A few weeks ago Simon, in his sermon, remarked on all the stress so many people seem to be under through work, with so little time for themselves or anything else. He told us that in the ‘60’s it was predicted that in the future, only 22 hours would make up a working week, and speculation arose about how to fill the extra time we might have on our hands. It seems not to have worked out like that, and most people, whether in work or retired, seem as busy and stressed as ever, with little or no time to spare. Simon quoted Matthew Chap.11v28; when Jesus said;
‘Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest.’
This is perhaps something that we do not always do, but, if we do go to Jesus with our worries, concerns and heavy burdens, He is there to share our load, to lighten our burden, and lead us into the quiet waters, of peace and tranquillity. We must just trust in Him. Another week, Simon read out the following revised version of the 23rd Psalm, which I find very helpful. Just to read it through is a very steadying experience and helps us remember Jesus is with us, however busy we are, or in whatever situation we may find ourselves, there is His calming and supportive presence to uplift and sustain us.
‘The Lord is my pace setter, I will not rush. He makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals.
He provides me with images of stillness, which restore my serenity. He leads me through ways of efficiency, through calmness of mind, and His guidance is peace.
Even though I have a great many things to accomplish each day,
I will not fret for His presence is there.
His timelessness, His all importance will keep me in balance.
He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity,
By anointing my mind with His oils of tranquillity.
My cup of joyous energy overflows. Surely harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruits of my hours, for I shall walk in the pace of my Lord, and dwell in his house forever.
Peace be with you,
Doreen
Monday, 8 September 2008
New Beginnings
When I’m travelling I always like to read any “wayside pulpits” I pass. You know the sort of thing: What’s missing from ch—ch?
U R !
The ones outside the WEC as you approach J10 are often eye-catching. The current one reads: Free fuel here. Fill your life not your car.
The winner of a recent wayside pulpit competition was: Don’t give up – Moses was a basket case! That one, of course, needs some biblical knowledge to understand. The message, though, is clear. God can use any of us and we must keep listening for his call. It is up to us to respond when that voice comes, the niggling reminder of that person we should have phoned but didn’t, the words spoken too harshly or the encouragement we failed to give.
Next week sees the move from summer to autumn. The children return to school moving on to a new class or even a new school or college. Church activities will also be starting up again; choir, homegroups and so on. Hopefully the summer break will have given an opportunity to spend time doing non-routine things, perhaps with family or relaxing on holiday. It is always good to have a change and return refreshed with new ideas. Today we welcome Isobel and her family as they bring her for baptism. A new start for Isobel as she is welcomed into God’s family and an opportunity for others to make promises on her behalf.
Back-to-church Sunday will be in 4 weeks time. It is up to us to invite someone to come. This could lead to a real new beginning for that person.
Parent and Toddler will restart on12th September. Like the café, this is a major outreach project. There can be up to 20 children and their mums, dads, grandmothers and grandfathers all playing together. St. Martin’s enables this to happen and help is needed to set out the toys, make drinks and chat, wash up and clear away. If you can spare a couple of hours on a Friday morning from time to time please let Emma, Louise or me know.
Liz Dunthorne
U R !
The ones outside the WEC as you approach J10 are often eye-catching. The current one reads: Free fuel here. Fill your life not your car.
The winner of a recent wayside pulpit competition was: Don’t give up – Moses was a basket case! That one, of course, needs some biblical knowledge to understand. The message, though, is clear. God can use any of us and we must keep listening for his call. It is up to us to respond when that voice comes, the niggling reminder of that person we should have phoned but didn’t, the words spoken too harshly or the encouragement we failed to give.
Next week sees the move from summer to autumn. The children return to school moving on to a new class or even a new school or college. Church activities will also be starting up again; choir, homegroups and so on. Hopefully the summer break will have given an opportunity to spend time doing non-routine things, perhaps with family or relaxing on holiday. It is always good to have a change and return refreshed with new ideas. Today we welcome Isobel and her family as they bring her for baptism. A new start for Isobel as she is welcomed into God’s family and an opportunity for others to make promises on her behalf.
Back-to-church Sunday will be in 4 weeks time. It is up to us to invite someone to come. This could lead to a real new beginning for that person.
Parent and Toddler will restart on12th September. Like the café, this is a major outreach project. There can be up to 20 children and their mums, dads, grandmothers and grandfathers all playing together. St. Martin’s enables this to happen and help is needed to set out the toys, make drinks and chat, wash up and clear away. If you can spare a couple of hours on a Friday morning from time to time please let Emma, Louise or me know.
Liz Dunthorne
Rainy Days
I stood against the railings at the edge of the promenade and looked out across the misty North Sea. The tide was high and lapped gently against the sea wall, surprisingly calm and tranquil despite the strong breeze and dark clouds which threatened the heavy and persistent rain which would soon follow. An August weekend but few people braving the cold wet day, preferring possibly to stay safely indoors and hide away from what could be described as a dark, miserable day.
There are days when we can all feel a little like the description of the weather – too much to do, not enough time to do it in, pressure from work, pressure from home, worry about children or elderly relatives, ever increasing bills to pay, income which does not stretch as far as it used to, heartbreaking stories in every aspect of the media. No wonder people begin to feel miserable and depression is increasing at an alarming rate. Not surprising that at times we are tempted to hide away, fearing to face the day ahead because we think we may not cope and look or feel inadequate and ineffective.
But it is when we are at our weakest that God is at his strongest and stands alongside us or will send someone to be beside us.
As I sheltered from the heavy rain and looked in the distance a ray of sunshine peeped above the horizon with a promise of better weather to come, the seagulls began to screech loudly (although not nearly so noisy as they had been at 4.00am) as if they knew the sun would soon be shining, and even in the passing rain the abundance of carefully planted flowers looked magnificent; Gods glory and restoring power is evident every where, whatever the weather or however we may feel. As I watched and waited I thought about the words of a well known hymn: - Let your living water flow over my soul, Let your Holy Spirit come and take control of every situation that has troubled my mind. All my cares and burdens on to you I roll.
Thank you great and wonderful God
Lesley
Keeping the Faith: Newsletter
As many of you are aware (and are probably very bored of hearing) I was brought up on stories from the Old Testament. I often feel that we do not take enough notice of the writings about the Prophets and Kings of the centuries before Jesus.
Therefore, I was very pleased when, at the last Deanery Eucharist, the principal speaker, Canon Dr. Peter Wilcox, Chancellor of Lichfield Cathedral, devoted his address to the story of Naaman (2Kings Ch.5 vv 1-19). His light, and often humorous, talk brought the story to life as he expounded on the four most important characters – Naaman, Elisha, the King of Israel and the King of Aram. He talked about their strengths and their position in the hierarchies of the day and how each had been well blessed up to that point. It was Naaman’s leprosy which brought an unbeliever to the presence of God’s great prophet Elisha. The story goes on to tell how Elisha used his power from God to cure him of the leprosy (and how the disease was passed onto Elisha’s greedy servant - vv19 -27).
Yet this was a time when God’s favour towards the Jews was decidedly shaky since they had, once again, broken his covenant. It was left to a young servant girl to remember God’s amazing power manifested through his prophets. The most insignificant person in the story had kept her faith, even though she was a captive, and through her Naaman was directed to Elisha and his subsequent cure.
This story, and many like it in the Old Testament, reminds me that ours is not just a faith kept by the important people of the day but that it is in each one of us.
At this time of great debate and confusion within the Anglican Communion let us remember that faith is not restricted to Archbishops, Bishops or even parish clergy, it is us, the ordinary people who are the bedrock of faith.
God bless,
John.
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
Going for Gold? Newsletter 10 August
GOING FOR GOLD?
“You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally.
I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.”
I Cor.9:24-25
(The Message)
Paul asked believers to give up their own rights, to think of others first, and be whole-hearted in their focus to bring others to Christ. He asked Christians to deny themselves as they looked forward to future rewards. This was compared to a race, picturing the ancient “games.” The Olympics were already operating in Paul’s time. Second in popularity only to the Olympic games, the Isthmian games were celebrated every two years at Corinth. Athletes would come from all over Greece, and the winners of the games were accorded the highest honour. To get into the games, and especially to emerge as victors, required that athletes practice strict self-control. Typically, for ten months prior to the games the athletes in-training denied themselves many ordinary pleasures. Each put forth his greatest effort during the contest, setting aside all else in order to win the prize
.
When Paul told the believers to be like those athletes, he didn’t mean that the believers were all running against each other with only one actually winning. Instead, he wanted every believer to run in such a way that they would win. In other words, we should all be putting the same amount of effort for the reward of God’s Kingdom that an athlete puts out to win a medal or wreath. Therefore, we must willingly practice self-control with a focus on bringing others to Christ because we are running towards an eternal prize. We have already “won”; the prize isn’t dependent on how we run the race. Because we are already assured of the prize, we should live for God with as much focus and enthusiasm as did the ancient runners at the games.
We must keep our eyes clearly focussed on the goal, running straight for it with purpose in every step, not allowing ourselves to be sidetracked or becoming lazy. We need to discipline ourselves in our Christian lives in order to stay in shape.
The time between a person’s acceptance of Christ as Saviour and his or her death is the only time when growth in Christ can occur.
Do you want to grow diligently and receive a reward from Christ on his return or be like the person who builds his or her life with shoddy materials, only to be saved “like someone escaping through a wall of flames?”
This week the 2008 Olympics at Beijing in China ended. Great Britain fared really well in the medals table, bringing home 19 gold, 13 silver, 15 bronze. making a total of 47, coming fourth overall. We are so proud of our team’s achievements, and look forward to the 2012 Olympics which will be hosted by London
Like all the athletes who trained hard and hoped to win gold for their country, are we prepared to put in the same effort for Christ who died for each one of us, so that we may live with him in eternity?
Love in Christ,
Penny
“You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally.
I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.”
I Cor.9:24-25
(The Message)
Paul asked believers to give up their own rights, to think of others first, and be whole-hearted in their focus to bring others to Christ. He asked Christians to deny themselves as they looked forward to future rewards. This was compared to a race, picturing the ancient “games.” The Olympics were already operating in Paul’s time. Second in popularity only to the Olympic games, the Isthmian games were celebrated every two years at Corinth. Athletes would come from all over Greece, and the winners of the games were accorded the highest honour. To get into the games, and especially to emerge as victors, required that athletes practice strict self-control. Typically, for ten months prior to the games the athletes in-training denied themselves many ordinary pleasures. Each put forth his greatest effort during the contest, setting aside all else in order to win the prize
.
When Paul told the believers to be like those athletes, he didn’t mean that the believers were all running against each other with only one actually winning. Instead, he wanted every believer to run in such a way that they would win. In other words, we should all be putting the same amount of effort for the reward of God’s Kingdom that an athlete puts out to win a medal or wreath. Therefore, we must willingly practice self-control with a focus on bringing others to Christ because we are running towards an eternal prize. We have already “won”; the prize isn’t dependent on how we run the race. Because we are already assured of the prize, we should live for God with as much focus and enthusiasm as did the ancient runners at the games.
We must keep our eyes clearly focussed on the goal, running straight for it with purpose in every step, not allowing ourselves to be sidetracked or becoming lazy. We need to discipline ourselves in our Christian lives in order to stay in shape.
The time between a person’s acceptance of Christ as Saviour and his or her death is the only time when growth in Christ can occur.
Do you want to grow diligently and receive a reward from Christ on his return or be like the person who builds his or her life with shoddy materials, only to be saved “like someone escaping through a wall of flames?”
This week the 2008 Olympics at Beijing in China ended. Great Britain fared really well in the medals table, bringing home 19 gold, 13 silver, 15 bronze. making a total of 47, coming fourth overall. We are so proud of our team’s achievements, and look forward to the 2012 Olympics which will be hosted by London
Like all the athletes who trained hard and hoped to win gold for their country, are we prepared to put in the same effort for Christ who died for each one of us, so that we may live with him in eternity?
Love in Christ,
Penny
Monday, 28 July 2008
Newsletter 27th July: Sea Sunday
This morning the focus of our service is on the work of the Mission to
Seafarers (www.missiontoseafarers.org); I spent a year working with this
organisation as a chaplains assistant in the Port of Auckland between 1998 and 1999, and so it is a charity which is very close to my heart. In Britain seafarers are
responsible for bringing over 90% of our daily needs to this country, we
rely on them for our food, our clothes, our petrol and our cars, yet I
suspect very few of us give much thought to the men and women who work on
board the ships that bring these goods to our shores, the saying 'Out of
sight, out of mind' could very well be applied to seafarers.
Life at sea is fraught with many hardships and dangers. Long periods away
from home, isolation and the dangers of being at sea are things that all
seafarers have to face. Whilst the large majority of ship owners treat
their seafaring staff well, there is still a rogue minority that do not, and
so abuse on board ships and the non payment of wages are situations which
are not uncommon. That is why the support of The Mission to Seafarers can
make all the difference to their lives and working environments. As an
international mission agency of the Anglican Church, The Mission to
Seafarers reaches out to the 1.2 million seafarers that man the merchant
fleet with a message of love and hope in a harsh and often inhospitable
environment.
In over 230 ports worldwide, Mission chaplains and staff visit seafarers on
their ships extending a hand of friendship and help in times of crisis. In
over 100 ports, The Mission to Seafarers operates seafarers' centres. These
are inviting places in the middle of dull, featureless docksides. Inside,
crewmembers can make the most of their limited time ashore by replenishing
essential items from the shops run by the Mission, celebrating Communion and
fellowship in the Mission
chapels and, crucially, they can use our telephones and computers to keep in
touch with their loved ones thousands of miles away. Should problems arise
on board ship, local representatives of the Mission work with ships' agents and other partners to bring resolution and
comfort to crews.
Although here in Walsall we live far from the sea, we are all dependent on
the work seafarers do. Whilst they may be 'out of sight' we can make sure
that they are not 'out of mind', by remembering them and the work of the
Mission to Seafarers in our prayers.
If we do this, we are not only serving and supporting those who work at sea,
but also Jesus as well, who told us 'whatever you did for one of the least
of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (Matthew 25:40)
God bless
Simon
Seafarers (www.missiontoseafarers.org); I spent a year working with this
organisation as a chaplains assistant in the Port of Auckland between 1998 and 1999, and so it is a charity which is very close to my heart. In Britain seafarers are
responsible for bringing over 90% of our daily needs to this country, we
rely on them for our food, our clothes, our petrol and our cars, yet I
suspect very few of us give much thought to the men and women who work on
board the ships that bring these goods to our shores, the saying 'Out of
sight, out of mind' could very well be applied to seafarers.
Life at sea is fraught with many hardships and dangers. Long periods away
from home, isolation and the dangers of being at sea are things that all
seafarers have to face. Whilst the large majority of ship owners treat
their seafaring staff well, there is still a rogue minority that do not, and
so abuse on board ships and the non payment of wages are situations which
are not uncommon. That is why the support of The Mission to Seafarers can
make all the difference to their lives and working environments. As an
international mission agency of the Anglican Church, The Mission to
Seafarers reaches out to the 1.2 million seafarers that man the merchant
fleet with a message of love and hope in a harsh and often inhospitable
environment.
In over 230 ports worldwide, Mission chaplains and staff visit seafarers on
their ships extending a hand of friendship and help in times of crisis. In
over 100 ports, The Mission to Seafarers operates seafarers' centres. These
are inviting places in the middle of dull, featureless docksides. Inside,
crewmembers can make the most of their limited time ashore by replenishing
essential items from the shops run by the Mission, celebrating Communion and
fellowship in the Mission
chapels and, crucially, they can use our telephones and computers to keep in
touch with their loved ones thousands of miles away. Should problems arise
on board ship, local representatives of the Mission work with ships' agents and other partners to bring resolution and
comfort to crews.
Although here in Walsall we live far from the sea, we are all dependent on
the work seafarers do. Whilst they may be 'out of sight' we can make sure
that they are not 'out of mind', by remembering them and the work of the
Mission to Seafarers in our prayers.
If we do this, we are not only serving and supporting those who work at sea,
but also Jesus as well, who told us 'whatever you did for one of the least
of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (Matthew 25:40)
God bless
Simon
Newsletter 20th July: Pastoral Visitors Course
At
We intend to meet as a group from time to time to encourage each other and we also had a few practical ideas. We now have some specially designed cards to leave at a house if no one is in, letting someone know they are thought of and being prayed for. We will soon have some printed prayers to give out as well.
Please contact Simon, Lesley or Diane if you would like someone visited and we will do our best to send a member of the team.
You can request prayer for yourself or someone else by putting a prayer on the prayer board or by asking Simon to send out a message. You can also ask Lesley to put it on the prayer cards, which are distributed each month for people to pray for daily. You do not need to give details if you don’t want to, maybe just a name or even an initial. Many thanks to Lesley for leading and all who attended.
Diane
Monday, 14 July 2008
Newsletter 13 July: The Drinkers Ministry
Over the last 18 months I have been a member of one of the teams involved in the Drinkers’ Ministry. Every Friday night from 8.30.pm until midnight a team of Christians, drawn from the churches across Walsall, sets up an area alongside St. Paul’s church to provide soup, tea, coffee, squash, biscuits and a listening ear for anyone who wants to stop and chat.
It has been a real education for me. At first I was frightened and inhibited, afraid I would not be able to cope if anyone was threatening or aggressive. But to date no-one has ever behaved like that towards us. People enquire about what we are doing; many joke about the soft drinks asking, “Is there any vodka in it?” Most people are really supportive and happy that we are there.
I am constantly surprised at the number of people who are prepared to stop and talk. But it has saddened me to meet so many people in desperate need of support. What has really shocked me is the number of homeless people who come to us: some are straight out of prison, others are drug addicts, prostitutes or alcoholics – people with real problems or addictions. But some are just like you and me – ordinary, decent people, who have fallen through the cracks in our society. It truly is a case of, “There but for the grace of God goI”
Imagine how heartbreaking it is on a freezing, wet December night not to be able to do more for these needy people. I have experienced great guilt after my sessions with the team: I leave these poor people to sleep in doorways or in derelict buildings while I go home to my safe, warm, comfortable house to sleep in a soft, cosy bed. It just doesn’t seem right.
Thankfully attitudes are changing and the team leaders are meeting with the Chief Executive of Walsall this week. Pray with all of your hearts that something good will result from this and some proper support will be put in place for the most needy and vulnerable people in our town.
“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13 v.2)
God bless, Jackie.
It has been a real education for me. At first I was frightened and inhibited, afraid I would not be able to cope if anyone was threatening or aggressive. But to date no-one has ever behaved like that towards us. People enquire about what we are doing; many joke about the soft drinks asking, “Is there any vodka in it?” Most people are really supportive and happy that we are there.
I am constantly surprised at the number of people who are prepared to stop and talk. But it has saddened me to meet so many people in desperate need of support. What has really shocked me is the number of homeless people who come to us: some are straight out of prison, others are drug addicts, prostitutes or alcoholics – people with real problems or addictions. But some are just like you and me – ordinary, decent people, who have fallen through the cracks in our society. It truly is a case of, “There but for the grace of God goI”
Imagine how heartbreaking it is on a freezing, wet December night not to be able to do more for these needy people. I have experienced great guilt after my sessions with the team: I leave these poor people to sleep in doorways or in derelict buildings while I go home to my safe, warm, comfortable house to sleep in a soft, cosy bed. It just doesn’t seem right.
Thankfully attitudes are changing and the team leaders are meeting with the Chief Executive of Walsall this week. Pray with all of your hearts that something good will result from this and some proper support will be put in place for the most needy and vulnerable people in our town.
“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13 v.2)
God bless, Jackie.
Monday, 7 July 2008
Newsletter: July 6th 2008
I was reading Matthew recently and in chapter 20 Jesus tells the disciples he is going to die - this bombshell seems to be completely missed by the disciples . Why? Because they are absorbed with their concern about who will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. So Jesus tells them the one who wants to be the greatest in God’s kingdom must be the servant of all.
‘This, however, is not the way it shall be among you. If one of you wants to be great , he must be the servant of the rest;…’
Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians chapter 12 says the church is like a body ,one unit with many parts, each part necessary for the whole to work.
Our church has many parts/people :- vicar, church wardens, church council, ministry team, musicians, flower arrangers, pastoral visitors, homegroup leaders, children's group leaders etc. All necessary and important to the life of the church, lets be careful, that like the disciples, we don’t miss the important point of what the church is really be about because we are too concerned with our own position and status.
Mick
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Newsletter 29 June: Mission Giving
As a church we donate 10% of our giving to international, national and local charities. At the D.C.C. last week it was agreed that we support the following charities by donating these amounts:
Local Charities:
Glebe Centre £900
The Vine £900
Walsall Samaritans £600
National Charities:
Children's Society £600
Scripture Union £600
International Charities:
Christian Aid £600
Tearfund £600
Africaid £1200
TOTAL £6000
It is possible that our donation can be targeted towards a particular project rather than simply in aid of the charities general funds. In the past our donation to Tear Fund went towards the Yanapanakuna project with the Quecha indigenous people and we helped to purchase a dishwasher for the Glebe Centre.
Our representatives inform us about their charity through displays, prayers in the prayer diary and during intercessions in the month when their charity is the primary focus. They also encourage us to give practical support, whether by donating clothes and tinned foods for the Glebe Centre or delivering envelopes during Christian Aid week. As our link they are also happy to talk to members of the congregation on an individual basis about the work of their charity and can advise if anyone wishes to be involved further, whether through signing up for receiving prayer emails or contributing financially or practically on an individual basis.
As we pray for and support practically and financially these charities let us always remember that
‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me’ (Matthew 25 40).
God bless
Lilian
Monday, 23 June 2008
The Net: Newsletter 22nd June 2008
The Net is close to my heart as I am convinced that it is something that God has had His hand in. We have seen new people come into St. Martin’s through The Net and I have seen members of the church play their part as evangelists. We should thank God for this. However, over the past months we have seen numbers decline and it has been difficult to justify all the hard work and effort put in by the leaders to see only 2 or 3 families come and join us. It had come to the stage where we had to consider letting this ministry of St. Martin’s be ‘pruned’ out of the life of the church.
I must admit that I could not see how we could make The Net the area of growth that we hoped for, I had no more ideas, nothing to suggest and I was completely frustrated by what was happening. Despite the prayers and sometimes tears, it was if God had gone very silent over this issue, just when we needed direction the most. The prayers were still being said, time and time again we pleaded with Him to show us the way forward, but nothing came. With no direction, no idea of how to overcome the problem and feeling totally inadequate, I could not see a future for The Net and I was ready to see it disappear.
Last Sunday’s Net service was going to influence our decision on the future. We did not expect many people as it was also Father’s Day and I was certainly expecting that we would have a great service but not be able to share it with many people. I fully expected that at the next leader meeting, we would see The Net close and hopefully see something else take its place.
To my amazement and joy we had over 30 people come, including at least 2 new families and we had a great time together. We even had more Dads last Sunday than I can remember!
What this episode has taught me is the importance of prayer and my thanks go out to all of you who have prayed for the Net over the past months, even years. I would like to think that we will see The Net grow and last Sunday was not just a one off. Whether that happens, is in God’s hands. I am certain, however, that the church needs to continue to hold The Net and it’s leaders Sue, Kath, Ann, Karen and Mick, together with all of the helpers that we have, in prayer as they use their gifts and ministry, to bring families living in our community to a place where they can meet the living Christ.
Yours in Christ
Martin
Monday, 16 June 2008
I want some more.... Newsletter 1st June 2008
Last night viewers of the BBC show ‘I’ll Do Anything’ voted for the person they would most like to play the role of
I asked Roger, my spiritual director, who took me along to this church, why he felt this church was experiencing such a significant movement of the Holy Spirit. His answer was that the people in the church were hungry for more of the Holy Spirit in their lives, and were saying to God ‘I want some more.’
It left me wondering, how hungry are we for more of God’s Holy Spirit in our lives and in our church? My deepest desire and prayer is for more of God’s Holy Spirit in my life and in
Father's Day: Newsletter 15th June 2008
How many of you Dads have received a tie today? Apparently this is the most popular gift!
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
Newsletter 25th May: Sons of the Manse
The Prime Minister frequently refers to the fact that his father was a minister of the church, and taught him his values. As another son of the manse, I understand this – and also that there are other lessons you learn growing up in a vicarage.
When my dad died at 54 (the age I am now), no-one in the parish had a bad word to say about him, and I nearly drowned in the good ones. He had worked long hours, very hard, doing things that sometimes very few people knew about. He tried, to the utmost of his ability, to follow Jesus, seven days a week. From his morning prayers at six thirty to (sometimes very) late evenings, meeting all sorts of people, he was busy. Mealtimes were usually disrupted, because people knew the vicar would be at home then.
I saw relatively little of a man whose saintly qualities largely escaped me. With hindsight, I can see how hard he tried to be a good father: making time for family outings (as a teenager, I hated these); finding thoughtful presents for birthdays and Christmas (never the ones I most wanted); appreciating my academic gifts and uncomplaining about my incompetence at games (though he had been a brave and strong sportsman, I now know).
I do know that his job, effectively, killed him. He simply worked too hard, and spent too little time on looking after his health and bonding with his family. I know that church leaders are only human, and need time and energy for themselves and their families. The fact that if we need them, they will always come to us doesn’t excuse our tendency to expect them always to be there in more minor crises – or even when we just want to chat.
They give us so much: we should give them some space, and support in the things that they need to do to sustain their mental and physical health as well as their spiritual side. May God grant us the sense, the kindness and the judgment to give them what they need to support them on their journey towards Heaven as they walk along with us.
When my dad died at 54 (the age I am now), no-one in the parish had a bad word to say about him, and I nearly drowned in the good ones. He had worked long hours, very hard, doing things that sometimes very few people knew about. He tried, to the utmost of his ability, to follow Jesus, seven days a week. From his morning prayers at six thirty to (sometimes very) late evenings, meeting all sorts of people, he was busy. Mealtimes were usually disrupted, because people knew the vicar would be at home then.
I saw relatively little of a man whose saintly qualities largely escaped me. With hindsight, I can see how hard he tried to be a good father: making time for family outings (as a teenager, I hated these); finding thoughtful presents for birthdays and Christmas (never the ones I most wanted); appreciating my academic gifts and uncomplaining about my incompetence at games (though he had been a brave and strong sportsman, I now know).
I do know that his job, effectively, killed him. He simply worked too hard, and spent too little time on looking after his health and bonding with his family. I know that church leaders are only human, and need time and energy for themselves and their families. The fact that if we need them, they will always come to us doesn’t excuse our tendency to expect them always to be there in more minor crises – or even when we just want to chat.
They give us so much: we should give them some space, and support in the things that they need to do to sustain their mental and physical health as well as their spiritual side. May God grant us the sense, the kindness and the judgment to give them what they need to support them on their journey towards Heaven as they walk along with us.
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