‘The God Delusion’: Newsletter 14th October 2007

Some years ago I saw a notice in a shopping centre which had the usual negative sign – “No Cycling, No Skating, No Skateboarding” ,to which someone had added – “No point in living!”
I have been reminded of this during the past few months when I have read my weekly comic – The New Scientist - because in it they have given much space to Richard Dawkins and his book ‘The God Delusion’.

I have to say they have been fair and balanced and have given equal space to his detractors. Dawkins is a vociferous atheist and, although it may be the wrong use of the word, is quite evangelical about it.

I feel quite saddened that some people have not come to know our God or his son Jesus Christ and often wonder what they believe is the point of life.

I remember attending a humanist funeral at a local crematorium where, we were told, there would be absolutely no allusion to religion. The “service” took place in front of the most powerful symbol of our faith, the Cross, and the candles were lit throughout. The space in the proceedings usually left for prayers had a reflection on the life of the recently departed. The words used, however, drew strongly on the Old Testament especially Ecclesiastes and Proverbs. Once again I was troubled that the person who had died and his family were left with no hope for the future – death was the end there was no chance of resurrection.

I cannot understand a life without a strong belief in God and his son Jesus Christ. He has been gracious to me and has granted me many blessings and I will continue to live in the love of Christ. Perhaps these words at the start of Hymn 52 (MP) go some way to expressing my thoughts;
“God sent His son, they called him Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
an empty grave is there to prove my saviour lives.
Because He lives I can face tomorrow;
Because He lives all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth living because He lives.

God Bless

John

Holly: Newsletter 7th October 2007

It was Christmas Eve 2004 the phone rang and my niece, working voluntarily at the local Animal Hospital said “We have just received a dreadfully neglected little dog who may not survive can you accommodate her if she does”.

A Yorkshire terrier; not our kind of dog at all but we went to see her anyway and after a few days of intensive treatment we took her home. What a sad sight she was, head & stub of a tail drooping, dull sad eyes that spoke of a life of misery and suffering. Breathing but not living, at one point we thought she had just curled up and died so completely motionless was her poor bedraggled body.

Approaching three years later anyone who has met “Holly “ would witness a very different dog indeed, full of life, bright expressive eyes, a well developed personality (do dogs have personalities?) Confident in manner, as she proudly protects home & family, the difference is a response to love, an ingredient we all need in which to grow and develop our full potential. At times we can all feel unloved and unlovable and sometimes it can perhaps seem easier to love an animal than another human being, especially if that person happens to be someone we don’t particularly like or have difficulty relating to, and sometimes it could be a member of our own family; but God calls us to bear a distinct family resemblance to him and his son Jesus. “This is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” 1 John 4:10 At a time where there are many people and families within St. Martin’s who are experiencing very difficult times for a variety of reasons let us reach out and love one another, “For God is love and whoever lives in love lives in union with God and God lives in union with him”.1John 4:16.

Lesley

Going for Growth

The Diocese is looking for an alternative way of fixing Parish Share as part of its central strategy of “Going for Growth”. For 2008 we are asked to “bid” for our Parish Share. We have submitted a figure which is below our current formula payment and this may well involve us in further discussion with the Diocese as they seek to raise sufficient funds.

Our formula payment meant that we paid for our Minister, the Vicarage, a contribution to training future vicars and a very small contribution to other costs. Our bid for 2008 does not allow this level of support.

We are beginning to see the fruits of the hard work of Simon, Richard, Martin and many others as a result of initiatives such as the Alpha Courses and “The Net”.

The regular income of St. Martin’s is not at a level to allow us to continue to pay Parish Share at our traditional level, to tithe our giving for chosen mission agencies and charities and to fund new initiatives in “Going for Growth”.

Jesus himself spoke five times more on the subject of money than any other. If he devoted considerable time to the matter then we must also give it priority.

We all want to see St. Martin’s grow in numbers and in faith, the green shoots are there. We must continue to pray that we are able to do that little bit more with our gifts, our talents, our time and our money.

With Christ’s help our giving can do great things for His Church.

God bless Roger

Has it got vodka in it?! Newsletter 12 August 2007

For the past year every Friday evening Christians from different churches across Walsall have been offering free (non-alcoholic) drinks, and a listening ear to people in the centre of Walsall as part of the ‘Ministry to Drinkers’, which takes place on Darwall Street next to St Paul’s Church..

This Friday night ministry has been grabbing peoples’ attention as a positive Christian presence in the town centre. Walsall has a considerable alcohol problem, particularly binge drinking amongst women and young adults. The Drinkers Ministry is mentioned as a positive initiative in the 2007 report of the Director of Public Health entitled: ‘Alcohol in Walsall - a public health perspective’.

Each night there are the regular visitors, who come and have a good chat and a laugh with us; and occasionally a prayer, and there are the people who are just passing through, but which ever they are they all say that what we are doing is a good thing, and because we offer soft drinks it helps water down the alcohol people have consumed!

The door men on the pubs and clubs all say that the town centre is a better place since we have been there - there appears to be less violence and the atmosphere has changed for the better. That is fantastic news. I have been involved with the Drinkers Ministry for over 6 months, and consider it to be one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling things that I do. Why don’t you come down and see for yourself - we need more helpers, especially men, and you can help as little or as often as you want. Oh and the title? - well that’s the most frequently asked question every night!!!

God bless,
Simon

Two Horses: Newsletter 5th August 2007

Just up the road from my home is a field with two horses in it. From a distance, each looks like every other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing.

Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing.

If nearby and listening, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to her halter is a small bell. It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her.

As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see how she is always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray. When she returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, she stops occasionally and looks back, making sure her friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need. Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others see.

Anon.

Choices: Newsletter 22nd July

Wouldn’t life be easier if we didn’t have so much to choose from? I went shopping recently and found out there were 8 choices of apples! Whether it is the latest gadget or the cereal we have for breakfast, there are always options for us. Even if there were only one thing to choose, you still have the choice to take it or leave it. That is part of life, we have absolute control of what we do or don’t do and therefore, are responsible for our actions.

In our walk with Jesus, we also get spiritual options and choices and the responsibility lies with us. God never forces His will on us, He allows us the freedom to choose in all areas of our lives, not just on Sunday. Although we are all unique and we have our own way in bringing our faith into our daily lives, over the years I have been with St. Martin’s I have seen people grow in faith and I have seen others fade away. Why should this be?

Although nobody can give you the recipe for a successful Christian life, I have noticed events that point to a growing Christian. I have never met a growing Christian who does not regularly have there own quiet time with Jesus. As your stewardship secretary, it has been a real privilege to see people grow through being open to God through there giving. I have seen people grow through the development of their own ministry and using their talents and gifts (not always in church).

My own experience tells me that if I want to have a closer relationship with God, then amongst other things, I need to choose to spend some time with Him. If I only talked to Jackie (my wife) once a week on a Sunday morning, then our relationship would suffer and I am sure would stop sooner or later. For me, at the heart of my faith is my relationship with God and I have to make choices. Recently, work has taken up more and more of my time and it would be easy to justify not spending time praying and reading God’s word. However, there is always a voice saying to me that it is my choice and that what ever I choose, God will not love me any more or any less.

Yours in Christ

Martin

Mission on the 529: Newsletter 15 July

I spend many hours each week on buses (or waiting in hope!). First thing in the morning folk read the Metro, adjust their make up, ring their place of work to say they’ll be late and so on. Some even read their daily Bible passage or maybe, like me, use the time to pray. Very few chat to each other. Later in the day, however, the bus is full of older people and buggy-wielding young mums. The atmosphere changes completely. The buzz of conversation is all around and most people at least exchange a few words with their neighbour even if only to complain about the weather or the length of time they’ve waited for the bus.

As you know, I find it easy to talk to most people and I try to be a good listener as well. I have lost count of the times now when my neighbours on the bus pour out their worries and concerns. Many seem to have no-one independent to express their fears (usually) or hopes to, and some have no-one at all. It is an awesome responsibility to respond appropriately to these people. I try to make them feel valued and give them hope. More than once, the person has told me that they felt they could talk to me because I was wearing a cross. Food for thought there. Maybe we should all more easily recognised as Christians both by our actions and also some sort of “badge”. There is certainly a need in the busyness of the modern world for a listening ear. Not only can a bus journey be shared but also the journey of life and possibly even of faith.

Finally, Chris and I would like to thank you all for your prayers over the last few weeks. We have felt well supported.

Liz Dunthorne

Cross Talk Church Link: Newsletter 17th June 2007

Over the past few months Simon has been working to set up a prayer link with Holy Trinity Church, Batu Gajah, Perak, Malaysia. (On a map of Malaysia find Kuala Lumpur and look north about 200km). The idea of this link is to encourage our two churches to pray for one another.
Holy Trinity Church is very similar to ours in that it has around the same attendance and a congregation made up of the middle socio economic background. They also have similar challenges in that they are also trying to grow their congregation.

We feel very excited about this and have formed a little working group to service the link. The group members are: Simon, Diane Sainsbury, Margaret Carter, Jane Quinn, Jackie Brown, Christine and me.

It is our intention to provide you with as much information about the prayer link as we can and to provide photographs of Revd. Jesvinder Singh and his church and congregation. (Today we are hoping to take some photographs of our congregation to send to them so don’t be shy, join in the group photo!).

We’ve asked them to join us in praying for the success of last night’s film night in starting to build the bridges which will, hopefully, bring young people into our church.

We’ve also asked them to share in our thanksgiving for the 38 members of our cluster churches who were confirmed on Pentecost Sunday and especially for the seven from St. Martin’s.
In our turn we are using their prayer request in our weekly intercessions and at home groups and the Saturday morning prayers.

Some of the prayers will also be printed in the prayer diary.

To finish, I quote some of the words used by Revd. Jesvinder – “We are looking forward for this partnership to open the view of the Church to ministry and mission.” Let us all use our personal prayers to echo his wish.

God Bless
Christine and John

Gardens: Newsletter 10th June 2007

The French have named us a ‘Nation of Shopkeepers’ but I think it is more appropriate to call us a ‘Nation of Gardeners’. You only have to look around our own, our neighbours’ and friends’ gardens and to see the wonderful examples of God’s creation. So many differing flowers, trees and shrubs; from grand gardens, feasts of colour such as Chelsea, to pocket handkerchief sized plots; from a humble window box to a couple of pots on a step with a flower showing its’ beauty bravely.

Today (10th June) is the second day of our St. Martin’s Open Gardens Weekend, and I hope that we have been fortunate with the weather, and that many people have been enjoying looking around the gardens, which are open to view. I know that everyone concerned has been working hard to bring their gardens to the peak of perfection, so they will show at their best. Many others have worked hard also, offering plants for sale on the Plant Stall and those stalwart folk who offer the delights of the refreshments.

There are many references to gardens in the Bible and perhaps the most well know is Gethsemane where Jesus brought the disciples to pray with him before His final betrayal and arrest.(Matthew 26:36-44). Jesus’ body was placed in a tomb within a garden, (John19:41-42), and Mary seeking where Jesus’ body had been taken, (John20:14-18) mistook Jesus for the gardener.

There is a line from a short poem by Dorothy Frances Gurney which goes; ‘You’re closer to God’s heart in a garden than any place else on earth’, and I think that is very true. I went on a short course about prayer and praying in different ways, some while ago, and one aspect we were asked to try was to go out into the garden, in the quiet, and touch different plants and leaves and flowers, to run our fingers through the grass, and to put our hands on the bark of a tree trunk. In the stillness, with all these differing sensations of touch, you become acutely aware of God’s presence and his greatness surrounding you and prayer seems to fill the whole of you. I found this a wonderful experience and continue to try it from time to time.

Surely, when surrounded by God’s creation in a garden we cannot fail to know his presence with us, his greatness and his infinite love.

Every Blessing, Doreen.

The Way Forward

Congratulations to David, Shirley, Tracey, Chris, Roberto, Toby and Sue, who were confirmed last Sunday at Lichfield Cathedral. I hope that they all may be here today to celebrate communion for the first time at their own church of St. Martin’s. As Richard said in this newsletter last week, this is the first step on a journey of faith – it is almost inevitable that this journey will involve moments of difficulty, even of despair. All of us, no matter how long we have been Christians, have moments when we feel that somehow our faith has let us down and we cannot see the way forward. The best, indeed the only, advice that I can offer is to remember that Jesus is always there to help us and “if we ask Him for anything in His name, He will do it” (John 14:14). Bear in mind, however, that the timing and the extent to which our prayer is answered will be a matter for God’s judgement of our needs and not necessarily our own wishes.

As we progress in the church calendar into Pentecost, the season that celebrates the foundation of the Christian church, our own church council is, and has for some time been, considering the way forward for St. Martin’s to grow in terms of its congregation, its faith and its presence in the community. Some of our ideas will already have become apparent to you, the stall at Park Hall School Fete, for example. But the Council exists to represent the views of the whole church, so if you have any ideas or thoughts on the way forward for our church, then please tell a member of the church council, or Simon, so that we can take everybody’s views into account – then perhaps next year we will have even more candidates for confirmation.

God Bless Keith

Back to Church Sunday 30th September 2007

It has been estimated that up to three million people in Britain would go back to church if only they were invited. With this in mind, the Diocese of Manchester launched 'Back to Church Sunday' three years ago, and the scheme has proved so succesful that it has been adopted nationally. The evidence suggests that, on average, 12 people per church respond to the invitations to come on Back to Church Sunday, and many become permanent members (for a church the size of St Martin's that would mean increasing our average adult Sunday attendance by over 15%).

Back to Church Sunday will be taking place on 30 September 2007, and this year St Martin's will be participating in this scheme.

How does this involve you? The most effective way to attract people to church (maybe for the first time), is to offer to accompany them to church. I therefore want to issue you a challenge, over the next four months, I would like you to pray for three or four people who do not currently attend church, who you can invite to St Martin's on Sunday 30th September. At the end of June we will be distributing invitation cards for you to invite your friendsd to church.

This is a wonderful opportunity for us to really grow the church, and it is something we can all do. Please do pray about this scheme, and for the people you will invite.

Simon

The Journey of Life

Our Christian life is often referred to as a journey. This is not a bad analogy, as it begins at some point when we recognise Jesus as our Saviour and Lord; and ends when we arrive at our appointed place with Jesus in eternity. Whenever I hear the expression “Our Journey” it conjures up mental images of a crowded station platform and piles of luggage being loaded onto trains while crowds of people wait expectantly, heading for some exotic destination.

The difference with our journey of faith is that we have the Head Porter with us, Jesus. “Come to me all who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest (Matt. 11: 28)”. Like most travellers we take with us unwanted baggage, perhaps physical or mental difficulties, or emotional scars. But unlike most travellers we do not have to struggle alone under the weight. Jesus will bear that load for us if we allow him.

Today some people from our church will take the first step of their journey of faith by being confirmed at Lichfield Cathedral. I hope that they will allow Jesus to share their burdens on their journey. We, as members of the same church family, can also play our part. We can pray let they have a safe journey without obstacles or hardships. Also we can keep watch and be ready to assist if they seem to struggle or tire.

For those being confirmed today may God bless you and bring you his peace.

Yours in Christ, Richard

Change

What is change? My world is continuously changing. Different people, different problems, different challenges, life is full of change. Sometimes good, job promotion, new baby, new mobile phone with all the gadgets on it; sometimes bad, redundancy, family illness, my computer’s stopped working But that’s life!

But is that all there is to life?

I’d like to change the world for the better, feed all the starving people, bring relief to all the oppressed, abolish poverty at a stroke. We have the technology surely we can do it!

But it doesn’t happen. Why not? Is it too big a job? I might as well give up now.

The world can be changed, not by expansive and extravagant gestures but by changes in individuals. By people’s attitudes to each other, people seeking to help each other rather than seeking to get one over on each other, by individuals looking to each others needs rather than being blinkered by there own desires, by loving one another. By loving one another as God has loved us.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3 v 16)

That seems massive, that someone like Jesus would allow himself to be killed to show how much God loves us and that even our worst behaviour and actions can be forgiven. I couldn’t do anything like that. But the bible tells us we don’t need to.

“.. a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth, yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow." (Mark 4 v 31 -32)

All big changes start from a small beginning.

Pray to God to show you what small change you could make in your life, one that could lead to a mustard tree, whether you see the outcome or not. But be careful, ‘you might not get the answer that you wanted to’!

St Martin's Prayer Link: Holy Trinity, Batu Gajah

The Revd Jesvinder Singh, Minister of Holy Trinity Church, Batu Gajah

In a very exiting development, St Martin's church is developing a prayer link with the congregation of Holy Trinity Church in Batu Gajah in the state of Perak in West Malaysia.

The purpose of this link is primarily for our two churches to support one another through prayer. Holy Trinity Church is based in the town of Batu Gajah which has a population of 34000 people situated 24km from the state capital of Ipoh. The name Batu Gajah, which literally means "stone elephant" in the Malay language, is presumably derived from 2 large stones boulders that resembled elephants found along the Kinta river. The town is famous for it's tim mining, and has a significant Chrinese population.

The history of Holy Trinity goes back to 1884 when chaplaincy work started in Batu Gajah mainly looking after the planters who were in and around the town. However, after 1910, Rev. H. C. Henham took the intiative to start ministry among Tamils, the ministers used to travel to Batu Gajah from Ipoh. The old wooden Church building remained up to 1990 when a new building was constructed. There is also a mission church called St Andrew's in the Kinta Valley.

Holy Trinity Church has a mainly Tamil congregation, the church itself is open evangelical with a sacramental focus. The congregation is drawn from a middle socio-economic background with more and more people being from professional sectors. The Church has grown through difficult times and now has grown to an average Sunday attendance of around 90-100 adults and with about 20 children for the Sunday School. Jesvinder, the Parish Priest, arrived at Holy Trinity in November 2004, and married his wife Caroline in May 2006. The challenge facing Holy Trinity is sharing the gospel and growing the congregation larger. The church has adopted the Diocesan Mission statement : Mission as Transformation (2006-2010) with a special focus for each year. The theme for year 2006 was Transformation of Individuals in Christ and for the year 2007 the theme would be Transformation of Families in Christ. The word transformation has been stressed into the hearts and minds of all members. The hope of the people of Holy Trinity is that their partnership with St Martin's will open up the view of the church to ministry and mission, which is my hope too.

Please hold Jesvinder and the people of Holy Trinity and St Andrew's in your prayers. For further information, including photos of Holy Trinity, please follow the link from our website (http://walsallstmartins.2day.ws/walsallstmartins/section/5PrayerLinkHolyTrinityChurchBatuGajahMalaysia/).

Simon