A Morning Parable

 I got up ‘grumpy’ on Tuesday morning!  I had a dental appointment – a root filing – and I’m not the best when it comes to ‘the drill’!

So, rather dreading what was coming, I plodded to the dentist with my head down longing for the next hour to be over.  That was until I say a young lad on his way to school, he could have been no more than 14, and there he was in the middle of the street on his phone.  Nothing unusual about that, apart from the fact that he was taking a picture of the glorious sunrise, first facing one way and then the next; a sunrise that I had completely failed to register.

This boy’s face was transfixed by the stunning beauty of a sunny autumn morning, and he obviously wanted to capture it on his iPhone.

I confess I felt, at one at the same time, chastened and inspired.  Chastened that I was so consumed with my dread of the ‘drill’ that I had missed the beauty of an early October day, and inspired that a member of the younger generation had appreciated it so much that he wanted to capture it on his phone.

Well, I walked over the railway bridge into the centre of town and looked down on the commuters lining up for the 7.49am to Marylebone.  They had their phones out too, but not to take a photo of the sunrise!

I entered the dentist, and the next 30 mins were pain free – what a wimp I had been to let such anxiety take hold.

Later that day I chaired an EcoChurch committee at AFC and I couldn’t help but remember the wonder on the young lad’s face as he greeted the sunrise.  It gave me great encouragement and became a helpful morning parable.

Meeting my Younger Self

This weekend I have the great privilege of preaching at my ‘first’ church; Fuller Baptist Church in Kettering, where I served as Assistant (Curate) Minister from 1987-1992.

During those years I served under The Revd Donald MacKenzie, and they became, for me, such a valuable period of continuing ministerial formation.  Indeed, in the four churches that have followed I have regularly asked myself ‘What would Donald do?’!

So, I think maybe as I enter Fuller once again on Sunday I might well walk through the corridors and feel as if I’m meeting my younger self round a few corners.

In truth Fuller are very generous in asking me back because, I sense, I might not be a natural ‘fit’ for them anymore.  Understandably they have changed (liturgically) since my day, whereas I’ve probably not moved on so much in my views about worship – i.e. I’m still something of a dinosaur! Yet I’m thrilled to hear that the church is in good heart and are currently experiencing a good number of children and young people at morning worship – so, ‘well done’ Fuller!

A church’s story is written in a number of chapters.  Each chapter will have its ups and down.  I was thrilled to have been part of Fuller’s life when it had two vibrant youth groups, a regular morning service of around 300 and an evening congregation that never dipped below 120.  More than the statistics is my memory of a loving church family located in a bustling Midland’s town.  A town centre church with so much going on.  It really was a great opportunity and maybe I learnt more about being a minister in those years than all the ones I spent at theological college.

So, I exited their story in 1992 when we moved to my first solo pastorate in Hitchin.  Since then, many more chapters have been written, both in their story and mine and I believe God has continue to be active.On Sunday I will be treading on holy ground, as a guest preacher at one of my former churches.  As I do so I’ll recall Abraham Lincoln’s words to his hometown as he left to travel to Washington for his Inauguration: The God who goes with me is the God who stays with you… Isn’t that great!

God’s blessing has been experienced at Fuller, Kettering, in all the years that have occurred since I left – on Sunday, for a brief moment, I’ll rejoin them to give thanks for that.

Minister's Letter: Family News: October 2023

 

Church is about many things…

Buildings…Here at AFC as the autumn progresses, we’ll start to see the implementation of some of the schemes we agreed at the July Church Meeting.  At the beginning of the month, we expect the arrival of the new sanctuary chairs and by the middle of October the amplification and Livestreaming systems should be installed.  The new car parking system has achieved what we hoped it might, and we are very grateful to those, who behind the scenes, have fielded many enquiries from the general public; for we know your job hasn’t always been easy.

Projects…We are glad, from time to time, to focus on particular projects and activities.  Recently that’s meant our celebration of Harvest and support for Operation Agri and the Chiltern Food Bank.  This month, on October 18^th, we’ll focus on our annual Bible Teaching Day, this year welcoming The Revd Dr Julian Templeton to lead us through a study of The Psalms.  Then, in November, we are thrilled to be hosting a Come and Sing Day for Advent and Christmas.  An opportunity for singers to gather together under the baton of Hilary Davan Wetton, accompanied by David Goode (organ teacher at Eton, who recently played at Peter Lawson’s Thanksgiving).

People…Of course this aspect of church life is really important.  So, last month it was a great honour for us at AFC to host services of remembrance for both Ray Norris and Peter Lawson.  This month the emphasis will change as we welcome Zoe Ellis and Matthew Green for their wedding on Saturday 21^st October at 1.30pm.  Matthew and Zoe will be delighted to see friends from AFC at their service that day, do come along and share this time in church if you wish.

And then there are the new Elders’ Lists.  Recently you will have been given a copy of the church directory from your Contact Elder.  If you have any questions or comments about church life, do speak to your elder as they are a valuable point of contact between you and the elders’ meeting.  Of course, as you get to know your elder, we hope a bond of friendship will grow between you. We fully understand that you may wish to share some pastoral news with them.  We also hope that, as time goes by, the ministry of the pastoral team will become increasingly helpful and valued among us.  You can ‘access’ the Pastoral Team either through talking to the Ministers, passing on a request for help via your elder, or approaching a member of the Team directly (their names are published weekly on the Notice Sheet).

And finally, under ‘People’, during October we will be speaking a bit about Church Membership during the services.  AFC is a ‘Gathered Church’, which means people deliberately and prayerfully ‘opt in’ to becoming members.  Well, if we are gradually becoming your ‘Spiritual Home’ we’d love to welcome you as an official church member.  Do have a word with Ian if you would like a chat about taking this further.

Of course, our prayer is that in every aspect of our church life the Lord Jesus Christ will be central.

Pubs and Churches

 

Looking through the newsfeeds earlier this week I was struck by one reporting that two pubs will close in England and Wales this week, as they have done now for many months.  Apparently 230 pubs shut up shop in the last quarter, compared to 153 the previous.

So, it appears that life is changing, not just in churches but in High Street shopping patterns, diminishing audiences at classical music concerts and now in the relentless closure of the country’s pubs.

Maybe it’s our shifting concept of community that is behind many of these trends. 

Last Saturday, on the train to Baker Street, I couldn’t help but notice that in our crowded carriage 80% of passengers were looking at their ‘handheld devices’!  Even the boyfriend and girlfriend opposite us stopped interacting with each other by Chorleywood and spent the rest of the journey communing exclusively with their respective phones! There was a slight glimmer of interaction at Harrow on the Hill, but it petered out by Finchley Road!!

Of course, ‘virtual’ community is still real community, and for many of us has been a wonderful blessing.  Yet, I suspect, by and large it’s the lack of necessity for us to physically meet, which has led to a drop in numbers attending pubs, football matches, concerts and, of course, churches.

It's probably one of our biggest challenges now; how to both value and build community.

'It 'aint half hot mum'!

 

Last week’s heatwave broke September records.  Saturday felt similar to a winter’s ‘snow day’; we went out early with the dog and then hunkered down enjoying a cool indoors for the rest of the day.

This summer’s weather has been full of extremes.  We had a blazing June followed by a very soggy July.  And the very week the schools returned the sun came out and blazed away for half the month.

Friends have been telling me that it was upon their return from holiday, sometimes even from the Mediterranean, that they encountered significant heat, walking off the plane into a sultry Heathrow.  It all felt the wrong way round!

We are beginning to realise that Climate Change really does seem to be bringing extremes of weather at both ends of the spectrum; more snow, rain and heat and not necessarily in the months or seasons we’d expect.

Throughout September through to the beginning of October the Church observes and celebrates the Season of Creation.  All of that seems highly appropriate as we also regularly hold our Harvest Festivals at this time of year.

Yet, as well as giving thanks for all the blessings we enjoy living in a world of such bounty and potential, we recognise both the increasing fragility our planet is experiencing, because of manmade warming, alongside the fierceness of the natural world, resulting in devasting events such as the Moroccan earthquake or the Libyan floods. 

Someone gave me a little ditty the other day called The Gardener’s Hymn.  It’s opening lines go…

All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.

But what we never mention, though gardeners know it’s true
Is when he made the goodies, He made the baddies too.

The drought that kills the fuchsias, the frost that nips the buds
The rain that drowns the seedlings the blight that hits the buds…

Or as Tennyson once said: Nature’s red in tooth and claw.

In many ways I think Harvest Festivals and the Season of Creation are quite a challenge theologically, ecologically, and sociologically.

Returning to last week’s heatwave, I’m conscious that the Bible was written by those who lived in a hot country.  Hence all those references to the Lord being our shade and protector from the noon day heat.  So, God’s blessing is predominantly expressed using the imagery of flowing water and cool running streams rather than blue sky sunny days.

After this year’s heatwaves in Britain of June and September I’m beginning to feel a new respect and appreciation for our more usual temperate climate.  ‘Good weather’ can also mean cool days with grey cloud and light rain showers, for such days really are a great blessing too!

Hello/Goodbye

My own Induction at AFC

  I don’t usually attend many Induction services       for ministers; but I have been to all of my own!

 Last Saturday I attended such a service and then,   on Sunday, I was present at a minister’s farewell.     On Saturday it was all about ‘hello’, whilst on   Sunday there was a muted atmosphere as a   congregation said ‘farewell’.

 Induction services are full of expectation.  The   truth is that neither minister nor congregation   really know each other at this stage, so there’s   also a bit of anxiety!

 Saturday’s induction was a splendid occasion   with a full church and wonderful music.  The   neighbouring Parish Church was well represented   with choir members and Vicar taking part.  And   there were many present who knew the incoming   minister from previous pastorates.  It was a joy to   be there.

Sunday’s experience, although tinged with a certain sadness, was also a joyful one. There was a busy lunch with cakes being cut and some deeply moving speeches afterwards in the church along with presentations.  It all marked the end of a significant chapter in the church’s life and the beginning of the outgoing minister’s retirement.  The sense of a job ‘well done’.

What struck me on both days is that ministry is never just about one person but the fusion between pastor and congregation.  It’s a partnership and consequently both services were just as much about the church members as the minister. Indeed, in any church the minister is never a permanent member!

So, wasn’t it strange to have these two occasions come side by side last weekend.  Both churches, and ministers, will stay in my thoughts and prayers and it was a real privilege to share in services that said hello/goodbye.

Coffee - part of God's Rescue Plan

 

After Service Coffee at AFC July 2023

Towards the end of last month the news bulletins were full of the dramatic rescue of six children and two adults from a stranded cable car in Pakistan.  The children were on their way to school and often took this one mile journey, 900feet up in the air, thus saving themselves a two hour road trip.  This was the fifth trip of the cable car that morning, before it became perilously dislodged.

Just a week before, whilst on holiday in the Austrian Tirol, we had used cable cars over a dozen times.  They can indeed be thrilling and nerve racking at the same time!

What struck me most about the incident from the Khyber valley in Pakistan is that when the official helicopter rescue ended at dusk, with six people still stranded in the dangling cabin, the locals mounted their own successful operation using zip wires.  One of the passengers, a young boy, seeing the helicopter depart said he thought: well, this has been my last day. Yet to the cheers of the crowd the other side of the mountain, he was safely rescued along the zip wire later that night.  He now, hopefully, has many days stretching out before him.

Those villagers never gave up on the rescue.  They showed a wonderful spirit of hope.  And the result is eight precious lives restored.

The Bible occasionally uses the image of God as Rescuer. Whether from a dark pit or a valley of despair, the idea of that God lifts us up and helps us live another day.

Recently day a friend told me how difficult it was to go through a bereavement just as the Pandemic dawned.  In the days of isolation that followed the usual support and passing words of encouragement that would usually have come from casual encounters just never happened.  And that made it so much tougher.  The ‘rescue’, as it were, didn’t seem to happen.

That’s why I’m always so thrilled to hear the buzz of conversation over coffee in the church hall after morning service.  I sense that such good work is going on at every table as people share news of the week, news of every shade.  And in the sharing, the conversing and the simply ‘being together’, God breaks through and comes among us.  Love touches our lives, and we are made just a little bit more whole.

Just drinking coffee and chatting?  No – it’s much more than that.  It's part of God’s ‘Rescue Plan!