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1989 Who Cares? 'Being there' for the bereaved -Christopher Frith 1989 Don't Leave it Too Late (to visit people) -Clive Slack 1990 Goodwill Starts Here, a Reflection on Christmas -Geoff Turner 1992 Prayer -Home and Away -Val Foan 1992 Holy Week: A Personal View 1995 The Listening Side of Prayer 1999A Prayer for the Millennium 2000 I Said a Prayer for you Today -a Poem 2001 What is Prayer -Petra Owen 2001 A Prayer in a Violent World 2002 Thoughts on Prayer -Eileen Balch 2002 Prayer Changes Things -Eileen Balch 2008 People @ Prayer -June 2008 2008 Change -by Robin Dawson 2009 1000 Days of Prayer 2009 Grateful Heart Challenge 2011 500/1000 -Halfway through our 1000 Days of Prayer 2011 Prayer and the Archbishop There six articles are by Godfrey Holmes who is a Social Worker and has written three books on Prayer.
Who cares? (April 1989 edition of the church magazine) Do you want to show you care when friends or acquaintances are bereaved? It will certainly matter to them that others care. Do you say: "I don't know what to say" or "I'm. no good at that sort of thing" Like all of us, you probably do, but your concern and friendship can help ease at least a little of the isolation and pain your friends will be feeling. Do call, telephone or write. Even two sentences on a card can reach out. It will also help next time you meet. You will no longer be torn between feeling you ought to say some¬thing and not wanting to cause distress. Do be available - to listen, run errands or help with the children. Do allow your friends to talk about The one they have lost. Don't tell them to-put on a brave face, grieving is a necessary part of the healing process. Don't avoid mentioning their loved one name out of fear of reminding them, they won't have forgotten. Particularly within the family of the Church, it is our privilege to support one another, especially in times of trouble. Christopher Frith Don't Leave it Too Late (October 1989 edition of the church magazine) A man died recently after 31 years of marriage. There had been no children to the marriage. Three years before he died he suffered a stroke that affected his left side. His speech was not impeded, however; he never complained even though he had been a very active man before the stroke. His main hobbies were golf, walking and gardening. His wife would sit quietly for hours suff¬ering in silence for him, knowing how active he had been. It was painful to see him just sitting dull and listless. On the day of his funeral his wife was most astonished and amazed at the number of people who had turned up for the funeral. There were over 300 present. Many were friends and acquaintances her husband had not seen for years. But instead of being pleased by the number present, the widow was very upset and sad. For where had been these friends and acquaintances, when her husband had needed their companionship and a friendly chat, as he just sat there staring around him in his last days? When he had been so lonely and longing for conversation with old pals, no-one had been near him. Why couldn't they have spared a few moments of their time to call around and say a quick 'hello' and how are you? Were they embarr¬assed, or afraid their dying friend would be? Who knows? Now it's too late. What they will never know is how they missed doing him a good turn in return for all those he had done for them in the past. Does it stir your conscience as it did mine, for all the past chances of a little help? Remember, better a single rose to the living than a whole truckload of flowers for the dead. Clive Slack Goodwill Starts Here, a Reflection on Christmas (December 1990 edition of the church magazine) It is strange the power that what we say has over what we think and do. As Christmas draws near you start saying nice things to people by way of greetings and farewells. For most of the year you can get by with a grumbled `Morning' or `Bye'. But in those last few days you start to say `Merry Christmas' `Have a good time', `God bless' and so forth. What is more you start to mean it. You actually do feel that you wish people well, that you want them to have a good time and be happy. Somehow we commit ourselves to a different way of looking at things the Christmas way. We commit ourselves by apparently trivial things, that way we greet people, the way we respond. And because we all do it somehow the nature o f the world changes. I would just like to suggest, then, that if we really want to see a better future it has more to do with small changes in a lot of people than big decisions by a few powerful ones. And just as there has to be someone to give the first Christmas greeting so there has to be a first someone to take the first step to a better world. So I wish you all a very merry and joyful Christmas. There, I've done my bit. Now whose turn is it next? Geoff Turner Prayer -Home and Away (April 1992 edition of the church magazine) I was, naturally enough, very anxious about going into hospital for my hip replacement operation. The practical arrangement regarding the children all fell into place and something that up to now had been difficult to organise was suddenly a reality. It was odd hearing my name during the intercessions, but I gradually became aware that peoples prayers for me, were sustaining me quite well. My knees only shook a bit walking into the Northern General. I must admit to one moment of panic when I saw everyone else's condition on the orthopaedic ward, but managed to supress the urge to go home. Christopher had given me a card with appropriate prayers; which I found myself relying on during the hours before the trolley came to take me to theatre. The lines of prayers and bible quotations gave me the peace and inner strength I needed; as well as the 'pre-med' calming me down. When I finally surfaced - 48 hours later - I found myself in a ward next to another Christian, who was organising Communion for Sunday. "Me too," I whispered, and suddenly it was like being at home and having the support one gets used to at St. Thomas'. The chaplain was great. Hugh - a Church Army worker came round once a week for a chat (most appropriate the week Terry Waite was released.) I went on to discover the receptionist and male staff nurse on my ward were Christians too! (Marks hymn singing always brightened the day!) All this made three weeks in hospital more bearable than have been. Somehow since Jesus has come into my life he always puts me in the right place, at the right time, with the right people around me. It is great to be home again, and next time I have to go into hospital I'll know what to expect. But I also know where my main strength comes from; the prayer support from St. Thomas', particularly my house group and the clergy. But mainly from my heavenly Father who held my hand and continues to, every step of the way. Valerie Foan Holy Week: A Personal View, Easter 1992 (June 1992 edition of the church magazine) If you wear clothes you will have seen symbols sewn in them. They are the manufacturer's washing guide. If you follow them, your clothes will remain serviceable for a long time, if you don't they will only be good as dusters. Joyce Huggett ('In God's Springtime') asked us to draw a picture of what we are like before God now, and another of what we would like to be like before Him. In my first picture I was standing before Him in my spiritual clothes; they were a bit crumpled and creased, grey looking, generally grubby. But in my second picture my clothes were clean, pressed, neat and I was kneeling in prayer with upturned hands and face. Now, how would I move from the first picture to the second? In Holy Week I went each night for the half hour service, and during that time we looked at the Love our Lord Jesus has for each one of us. Its many facets. Its depth. Without words being spoken we know when we're loved, but how good it is to be told so sometimes. Through the week we were told that Jesus loves us in many different ways. His journey to the cross (and mine with Him) culminating with 'An Hour at the Cross' on Good Friday underlined this-for me. By Saturday morning I began to feel different, cleaner - yes that was it refreshed, renewed. I'd moved on to that second picture and when I stood on Saturday night at the service of light saying again my baptism vows with my little candle shining brightly in the darkness I wasn't standing at all but kneeling with upturned hands and face and then it was Easter Sunday. Well there's no more I can say except that when I looked at the manufacturers washing guide in my spiritual clothes this is what I saw:, The Love of Christ, The Cross of Christ, The Beckoning Hands of Christ. Enid Sheldon The Listening Side of Prayer (December 1995 edition of the church magazine) "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." (Luke 5:6) We don't know much about Jesus' private style of prayer but can perhaps gain a clue from his remarks as recorded in Matthew's Gospel: "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him." (Matthew 6:7) The vocal prayer he does recommend is simple and to the point as in the Lord's Prayer which follows this passage. I suspect that much of his own prayer time would have been spent in silent communion with the Father. In biblical times, life moved at a much slower pace than it does today and there were lots of lengthy repetitive tasks which must have allowed plenty of time for reflection and undistracted absorption in the natural rhythms and flows of life. Out of this background came many people who were very close to God. Moses and David, for example, were both shepherds before they became prominent. There was plenty of time for reflecting on the meaning of life in that job! They were wide open to God for long periods. Now our minds are pulled outwards nearly all of the time and silence has become almost an embarrassment. Few people can tolerate even a short silence in the company of others, and when alone there are ample opportunities to 'plug in' to a radio, TV or mobile phone. How can God get through to us in these conditions? I think it is important to make some time for experiencing "the still small voice of calm". That means regularly getting away from distractions, including our own busy thoughts. I would like to share my own way of going about it. It requires a small commitment of time, but deep surrendering prayer does seem to result in a better flow of one's everyday affairs, which compensates for the time lost. What works best for me is to sit in a comfortable straight backed chair with both feet on the floor and my hands held loosely together in my lap. In this position I can remain relaxed but alert. I spend a moment or two checking for physical tension because I feel that a tense body reflects armouring of the mind. I then think of simply letting go and letting God in unconditionally. Because our minds are so used to being active, it can be difficult to remain in this attitude of seeking God's presence for its own sake so sometimes I mentally repeat a relevant word or phrase to which I can return if my mind wanders. I started off with "Please God, guide me," and as a result I was given much help in my personal life through Jesus Christ. One syllable words such as Love, God or even Help! are ideal. A simple mute reaching out to God is the best way of all and the single-mindedness for this does come with practice. It may take several daily sessions (of about 15-20 mins) before any effect is felt. Distracting thoughts can be a problem. It is important not to worry about these. Just gently but persistently lead your mind back to repeating your chosen word, no matter how many thoughts arise. For habitually busy and mentally active people, this form of prayer may sound suspiciously like doing nothing, but I think of it as a way of making myself available to God so that I can (hopefully!) learn to conduct all of my life from the still centre of His love, which I have sometimes felt in touch with through this practice. It does not conflict with or replace the type of prayer where we ask for something, or general 'chatting' to God, but is rather the other side of the coin, -the listening which complements the talking. Listening prayer is a form of Christian meditation. The spirit of it is neatly summed up by this prayer of James Borst's as quoted by Joyce Hugget in her book "Listening to God". "Send me where you will. Use me as you will. I surrender myself and all I possess, absolutely, entirely and, forever to your control." Finally, meditation practiced in a group can lead to a wonderfully peaceful and supportive atmosphere. If anyone is interested in forming such a group, I would love to hear from them. Cathy Turner (December 1999 edition of the Mustard Seed) Almighty God, two thousand years ago you sent your son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth and the life. Help me to discover his way for myself to understand the truth about him and to experience his life. Amen The Millennium Resolution Let there be Respect for the earth Peace for its people Love in our lives Delight in the good Forgiveness for past wrongs And from now on a new start They are challenges for everyone - and for those who believe in God they can be a prayer. Without His help, they will be hard to achieve. With His help and the cooperation of everybody, society can be transformed. We ask you to take this resolution seriously. (June 2000 edition of the church magazine) I said a prayer for you today. And I know God must have heard. I felt the answer in my heart Although he spoke no word. I didn't ask for wealth or fame (I knew you wouldn't mind). I asked him to send treasures of A far more lasting kind. I asked that he'd be near you At the start of each new day To grant you health and blessings And friends to share your way. I asked for happiness for you In all things great and small. But it was for his loving care I prayed for most of all. What is Prayer (April 2001 edition of the church magazine) Prayer is to be absorbed in God whom we love and who loves us. God's motive in making us was love. His greatest longing is that we should get to know him, come to love him, enjoy his company and know what he has planned for our lives. And when we talk to God and listen to Him, head to head, heart to heart, when we are with Him in life, this is prayer. All of us at some time in our lives have prayed. We usually pray in times of need or crisis, perhaps as the plane takes off, or going into an exam, or as we go for that operation, prayer is never far from our lips even if we don't quite know what to say -like the two men who found themselves in a field being chased by a bull. As they were running for the fence it soon became evident that they were not going to make it so one man shouted to the other "we've had it! Nothing can save us - say a prayer. Quick!!" The other shouted back "I don't know what to say, I don't have a prayer for this occasion" "Never mind. The bull is catching up with us. Any prayer will do." "Okay then, er .....for what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful" Most of the time, most of us don't live in crisis and so don't pray at all. But prayer is not just a set of words, a formula, a method - it's a way of life, it's a way of living which means living in a relationship with God. And like any relationship in order for it to grow it needs time, attention and commitment. It means listening to each other, as well as talking, it really is about spending time with each other. And God loves that He loves spending time with is, He loves talking with us and listening to us because He loves us. It sounds so easy doesn't it and yet so many of us can find times of prayer difficult. It's at those times that the Holy Spirit is there to help us to pray, to inspire us and even prays for us when we just are not able to do so ourselves. Prayer is about living a life which enables us to come to the Father, through the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us spend time with God; make prayer a priority because it means making God a priority. He longs for His relationship with us to deepen. He longs for us to get to know Him better and to receive all that He has for our lives and to fulfil all that we are meant to be in Him and do for Him. Prayer is essential in life because it is life itself, living a life in relationship with God. Petra Owen Prayer in a Violent World (October 2001 edition of the church magazine) Lord, I can't understand the violence there is around us today. Innocent people get beaten up in the streets, or killed by bombs or terrorists; bodies once so full of life broken and destroyed. Then, I remember your body broken and mutilated on the cross; that seemed useless and a waste, but it has given us the strength to live more fully and with more love. Help us, who are your body on earth, to play our part in breaking the power of violence through the strength of the everlasting love YOU have given to US. Help us to carry the pain and the cost of this loving with courage and joy. Amen Thoughts on Prayer (June 2002 edition of the church magazine) One of the blessings of being "retired" is the freedom to enjoy aspects of life that previously were rather rushed! One recent example of this was visiting York Minster on a weekend away. I noticed in the Minster this offer of ministry, "if there is some-thing or someone you would like us to pray for, write your re-quest on the tear-off and place it in the box", This emphasised a growing awareness in me, of the need to pray (or intercede) for those I love, those in special need, or those God has placed on my heart. Bishop Michael Ramsey once said this, "to intercede means not pleading with God but standing in God's presence on behalf of another". So it has come to me anew, the real value and importance of this act of praying. I suppose for many years I often felt inade-quate for such a task, or I would be slipshod in actually doing it. Sometimes I felt my prayers were of little consequence ......... But now I find a notebook really helpful and lists are of practical use too! Also I have discovered `Julian of Norwich', a mystic of the 14th century, whose writings are still valued today. She crystallised it for me with these words written hundreds of years ago. "It can be a help to grasp this. For it follows that to pray for others we do not have to be clever or eloquent or even perceptive of their needs. Just ourselves, as we are, simple, a bit confused perhaps, but wanting God's will -or wanting to want God's will for ourselves and others. It is God's business to take things on from there. We are to fill the water pots with water -and we are to fill them to the brim--the wine-making is his. We are to remove the stone; 'Lazarus come forth' belongs to him. We are the dry bones; the clothing with flesh and the breathing upon them is his". These words really encouraged me. I hope they do the same for you! Eileen Balch Prayer Changes Things (August 2002 edition of the church magazine) I would like, if I may, to share a poem that I have valued for many years. It was written by Irina Ratushinskaya - a leading Russian poet, who in 1983 was sentenced to 12 years in a strict regime prison camp. Her only crime to write 'anti-Soviet' poetry. Believe me, it was often thus, In solitary cells on winter nights, A sudden sense of joy and warmth And a resounding note of love And then, unsleeping, I would know A huddle by an icy wall Someone is thinking of me now Petitioning the Lord for me. My dear ones, thank you all Who did not falter, who believed in us In the most fearful prison hour We probably would not have passed Through everything - from start to end- Our heads held high, unbowed, Without your valiant hearts To light our path. I have a vivid recollection of reading this poem in the late eighties at a Women's World Day of Prayer Serv-ice, when the worship was con-structed by women from the Eastern Bloc. That occasion stayed in my memory as a very powerful time. In the intervening years, Irina's release from prison, where she was kept in degrading conditions, was effected by a Christian group from the West. Also, in what seemed like an amazingly short time, the Berlin wall came down, Communism crumbled and the political scene changed dramatically. I confess, I cannot remember the year, but those images on television of the Wall being demolished remain. We know today, that many of those countries, es-pecially Rumania, with whom St Thomas' has a close link, are struggling to restore a sense of nor-mality, prosperity and hope in the lives of many damaged people. So it is good to remind ourselves -of the progress and change in a relatively short time. It is right too, to remember that prayer changes things, even in the most desperate of situations. Irina's words stand as testimony to that truth. She knew when people prayed it made a difference. God has arranged things so that our prayers bring His power and love into the world. What a privilege and responsibility is ours when we pray! Eileen Balch
“The train glides away from the station platform” Most of us use a vehicle even if we don't own one. These vehicles - all the wasted time we often spend in them - can so easily become vehicles of Prayer. As the train glides away from the station platform, pray for heartbroken couples who will not see each other for ages. Pray for overburdened parents who will have to try to occupy their restless children for another two hours or more. As the aeroplane rises from the tarmac, pray for those who are petrified of the flight ahead - for whatever reason. Pray for people just beginning, or just ending, their eventful holidays. There's an ambulance outside old Mrs. Collington's this afternoon. Something's the matter with her or with Mr. Collington. Offer up an arrow prayer on their behalf. To-day, the taxi driver looks harassed. He's possibly been up all night, and stuck in traffic for half of yesterday. Pray for him too. On the bus, and sitting opposite, is a 60-year old mother with her 40- year old mentally disabled “child." She looks round fearfully in case anyone should stare, or respond to his deep groans. Whatever else, that woman is stretched. God will take her need - and his - on board. It's all because we must not take our journeys for granted. Journeys are not meant to be endured in order to reach a chosen destination. On all sorts of vehicles, Prayer emerges. Part 2: Compassionate Prayer (August 2004 edition of the church magazine) “Their burden is so much greater than mine.” For a long time, I'd not been completely content with a “shopping-list " approach to Prayers of Intercession. Some of the names did not mean a great deal to me. And sometimes I wondered why the list was getting longer or shorter, more or less poetical the way it was read. Then a snippet of Radio 4's interesting series of Morning Services [Sundays, 8-10 am] came to mind. Every time the leader read out an intercession, the choir sang: “O Lord, Hear My Prayer, O Lord Hear My Prayer......" It seemed the list, if there was one, had been split into manageable chunks. So the next time I was on the gritstone edges - one of my most favourite places to be - I tried it out. After each intercession: “O Lord Hear My Prayer, O Lord Hear My Prayer.” The following time I was alone in the countryside, I developed the idea a bit further. After pondering each person's difficulties - only the difficulties I had actually heard about - I offered up the prayer: “The Lord Bless Anna-Marie and keep her, The Lord make His face to shine upon Anna-Marie....." Most movingly, I kept recalling a wonderful new hymn on the radio: “Lord, Make Me a Mountain..." and to that same distinctive tune, I began singing: “Lord I pray for Arun, Give him Your peace today...” right through my list. Part 3: Combative Prayer (October 2004 edition of the church magazine) “This is a struggle and could remain that way.” Prayer is sometimes a struggle. But what happens if the struggle comes before the Prayer? I guess most struggles in our daily lives push Prayer right out of the window . Maybe we become so engrossed in the struggle - be it argument, antagonism, lost document, false deadline - that we " have no time " to pray. Understandable - but illogical, a bit like the recent study that found couples away on holiday " too busy " to write picture postcards! It is during the actual struggle that Prayer is needed most. One way to do this is to buy an extra few moments. Few struggles demand that we be up and ready to fight on, throughout. We can engineer a visit down the corridor, something to fetch from upstairs, or more coffee. So we gain the chance to reflect, to draw back, to advance - if necessary. God needs to hear our struggles. Spontaneous Prayer in the midst of conflict will certainly not obliterate the conflict. But it will make us more prepared. The best driving lessons, the best anger-management courses, rely on self-dialogue, saying to self where next to go. That is remarkably near to drawing on faith's reserves. As George Matheson wrote “I come not to avoid my care; I come not to desert the strife. I come to find new strength to bear, I fly to find new power for life.” Part 4: Christmas Prayer (December 2004 edition of the church magazine) “Someone, somewhere, is not in a festive mood.” The turkey is going cold. The Queen has made her speech. The balloons are starting to go a bit flabby. Christmas may be over till next year - but is it over for the past year? Christmas is a marvelous time for Emerging Prayer. Try saying over and over again in the run-up to Christmas Day and during the twelve days that follow: “WHAT IS CHRISTMAS LIKE FOR.........? And that is a wonderful prayer to offer up. Try remembering what's happened since October 1st. If there's been terrible domestic flooding, pray for families facing Christmas mopping up. If there's a recent report on rough sleepers: “What is Christmas like for people confined to a cardboard box?” If hyperactivity and the wonder-drug to control it have been in the news: “What is this Christmas like for the parent(s?) of a child who cannot settle? “There might have been an earthquake. How do you celebrate Christmas in the aftermath of an earthquake? Pray for ANY victim, for anyone who has their Christmas spoiled by something that has happened since that person last took down the decorations. Pray for Christmas in prison, Christmas in a slum, Christmas in debt, Christmas divorced, Christmas worried about work. How focused Christmas can be in a meandering prayer-life. Part 5: Churchified Prayer (February 2005 edition of the church magazine) My mind is beginning to wander. You know the feeling. You have just heard the vows, just said the Lord's Prayer, just received The Eucharist, and your mind wanders. Maybe you left the cooker on; maybe you forgot a birthday card. Maybe you are wearing odd socks; maybe a letter must go off to-morrow. Emerging Prayer can go some way to reverse these unwanted intrusions. Fix your eyes firmly on the Cross and recite one of the hymns of the Cross: “When I survey...," "Beneath the Cross of Jesus,” “There is a green hill faraway." Don't worry if you get some words wrong or in the wrong order. Or fix your eyes on a candle, any candle, and keep saying: “Let there be light; in.......'s life: let there be light." Discreetly look towards any person in any pew in front of you. Sum up in your mind any clue that person has already given of joy or worry. Keep praying for that person alone. Pick up any book to hand. Make the silent repetition of that book's words your Prayer for that moment. Finally, have “a homing position, “a response you can always respond with when your mind wanders - however unwelcome the distraction - whenever all other devices fail: Lord I believe; help Thou my unbelief Send me out in the power of Thy Spirit I heard the voice of Jesus say: Arise Look ye saints: the sight is glorious. Part 6: Creative Prayer (April 2005 edition of the church magazine) Here is a sentence I thought of earlier: The beauty of Emerging Prayer is that it can discover its own spontaneity at the most unlikely moments: on bus, plane or train, in the midst of a lingering traffic-jam, after Christmas Dinner, at dawn, in Casualty, as cross words are exchanged, whilst gardening, or when somebody drops both their bag and Bible. The cracks and crevices of daily life, also it’s occasionally dull routines, are often the best moments to shoot an Arrow Prayer. If you swim, make each length of the pool the verse of a hymn. If you go on an exercise-bike, after the first few peddlings, pedal a prayer. If the dog has a favourite circular walk, make each of the three or four roads of that walk a separate and set prayer. Perhaps have one response silently to say getting into bed; one, getting out of bed. One response for full sunlight, one for a full moon. The pattern of Emerging Prayer is first to use ingenuity, second to use opportunity, third to use creativity. There is nothing more barren than dry or stilted Prayer. Aridity arises from erecting a false barrier between Prayer and daily living - when the two are intertwined: magically dependent on each other. People @ Prayer (August 2008 edition of the church magazine) About twenty of us gathered at St Thomas’ on June 18th for People @ Prayer. Matt led and the theme was praying for our church here in Brampton. We started by gathering around the Holy Table. This signified to us the reason we were there and why we come to church –because Jesus should be at the centre of our lives. We had the opportunity either to thank Him that he is in our lives or confess that we were not giving him the priority in our lives that we should. From there we moved to the choir stalls and the ‘musicians corner’. Here we thanked God for our singers and musicians and the way they enhance our praise and worship. We also prayed for those behind the scenes, the PA and powerpoint operators. We then gathered around the lectern to pray for those who preach and teach and lead our services. This included those involved with Sunday Club, Pathfinders, CYFA and other groups which our young people attend and groups that others attend including Rendezvous and Communion and Cuppa. Our prayers next were for those who attend our services. We walked in and out and along the rows of chairs praying for those who would be using them in the coming Sundays. The next prayer station was at the main door. Here we prayed for those coming into church through the doors, particularly new-comers and people seeking God. We also prayed for those who went out of the church through the doors into the mission field, be it locally or further afield. This led us on to the World Mission notice board where we prayed for our mission partners who were out in the world putting their faith into action. Our penultimate stop was in Portacabin Two –the one with the sloping floor! We prayed in here for the Living Stones Development Project. Matt prayed with such enthusiasm and conviction that I almost expected our new building to rise before our eyes! Finally we returned to stand around the Holy Table again in church. Here we ‘grounded’ our prayers in Jesus, committing ourselves to go out to ‘love and serve the Lord’. Change -by Robin Dawson (October 2008 edition of the church magazine) Robin Dawson has had some major changes in his life. He writes about the way he has coped -by trusting in God. Do you like change? A lot of us long for a bit of stability, but if things stay the same for too long we get bored. When I was in my twenties, I thought that once I passed 40 or so life would slow down gradually and all would become calm. Looking back now in the second half of my sixties, my fifties have been the most stable time. Now with retirement and old age starting to catch up with my physical and mental capabilities change is accelerating. And losing my wife, moving away from Chesterfield (twice, temporarily) and getting married again has given me a bit more change than most. Our way of life nationally is changing too. We had become accustomed to our standard of living generally increasing gently, almost as of right, over the past decade. Now this is all changing. Some people say that it is all part of cycle. I fear that this time it may not be so as the shortage of energy and resources starts to pinch worldwide. We might have to get used to a steadily (or probably unsteadily) reducing standard of living. At St Thomas’ church we have, almost without realising it, been living with change. In the 20 years I have been with the church the way we worship has changed, the inside of the church has changed, quite a lot of the people have changed and half the parish has been hived off to make the first new parish of he millennium at Walton. For me there has always been stability in the way the congregations have taken their worship seriously, but not pedantically. And in the way the church has tried to be open to God and to the community. I think having to deal with change is one of those things that keeps us awake and alive. It forces us to think about what the really important things are. But some stability is needed too. Where do we find our stability? Those of us who look for it in building up financial or material resources may be in for a shock. We can look for stability in relationships. I have been gifted with a number of valuable long lasting friendships. But I know that these relationships can be broken by outside pressures, sickness or death. One relationship that provides me with stability and which I trust will never be broken is my relationship with God. Can I speak about my relationship with God in the same way as I can with my mortal friends? I suppose not. In a way it has become something less immediate, but deeper and always there. There have been, and are, times when God has seemed very distant. But distant and absent are not the same. There are times when prayers seem to be bouncing off a brick wall, but that is not the same as them not being heard. And as time passes I find for me more and more in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Whatever happens I know that God is there and I am in the mind of my creator. My new wife tells me that whatever happens to us is a gift from God. It is how we deal with what happens that is the important thing. And that includes change. Robin Dawson 1000 Days of Prayer (December 2009 edition of the church magazine) On Sunday 11 October 2009 St Thomas' embarked on 1000 Days of Prayer. The thousand days will end on 7 July 2012 -just before the Olympics start! St Thomas' Church is open each weekday morning 9.30-12.30 for prayer. This, plus our normal 'opening' times on a Sunday, will amount to about 1000 hours per year. The morning will start and end with prayer with a time for personal prayer between. In order to facilitate the church being open the staff team are working from the church in the mornings, rather than their homes. With the staff on hand there is always someone available to pray for anyone with a need. Even if you cannot physically be in church, you can pray wherever you are in the knowledge others are praying too. Each 100 days will be marked by a 'Focus Day' on the Sunday after the actual day. Day 100 is Tuesday 19 January 2010; the Focus Sunday will be Sunday 24 January 2010. Why are we doing this? -Our open church is a sign that Jesus is in our community. An open church will create new possibilities for engagement with our local community. We will ring our church bell to tell Brampton that they are being prayed for. You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. –1 Peter 2:5 -Having the staff working together will build up a bond amongst them. People coming into church will see that St Thomas’ is alive, with a buzz of activity of things going on. And there will be the opportunity for prayer and fellowship. Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. –James 5:13a -We will be able to pray corporately together. -We need to saturate our new parish centre in prayer. This initiative will allow us to do it whilst the centre is being built. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labour in vain. –Psalm 127:1 Why 1000 Days of Prayer? When we put the Parish Profile together last year as we were looking for a new rector, one of the areas we highlighted was a lack of corporate prayer at St Thomas’. Since his appointment as rector, Matt has been thinking about and praying about this. In August he felt God was saying to him “one thousand”. Initially he thought one thousand hours but God was saying “one thousand days!” More about the 1000 days of prayer (including the Rector’s introduction and suggested prayer topics) is available here Grateful Heart Challenge (December 2009 edition of the church magazine) St Thomas' 11am Harvest Service was on the theme of Developing a Grateful Heart. We focused on Tear Fund's work in Uganda and how grateful a group of people were to have a water supply provided in their village. At the end of the service Karen Herrick set us this challenge. It can be done by all ages at any time of the day. We have much to be grateful for every day but we often take it for granted. However we do acknowledge that we do also have difficult times. So each day ask yourself the question: "What am I most grateful for?" Or children could ask "What was the best moment of my day?" Then ask yourself the question: "What am I least grateful for?" Or again for children "What was the hardest moment of my day?" Share your answers with God if you are on your own at the time or with family and friends if they are around. A good time to do it might be when sitting down together at a meal time. Thank God for all the good things and ask God to help with the difficult things. Listen to the service and download a flyer here 500/1000: Halfway through our 1000 Days of Prayer (April 2011 edition of the church magazine) Wednesday 23 February was the halfway point in our 1000 Days of Prayer commitment. This was marked by a Prayer Walk around Brampton on the following Saturday. The next day, Sunday, was the fifth Prayer Focus Day. There has been a Prayer Focus Sunday for each one hundred days so far. David Sanderson, Matt Barnes and Julie Lomas preached at the 9am, 11am and 6pm services respectively on different aspects of prayer. You can listen to the sermons here Prayer and the Archbishop (December 2011 edition of the church magazine) This was the title of a letter from in the 6 October 2011 edition of the Derbyshire Times. At the opening of St Thomas’ Centre I was really upset as I’d recently been told that my younger daughter had been diagnosed with cancer. I thought that if the Archbishop walked by and I touched his robe it might help her to get better. However, when the Archbishop mingled with the crowds I got the opportunity to speak to him. He was really kind and understanding and asked for her name, which he wrote down and said he would pray for her. I was touched by his sincerity. Christine Smith |
