Worship - our core activity

 

I enjoy watching the Repair Shop on the telly.  There is something very ‘warming’ about the blending within the programme of fine craftsmanship alongside the restoration of items which inevitably tell a family story and are much valued by their owners because they were inherited from a much-loved person.  It is also the case that, as the stained box or rusty toy is stripped back, its true beauty shines again once more.   

It has struck me that since March, as so many of our church activities have ceased, we too have been ‘stripped back’.  So, the question is: what has remained?

I think the answer to that is WORSHIP. 

So many of you have said to me that it has been the provision of the worship services, audio, video or in person, that has, meant the most to you during 2020.  It is, I believe, our core activity.  As a church we can, reluctantly, suspend many of our social activities, yet from that very first Sunday of the March lockdown we were determined to join together (in an alternative way) for worship.  In that sense, the rhythm of worship at AFC, has not missed a heart-beat this year for every Sunday, without exception, it has brought us together under God.

As we leave this significant year I will take with me the thought that our worship of God is central to our life at AFC, and from that everything else, our social activities and our missional service, flows.

Here’s wishing you all a very Happy New Year, full of God’s blessing and hope.

Ian

Now Thank We All Our God

Thank you for keeping in touch via this Blog, especially during the days of both the first and second Lockdowns.

We are hearing of a great many plans recently that will take us into the future.  Our greatest hopes are pinned on the vaccines yet, in the meantime, we know we are going have to live with the restrictions of the tier system publicised yesterday.

One of my email correspondents wrote to me the other day with a request.  She remembered, as a girl, attending church after the war and singing (with great gusto) Now Thank We All Our God.  She asked if we might do this at AFC once this was all over!  Well, I'm sure we will sing that great hymn with equal gusto, but I'm not quite sure there will be one particular Sunday when we return to 'normal'.  It looks like it might happen incrementally and bit by bit, as more are vaccinated, our rhythms and patterns of much-loved worship and willing service to the community will resume. 

Now, from Sunday onwards there will be daily postings on the AFC Advent Blog, and whilst that happens this Blog will be mothballed!  It will return towards the end of the year.

Thank you again, Blog Readers, for sharing this part of the journey with me.

May you, this coming Advent, know God's blessing and mercy as we all 'wait' upon the Lord.

'Sacramental' Masks

Over the next few weeks I'm looking forward to putting together an AFC Advent Blog.  A number of folks from the church will be writing for it and many have already submitted Nativity Scene photos which we'll include.  They'll also be bits and pieces of information of various events and service that are taking place at this special time of year.  So, tomorrow will be the last entry here for a while, returning at the end of the year.

Today I thought I'd just pass on a super prayer that came my way via the Progressing Spirit network.  I think it's one worth remembering as we do something which has now become so commonplace, that of putting on a mask.

May you know God's blessing in all you do this day.

Finding God in Darkness

Our Zoom Church Meeting last night!

It was wonderful to see so many of you yesterday on our Zoom Church Meeting.  Almost fifty gathered and it felt very special and worthwhile.

Today I'm passing on the most recent letter from one of Regional Ministers, The Revd Colin Pye, published in the Central Baptist Association newsletter.  Colin has been a good friend to AFC over the years and, typically, his latest communication is full of heartfelt encouragement.

Whatever you are doing today may you find God in both the light and the darkness.

Dear Friends, Greetings from the team and I.   I just wanted to touch base with you in the midst of our second lockdown, more than anything simply to express solidarity with you in what is proving to be a miserable year for most, and devastating for some. Grappling with how we do church, what it means to be church in this context, and trying to second guess what the future looks like can be a wearisome business! I find myself looking to find joy in the simple things. Fortunately for me, I actually love this time of year, the gloomier the weather the better – fog, rain, storms, ground mist - bring it on.  I love nothing better than that when a dark cloud descends and closes everything in.  Wonderful.  I know that for many S.A.D people the very opposite is true, so apologies for dwelling on this thought. Here comes the point of this … Psalm 139:11-12 ‘If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.’ Even the darkness will not be dark to you! We miss out on so much if we imagine that God only dwells in the light – to find him in the darkness is one of the true gifts of faith. I heard Barbara Browne Taylor talking about her then new book ‘Learning to Walk in The Dark’ at the Greenbelt Festival several years ago, and remember thinking WOW, she really has a point! … I quote: “Even when light fades and darkness falls--as it does every single day, in every single life--God does not turn the world over to some other deity...Here is the testimony of faith; darkness is not dark to God; the night is as bright as the day.” …. “Instead, I have learned things in the dark that I could never have learned in the light, things that have saved my life over and over again, so that there is really only one logical conclusion. I need darkness as much as I need light.” I find the thought that there are things that we can learn in the darkness that we would never learn in the light a helpful one. My prayer as we enter Advent, which after all is a time of reflection in preparation for Christs advent, is that we may encounter in ‘our moments of darkness’ (and there is much around) the God who sits with us there just as much as in the light. May we open our eyes to his quiet presence with us. As I think about it personally looking back, perhaps the greatest transformation happens in those times and places that seem bleakest. Somehow we manage to draw on faith from the very depths of our being that not only sustains but changes us as well.  Bless you one and all. Colin

Breakout Day!

 

Over the last two weeks we have been in 'Self-Isolation' at The Manse.  It came about because one of our sons tested positive for Covid.  He had very mild symptoms and is now fully receovered.  It was a very 'real' moment when his results came back, quickly followed by a text message from NHS Track and Trace instructing every member of the family to pull up the preverbial 'drawbridge' for fourteen days since he first showed symptoms.  Suddendly that which we had talked about 'theorectically' for eight months became for us a 'reality'.

Then, last Monday I started to have a high temperature, so I too was banished to the bedroom awaiting my test results.  Both our son and I had meals left outside our doors, spoke to other family members via the phone and were forbidden all contact with the dog, who by now was utterly confused as to what was going on.  In the end my test results came back negative (hooray) as it seems I simply had a common cold.  This meant on Friday I escaped the bedroom, and today we can all breakout from the house, including the dog who hasn't had a walk for two weeks!

I suspect it's been said time and again since March that it is the little, 'ordinary' things we miss most when they are taken away.  For me it was the casual family conversations in the hallway, the sharing of a meal or watching TV with others and, of course, my daily walk around Chorleywood Common with Pip.  I went from walking on average 3 miles a day to 0.3!

I met our neighbour the other day and he said to me It's not the foreign holidays I miss, it's just popping in the see the family.

Well, we seem to be entering more hope-filled days thanks to the wonderful work of scientists and we give thanks for their work which, soon we hope, will be a blessing to us all.

May you, today, know God's joy and peace in all you do - and I look forward to seeing some of you on Zoom at tonight''s Church Meeting.

Kindness

 I see that the magazine for younger people, TheWeekJunior, is launching a campaign for next month entitled: 12 Days of Kindness.  Based on the 12 Days of Christmas it encourages its readership to think of others by suggesting the simplest of tasks such as; penning a Thank You note, donating to a Food Bank, call a relative or help out with chores.  All very old fashioned in a way but, I thnk, a very good idea none the less.
Kindness does seem to be one response to the challenge of this year.  Little acts have gone a long way.  When the chips are down and our vulnerability comes to the fore, kindness remains as one of our most important, and thank God, instinctive responses.

I read in the Church Times the other week a lovely quote from the early 20th century Lebanese- American writer Kahlil Giran these words: kindness is the shadow of God in us.  Words worth pondering and living out.

May you, in all you do today, know the kindness of God, and then grasp every opportunity to share it with others.

The Joys and Tribulations of a New Phone

Much of what these last eight months has been about is 'keeping in touch', and technology has made that so much easier than ever before.  It's hard to believe that years ago personal international communication depended on writing letters on thin blue paper yet nowadays a call to Australia on WhatsApp is instantaneous.

Technology has been a blessing.  Over Lockdown I've watched services from all over the world, listened to lectures from Yale University and watched old Parkinson interviews on YouTube from the 1980's with delight!

Yet, as one lady from the congregation said to me this week, 'I still love the phone' the best.  I guess for her, as for countless others it's been a lifeline.

Well, this week I got a new iPhone as my old one had ceased to re-charge properly.  There was much excitement at The Manse as it arrived.  My adult children were nothing short of 'evangelistic' in telling me all about how brilliant it would be with so many new features to explore.

However, reality has not met expectation!  I guess we've all been there.  As I try to operate this new phone it feels familiar yet different at the same time.  Every operation requires me to learn a new skill and,  however slight that may be, it brings delay and frustration.  

It feels to me like a metaphor for life now.  Compared to eight months ago 'it's the same but different', everything seems just a tad more awkward.  

When it comes to both the phone and life, I'm grateful for the new, yet sometimes I long for the old!  

Whatever you are doing today and this weekend, may you know God's blessing and joy.  And if you are tuning in to the audio services there is an extra one available this week, a new service of Holy Communion for November and December.

Remembering John Harper

It's not often you read about Baptist Pastors on the BBC news website; but I did on Monday!

That's because the final letter written by The Revd John Harper, posted in Ireland and written aboard the Titanic, was auctioned for £42,000.

I didn't know his story.  He came from Scotland and in 1912 was Minister of Walworth Road Baptist Church in London. (I was once minister of Walsworth Road Baptist Church in Hitchin, slightly different spelling!) He was a widower travelling to Chicago with his sister and young daughter to preach at the Moody Church.  

On April 12th, 1912, as Titantic went down The Revd Harper gave up his seat in the lifeboat and then gave away his life jacket to another passenger.  Survivors report he spent his final hours preaching the gospel and comforting the anxious.  One described him as the bravest man aboard.

His young daughter lived to become the longest lived survivor of Titanic, passing away in 1986.

Well, it's quite a story; one of courage and integrity.  Made even more so, in my view, when we understand why he was going to America.  The Moody Church in Chicago then, as now, has an enormous congregation and this was obviosly his opportunity of a lifetime to be invited to preach.  Who knows what might have developed for him personally after his viist.  Yet, he gave it all up to help and assist others during a night of unimaginable terror.

I, for one, was inspired reading his story on the BBC on Monday.

Just as a footnote: I came to preach with either a 'view' or a 'squint' at AFC in April 2012.  Eric, our organist at the time, played the hymn 'Nearer my God to Thee' during the offering.  With a glint in his eye he asked me afterwards if I recognised it and knew why he'd played it.  I said yes to the first part of the question, and no to the second.  Eric then told me that this partticular Sunday was the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.  Of course, I later learnt that he loved marking anniversaries in this way - by playing something appropriate.  One of the blessings of Lockdown is that we have once again heard Eric's playing in the Audio Service recordings.

Whatever you do this day, may you know God's blessing of joy and peace.

Planning Christmas

 I see from this morning's headlines that maybe some flexibility will be allowed for families and friends to meet up this Christmas; we'll see!  I've long since stopped putting events into my diary in ink, instead I now use a pencil as it's easier to rub out when it gets cancelled!

However, at AFC we have made some plans for Christmas and here are some of them:

*  As we are not operating a Christmas Card Post Box this year we are inviting folk to send in a 'greeting to everyone in the Church Community' to Family News.  These will be printed in the December edition so need to be emailed to Anne Marshall over the next few days.  

*  We hope to display Nativity Scene photos throughout Advent on the website.  If you have a picture of your nativity set, or a play scene, do send them to me as we'd love to put them on the site.

*  On December 13th, if we are back in church for 'in-person' worship, there will be a Christingle focus to the service with 'invited' children making their own Christingles during our time together.

*  On December 20th there will be an extra Audio Service, one of Lessons and Carols produced by COTHA, and made available late on Sunday afternoon in place of the AFC Carol Service.  

* We will hope to make Audio Services for both Christmas Eve Communion and Christmas Day, along side 'in-person' worship on Christmas Day.

* Our friends at RestoreHope are seeking to raise £12,500 to feed 1500 people this Christmas.  If you would like to support this project please go to their website to learn more. https://www.restorehopelatimer.org/

* AFC will, as in previous years, be promoting various charities over the Christmas period, all helping children.  A leaflet introducing each of the causes will soon be available, produced by our Partnership in Mission Committee.

In all you do this day may you know God's blessing and joy.

New Moderator Announced

 Over the weekend we learnt who is due to become the new Moderator of the URC Thames North Synod.  The Revd George Watt will succeed The Revd Dr Andrew Prasad next year.

At AFC, belonging as we do to two parent denominations, we have two regional leaders who have a watching brief over us: Geoff Colmer as the Baptist Regional minister, and now George Watt as the URC Synod Moderator.  We thank God for these two servants of The Church and very much look forward to welcoming our new Moderator to AFC in the near future, whilst our thoughts and prayers go out to Geoff as he prepares to also take up the responsibilities, next April, of becoming the President of the Baptist Union for one year.

Below is the press release from the URC about our new Moderator.

May you know God's peace and blessing in all you do this day.

The Revd George Watt, Minister of Reigate Park United Reformed Church (URC), has been nominated as the next Moderator of the Church’s Thames North Synod. 

George was born and brought up in the Highlands of Scotland, living most of his childhood in the village of Lairg in Sutherland.

He came to faith through the work of Scripture Union and was also nurtured through his local Church of Scotland and its youth fellowship.

George’s family moved to the Shetland Islands when he started studying at Stirling University where he gained a degree in history, but also studied economics, statistics and religious studies.

On graduating, the minister moved to the Medway Towns in Kent where he started work as a statistician with Lloyds of London. He went on to become a computer implementation analyst.

George joined the URC in Gillingham and became an Elder at the age of 23. He met and married his wife Linda and then started training for the ministry at Mansfield College.

His first pastorate was at Freemantle and Isaac Watts Memorial Churches in Southampton. In 1998, he moved to St Andrew’s, Cheam where he was minister for 12 years. George has been the Minister at Reigate Park Church in Surrey for the past ten years.

George and Linda have three sons: Nathan, married to Emily, who works as a BT consultant; Jacob who is studying medicine at the University of Aberdeen, and Reuben who is studying ethical hacking at Coventry University and is currently the URC Youth Moderator.

He has particularly enjoyed being involved in local schools as a governor and leading collective worship. Recently, he provided moderatorial cover in the URC’s Southern Synod and serves as Synod Council Convener.

In his spare time George enjoys cooking, gardening and walking.

Speaking of his nomination, George said: “I am really looking forward to working with and supporting the churches and ministers of the Thames North Synod. I am excited by the diverse nature of the Synod and all the richness that entails. In these challenging times I hope to be able to encourage the Synod in its witness and mission.”

George succeeds the role after the Revd Dr Andrew Prasad announced his retirement. Dr Prasad is due to retire in early 2021, having served as Synod Moderator since 2008.

The nomination will now be presented to Mission Council.

The Revd Dr John Bradbury, URC General Secretary, says: “George brings a wealth of experience of ministry, including having held some of the responsibilities of Moderator previously. He impressed the panel with his vision for the life of the United Reformed Church and his pastoral skills.”

Christmas Stamps

I see that this year's Christmas stamps are now available.

These have been a feature of British life only since 1966.  Before then it was felt Christmas didn't deserve its own stamp.  Tony Benn, when Postmaster General, changed all that and launched a competition amongst schoolchildren to design a stamp for Christmas.  5,000 entries were received and put before eight judges.  A drawing of a snowman and a King from the Orient won!

This year's religious design shows various stained glass window Madonna and Child images, all taken from English Parish Churches.  They are beautiful and when placed upon every letter and card will be a worthy reminder of the story behind the coming season.

Whatever you do this day, may you know the peace and joy of God.

Order for Baptist Ministry Convocation

Over the last two days I've joined in with, what for me has been, a very special Zoom.  The Order for Baptist Ministry, to which I belong, held its annual Convocation not at St Columba's Retreat House in Woking as planned, but via Zoom.  Over two days we did much the same sort of thing that we would have done if we had been physically present with each other.  Of course, it wasn't quite the same, but it was something; and for that I'm grateful.

My colleague, Heather (who is also part of our community here at AFC) spoke at one of the sessions about 'hanging on to hope and finding glimpses of God' in these unsettling times.  She quoted part of John Bell's wonderful hymn that ends with these profound words:

Lord, let Your Spirit meet us here,
To mend the body, mind and soul,
To disentangle peace from pain
And make Your broken people whole.

We concluded the Convocation with six ministers making vows to join The Order, and also in sharing in communion.  The liturgy was specially written and I loved the part that went:

We thank you for this bread and this wine
on different tables, on different plates
in different cups, in different places,
all symbols of your body broken
and your blood shed for us.
Scattered, yet together we remember.

It was an encouragement to share this time together.

Pip, the Manse dog, even made a couple of appearances!  Our son took this photo, it really does look like she too has got used to Zooming!!

May you know God's blessing and joy in all you do today and this weekend,

Ian

Radio Christmas

 

For a long time now our church has supported the work of Street Kids Direct in Guatemala.

Yesterday I was contacted by Jeremy Brown, a retired socilitor and member of The King's Church in Chesham.  Jeremy visited Duncan Dyason (the founder of SKD) out in South America this February and has since taken on the role of being a local representative of the organisation, available to give talks to local groups.  Here at AFC we are tremendously grateful to Willie and Janet Reid who keep us up to date with the project.

I'm told that Radio Christmas is back this year, raising funds for Street Kids Direct.  It hasn't applied for its usual broadcasting licence, instead it will be transmitting via the internet.  It will start on December 1st and for the first few days presenters will work from home before the studio becomes operative.  This is a great project and this year it will have a definite international flavour with items coming from a studio in Guatemala at Casa Alexis.

It's nice that Jeremy has made contact with us and I'm sure we will welcome him to AFC sometime in 2021, as I'm sure Willie and Janet will continue to inspire us about this tremendous work among street children.  In the meantime our prayers go out to Duncan and his colleagues as they prepare for another year of Radio Christmas.

In all you do this day may you know the blessing and joy of God.

Carpe Diem

 Yesterday Patrick designed a new poster for the Woodside Road notice board at church and I think it's super!

Although this hasn't been the year any of us expected I sense that so many folk have made valiant efforts to make the most of the opportunities which have still come our way.  Great things have been done in the name of love!  

I suspect we have all been cheered by the news on Tuesday that just maybe a vaccine is becoming ever closer.  We are all indebted to the work of scientists who are making this possible.  Even as we recognise the devastating death toll of 2020, we are aware that we live in such a different world to that of 1918/19 when a similar Pandemic robbed over 50 million people of their lives.

So, today, whatever is before let us do it well, with enthusiasm and joy.  And may you know God's blessing as you strive to live this day to the full.  Carpe Diem - seize the day!

The value of hymns

 

Down through the centuries Christians have encapsulated some of our deepest beliefs and greatest hopes in the words of hymn.

Just think of William Cowper's hymn God works in a myterious way written the night he intended, in a period of great confusion and despair in his life, to throw himself into the Thames.  Yet, the London fog came down so hard that evening he couldn't find his way to any of the bridges.  He felt 'saved' and put his thanksgiving into a hymn we still sing today.

Or how about one of my favourites Angel voices ever singing. Ever wondered why it has the line craftsman's art and music's measure, for Thy pleasure all combine?  Well, it's a hymn originally written for the dedication of a new organ!

Bishop Timothy Dudley Smith's hymns are much loved and widely sung, perhaps none more so than Lord for the Years, written to celebrate the centenary of Scripture Union.

Even during the Pandemic Christian hymnwriters have been hard at work, helpfully putting into singable words something of the experience we have been living.

I'm delighted that the indefatigable John Campbell, URC minister and hymnwriter, has done just that with a hymn released by The Thames North Synod just last week.  It's printed below.

Whatever you do this day, may you know God's blessing and joy.

So strangely together

A song for virtual worship in lock down, tune: St Denio, R&S 67 (Immortal…) or R&S 146 (Away in a manger)   So strangely together, though each is alone, our voices sing singly yet blend round your throne. Your Spirit engulfs us wherever we are; you gather and bless us, those close and those far. For now, in our worship, we’ll meet and we’ll share; all bask in your presence, all sharing in pray’r. We’ll glimpse one another, hear voices we know, come close as one people let fellowship grow. So, speak to us gathered and speak to each one, send comfort, send challenge, let fresh blessings run; unstopper our bottles of hope, faith and joy, replenish, renew us, each dark fear destroy. Though phones and computers fall silent again your presence will linger to bless and defend, keep lively the mem’ry of time spend as one, to strengthen each household ‘til lock down is done. - John Campbell, 5/11/20 as England’s second lock down gets underway

Wise Words

Well, it feels like we've just been through a tumultuous weekend!

The United States Presidential Election ended (or has it?!) more decisively and quickly than I anticipated.  I was particularly struck by Mr Biden's words, uttered on more than one occasion over the last 48 hours, that when it comes to politics we shouldn't treat our 'opponents as if they are enemies'.  With so much vitriol going around at the moment, surely these are good words to hear and a worthy sentiment to put into practise.

And then came the sad news of the passing of Jonathan Sacks, Lord Sacks and one time Chief Rabbi.  Here was a man who drew respect from people of all faiths and none.  His brilliant mind, compassionate ethics and empathetic tone in his writing and broadcasting always made him someone worth listening to. 

Here's a quote of his that shows something of his profound insight and wisdom:

The test of faith is whether I can make space for difference.  Can I recognise God's image in someone who is not in my image, whose language, faith, ideals are different from mine?  If I cannot, then I have made God in my image instead of allowing him to make me in his.

I thank God for the wise words these two men.  One a politician with a deep Christian faith, the other a Jewish religious leader with a heart full of integrity and courage.

Words to challenge us. Words to heal us.  Words to make our world a better place.

In whatever you do this day, may God's word to you and your words to others be a blessing.
 

Rays of Hope

We are grateful in these unsettling times for moments of encouragement.

A few have come my way this week through various emails I've received.

On Monday I was sent a few photos of the gathering held by our Junior Church the previous day.  Under government guidelines (up until yesterday) children's groups have been given permission to meet on church premesis.  Seven youngsters came along on Sunday, had a bible quiz and enjoyed a session of games.

Then yesterday I heard that our Brownies had just managed to get a meeting in before Lockdown 2 commenced.  They gathered in our church hall decorating Rememberance Day pebbles, later going down to Chesham Bois to lay them at the foot of the War Memorial.

It's just great to see the smiles on these young faces; rays of hope giving us every reason to grasp the future with optimision and courage.

Two 'notices' now...

We have received a request from the Abbetfield Home, Pratt House, that if we have any old or unused Christmas decorations they would love to take them off our hands.  If able to help please contact Georgia on 07399472911

And...Thames Valley Police has alerted us to the fact that there have been a number of burglaries at religious establishments over recent days.  They are looking for a white male, about 6'2'', thin and in his mid 20s, wearing a black puffer jacket.  So, if you are passing our building and see anything suspicious do get in contact.

And finally, something humerous for the weekend, passed on to me by an email correspondent...

No Nativity this year because the Three Wise Men face a travel ban.
The shepherds have been furloughed.
The Inn Kepper has shut under Tier 3 regulations and had a slump in bookings.

Santa won't be working. 

As he would break The Rule of 6 with Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Donner and Blitzen.

As for Rudolph, with that red nose, he should be isolating and taking a test.

However, I do believe Santa is a keyworker, so I'm expecting a visit!

Whatever you are doing today and this weekend, may you know the blessing and peace of God.

Remembrance Sunday 2020

 

Remembrance Sunday 2020 will be different for many of us this year as we commemorate it, not with others in church or beside a war memorial, but at home.  Patrick, who creates the posters for the Woodside Road board at AFC, has redesigned this year's accordingly.

We are so grateful to Michael and Sara Autton who have chosen various elements of previous Remembrance Sundays (from the AFC sound archives) that have now been incorporated in to this coming Sunday's audio service.  The recording of this was completed yesterday, and if you wish to play it on Sunday arriving at the Two Minute silence at 11.00am then we suggest you start the service at 10.38am.  Of course, whenever we play the service, the moment of silence we keep will be personal and precious.

Initially this Act of Remembrance took place every 11th November.  Then after the Second World War it was transferred to the second Sunday of November, Remembrance Sunday, as it was felt the 11th was a date solely connected with WW1.  Since 1995 our country had returned to holding commemorations on both 'Armistice Day' and 'Remembrance Sunday'.

This year sees the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior being established at Wesminster Abbey. The idea came from the Anglican clergyman and chaplain to the forces, The Revd David Railton.  He saw a cross in France dedicated to an 'unknown soldier' in 1916.  After the war he wrote to the Dean of Westminster with the idea that a national memorial in such a form might be created in the United Kingdom.  The Dean shared the idea with an enthusiastic Prime Minister, Lloyd George, who eventually won over the King.  Today there are similar national memorials in almost every capital in the world.

On Sunday in our thoughts and prayers we will remember with thanksgiving and commit ourselves once more to both work and pray for peace.

On the Eve of Lockdown

Tomorrow England goes into its second Lockdown of this world wide crisis.  

A hundred years ago, in the so called 'Spanish Flu' pandemic there were no less than four 'waves' of outbreak, three in 1918 and the final one in 1919 all faced without a vaccine.  I find it incerdible that our world lost 40 million people through World War One and then, straight after, another 50 million through this influenza virus.  We are so grateful for the advances in medicine and health care that has so far meant the worldwide fatality figure is around one million.  With the prospect of a vaccine drawing ever closer let's hope the days before us, in the medium term at least, will be more hope-filled than the ones behind.

For the short term, however, there will be no 'in person' worship at AFC on Sunday mornings.  Many of us have appreciated the services we have been enabled to have over these last four months, but for a time they are suspended by order of the government.  Yet, I'm sure, we will all be grateful for the continuing Audio Services that have been such a sustaining feature of our life together since March.  Our thanks go out to Michael and Sara Autton who help put them together for us week by week.

The new guidelines have made it clear that churches can open for Private Prayer, so we'll be doing this at AFC every Monday for the rest of November from 1.00pm -2.00pm.  Just as in June we invite you to come and go as you please.

I'll also be posting a daily blog here on Mondays through to Fridays in the next month - just one way of seeking to 'stay in touch'.

The picture on today's blog is the table decoration that we assembled at The Manse over the weekend. It graced our meal times.  We all loved it and it seemed to remind us, in its vibrant autumn colours, that there is still so much for us to be grateful for during this Season of Thanksgiving.

May you know God's blessing of strength and peace in all you do this day.

The Joy of Meeting/s

Today at AFC we are holding three meetings.  They will, for a time, be the last ones at which we sit down and talk face to face as from Thursday we'll fall back to Zooming.

I never thought I would speak with such appreciation of the prospect of attending, for example, a Finance and Property Committee!  Yet, the truth is, it's often what goes on 'in the room' that's so important; the atmosphere, the facial expressions, the moment of shared laughter or sighing; all these form the dynamics upon which we base our decision making and, for all its positives, these crucial elements are sometimes missing when meetings are held remotely.

Today our friends in the United States of America elect their next President.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to them on this tremendously important day for them, and us.

I was struck hearing the North American author of the Gilead novels (one of which we are currently reading in the AFC Book Group), Marilynne Robinson, being interviewed on the BBC recently.  She described herself as a very committed Congregational Christian.  That is, her style of faith (one inspired by that which was practised by The Mayflower settlers from Britian) is that which is expressed not through episcopal authority (top down) but in congregational church meetings (bottom up).

Robinson made the profound point that the essence of government in the United States is based on that Congregational principle embodied in the traditions and disciplines brought over by the Pilgrim Fathers.

Well, we could spend all day debating the health of 'bottom up' democracy in today's world, but on a day such as this - as I attend three meetings at church, all based on the congregational principle, and later on watch the results coming in from the election being held on the other side of the 'Pond', I still get a shiver up my back when I recall the opening line of the US Declaration of Independence....We the people...

May you know God's blessing and joy in all you do today.

Remembering Melva

Today, on Monday 2nd November, the Feast of All Souls 2020, we are saying 'farewell' to one of our church members, our good friend Mrs Melva Judd.  Her funeral service is being held this morning at The Chilterns Crematorium at 10am.

Melva started attending AFC on my first Sunday here eight years ago.  She had just moved into the area and intended to go to another church that frosty morning, to a service which started at 10 o'clock.  Failing to leave enough time to scrap the ice off the windscreen (we've all been there!) she decided to 'try' us out instead as our worship began thirty minutes later at 10.30!  She came and, thankfully for us, she stayed.

Melva was a great supporter and encourager of our church and played her part in attending weekly worship, sharing in LunchBreak, supporting the Hands Together Group and serving at the Fun at One parent and toddler afternoons.  She made friends here, as she did in other town groups, and we'll miss her.

How fitting then, that her service should be on All Souls Day.  A time for us to recall with thanksgiving those we love but who now dwell 'upon another shore and in a greater light'.

In these strange times we are, perhaps, valuing the gift of life differently.  We have always known that love and companionship transforms life and on a day such as this we give thanks once more for the lives of family, friends, colleagues and fellow pilgrims - lives that have touched ours and made our journey through life that much deeper.

For all the saints, who from their labours rest - Alleluia!

'For nothing changes here...'?

There is a hymn line which goes 'for nothing changes here'.  It describes, rightly in my view, a sense of permanent faith in a trustworthy God.  It's similar to that other hymn line, 'Thou changest not..'  Both refer to God's faithfulness and a belief in eternal values which can give life a sure and stedfast foundation.

However, in terms of 'how we get there', life is constantly changing.  Our pathways, strategies and experiences continuously evolve because that's the only way to survive and thrive in life.

For example, today as I read the headlines on the BBC News website ( a morning routine of mine), it was interesting to learn that for the first time in its long history the Royal Mail will soon, for a charge, not only deliver but also collect parcles, in an attempt to catch up with their new rivals.  The website also had a feature predicting that by 2025 half of all industriualised tasks will be undertaken by some sort of 'robots'.  

As Bob Dylan might have sung: Times, they are a changing.

Of course the Church also evolves.  

There was a letter in The Church Times last week explaining why a previous correspondent was finding it so difficult to track down what sort of hymns Anglicans sung in their Parish Churches in the 17th Century.  The answer was simple, Angliscan didn't really start singing hymns until the 18th Century, before then it would have been a said service with some chanted Psalms.  Yet things change!

It sometimes feels to us as if we live in a swirling chaos.  Change is an inevitable consequence of both the aging process and the product of meeting challenging surprises.  Faith, however, seeks to affirm that there can be a calm, secure centre to our life and that's the nature and character of a trustworthy and dependable God.

Blog Holiday next week.

Church Life Focus

We have received a letter of appeciation for our harvest gifts made to New Hope in Watford.  The organisation tell us that their Haven Centre assists 36 homeless people with food every week and that from April to June 215 people have received support.

This week the audio and 10.30 service will be lead by our church secretary, Mrs Janet Reid with The Revd Erna Stevenson as the preacher.  There will not be a recording of the video service this coming Sunday.

The service at church on 1st November will be Holy Communion for All Saints Sunday.

This year, instead of making up shoeboxes for charity, we will simply be collecting 'items'.  These will be put into shoeboxes made up by the charity Link to Hope.  Their work has been featured in two recent Family News articles.  Ann Parker will be 'collecting' these items - which are listed below.  She's asked that they be left by her porch during the last week of October and she will take them to Link to Hope.  We hope that next year we'll be able to return to our more normal custom of individually making up shoeboxes for a Christmas distribution to disadvantaged folk.

Needing our Support

 

One of the ways we seek to be 'outward looking' at AFC is in our financial and prayerful support of the charities selected for our monthly Communion Offerings and our annual Christmas Offerings.  Our Partnership in Mission Committee organises this part of church life for us and they recently met, in person, for the first time since The Crisis began in March.

In light of the fact that Communion Offerings were not taken up between April to August this year it's been decided that all those charities who missed out on a collection will be 'reinstated' in the list for next year.  This will be our way of honouring the brilliant and often vital work they do.

Recently we've held our Harvest Offering for 2020 and we've received something of a 'record' sum of around a thousand pounds.  Wonderful evidence, I believe, of the generous beating heart that is AFC.

The October edition of Reform, The URC monthly magazine, has an article outlining the current crisis facing Charities.  It points out that Christian Aid expects a shortfall of £6m this year and that the loss of the London Marathan was a blow to the sector as it raised £66m in 2019.  On average it's expected that charities will see their income fall by 24% this year, even as 52% of them say they have 'delivered' more services in lockdown than before.

With that in mind, at AFC we will be making a special effort (as we did last Sunday) to highlight our 'Charity of the Month' at our services both on-line and in-person.  They do a great work in the name of God and compassion, and merit our support.

Church Life Focus

This Tuesday we'll be holding a Team Meeting as the Ministers, Secretary and Treasurer come together to talk about our life together.

Also on Tuesday there's another 'first' for AFC as our Book Discussion Group gathers on Zoom to discuss 'Sitting at the feet of Rabbi Jesus'.

Next Sunday's services will be led by our Church Secretary, Janet Reid with our Associate Minister, Erna preaching

One Congregation - three different ways of worshipping

Ever since returning to 'in person' worship at AFC at the beginning of July, we have tried to emphasise that we are still 'one congregation, now worshipping in three different ways'.  For us that means we access 'coporate' worship through the Audio Service, the Video Service or the '10.30' Service.  We know we are not unique in this and that many churches have taken this approach of providing a variety of worship opportunities seeking to encourage folk to 'attend' the service which is 'right' for them.

Just maybe, some of the lessons we have had to learn quickly in these days of Pandemic, will stay with us in the future.  For example, live streaming the service might one day be a natural successor to the rather 'makeshift' video recording we currently provide.  It will require significant financial investment but might be one way we show commitment to 'housebound' members who are becoming increasingly 'computer literate' - we'll see!

I thought Blog readers might be interested in seeing our viewing/listening'attendance figures for September.  It's good to read them in the context that before the crisis our average number at morning worship was 90.  Here are the stats....

Date              Audio Service          Video Service       10.30 Service         Total
6th Sep         55                              37                          47                           139
13th Sep       45                              65                          46                           156
20th Sep       45                              40                          47                           132
27th Sep       48                              51                          51                           150

We are so grateful to everyone at AFC who works hard behind the scenes to make these services possible.

None of us imagined this would be the way our worshipping life would develop in 2020 and it's quite a thought that this Sunday's Audio Service will be our 30th!!!

Church Life Focus

Our Elders were able to meet in person, socially disatnced, in The Sanctuary on Tuesday and it was good to be together and talk about church life.  

After lots of debate we have decided to plan for a Church Meeting to be held on Zoom on Tuesday 24th November 2020 at 7.30pm.  We'll ensure the Agenda and Briefing Notes are available a fortnight before, thus giving people without internet an opportunity to look through the issues and write to us with their thoughts if they wish. The Charity Commission and our two denominations have told us that Zoom Church Meetings are an 'acceptable' way forward in the current circumstances.  At that meeting our Treasurer will give a full update on the financial position of AFC.

This week the ministers of the Central Baptist Association will be holding their annual conference on Zoom instead of gather at High Leigh in Hoddesdon.

This month our Mission Focus is WorkAid.  There will be a specific basket at church in which you can put your pink mission envelopes or a cash gift for WorkAid, and that will be available every Sunday.  Or you can send your gifts direct to Bob, our Treasurer.  Whatever way we choose to give, thank you for your support.

And finally, Churches on The Hill, Amersham, known among us as COTHA, will hold its AGM on Zoom this Wednesday evening at 7.30pm.  This meeting is open to everyone in our three churches and you can access it using this code:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84338473946?pwd=RFM4TDV1ZXZmUi90WFU4UHh4cXBVQT09

 

 

Meeting ID: 843 3847 3946

Passcode: cotha

Practical Love

 

In this month’s edition of The United Reformed Church magazine, Reform, there is a reflection on this painting of The Good Samaritan by Van Gogh.

The style is typical of his later period with vibrant colours and flowing movement and the content is challenging. 

This gospel story is often cited as one showing how one person places another in ‘professional’ care; in that the Samaritan paid the Inn Keeper to look after the injured Jew until such a time when he was healed.  It’s surely a story that brings comfort to those who feel they have no option but to place people they love into ‘care’.

Yet Van Gogh’s painting precedes this moment.  It portrays the initial encounter between them.  The Samaritan struggles to lift the Jew onto a horse in order to take him to safety.  The helplessness etched onto the Jew’s face is matched by the struggle displayed on Samaritan’s.  Kindness and generosity of spirit is often hard work.  In this painting we glimpse practical, down to earth love.

So, different phases of the Jew’s suffering called for different responses.  At the beginning the help was ‘hands on’, in the end it was ‘hands off’ because another was paid to care.

I find that fascinating because Van Gogh was a painter, who in his own short life, went through many stages and phases.  When visiting the museum in Amsterdam which houses so much of his work it’s clear how his style and perception of life changes.  In the beginning, in works like The Potato Eaters the canvas is filled with dark, foreboding shades.  Then comes the sunlight and his study of blossom trees and eventually paintings like this one, crafted at a time when he himself was receiving care for his troubled mind in an institution.

None of this detracts from this wonderful work, presented to us in this month’s Reform magazine. One that reminds us that love and kindness is often costly and demands that ‘we roll our sleeves up’ and get involved.

And so, a few items of news now for our Church Focus:

I want to thank everyone who contributed to this year’s Harvest Appeal last week.  A car-load of dried goods was taken this week to a New Hope centre in Watford and our monetary gifts will time be sent off to both Operation Agri and New Hope.

Last week we published the final Website Reflection for the time being.  They are now taking a break before returning for the season of Advent and Christmas.

It was a delight last week to hear from Jochen Vogel.  Jochen is the father of Hauke, our Time for God Volunteer from 2017 to 18.  Like us, their church in Rohrsen had Harvest Thanksgiving last Sunday.  All is well with them on the farm and in the family.  Jochen and Rosemarei’s daughter, Dorothee has just started a year’s Master’s course in Truro – it’s lovely to keep contact with this family who have adopted us as their English church.

Family News is available this weekend and our thanks to everyone whose made this month’s edition possible.

Sunday’s service will be one of Holy Communion.  The elements will not be distributed by the elders put placed in the chair communion holders. 

We often support The London Churches Refugee Fund through our Communion Offerings at AFC.  They have sent us details of their fund-raising Christmas Card for 2020.  Further details of this and how you may obtain copies can be found at: https://lcrf.onlineweb.shop/

Renewed Appreciation

 

I’m not a great lover of supermarket shopping, hence our weekly order with Tesco on-line.  Over recent years I’ve taken their delivery service foregranted; that is until Lockdown.  Early in April we cancelled all our existing orders, thus freeing up slots for those shielding, and we got used to once again visiting the store with trolly and a list.

Half way through the summer Tesco contacted us and invited us to ‘come back’ online.  I remember the renewed appreciation I had of once again making an order just by clicking a few buttons.  Members of my family tell me they love choosing their fruit and veg in store, I love getting the order done and dusted in ten minutes at my desk!

We have all had cause to re-evaluate our priorities since March.  Activities we once took foregranted we might now view with a deeper appreciation than ever before.

I was half expecting that the permission to worship ‘in person’ would be withdrawn this week and the fact that it wasn’t will, I think, be appreciated by many who have loved returning. Although I know it might very well change in the future it was touching to read these words on the Church of England website yesterday: The Prime Minister emphasised that we can draw comfort from the fact that places of worship are staying open.

Last week, o Radio 4's Thought for the Day, Chief Rabbi Mirvis reflected on the theme of gratitude and renewed appreciation.  He told a story (as all good Jewish prachers do!) of a boy's reaction to being given a half filled glass of water.  How would he answer that age old conundrum of whether it was half full or empty?  The young lad answered with a wisdom above his years by saying: I think I'm just grateful to have a glass...!  Now, that's gratitude!

And so, to a few items of Church news…

Thank you for all your dry food contributions to New Hope.  After Harvest Festival these will be delivered to one of their centres in Watford.

The Partnership in Mission Committee meets this coming Tuesday morning.  We would value your prayers as we discuss together the ways our church can prayerfully and financially support various mission agencies both at home and overseas.

Next Sunday the 10.30 service will be one of Holy Communion.  This will be quite a significant moment for us as it’s the first occasion we’ve held such a service in the Sanctuary since March.  It will be different from our usual form in that the bread and wine will be available to you in the chair communion holders.  The elements will be prepared by a single person wearing gloves.  During the service you will be invited to take the cup, which will be surmounted by a small plate containing a square of bread, and eat and drink as invited.  Of course, this will be an optional part of the service – and if you wish to remember the love and grace of God without taking the bread and wine at this time please do so with our blessing.

As we leave church on Sunday we need to be very conscious of the rule of six in the car park.  To that end we would ask you to look at for the circles, drawn in chalk on the car park and stand there.  Circle fellowship, socially distanced, in groups no larger than six.  It’s very important that we observe the guidelines.

And finally our love and prayers go out to the family of Mrs Tricia O'Connor, whose funeral service will be held at the Chiltern Crematorium on Friday 9th October at 11am.