Manse Garden Party: Sunday 29th August 2021

 

'Blast Off' Sunday!

 It is popular, amongst the churches of North America, to designate one of the Sundays in September as their re-start day after the summer break.  These used to be called ‘Rally’ Sundays.  One church I know now gives it the rather more modern sounding designation of ‘Blast Off’ Sunday.

September, often treated by churches and educational establishments as a ‘New Year’, is a month full of promise as we once more take up old routines refreshed by our summer break.  And, in many ways, such an atmosphere of hopeful expectation is to be once again found amongst us in September 2021.

However, we know that in reality we are not returning to the calmer and less anxious days of pre-March 2020.  Although many of our organisations have planned to ‘return’ this autumn, none of us know how things will work out.  We have become used to living with such uncertainty.  Our diary entries are now, as it were, more often made in pencil than permanent ink.

Perhaps we never thought it would be like this.  We envisaged there would be a universally declared day of rejoicing after the last infection was logged.  Yet in this Virus War, although so much wonderful progress has been through the roll out of the vaccine, it doesn’t look as if there will be the equivalent of VE Day any time soon.

What, I wonder, is our reaction to such uncertainty?  At least two possibilities exist:

One is to be a ‘Temple People’ and value ritual and tradition, all carried out in a huge edifice that spoke of permanence and security.  I’m not sure this is the best mindset for today.

There is, however, another way, and that is to be a ‘Tabernacle People’.  Just like in the story of Exodus, we travel with God putting up our tent in the most unlikely places, confident that God’s strength, peace, wisdom, and joy will enable us to meet new challenges and situations with faith, trust in our hearts.  New contexts and fresh challenges come our way daily. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring but that’s part and parcel of ‘travelling hopefully’.

So, September has dawned.  We’ve made a few plans.  We are putting our best foot forward and, with God’s help, doing what we can, when we can.  We won’t, I think, have a ‘Blas Off’ Sunday at AFC – but we are in for something of an unknown voyage of discovery.

p.s.  We recently worshipped at Southwark Cathedral and a report on that visit can be found at:
https://viewfromthepewsabbatical.blogspot.com

Meeting Liz and Sergio

On Tuesday 20th July 2021, at 6.30pm, we are hosting an In Person meeting with our Link Missionaries, Liz and Sergio Vilela.  It will be in our church hall and preceeds our July Church Meeting.

The Vilelas work alongside the Mozambique Baptist Convention.  A union of some 726 churches with 109,000 members.

According the the United Nations, 70% of people live in poverty in Mozambique.  On the Human Development Index, the country is ranked 181 out of 187 with a 3rd of people suffering from malnutrition, only half having access to clean water and life expectancy standing at 55 years.

Liz and Sergio met in Brazil when Sergio was serving with YWAM.  Before going to Mozambique in 2013 they worked at Saffron Walden Baptist Church as youth pastors.

The Vilelas live in the port city of Beira and have two children, Chloe and Joshua.  Sergio is involved in Mission Training whilst Liz works with Community Pre-School Playgroups.  Over recent months they have been involved with the building of two mills in Buzi and Dombi, both towns hit by Cyclone Idai in 2019.

Recently it was reported that only 6 out of 100 Primary School children in Mozambique know how to read well, partly because class sizes are typically 100.  Since the Pandemic children have, on average, only been able to attend school 2 days a week.

Liz and Sergio have been on home assignment here in England since 25th April and AFC will be one of the last churches they visit before they return to Mozambique.

If you are able you will be very welcome to join us at next Tuesday's gathering as we meet them and learn more about their minitry.

(The Blog will return in September - have a good summer)

From Sunday 25th July...

 

Street Kids Direct Prayer Letter

 

Keeping your hat on

 

I was interested to see that a new statue for the fourth plinth has been announced this week.  It shows the Baptist Minister, John Chilembwe from Malawi, standing alongside the missionary John Chorley.

It may seem an odd choice.  The significance is that Chilembwe has his hat on in the presence of a white man.  The statue is based on a 1914 photograph of both men standing outside of Chilembwe's new church at a time when it was against the law for a black not to remove his hat standing next to a white man.

Chilembwe is now celebrated in Malawi every January 15^th as a true patriot and nationalist.

The statue shows Chilembwe now much bigger than Chorley.  An artistic statement declaring just how much things have changed since 1914.

John Chilembwe set up schools in Malawi as well as building the brick church we see him standing outside of in the photograph.  He felt constantly oppressed by British imperialism and was particularly horrified at the way the authorities treated starving refugees from Mozambique.

In the end Chilembwe headed up a revolt against the British in which he lost his life.

The forthcoming statue in Trafalgar square prompts many important and relevant questions.

It also gives us an additional commentary on an incident that happened decades later in South Africa as told by Desmond Tutu.  He says he only joined the Anglican Church because one day the Parish Priest in Soweto, Trevor Huddleston, whilst walking through the township passed Tutu and his mother and raised his hat in respectful greeting to Mrs Tutu.  Desmond was amazed at the honour his mother was being shown by a white man. 

That incident becomes even more profound when read in the context of John Chilembwe’s experience. 

Who would have thought that either keeping your hat on, or taking it off, could have had such significance in African history?  Outward actions that contained such profound meaning and value.

Days to Cherish

On Thursday, 1^st July 2021, in the grounds of Kensington Palace, Princes William and Harry unveiled a statue to their late mother: Diana, Princess of Wales.

The Princess and I have something in common, and probably only one thing.  We were both born in the same year, 1961.  So, this year would have marked her 60^th birthday too.

The unveiling has brought home to me that I have had the good fortune of living the years she lost.

Our youngest son was ‘Dedicated’ at church the day Diana died. An occasion that should have been a celebration of life was also one overshadowed by a sense of national loss and mourning.

In the twenty-four years since I have served in three further Pastorates, and we have seen our children grow into fine young men.  Years I have cherished.

We are all saddened when a life is cut short, whether that is through illness, pandemic, or war.  Any passing is hard, a premature one especially so.

Those of us who have lived the years that others have not known are grateful for the blessings that have come our way.

I sense a similar attitude of thanksgiving and determination is to be found among us as we emerge from this pandemic.  So many have died, so we who have survived are grateful for the coming days and walk into them with renewed appreciation. As life once more begins to open up, we have become aware that the simplest of pleasures often bring the deepest joys.

A central truth of the faith we profess is that life is to be treasured and every day cherished.

Thanks be to God.