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The Rector's letter is printed in each edition of the Church Magazine
February/March 1997
For some years our Vision Statement has been, in summary, "Going for Growth in Christ".
This still seems to be right for us, although we have not found it easy to implement. We know we are called by God to grow, in some respects we are growing, but we are unsure how to set about improving the growth rate.
Fortunately (or, rather, in the grace of God) a small, helpful book came out just over a year ago, and there have been accompanying courses held around the country. It is called "Building Missionary Congregations", by Robert Warren, formerly Vicar of St Thomas'. Crookes, Sheffield and now the C of E's National Officer for Evangelism. Most PCC members have read the book and the clergy and some lay members have attended one or more courses.
On October 19, the PCC held a day together at St John's and a few weeks earlier the DCC of St John's did something similar. They grappled with some of the "Building Missionary Congregations" ideas and feel it is right for us to take them on board.
What is a Missionary Congregation? This is Robert Warren's working definition: "A Missionary Congregation takes its identity, prioriti6s and agenda from participation in God's mission in the world." In other words, all that we are and all that we do must spring from being involved in God's mission of love.
It's not something that can happen overnight. But the PCC have made it a long-term aim for all our different congregations. To speed us on our way, they have agreed three priorities expressed as:
1. Led by the Holy Spirit, we will pursue "whole life Christianity".
2. We will encourage and support each other to live distinctive, Christ-centred lives.
We recognise it isn't easy and we're in it together depending on one another for help. When our Christianity makes a practical difference, we shall be able to make an impact, for God, locally.
3. We will aim to become an accessible focal point for the local community
This works ahead to the re-ordering of St Thomas' and all the opportunities that will give us.
This all represents a major and exciting challenge.
Happy New Year
Christopher Frith
From the February 1997 edition of the magazine
April/May 1997
Significant things will happen during the life-time of this edition of Ploughshare.
First, the GENERAL ELECTION. Amidst all the razzmatazz, a lot is at stake. We need to be responsible citizens. It is most. important to pray that God will guide both the nation as a whole,in choosing this next government and each of us individually as we vote. And we must use our vote
My own perspective, like everyone else's is inevitably biased. The country seems to be crying out for a change. It is unhealthy to have an opposition with no experience of government. In addition it appears to be a fundamental Christian responsibility to side with the powerless and to try to stop the poor getting poorer while the rich get richer. As Bishop Jonathan wrote in the march Derby Diocesan News, "A greedy self-centred culture is likely to return a government which trampled on the weak."
I realise the issues are far from straightforward, especially for a Christian person seeking to be a responsible voter. The party which seems to side more with the poor seems also to be weaker in standing for Christian private morality and family values.
The organisation called CARE (Christian Action, Research arid Education) has produced an excellent pack entitled "Make the cross count". It highlights many of the crucial issues facing our country - and all parliamentary candidates. Anyone can get a free pack by ringing (01711 221 4717.
We plan to hold an Election Forum at St Thomas' on a Sunday evening, as we did before the last election. It will be an opportunity to meet all the candidates and to ask them about their stance on issues that concern us.
Secondly, TWO TREMENDOUS CHRISTIAN FESTIVALS. I love joining in festivals in this parish; they seem to be more meaningful than I have experienced elsewhere.
EASTER is undoubtedly the festival of festivals, celebrating the greatest event in history. Its greatness is because it affects human life so profoundly. Because we can be sure that Jesus rose from the dead, we can be sure that His life's mission has been accomplished. He has won our eternal destiny. The Christian, with his or her hope securely placed in Jesus has real, unshakeable security. He "has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."
Nothing can take heaven away from me. "Nothing", says the Apostle Paul, "can separate me from the love of God". Therefore I can face everything, whatever my nightmare may be: redundancy, divorce, hospital, relegation (football fans!), burglary, huge pressure, the wrong party winning the election, a fire
.read 1 Peter 1:3-5. Easter is a time for joy, hope, celebration.
PENTECOST is less well appreciated and we need to learn to make more of it. After Jesus returned to heaven, God sent His Spirit, also known as the Spirit of Jesus, to every believer. That day, the Day of Pentecost, the Gospel of Jesus was preached for the first time and thousands were converted. The Church came into being. The lives of those who followed Jesus were transformed with a new power and a new awareness of the presence of God. Three huge things to celebrate: the glorious Gospel, the birthday of the church, and the powerful Spirit of God available to all of us.
It's going to be a momentous time over the next few weeks.
Christopher Frith
From the April 1997 edition of the magazine
June/July 1997
Curate's Letter by Andy Broom
Are you busier now than you were 5 years ago? I guess for most of us the answer is a resounding "yes". Whilst some of us do know the frustration of having time on our hands, for most being busy is a way of life.
The tragedy is that leading busier and busier lives doesn't actually lead to any greater sense of fulfilment or happiness. We try to make the most of every opportunity, to cram as much in as possible, but find little joy in our much-doing.
Yet busyness seems unstoppable. It's self perpetuating -how do we stop it? I moan about being busy a lot, but still find myself becoming busier. Clearly it takes more than just complaining to change things! What are we to do?
Is better 'time management' the answer? Do we need to change our working practices and lifestyles to become more efficient? It might help, or it might just enable us to do more ...and so become busier! I suspect the only real answer lies with more radical action:
- ensuring above all else our relationship with God is healthy so we're not alone in our battle with busyness and have his perspective on our lives.
- deciding to have quality time for ourselves and our families, and not feel guilty when we do!
- if it's not possible to make time for these by being more efficient, then quite simply, do less. looking deep within at that part which drives us on to be busy.
Jesus said, "I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full." That's his desire for us - if busyness is a problem, let's find ways to be less busy so we can enjoy the life we have.
Andy Broom
From the June1997 edition of the magazine
August/September 1997
My predecessor, the Revd. Vyvyan Watts-Jones, died on 1st June. Many, many people in our parish give thanks to God for him and send their love to his wife Gill and their family. An appreciation of Vyv can be found here.
I have been reflecting on what a good person he was to follow. St. Thomas' obviously turned a big corner in his time. Not only did the church grow numerically, but many members grew individually in spiritual awareness and willingness to serve. With encouragement from Vyv and Gill, they discovered that they could do things they would never have dreamt of attempting. In addition, a lovely corporate feel to the Church developed, with a mixture of such varied people with a wide array of contributions.
I much regret that we haven't managed to carry through the re-ordering of St. Thomas', a project, dear to Vyv.'s heart, in his lifetime. However, when it is eventually done, we can be reminded of him again and thank God for such a remarkable personality.
It is holiday time and I hope you are able to get away. Our world is ridiculously frantic and we need regular breaks, just to recharge our batteries.
God intends our lives to have rhythm. There should be plenty of work (paid or unpaid) and regular play as well. Without recreation and rest, we become frazzled, bored, exhausted, or all three. "On the seventh day, God rested from all his work", we read right at the beginning of the Bible. He was setting a pattern for everyone to follow.
So, whether at home or away, enjoy a really good break.
Christopher Frith
From the August 1997 edition of the magazine
October/November 1997
She was only 36. She had championed famously the victims of AIDS, leprosy, and landmines. Her face was probably the most recognizable in the world and now it will "dazzle for decades like Marilyn Monroe's, and never grow old."
I write after the amazing, heart-rending funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. It was ironically the moment she had longed for, her Coronation as "Queen of people's hearts." 'The nation has been touched deeply by this remarkable, beautiful and compassionate woman, described tellingly as a combination of Cindy Crawford and Mother Teresa. The tragedy -and she is surely a genuinely tragic figure -of her death has been hard to take in.
By the time this is read, three or more weeks after being written, millions more words will have been written, further revelations may have been made and our perspective will be more realistic. Just now, various simple thoughts occur to me.
- I wish we could learn to express our love and gratitude to people during their life-time, rather than saving it for when they die. Diana almost certainly had no idea how much she was loved.
- How often we want to have our cake and eat it. The unhappy Princess hated the world's intrusive telephoto lenses yet she loved them. She was hounded by them and yet she used them to outflank her former husband. Without them she wouldn't have been such a star. It is a difficult balance and the debate about the right boundaries for the media is an important one.
- Death can strike at any time, often when least expected. The only way to be ready is to be on good terms with our God. He is constantly available, beckoning us to come to Him. "Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2)
Christopher Frith
From the October 1997 edition of the magazine
December 1997/January 1998
"Words, words, I'm sick of words," sang Eliza Doolittle. Many of us use far too many words, often without thinking first. But, words can be good, positive, comforting, inspiring...
Come to one of our Carol Services - and I warmly invite you to do so - And you will hear the haunting words which begin John's Gospel: "In the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with God and the WORD was God .... The WORD became flesh anti lived,/or a while among us. We have seen his glory..."
We express ourselves in words and God expresses himself through his WORD, Jesus Christ. He's saying to every one of us
"YOU MATTER TO ME." In the complex, impersonal, frantic and uncaring world, we can feel like invisible microchips. God has become part of it all arid shared our human existence. Someone has described it as "the most spectacular instance of cultural identification in the history of the world". He took our nature, lived our life, experienced our sorrows, felt our pain - and bore our sin. He couldn't possibly have identified more deeply with what. we go through. The message is unmistakeable: we do matter, we are significant.
"I WANT TO HELP YOU.- The most typical words of ,Jesus were to be "Come to me". He constantly invites us to be his friend and, in so doing, to find our lives transformed.
The Christmas message, God's WORD to us, is so very appropriate. Enjoy it.
P.S. A Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year to every reader.
Christopher Frith
From the December 1997 edition of the magazine
Rector's Letters 1998
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