'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.

Preparing for Harvest 2020

 

Next Sunday, 27^th September 2020, we’ll be celebrating our Harvest Festival.  

Once again we’ll hear the Harvest hymns and offer to God our prayers of thanks.  And once again we’ll have the opportunity to make a special offering, on top of our usual giving. 

This year’s Harvest Mission Offering will be split between two charities.

The first works overseas and it is Operation Agri.  Their Harvest Appeal for 2020 is called Trees for Tanzania.  The money we raise will help set up tree nurseries as well as helping to establish village community banks and providie fuel saving stoves.

Operation Agri, an organisation with a Baptist foundation, is working with the Anglican Church in Tanzania to do this and it is called the Imarika Project – and African word which means ‘to strengthen’.

The second charity is closer to home.  It’s the New Hope Trust based in Watford.

New Hope was set up in 1990 by two ladies who called themselves a couple of ‘ordinary housewives’.  They purchased two old coaches and turned them into Soup Kitchens that helped feed homeless people.

Today, New Hope has an operating budget of just over £2m a year, employs 60 people and has 160 volunteers.  It’s aim is to prevent homelessness.

It runs a night shelter than runs from 1^st Dec to 31^st March and operates 9 houses.  Homeless people who stay in these houses all have a key worker so that, together, they may make a journey from dependent to independent living.  Last year 271 people stayed in one of New Hopes houses and went through their programme.

So, Harvest Sunday is a day for us to give thanks, it’s also an opportunity for us to give money to these two wonderful projects.  We can do that using the pink mission envelopes in your offering pack, if you have one.  Or placing money in the basket clearly marked HARVEST OFFERING when coming into church on the 27^th September.  Or you could send a cheque to Bob, our treasurer.

Along with that, New Hope, are happy to receive the produce of our Harvest Display.  A list of what they need is on the website.  We can bring these gifts to church on either the Sunday 20^th or 27^th and leave them in the basket by the Sanctuary doors.

So, conscious of our many blessings, let’s use Harvest to bless others.

And so a few items of Church Life news now:

The September edition of Manse Talk is now on the Website, as is a new audio service of Holy Communion.

This coming Tuesday we have Team Meeting and would be grateful of your prayers as we gather to discuss church life at this challenging time.

As worship ends at the 10.30am service and we leave church we need to be aware of the new social distancing guidelines of not gathering in groups larger than six.  Further guidance will be given on Sunday once our denominations publish new guidelines.

This is the last week to send in your photos for our Harvest Project All Things Bright and Beautiful – we have received lots of wonderful pictures already and look forward to publishing them on 27^th September.

Matthew’s CD of Lockdown Worship songs is still available with all profits going to Trees for Tanzania, if you’d like a copy do get in contact with Rachel.

On Harvest Sunday we are accepting dry goods for the display.  These will then be sent on to The New Hope project in Watford.  They have sent us a list of what they require and that list is posted below.

You can drop off these goods into a basket by the back door of the church next week between 9.15am and Noon any morning of Monday through to Thursday, when it will be dealt with by our Church Administrator.

Or you can bring you gifts to church either this Sunday or next and leave them in a place guided by the welcoming steward.

Dry Goods for Harvest