. In those
circumstances she was deeply (one might say desperately)
concerned that her clever young son should also believe
and be baptised. But, in the way of wilful offspring, he
steadfastly refused. Eventually Monica’s patience ran
out. She stood outside the priest’s house and noisily
asked why a mother’s anxious prayers had not been
answered. He appeared at a window and rebuked her. “It
is not possible,” he said, “that God has not heard your
prayers and will answer them in His own way.”
He was right, but it took a long while. By now Augustine
had a mistress and a young son, and had moved to Milan
in Italy, where he became Public Orator. However, it
eventually happened – a moment of conversion in a
garden, instruction and then baptism by the great Bishop
Ambrose of Milan. Monica’s prayers were answered. Her
gifted son was ordained and shortly became a bishop in
Hippo, north Africa, and one of the greatest theologians
and teachers of the Christian Church. Monica died the
year before that happened, but I think we may assume
that she died content. Her priest many years earlier had
been right!
So far so good
So far today, God, I've done all right.
I haven't
gossiped, haven't lost my temper, haven't been greedy,
grumpy, nasty, selfish, or over-indulgent.
I'm really glad
about that. But
in a few minutes, God, I'm going to get out of bed and
from then on I'm going to need a lot more help.
Thank you.
In Jesus name.
Amen
100 th anniversary of the death of William
Booth – founder of The Salvation Army
This month marks the 100th
anniversary of the death of William Booth, founder of
the Salvation Army.
Most of us nowadays best know the Salvation Army
through its cheerful music at Christmas,
but back when William Booth first founded it, it
was dangerous and hard work to do Christian outreach in
the East End of London.
William Booth was born in Nottingham in 1829, and at 13
was sent out to work to support his mother and sisters.
He ended up in a pawnbroker’s shop, which he
hated. Like
Charles Dickens, that early experience of seeing poverty
on a daily basis marked him for life – making him keenly
aware of the suffering of the common people.
As a teenager William became a Christian, and
when he moved on to London as a young man, he joined his
local Methodist church, and soon became a minister.
In 1855 William married a Catherine Mumford and the
couple spent several years travelling the country.
William preached in many Methodist churches, and was
warmly welcomed.
But William felt more and more called to the
common man, and so he returned to London.
One day in 1865 William was preaching outside the Blind
Beggar pub in London and drawing the crowds.
He also drew the attention of several missioners,
who invited him to lead a series of meeting for them in
a large tent on the old Quaker burial ground in
Whitechapel.
The date for the first meeting was set for 2nd
July, 1865, and that night William knew he had finally
found his life’s work: as a missionary to the notorious
East End of London.
A powerful preacher,
William Booth needed stamina and courage, for
although the crowds responded,
there was also great opposition.
He would often
‘stumble home night after night haggard with
fatigue’, wrote his wife later.
Meetings
were attacked by locals with stones and
fireworks.
William was often wounded, but went back to work
next day, often in bandages.
Somehow he kept going,
shining the light of Christ’s love into those
dark, dark corners of London’s soul.
After 13 years of struggle with variable results,
William had an inspiration:
in 1878 he changed the name of his ‘Christian
Mission’ to ‘The Salvation Army’.
The new name inspired his group, and soon
attracted wide admiration.
People liked the idea of a Christian Army
fighting sin and marching forwards with Salvation.
The Army began to grow in size.
Booth's electrifying sermons
and graphic imagery of heaven and hell drove the
Christian message home, and soon more and more people
wanted to become soldiers in The Salvation Army.
The work spread abroad, and by the time William
Booth died on
20th August 1912,
the Army had branches in 58 countries.
Teach
us to pray
Lord,
teach us to pray.
Some of us are not skilled in the art of prayer.
As we draw near to thee in thought, our spirits
long for thy Spirit, and reach out for thee, longing to
feel thee near.
We know not how to express the deepest emotions
that lie hidden in our hearts.
...We know that we are closest to thee when we
have left behind the things that have held us captive so
long. ....we
pray that thou wilt give unto us only what we really
need.
....give us the vision, the courage,
that shall enlarge our horizons and stretch our
faith to the adventure of seeking thy loving will for
our lives.
By Peter Marshall
He lLived
1902 – 1949; a former chaplain to the US Senate
How will you become a better person
than you are now? Have you ever denied yourself in order
to try and please God? No matter what your dedication,
it is unlikely that your efforts will ever have outshone
those of Rose of Lima (1586–1617), who in 1671 became
the first saint of America, and patron of South America.
Her whole life raises the issue:
how do you draw closer to God?
Rose was born in Lima, Peru, in 1586,
into a Spanish family that had once been rich. Her
beauty earned her the name, and her character was just
as attractive. She was eager to please, produced
exquisite lace and embroidery, and was known for her
charity.
Her parents hoped for a good marriage
for her, but it was not to be. Rose did not want a
husband and a place in the corrupt and wanton society of
Lima at the time. Rose was an intensely spiritual
person, and spent hours in contemplation of Jesus and St
Mary, and took the ‘Blessed Sacrament’ on a daily basis.
She devoted herself to prayer and simple acts of
mortification. In those days ‘mortification’ of the
flesh was seen as a way of keeping your earthly
appetites under control, and therefore drawing nearer to
God.
At 20, Rose
joined the Third order of St Dominic, taking as her
model Catherine of Siena.
Her love of God continued, as did her charity to
others, but now a darker side to her spirituality began
to grow. Rose lived as a recluse in a hut, and increased
her acts of mortification. She wanted to suffer, because
she thought it would bring her closer to God.
She cut off her hair and rubbed pepper
and lye into her face until it was raw and blistered.
She fasted until she could hardly stand. She drank gall
mixed with bitter herbs. She filled her bed with broken
glass, thorns and sharp things. She wore a tight iron
chain around her waist.
She embraced every penance that she
could think of, and yet still she suffered at times a
feeling
of terrible loneliness and desolation,
for
God seemed far away.
Then she would pray:
"Lord, increase my sufferings, and with
them increase your love in my heart."
Sometimes she would indeed feel God near her, and
then she would
be in ecstasy for hours.
It is hard to explain why Rose thought she needed to
inflect needless suffering on herself in order to get
closer to God. One scholar has suggested that perhaps
Rose wanted to
“make reparation for the widespread sin
and corruption” in her society at the time.
She had said once that she wanted to pay
for the sin of the idolatry of her countrymen.
Again, this is hard to understand
because the Bible never once says that any human being
can ‘make payment’ to God for the sins of another
person. We may grieve over the sins of others, but only
Christ can offer them forgiveness. Only He has died for
them.
In Uganda a number of years ago a nun
asked a bishop for help. “I have done penance all my
life. I have tried so hard to please God – but I still
don’t feel any joy. What am I doing wrong?” The Bishop
said gently: “Because, dear sister, you are hoping to
find joy in what you have done for God. I am joyful
because I have discovered what Jesus has done for me.”
Poor
well-meaning but confused Rose: after a long illness
which seems to have had some psychological as well as
physical elements to it, she finally died, only 31 years
old.
The name above
every name
Who is the Lord Jesus Christ – to give him his full name? He is Jesus, the Saviour – this was the name given by the angel to Mary and Joseph. He is Christ – the Messiah sent by God to bring in the new kingdom of justice and peace. He is Lord – the One whom Christians worship as divine.
There is a beautiful hymn on the divinity of Jesus, the one who ‘emptied himself’ and ‘took the form of a slave’ for our sakes, even becoming ‘obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.’ Therefore, God has ‘highly exalted him’, and given him the name above every name – one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord. Jesus earned the honour on the cross, and he is now the risen and ascended Lord Jesus who sits ‘on the right hand of the Majesty on high.’ (Hebrews 1:3)
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not shouting, "I am saved!"
I'm whispering, "I get lost; that is why I chose this way."
When I say, "I am a Christian," I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble and need Someone to be my Guide.
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not bragging I am strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak, and pray for strength to carry on.
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed and cannot ever pay the debt.
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are all too visible, but God believes I'm worth it.
When I say, "I am a Christian," I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches, which is why I cry his name.
When I say, "I am a Christian," I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority; I only know I'm loved.
Don’t allow the modern culture to rule your life
The
fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who
follow his precepts have good understanding.
(Psalm
111:10)
“Remember,” said W.C. Fields, “a dead fish can
float downstream, but it takes a live one to swim
upstream.” This quotation, reproduced on T-shirts and in
management books, appeals to our sense of nonconformist
individuality. The reality, though, is that most of us
want to belong and win approval. We fear the
consequences of challenging toxic organisational
cultures, disagreeing with accepted workplace wisdom, or
showing any weakness. To go against the flow, to be
distinctive in God-honouring ways, takes courage.
The
psalmist emphasises that ‘the fear of the LORD is the
beginning of wisdom’. This godly fear is not to be
placed alongside our fears of the opinions of our
colleagues, important though they are, but takes
precedence over them. Paul puts it starkly: ‘If I were
still trying to please people, I would not be a servant
of Christ’ (Galatians 1:10).
The
biblical
wisdom is not merely intellectual capacity, but is
linked with discipline and discernment, shrewdness and
skill. It’s also profoundly countercultural, as Jesus’
own teaching illustrates: in order to live we are called
to die; the first shall be last; giving away leads to
being entrusted with much (Luke 6:38).
In our relationships, Jesus calls us to love our enemies and pray for
those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). Moreover, God’s
wisdom, which looks foolish and weak in the world’s
eyes, is seen supremely in the cross, where it is shown
that ‘the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength’
(1 Corinthians 1:25).
The phrase ‘fear of the LORD’ uses the
covenantal name of God, implying a committed
relationship of reverence and awe. If we allow the
culture of our workplaces and the time pressures we
experience to squeeze the fear of God out of our
‘wisdom’, we risk becoming ‘practical atheists’, where
our responses to situations are barely distinguishable
from those of our non-believing colleagues.
Forgive
Almighty God, most merciful
You know our thoughts and deeds
Our sins have been most plentiful
Forgive, we plead!
Our hearts are far from You, O Lord
You should be first, not last
Our neighbours have not known accord
Forgive our past!
Help us amend what we’ve become
Direct what we shall be
With justice, mercy, peace we come
Humbly with Thee!
By Nigel Beeton
The story behind the hymn: Thou art worthy
Thou art worthy, Thou art worthy,
Thou art worthy, O Lord.
Thou art worthy to receive glory,
Glory and honour and power.
For Thou hast created, hast all things created,
For Thou hast created all things.
And for Thy pleasure they are created;
Thou art worthy, O Lord.
By Pauline Mills, 1883
All sons occasionally say things that surprise their mothers, but few do it in front of entire congregations. But that is what happened to Pauline Mills, one Sunday evening back in 1883, when she visited her son’s Foursquare church in Hillsboro Oregon.
For her son, Pastor Dick Mills, had that morning promised the congregation that his mother would write them a hymn on any Bible verse of their choosing. He had simply forgotten to tell his mother about it before she arrived with him for the evening service.
But Pauline Mills rose to the challenge of Revelation 4:11. She was used to the unexpected (having raised six children) and used to crowds (being a regular speaker for women’s groups). Above all, she was used to music, having already written 300 songs.
And so, by the time the service ended at 10pm that evening, she presented her hymn to the congregation, complete with music, which she said that the Lord had given to her. Thou Art Worthy was warmly received by the Foursquare congregation, but that was just the beginning. Soon the little hymn was spreading from church to church, until today it is much loved and sung right around the world.
Jeanne Delanoue – care for the poor
Some people are pushy and a bit grasping. They get on your nerves. Pray that they go on to find God’s will for their lives, for then all that pushiness is put to good use.
Take
Jeanne Delanoue. She was born at Saumur in 1666, and
grew up small, authoritarian, and quite frankly, a bit
of a bossy-boots. When she took charge of the family
shop, which sold drapery and pious articles, she was
known to be a bit greedy.
Then, when she was 26, she met
two Christians, including the Abe Genetau and a
visionary called Francoise Suchet. The encounter changed
her life. Jeanne gave most of her goods away to the poor
and transformed the caves and cellars of her home by the
River Loire into a guest-house for the homeless.
An
earthquake in 1703 destroyed the caves, but it took more
than that to stop Jeanne. She founded the Sisters of
Providence, with the help of two other young women, kept
helping the poor of her town. When famine hit in 1709,
she and her two friends cared for 100 desperate people
in Providence House.
Jeanne was always a driven
lady; she rose at 3am and spent her days looking after
the distressed, the abandoned, single mothers and
prostitutes. Her work was deeply appreciated by the
town, especially during the years of war and hunger. By
the time she died in 1736, Jeanne - perhaps always a bit
pushy! - had founded and inspired 12 communities.
Laurence Loricatus - the saint who couldn’t forgive himself
Have you done something bad which
haunts you? Does the memory of it still follow you – and
sometimes keep you awake at night? If so, then Laurence
Loricatus (c. 1190–1243) is the saint for you. He was
born at Facciolo (Apulia) and as a youth he killed a
man.
After that,
life changed forever for Laurence. His guilt overwhelmed
him, and he decided to expiate for it. He made the long
and difficult pilgrimage to Compostella, but he found no
relief. So,
he became a hermit at Subiaco – cutting himself off from
all the comforts of normal life. But he found no relief.
So, then he began to wear not a hairshirt, but a coat of
chainmail next to his skin. It was a heavy, unyielding
weight which bruised and rubbed his skin raw.
Laurence hated himself and would not
forgive himself, though God had forgiven him years
before. He
is a caution to anyone in the same situation today. His
continued ‘penance’ did no one any good. Instead, the
suffering absorbed hours of his attention, and got him
nowhere.
When we do
something we regret, of course God wants us to repent of
it. But then He wants us to put it behind us. Our bad
deed needs to be quarantined and left behind in our
lives. If we won’t put it down, our life becomes focused
on our hatred of ourselves, instead of on God’s love for
us. It took the Pope years to get Laurence to take off
that chain-shirt.
Pandemic amid millions of locusts
The six African countries where Send a Cow works face
devastation, not only by the pandemic, but also the huge
swarms of locusts which have destroyed thousands of
acres of crops.
In response, Send a Cow staff have supported struggling
communities by teaching them how to prevent the spread
of the virus, as well as good hygiene.
Send a Cow is also providing radio broadcasts with
information, and emergency food supplies and seeds, so
that the farmers do not miss the next critical planting
window.
Now Send a Cow is asking supporters in the UK if they could commit to a personal challenge like a run, cycle or climb, to raise funds, or maybe even simply donating on behalf of their business or family. One couple ran and cycled for 260 miles, raising £2000. “Whatever we can each do is greatly appreciated,” says Send a Cow.
Left-handed
Bobby went to the park one Sunday afternoon with his grandmother. It was late summer, but still many flowers were in bloom. Everything was beautiful. His grandmother remarked: "Doesn't it look like an artist painted this scenery? Did you know God painted this just for you?"
Only a few hours away from church, Bobby said: "Yes, God did it and he did it left- handed." Confused, his grannie asked him why he thought that. “Easy,” said Bobby, "we learned at Sunday School this morning that Jesus sits on God's right hand!"
Maximilian Kolbe - Christian witness amidst 20th century suffering
Some people’s lives seem to epitomise
the suffering of millions, but also to shine with a
Christian response to it. One such person was Maximilian
Kolbe, 1894 - 1941, a Franciscan priest of Poland, and
publisher extraordinary.
Maximilian
was born at Zdunska Wola, near Lodz, where his parents,
devout Christians, worked in a cottage weaving industry.
Like thousands of others at the time, the family and
their village were ground into poverty by Russian
exploitation. In 1910 Maximilian entered the Franciscan
Order and studied at Rome. After his ordination in 1919,
Maximilian returned to Poland, where he was sent to
teach church history in a seminary. But a new factor had
entered his life: he was diagnosed with tuberculosis.
Living in post-war Poland was difficult
enough, but with tuberculosis as well? Most people would
have quietly withered away. Not Maximilian Kolbe.
Instead, the tuberculosis gave Maximilian a sense of
urgency - a sense of the transitory nature of life.
He knew his time
was slipping away.
Instead of
teaching history, he determined to do something to help
the Christians living in Poland now, in the tatters of
Europe after the First World War. And so, he founded a
magazine for Christian readers in Cracow, who badly
needed effective apologetics to help them hold to their
faith in a chaotic world.
Soon, the
obsolete printing presses (which were operated by
Maximilian’s fellow priests and lay brothers) were
working overtime - the magazine’s circulation had leapt
to 45,000. Then the printing presses were moved to a
town near Warsaw, Niepokalanow, where Maximilian now
founded a Franciscan community which combined prayer
with cheerfulness and poverty with modern technology:
daily as well as weekly newspapers were soon produced.
The community grew and grew, until by the late 1930s it
numbered 762 friars.
Then in 1939
the Germans invaded Poland. Maximilian sent most of his
friars home, to protect them from what was to come. He
turned the monastery into a refugee camp for 3,000 Poles
and 1,500 Jews. And the presses continued: taking a
patriotic, independent line, critical of the Third
Reich.
Kolbe was arrested by the Gestapo along
with four friars. They were taken to Auschwitz in May
1941. Their names were exchanged for tattooed numbers;
and they were sent to brutal forced labour.
But
Maximilian Kolbe continued his priestly ministry. He
heard confessions in unlikely places, and smuggled in
bread and wine for the Eucharist. His sympathy and
compassion for those even more unfortunate than himself
was outstanding.
Then came the final scene in his hard
life. At the end of July, 1941, several men escaped from
his bunker at the camp. The Gestapo, in revenge, came to
select several more men from the same bunker who were to
be starved to death. A man, Francis Gajowniczek, was
chosen. As he cried in despair, Kolbe stepped forward.
So Maximilian went to the death chamber
of Cell 18, and set about preparing the others to die
with dignity by prayers, psalms, and the example of
Christ’s Passion. Two weeks later only four were left
alive: Maximilian alone was fully conscious. He was
injected with phenol and died on 14 August, aged 47.
He was
beatified by Paul VI in 1971. In 1982 he was canonised
by Pope John Paul II, formerly Archbishop of Cracow, the
diocese which contains Auschwitz. Present at the
ceremony that day was Francis Gajowniczek, the man whose
life Maximilian Kolbe had
Clare of Assisi - prayer and simplicity
In the year 1212 Clare, the
18-year-old daughter of a local Count, heard a young
preacher called Francis. A few years earlier he had
caused a sensation in the centre of the town where they
both lived, Assisi in Italy, by stripping himself of his
wealthy clothes and declaring that from now on he would
live the life of a peasant. This, he said, was in
obedience to the call of Christ, for whom the poor were
‘blessed’ and the rich were in peril of judgment.
Francis
gathered a group of seven men prepared to embrace what
he called ‘joyful poverty’ for Christ’s sake, but that
day he was to enlist a female disciple. ‘You are a
chosen soul from God’, he told Clare, when she expressed
her eagerness to embrace the same strict rule as his
male followers.
In due course, after a period
in a Benedictine convent, Clare and her sister Agnes
moved into the church of St Damiano, which Francis and
his friends had restored, and gathered there a group of
like-minded women. Eventually Francis made Clare the
abbess of a religious Order, at first called the ‘Order
of Poor Ladies’, eventually, and universally, to be
known as the ‘Poor Clares’.
Unable to operate an itinerant ministry like the
men, Clare’s sisters concentrated on a life of prayer
and simplicity. In fact, their dedication to poverty was
such that it affected the health of many of them.
Francis and Clare remained friends and colleagues over
the next 14 years in this remarkable movement of renewal
and mission. During the preceding century (as we can
learn from Chaucer, among others) the religious Orders
had in many cases substituted indulgence for discipline.
Francis and Clare found this scandalous, and despite
opposition from high places, set out to demonstrate that
an effective Christian message required an appropriate
Christian lifestyle. For them, poverty was not a burden
but a joy - a release from the delusions of power and
ambition. Their witness made an enormous impact on the
poor people of Umbria and beyond, who saw an
authenticity in their lives which spoke as eloquently as
their words.
Clare helped to nurse Francis through his final illness,
which lasted several years. She lived for 27 years after
his death, like him suffering from the effects of long
years of strict austerity. She died in 1253 and was
canonised two years later. She is buried in the basilica
of St Clare in Assisi, a few hundred yards from the
basilica of St Francis. In life they proclaimed the same
message of sacrificial love and service, and in their
deaths they were not divided. Her special day was
yesterday - 11th
August.
On Going to Bed
As my head rests on my
pillow
Let my soul rest in your
mercy.
As my limbs relax on my
mattress
Let my soul relax in your
peace.
As my body finds warmth
beneath the blankets,
Let my soul find warmth in
your love.
As my mind is filled with
dreams,
Let my soul be filled with
visions of heaven.
A prayer of Johann Freylinghausen
(1670 – 1739) of the German Pietist movement.
Paul was thankful for others –
brothers and sisters in Christ, fellow servants,
ministry partners. In his correspondence Paul didn’t
just leave it at generalised expressions of gratitude –
he often took time to identify specific individuals for
whom he was grateful and to let them know how much he
appreciated their contribution to his life. Do we do
that? -
Nancy Leigh DeMoss
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