Wednesday 11 November 2009

Remembrance

It’s now just four months since we heard of the deaths of the two last British survivors of the Great War. Henry Allingham (1896-2009) RN, RNAS, RAF, and Harry Patch (1898-2009) Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, were both young men who answered the call to arms and fought in the 1914 – 1918 war. Neither would speak about their experiences until quite late in their lives when they became a living record of the dreadful conditions endured in that war.

In my family we remember my mother’s Uncle, who was killed in August 1918, A/Cpl James Brandon, Royal Artillery. He was one of those companies of tunnellers who were used to undermine the enemy’s trenches prior to explosives being deployed. My mum was born two months after his death and so never knew him but his name was and is kept alive within the family.

In the past few months we have grown accustomed to hearing about more of our young men and women serving in Afghanistan and Iraq who have also lost their lives. We have all read the reports of soldiers being killed as they went to help their colleagues and friends. Whether our involvement in these two areas is justified or not does not matter, these brave youngsters have continued to prove the adage “greater love hath no man than he lays down his life for his friends.”

Throughout the whole of the twentieth century there were just a couple of years when no British Soldiers were killed in action – you only have to visit the National Memorial to see the numbers. So today, as we remember those men and women who have died in the service of this country, let us pray that the twenty first century is not one in which the statistic continues and that all nations can learn to live in Peace.

“At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.”
Let us all pray that we can all live in the peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

God bless, John

Making a Difference

Unfortunately, I missed our Harvest Festival and Simon’s talk on 8 people who had used their lives to “make a difference”. When I heard about this piece, it reminded me of a book that I read recently in which one of the characters replied to the question why he hadn’t bothered to get out of bed that day with the answer that he only got up if he thought he could do anything to “make a change” that day. Leaving aside my questionable choice of reading matter ( It was actually quite a thrilling “whodunnit”) this made me think of our Lord’s mandate to all his followers to “go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” (Mark 16:15). So, how often do we get up in the morning in a positive frame of mind determined to go out into the world and make new disciples of men?

Yes, I know it’s difficult, especially for those of us still in the workplace environment, and one that seems virtually impossible in the face of the cynicism, indifference and occasional outright abuse with which many of our fellow men regard the Christian faith. But Jesus never said it would be easy, in fact he knew that it would be difficult to the point that many disciples would suffer both mentally and physically for their faith. Still it remains our Christian duty to approach each and every day with the positive thought that this might be the day that we can ,make a difference- the day when our continual public example of good Christian behaviour influences somebody, even somebody we hardly know, that they might be led to embrace Christian beliefs. It won’t be easy, but it’s surely better than staying in bed!

God Bless

Keith

Keep a Roof over Our Heads

In 2007 St. Martin’s architect carried out our statutory Quinquennial. This identified a number of area’s where repair and maintenance of the church fabric is required. The most important, and costly, of these is the replacement of the shingles on the north slope of the church roof. In total our maintenance bill is likely to be in the region of £70,000.

DCC are currently discussing a re-ordering of the church. Having consulted widely on this DCC is working with the Diocese to formulate more specific proposals prior to the involvement of architects. When these proposals have been costed DCC will seek funding from external sources.
Both the ongoing maintenance and re-ordering are considered important in St. Martin’s “Building for the Future”. It is important that we all have an opportunity to contribute towards the cost of these proposals. We have identified St. Martin’s Day (November 8th) as our “Gift Day” when we can all contribute in addition to our regular giving. All donations received will go towards “Building for the Future”. Please pray for guidance and contribute what you can, however small. Let us make St. Martin’s church an exciting and vibrant place to carry forward our mission of growing God’s Kingdom.

Wherever possible please Gift-Aid your donation. Gift-Aid rules mean charitable donations can qualify for tax relief. If you are a UK taxpayer, your donation is worth 28% more at no extra cost to you. Simply sign the Gift Day envelope and we’ll do the rest.
God Bless
Roger

Harvest

A few weeks ago, I spent a wonderful weekend away in Wales. The weather was glorious and, driving home through the beautiful countryside of Brecon, Hereford and Worcester, evidence of harvesting was everywhere. Harvest is the time in our church calendar when we make a conscious effort to thank God for his wonderful generosity in providing us with everything that we need to sustain our lives. In this country we have abundance beyond measure and need never worry about crop failure, drought or famine. The same is not true for some parts of the world where hunger is a constant worry.

I’ve just read an amazing account about a dalit (untouchable) woman named Chandramma Moligeri. She was struggling to exist on the margin’s of society until Christian Aid’s partner, DDS, stepped in to help her. DDS helped Chandramma and her women’s group to clear an area of drought-prone wasteland. Slowly, using traditional methods, they restored it to life and over time have produced bumper harvests. DSS now work with 5000 women in total. Rather than keep all the excess from the harvest for themselves, these women have done something amazing. They have shared their good fortune and helped 50,000 of the poorest people in their communities!

Similarly, Tearfund and its partners work tirelessly to help the poor of the world. The emphasis at the moment is on providing clean water, hygiene awareness and decent sanitation to prevent diseases like cholera and dysentery. Let us be thankful for the unlimited access to clean water and decent sanitation that we enjoy.

These and other Christian charities demonstrate the harvest of the spirit which changes people’s lives for ever. They provide hope, health, security, independence and a future free from fear. Thank God for this harvest of good people who work so hard to improve the lives of others, and thank you if you have ever given money or time to support such charities.


God bless, Jackie

Priorities

Kath and I often go to church when on holiday, but earlier this year we went away with friends who always go to church when on holiday, even looking on the internet to find one suitable. So it had been agreed that we would travel approximately ten miles to church on the Sunday, but on the Saturday evening we went for a walk and just round the corner was a church. But this church hadn’t appeared on a website, the notice board didn't look as if it had been changed for ages, and the overall impression was far from inviting. A discussion ensued about a twenty mile round trip versus a ten minute walk. The walk won, so on Sunday morning we walked round the corner to church, I personally thought we would be sitting with about six old ladies. I couldn't have been more wrong, there were lots of people, in fact they had so many attending that they had two services to fit them all in. Due to the out of date notice board we had arrived between the two services, but we were encouraged into the community hall next door where they served coffee and made us very welcome while we waited for the second service. The actual church was old, in fact they still had pews with doors on. They did use PowerPoint and had a small music group, but it was the worship, the message and the atmosphere that was so striking it was alive and buzzing.

It might be nice to have a comfortable attractive building but as we consider reordering our church, and struggle with the problem of the Parish share it seems to me the really important thing is the spirit and attitude of the people who make up the congregation in that building.

Mick

Monday 2 November 2009

Bishop calls on Christians to wear crosses in run-up to Christmas

The Bishop of Lichfield has entered the debate about the right of Christians to wear crosses or fish badges while at work with a call for Christians to demonstrate that they “aren’t going to disappear quietly from the market place.”

In a pastoral letter published in November’s Parish Magazines across the Diocese of Lichfield, the Rt Revd Jonathan Gledhill says: “The Christian roots to our governance should not be nibbled away without discussion. Sometimes I think it wouldn’t be a bad thing if in December we all wore a fish badge or cross necklace and sent out a loud message that Christians aren’t going to disappear quietly from the market place or put away our crib figures in a hurry.”

But he also challenged Christians to demonstrate a far more costly sign than lapel badges and necklaces, saying: “The mark of a real Christian community is not so much the lapel badges and crosses we wear as the spontaneous, generous and practical love we show to the world. Christians should not be intimidated into putting away their neck crosses or lapel badges, but in the end these are not the badges that matter. The mark that matters is far more challenging.”

He said he had been reminded of this recently when he met two new Christians during a mission weekend in an urban parish in the diocese. He said: “both of them said that they had joined the church because they had come along as a result of a back-to-church Sunday invitation and similar and had been overwhelmed by the open welcome, the practical help and the sustained friendship they had received.”

In his letter, he says that companies’ decisions to sack those who want to wear a cross or fish lapel badge; and local councils deciding to rebrand Christmas out of fear of offending ethnic minorities are decisions made out of “sheer ignorance.” He says: “Ethnic minorities are far more anxious about the rampant secularism and commercialism that erodes all Christian standards than they are about their host country properly celebrating its Christian foundations.”

ENDS

What is the mark of the Christian?
A pastoral letter by the Bishop of Lichfield for November Parish Magazines in the Diocese of Lichfield

We’re just getting to the season when the papers like to report on local councils who, out of concern for ethnic minorities, have banned Christmas in favour of Winterval or another silly name. This year that kind of story is likely to be more than matched by stories of big firms sacking those people who want to wear a cross or a fish lapel badge or some other sign of the Christian faith. It is sheer ignorance of course.

Ethnic minorities are far more anxious about the rampant secularism and commercialism that erodes all Christian standards than they are about their host country properly celebrating its Christian foundations. No one goes to a Muslim country and expects local councils to silence the mosques out of sensitivity to Christians. The Christian roots to our governance should not be nibbled away without discussion. Sometimes I think it wouldn’t be a bad thing if in December we all wore a fish badge or cross necklace and sent out a loud message that Christians aren’t going to disappear quietly from the market place or put away our crib figures in a hurry (Though personally I am waiting for someone to invent a retractable fish badge before I put one on the back of the car — my driving is not always something to be proud of).

Recently I shared in a mission weekend in an urban parish in this diocese. The church had thrown open its doors to the wider community and schools, uniformed organisations and many others had come along to take part in the events. There was the wonderful atmosphere of a praying church at the heart of the community. During the Harvest Festival service on the Sunday two newish Christians were interviewed; both of them said that they had joined the church because they had come along as a result of a back-to-church Sunday invitation and similar and had been overwhelmed by the open welcome, the practical help and the sustained friendship they had received. I was reminded of another church and someone saying that they had come to faith because the joyful and self-giving way the people looked after the children in the Sunday School had so touched them that they knew God was real.

What I have discovered afresh this month is that the mark of a real Christian community is not so much the lapel badges and crosses we wear as the spontaneous, generous and practical love we show to the world. Christians should not be intimidated into putting away their neck crosses or lapel badges, but in the end these are not the badges that matter. The mark that matters is far more challenging.

Jonathan Gledhill
November 2009

All Saints Day – In Memorium

Later today we will be holding our annual Memorial Service, where we particularly remember those we have loved who have gone before us. I know several people whom I have invited in the past to attend this service, telling me, ‘O, I can’t. It upsets me too much. I shall just cry.’ My own answer is, ‘Yes. It can be sad, you may cry, but it also can be uplifting and comforting; a quiet time to remember, not just the sadness or the loss, or the emptiness in our lives now, but the good and happy times shared. What matter if tears are shed. They can be cleansing and healing.


Many people get angry, and blame God for taking away the person they loved or causing them to suffer intolerable pain, and to a certain extent that is understandable. But we cannot continually blame God for all that happens. Wasn’t it Jesus, God’s Son who said-

'Come unto me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matthew 11;28)

‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him shall have eternal life.’ (John 3:16) Just trust in Him.


I well remember words spoken by Reverend Vernon Nicholls, then Vicar at St. Matthew’s, when preaching at an Evensong service here at St. Martin’s. He said, that if we just kept saying ‘Why? Why, did that good person have to suffer so and die before their time? Why did that bad person, who did evil things prosper and live? We might just as well stand by the wall and hit our head against it, and that that would be all the answer we might get.’ He went on to say, we should take something from the life and love for the person who is no longer with us here on earth, and make ourselves better persons; more caring, more useful and helpful. This is extremely hard to do I know, but there are many people who have been able to do this, and although I have failed miserably, I do try. With faith in God and his undying love, I am sure we can all gain comfort and peace in our hearts to go on alone until we are reunited with our loved ones.


Doreen