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1991 Thoughts on Being Made Redundant 1991 The New Age Movement -a warning by Jonathan Jee 1991 Industrial Mission Comment -Industry's Pursuit of Money 1991 Sunday Trading 1991 Sunday is Still Special 1992 The Christian’s Vote 1992 Christian Election Forum -March 1992 1993 Christian Healing 1994 The Year of the Family -Rob Parsons 1994 The Ordination of Women - by Sheila Pite and Judith Henderson 1994 The Ordination of Women Priests -by the Bishop of Derby 1995 Your Legacy will Help 2008 Why was Easter so Early this Year? 2008 Mental Health Awareness 2008 The Lambeth Conference -2008 2009 Are Men Becoming Extinct? -in church 2009 God in Parliament 2010 Could you be a Street Pastor? 2011 The Church in today's culture 2011 66 Cities, 66 Days, 66 Books -of the Bible Thoughts on being made Redundant (February 1989 edition of magazine) It was a Friday afternoon when Tony was told that he was to be made redundant. It was like a blow in the face. On his way home, he sat down on a bench for half an hour to think. 'This morning I was in charge of a department. Who am I now?' he wondered. A friend at his church heard about it, and encouraged Tony to say just what he felt: the anger, the disbelief, the guilt (have I brought this on myself, perhaps?) 'Being made redundant is like being bereaved,' his friend said. 'You've got to work out your feelings of grief; that's natural.' So he suggested that Tony should contact other people made redundant at the same time, that they should meet for a meal and affirm all that working together had meant over the years. He also encouraged Tony to set down on paper a list of all his problems: no job, no money coming in, bills to be paid, lack of identity. And alongside it a list of all his assets, skills (some he'd forgotten), contacts, friendships, opportunities. The problems were still there, but setting them down like this made it easier to see how to cope with them. 'But you've also got to put it into perspective,' he said. `Jobs may become redundant, but in the sight of God, people never are. Whether you are a head of department or not, you still matter to God.' Ian Yearsley The New Age Movement (October 1990 edition of magazine) Last week, along with many other husbands, I found myself at Meadowhall. Among all the clothes shops and department stores was a bookshop. Standing alongside the usual sections on sport, fiction, cookery etc was a section headed ‘New Age’. The range of titles in that section was considerable: yoga, alternative medicines, hypnosis, tarot and clairvoyance, healthy eating, buddhism, green issues and much more. The diversity of the New Age movement is remarkable; it is a confusing jumble of eastern religions the occult, secular humanism and alternative lifestyles. You may come across almost anywhere and at first sight it can be attractive, especially those areas which focus on inner peace and concern for the environment. New Age Belief However, there is more to it than meets the eye, for uniting this loose network of New Age organisations is a world view opposed to Christianity. Two key terms in New Age thinking are 'monism' and 'pantheism'. Monism teaches that man and god and everything created is one. There is no difference between a person, a plant, a planet and a paper bag. There is no difference between good and evil - science and the occult are equally OK. Pantheism tells us that all is god. Shirley Maclaine, one of the foremost ambassadors of the New Age, puts it like this: "if everyone was taught one basic spiritual law your world would be a happier and healthy place. And that law is this - Everyone is God. Everyone." In other words New Agers believe that man is God and has created God in his own image. They tell us that our problem is not sin but ignorance - all we need is to discover and develop our divinity by expanding our consciousness. Hence all the eastern religious forms of meditation. All this is, of course, poles apart from Biblical Christianity. The Bible teaches that God created the world and everything in it, including men and women; the New Age tells us that we are God. The Bible tells us that we are cut off from God because of our sin, but that Jesus dealt with sin on the cross and provided a way back to God; New Agers tell us that we are fine as we are if only we would realise it. Through the Bible, God encourages us to develop our relationship with Him as Father through prayer and meditating on His Word; New Agers want us to focus inside ourselves, which is also called meditation but is not what the Bible means. New Age Roots Where then does the New Age come from? Much of it is not new at all but the old alternative religions in modern dress. Time magazine calls the New Age an "esoteric blend of computer-age jargon and ancient religious practice." There is clearly much that stems from eastern religions and from the occult. Some of the 'new' comes from astrology. Astrologers interpret the purely astronomical shifting of the vernal equinox through a new constellation as affecting the fate of planet earth. They tell us that we are passing from the age of Pisces (fish) to the age of Aquarius (water-bearer); as Christians have taken the fish as one of their symbols, so Christianity belongs to the old age. With the arrival of the new age of Aquarius we are told that we have outgrown Christianity. Christian Response What then should our reaction to all this be? First we must be aware of the values behind New Age practice and thinking. We may welcome the concern for the environment but not the tendency to worship "Mother Earth". We worship the God who made the earth and are to be responsible stewards of our planet. Secondly, we may welcome the recognition that there is more to life than the material. However, we must recognise our failure as the Church to lead people to that relationship with God as Father through Jesus, which alone can satisfy the needs of our souls. Because of our lack of confidence in the gospel of salvation people have looked elsewhere for spiritual reality. Thirdly, we must not let the spirit of the New Age infiltrate the Church. We must expose the deceit of the New Agers' claim to perfect peace and resist the lie that man is god. Lastly, and most importantly, we must proclaim the glorious good news about Jesus with energy to our needy world. He alone can satisfy our spiritual hunger. We must make the most of the coming decade of evangelism to proclaim the true new age which dawned with the life, death and resurrection of our Lord. Jonathan Jee Industrial Mission Comment (August 1991 edition of magazine) Industry's Pursuit of Money Meeting people in factories and offices as chaplain leads to a wide variety of subjects being discussed. Many are about the routines and current happenings of the work place, company and nation. Many are about people's personal interests or concerns. Many appear very secular in nature, but some are obviously religious. Most, perhaps lie somewhere in between with the spiritual element concealed within the matter being discussed. The pressures of recession are making life more difficult for management and less secure or workers. Difficulties in selling are hitting the profitability of many companies. That puts more pressure on companies to take unpalatable short-term decisions and to make cuts to ensure the profitability or survival of the company. So redundancies and unemployment rise once again. This comes on top of existing pressures. There is the pressure to change and often improve work and product standards, to meet the new European standards which will be in place by the end of 1992. Alongside that has been the continuing discussion of money and profit, cost-cutting and efficiency. Those financial pressures continue to exercise minds. Yet over the last year or so another concern seems to have been coming to the surface - to bring human and ethical values back to prominence in company priorities. The change is not obvious in all companies. A few have already made considerable progress, while some others are aware of the need to take these matters seriously. In particular, business ethics is receiving increased attention. The recession, however, is now hindering this development. Behind all this are issues about the role of money in industry and about the priority to be given to people. From a Christian point of view, money must always be a servant, never a master. As a master, it becomes an oppressive idol. Part of the debate between Church and Government in the 1980's was about whether money was becoming a master. Money is a useful measure of the financial health of a company and its use of resources. If it is the only aim or the main one, it is likely to trample on human needs and the spirit of genuine service to customers and workforce, local community and the environment. The Spirit of Christ, showing us the way of God's love, warns us not to measure things only by external standards like money. It calls us to ways of service, to consider what part of the cost of loving we can carry, to an appreciation of the value of the very great diversity between people and organisations, created and given to us by God. The values and assumptions by which we work need to take into account the generosity and the delicate balance of God's creation. Seen in that context, a greater emphasis on human and ethical matters is to be welcomed and encouraged by the Church. How many businessmen and workers in our churches have an opportunity to consider the struggles of their work, planning and decision-making in the light of a Christian view of the created world and of people? They deserve our support and help as they seek to improve the effectiveness of industry, and to balance an inconsistent and conflicting variety of needs and priorities, in the context of God's continuing work of creation. Vernon Brooke, Industrial Chaplain Sunday Trading (June 1991 edition of magazine) How do you feel about Sunday Trading? Should it concern you! What can you do about it? May I suggest that we all have a voice in the debate about Sunday Trading. It concerns every one of us. At this time of probable change let your opinions be known. In preparation for a coming general election the parties will be considering their manifestoes. Letters or opinions expressed by voters may influence these. No doubt the 1950 Shops Act needs rethinking but we should be careful not to 'throw the baby out with the bath water' and lose all its safeguards. Total deregulation of trading laws would have a detrimental effect on society, (and don't be misled, that's what’s at stake). B and Q and others are breaking the current taw to try to force the issue. Local government is becoming fearful of enforcing the law as they may face huge financial claims for loss of earnings. It's a case of big business bullying local councils. Is that what you want? Consider the following. Who would be expected to work? Many would be poorly paid part time shop workers (probably mums) who would be afraid to turn down Sunday work. Eventually we would need a full complement of service personnel, such as bus drivers, traffic wardens, police etc. What about their families and leisure. Enhanced rates of pay e.g. double time for those who need to work in maintenance and safety work would eventually disappear. Please make yourself aware of the likely repercussions. There would also be extra traffic, extra congestion, extra noise, extra prices (many companies acknowledge that to open seven days would not be ultimately viable) people only have a certain amount to spend, after all. Energy consumption and therefore pollution would also be greater. Please think about these issues and educate yourself to the probable consequences. Send for details of the Keep Sunday Special and R.E.S.T. (Recreation, Emergencies, Social gatherings and Travel) proposals and then try to influence the powers that be. You notice, I haven't mentioned the freedom to worship yet! What price that? If you are a church goer please think deeply about it, if you are, please begin by praying about it and then doing something about it. Whatever you do, don't let Sunday disappear by default! Thank You Alan Sheldon Sunday is Still Special (October 1991 edition of magazine) The excellent piece by Alan Sheldon in the June edition of Spearhead prompts me to write on a topic which has caused me much agonising and seems laden with the potential for hypocrisy. We decided some years ago to be more particular about keeping the Sabbath. This has resulted in many failures, like allowing workmen on our extension on Sunday, taking Grandma out for meals and making exceptions for holidays. If your reaction is that this is not a failure, then think about your attitudes to how others use Sunday. Keeping the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8, Mark 2:27) can be viewed in three aspects: how we keep it, how that affects others and how we seek to impose our views on others. How we should keep Sunday appears pretty straightforward don't work and don't cause others to work. But Jesus made it clear that this didn't exclude gathering food (but see Exodus regarding Mana.) or did it exclude doing good. Importantly Jesus made it clear that it included worshipping God. Where do we draw the line? Sunday should not be so full of Church activity that it leaves us exhausted! Gardening is not work for many of because they find it relaxing. I may find do-it-yourself or washing the car relaxing. Does it only become work if it saves us money, or if it makes us tired, or if we would normally do it on a weekday?' My point really is that if you make an exception to the no work rule for yourself, how can you comment on others' use of the day? Shops appear to be a definite no-no. But what about Stately Homes or meals out? How can we have a pub meal and then criticise someone who couldn't afford that who buys groceries on a Sunday? So, how does our Sunday affect others? We've cut out visits to the shops, petrol stations and public attractions. But what about the Sunday paper (or the Monday paper for that matter). Our system of electricity supply relies on low efficiency stations being used only if demand is high enough. Your cooked meal may up the balance. Our television companies only put on programmes which people watch - otherwise advertisers won't pay. So your viewing ensures people work on Sunday. Would the BBC screen the Wimbledon final if nobody watched on Sundays? (You can't use the argument that it would be on anyway, because that also applies to shops!) And how do we judge others? If you are happy reading a Sunday paper, why can't I go to B and Q on Sunday? If I spend Sunday afternoon painting the hall, why shouldn't my neighbour get in some overtime? I am particularly conscious of people who work six paid days a week, as I have often done so. Many live away from home. When are they supposed to get to the shops? Do you have time to wash the car or mow the lawn during the week - well, many don't. This all sounds very negative, so what are the answers? Firstly let's get our own houses in order. Does our Sunday schedule give time to Worship God, share with our family and friends, and to relax and have a change from the rest of the week? Do we do everything we can to avoid making others work on Sunday? If we approach this honestly, we should be revived by our Sunday to show others how theirs should be kept. But please, if we are signing petitions let's first ensure we have a clear conscience - KEEP SUNDAY SPECIAL FOR EVERYONE! George Carey - Archbishop of Canterbury: We have got to retain the special nature of Sundays - if we lost that we would never be able to replace it. I recognise some people's desire for access to shops on Sundays, but 1 am not convinced that this is a greater right than the right of others - particularly shopworkers - to spend the day resting or worshipping with their families. Basil Hume - Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster: We seek one day of the week which is a holiday in common, free from normal pressures, providing opportunities for rest, recreation, and alternatives in life, amongst them time for reflection and worship. Donald English - President of the Methodist Conference: Sunday is the day in which 1 want to express my freedom as a Christian to worship with other Christians. David Coffey - General Secretary of the Baptist Union: I believe our freedoms need protecting and Sunday is one of our freedoms. The worker needs to rest, the family requires time together and the Christian should have the opportunity to worship. I hope this present initiative will be supported by the same commitment to prayer which made such a difference to the 1986 campaign. Terry Virgo - House-church leader with nationwide ministry: We were thrilled with God's wonderful mercy and faithfulness in answering our prayers in 1986 We must work to sustain the victory and keep Sunday special so that with the greatest possible liberty we can continue to advance the gospel in our country. Rabbi Sacks - Chief Rabbi of Britain and the Commonwealth: When I was a boy growing up in England, I knew that Sunday was special a holy day Not a holy day in my religion but in Christianity, in the English way of life. You could feel it in the air The Christian’s Vote (April 1992 edition of magazine) "The Church must not get involved in politics." This is a controversial issue; but the individual Christian can and must be involved. What practical steps can a Christian take in discharging his political responsibilities? First, we must acknowledge that the Christian's main duty to society is to pray for our nation, particularly for its leaders "that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in full observance of religion and high standards of morality." Second, a Christian has a duty to employ all constitutional means at his disposal to influence both the appointment and the activities of those who hold political power. Kings in Old Testament times and Governors and Magistrates in New Testament times, were all warned about the consequences of injustice. Third, we are called to be witness to the truth of the Gospel. Jesus says Christians are the salt of the earth and the light of the world thus exercising a purifying and enlightening influence on our society. Assess the Policies No human government is perfect; and no political party can fulfil all the Christian's wishes. A choice has to be made between the parties according to which party is likely to fulfil the proposals, the aims and the promises in the manifesto. In particular, the Christian will ask such questions as: 1. Which party is most likely to alleviate the suffering associated with poverty, malnutrition, ill health, old age, homelessness and unemployment? 2. Which party is most likely to improve the National Health Service, and to deal effectively with the problems of alcoholism, drug addiction, smoking and Aids? 3. Which party is most likely to have a sound educational philosophy, teacher training and resources, and a moral and religious curriculum; and take a stand upon pornography in mass media? 4. Which party is most likely to reduce the problems of racial discrimination and class warfare, extremes of poverty and wealth, industrial strife, vandalism and violence, terrorism and crime, overcrowding and degrading conditions in prisons, and undue delays in the trial of remand prisoners? 5. Which party is most likely to preserve personal rights and freedoms; to remove abuses and injustices; to limit the invasions of privacy; to encourage open government and electoral reform? 6. Which party is most likely to take an initiative in the conservation of the world's beauty and resources; in the solution to the Third World's starvation and diseases; in the preservation of the world's stability and peace; and in the abandonment of the world's nuclear weapons? Assess the Candidate The Christian voter, like any other elector, must make an assessment of the political candidates contesting the election. It may mean considering such questions as: 1. Do I vote for the candidate because of his qualities irrespective of the party to which he belongs; or do I vote for him because of his party allegiance irrespective of his personal views? 2. Do I want a candidate who will always submit to his party line; or do I want an independently minded candidate who will act as his convictions or conscience dictate? 3. Do I want a candidate who represents the centre of the party; or do I want a candidate who is on one or other of the extreme wings of his party? 4. Do I vote for candidate who has little hope of winning the election, because he is the candidate and party of my choice; or do I vote for the next best candidate because he has more chance of being elected; or do I vote for an unsuitable candidate simply to keep out an even less suitable candidate? All this can make voting a difficult, demanding and sometimes disappointing task. No wonder some Christians vote with their feet! Nevertheless, Christians should vote. John Brown (retired clergyman and member of St. Thomas' congregation). Christian Election Forum (June 1992 edition of magazine) 29 March 1992 As the General Election fades into history and life goes on as before, many of us in Chesterfield will remember, amid the heat of the campaign ("Labour Eat Babies"), a meeting in St. Thomas' to hear our local candidates giving a serious explanation of their own policies. Questioners probed the policies on social issues such as health, education, pensions, Sunday trading, abortion and credit. Looking at the lower-profile issues gave an insight into the attitudes of the three men, who treated each other with respect. The emergence of a caricatured Tory attitude provoked vehement interruption from the floor, but things were brought back into control with a skilled piece of chairmanship by t he Rector, who directed tile evening well and fairly. Tony Benn, clearly the most experienced and able speaker, inspired confidence, though he apparently disagreed with Jesus the greatest commandment is 'feed the poor"' cf. Matthew 22:37, 38. Tony Rogers seemed a committed local man who genuinely cared about Chesterfield people. Peter Lewis amused us by admitting the unlikelihood of his winning the seat, but he saw the evening through admirably. If only the national campaign could have resembled this event! J.P. Frith Christain Healing (February 1993 edition of magazine) An Ascension Day service in Chartres Cathedral, France, is devoted to prayer for people who are ill. The healing of the sick has received renewed emphasis among Christians in recent years. Healing was a central part of Jesus' ministry. The name 'Jesus' means one who saves'; and the word 'to save' includes the idea of 'making well'. When Jesus healed people, it was a sign that the world was to be remade, and suffering and death would be done away. But Jesus did more than heal sick bodies: he put right the many things that spoil and divide communities, as he changed relationships, lifted up the downtrodden - forgave sins. When Jesus died he made it possible for all rifts to be healed. On the cross he won the victory over sin and death and the powers that work to destroy our lives, and in his rising again he opened up the way to a new life of wholeness and peace. Should the healing work of Jesus be taken up by his followers? Certainly he commissioned his followers to heal as well as to preach; certainly the apostles were given power to heal in the days of the Acts. For a long time it was thought that such gifts had died out with the apostles, but few believe this now. Many churches have a healing ministry today. The details and emphasis vary: some practice laying on of hands as Jesus did; some anoint with oil as in apostolic times. And many people are healed, to their own great joy. This kind of activity gives a cranky impression to some people. It has received a bad name through so-called 'spiritual healing' or 'faith healing' - depending on the faith' or willpower of the individual, not on the power of Christ to heal. This can sometimes be effective. A strong, positive attitude can help healing. But this is different from Christian healing The signs of a truly Christian approach to healing include:
1994: The Year of the Family (June 1994 edition of magazine) Rob Parsons, Director of CARE for the Family, describes a father who wishes he could turn the clock back when his children 'fly the nest'. This is taken from his book "Caring against all odds". 1. I would love my wife more in front of my children. 2. I would laugh more with my children - at our mistakes and our joys. 3. I would listen more, even to the smallest child. 4. I would be more honest about my own weaknesses, never pretending perfection. 5. I would pray differently for my family - instead of focusing on their shortcomings, I'd focus on mine. 6. I would do more things together with my children. 7. I would encourage them more and bestow more praise. 8. I would pay more attention to little things, like deeds and words of thoughtfulness. 9. I would share God more intimately with my family. Every ordinary thing that happened in every ordinary way I would use to direct them to God. I. You shall love your children. They are not to be kept in cold storage for the church of tomorrow. They have not been sent by the devil to distract you, but by God to enrich you. II. You shall endeavour to form particular friendships with one or two children who are beyond your own blood family circle...as important for your own spiritual development at it is for the children's. III. You shall encourage your children to worship with your congregation and value their presence...you shall be open to the possibility that God can speak through their smiles their questions, their embraces, their wriggling and their responses. IV. You shall extend to your children a warm, personal and appropriate welcome when they come to worship. V. You shall allow children to participate in the leadership of worship as frequently as practicable. However, you shall not make an undue fuss over their participation. VI. You shall not allow your children regularly to run riot in worship by word, deed and spirit. Encourage in the children a calm and reverent frame of mind and appropriate movements. VII. You shall make much of the festivals of the Christian year and other special occasions. VIII. You shall not expect children to be more enthusiastic about your congregation's worship than you are. Rather, you shall encourage your children...and refrain from making them feel guilty when, for a while they tune out. IX. You shall not place undue emphasis on peer groupings and the nuclear family within the life of your congregation. Rather, you shall teach your children to think of their congregation as the extended family of Jesus. X. You shall countenance neither organisation nor attitude which makes it difficult for children regularly to worship with their congregation. The Ordination of Women (April 1994 edition of magazine) The ordination of women began with a wartime emergency for pastoral needs. The Rev Li Tim Oi was priested in 1944 by Bishop R O Hall of Hong Kong in a small southern China city. That decision caused much controversy, and Li Tim Oi ceased to act as a priest. The 1968 Lambeth Conference asked the member churches to study the question of the ordination of women to the priesthood and to report its findings to the Anglican Consultative Council. Very little had been received by way of response before the ACC, at its first meeting in 1971, resolved by 24 votes to 22 that if a bishop (acting with the approval of his Province) ordained a woman to the priesthood "his action will be acceptable to this Council: and that this Council will use its good offices to encourage all Provinces of the Anglican Communion to continue in communion with these dioceses". Thus in 1971 the first two legal ordinations were held in Hong Kong. What next followed were illegal ordinations, "the Philadelphia 11" in the USA in 1974, later regularised by the General Convention when the Province of the USA adopted the legislation to ordain women to all orders in 1976. It is estimated that over 1,400 women serve as priests in the Anglican Communion. Of these over 1,000 are in the Episcopal Church of the United States of America (ECUSA). Apart from Canada (158), New Zealand (120) and Uganda (36), no other Anglican Church had more than 10 women priests in September 1992. The Anglican Communion, as of December 1992, has one diocesan bishop, in New Zealand, an English woman, Penelope Jamieson, and two suffragan bishops in the USA: Barbara Harris, who was the first woman to be consecrated a bishop in the Communion, and Jane Dixon, who was consecrated suffragan bishop of Washington DC in November 1992. Now also, Victoria Matthews was elected suffragan bishop of Toronto, Canada in January 1994. In the Church of England these are significant dates: 1975 Motion that "there are no fundamental objections to the ordination of women to the priesthood" carried. Motion to remove "legal and other barriers" lost in General Synod. 1987 First women deacons ordained in Holy Orders November 1992 Final approval in General Synod to the ordination of women in the priesthood. This legislation was then passed by Parliament and returned to General Synod for a final agreement in February 1993 Judith and Sheila our Curates write: We want to invite all members of the parish to share in the celebration tea at St John's Church Centre, Walton, following our Ordination Service to the priesthood. This is on Saturday, 14th May and will be from 5pm 8pm. The service is in Tideswell Parish Church at 2.30 and we are sorry that we cannot invite you all to be there but you can watch the FA Cup Final instead! We are inviting members of our families and friends from our previous parishes and elsewhere, so we hope that you will join us all and make the tea a very special celebration. On Sunday 15th May, we have each invited a friend to preach at the Communion Service , when we will preside for the first time. Revd David Gregg, former Principal of Romsey House Bible College, Cambridge and now Vicar near Aylesbury, will be at St Peter's and Revd Mike Butterworth from Oak Hill College, North London, will be at St Thomas'. We are looking forward to continuing our ministry with you all and ask that you will pray for us and for all the many other women who in these months from March to July are being ordained as priests. Judith Henderson and Sheila Pite The Ordination of Women Priests (June 1994 edition of magazine) A time for humility, sensitivity and reconciliation by the Rt. Revd. Peter Dawes, Bishop of Derby The Ordination of Women to the Priesthood in Derby Diocese on 14th and 15th May will, in one sense, mark the end of one stage of a process of deliberation and decision-making that has gone on for some years. However, the words- "in one sense" indicate that there is still another last stage which both those in favour as well as those against have stressed, namely that a decision of this nature is fully confirmed only if and when it is more widely accepted both within the Church of England and in due time is endorsed by others. Nevertheless, for all practical purposes, the decision has been taken and women have been, and in the Derby Diocese will be, canonically ordained to the priesthood. I want now to ask how we face the future. Legal Provision We must recognise that parishes, and sometimes families, are divided on this issue. Many of us will be rejoicing with the women being ordained but there are others who are not convinced that Synod has taken the right step. They have had legal provisions made for them whereby a PCC can refuse to have a woman ministering in the parish or can refuse to have a woman in any way in charge of the parish. In addition, a request can be made to me, as Diocesan Bishop, for the services of a Provincial Episcopal Visitor ("the flying bishop"). Some bishops have issued further guidelines for their own dioceses. I do not intend to do so because I think that, firstly, where there are problems these must usually be resolved locally, and it may be that perfectly amicable solutions may be found in quite different ways in different areas. Secondly, it is because I also believe that, while the law, regulations and guidelines have their place in this situation, they cannot be adequate to guide the life of the Church of Christ. The mind of Christ As your Bishop, I want, therefore, to urge that everyone, whether clergy or laity, seeks in all these things to have the mind of Christ. I am writing this just before Holy Week. Can we all seek the humility that leads to the Cross, by way of service to each other in the spirit of Him who washed the disciples' feet? Can we each esteem others better than ourselves? Can we care for those whose consciences in this matter are "weaker" than ours and couple it with a great sensitivity for those who differ from us on this decision? I hope and pray that the way in which we lead our lives in parishes and deaneries - in this as well as in other disagreements within the Church may reflect something of the spirit of that reconciliation which, above all, Christ came to bring. Peter Derby Your Legacy will Help (August 1995 edition of magazine) WHAT IS A LEGACY? A legacy to the church is a means of leaving to it a proportion of your assets after you have died. WHY SHOULD I LEAVE LEGACIES TO THE CHURCH? It is our privilege, as the church family, to provide for continuing Christian work for future generations. Legacies to some parts of the church -parish, diocese, voluntary or missionary society - are acts of thanksgiving to God, and witness to family and friends. Christians are able to prepare positively for death. This should extend to material things. HOW DO I MAKE OR AMEND MY WILL? You can add a short codicil to your existing will, for a charitable legacy. If you have no will, it is better to make one with the help of a solicitor. Go ready prepared with a list of things you own, and names of organisations or individuals to whom you wish to leave legacies. WHO SHOULD I LEAVE A LEGACY TO? Your parish church will find an unconditional legacy very useful, or you may wish to leave it for a specific purpose. You could also contribute to the cathedral or diocese, or nationally to the Central Church Fund, Pensions Board or missionaries societies. This information comes from the Christian Stewardship Committee of the Central Board of Finance of the Church of England. Why was Easter so Early this Year? (April 2008 edition of magazine) Easter Sunday this year (on 23rd March) was unusually early. In fact Easter has not been this early since 1913. The earliest possible date for Easter Sunday is 22nd March, but the last time it was on that day was in 1818. The next time it will fall on 22nd March will be 2285 -277 years time! These dates are determined by complex calculations which go back to the 6th century. Easter is the Sunday after the first full moon on or after 21st March, the day of the spring equinox. (The equinox is the day on which sunset is exactly twelve hours after sunrise.) This year the full moon was on 21st March, and so Easter was on the following Sunday, the 23rd March. There have been many proposals to fix the date of Easter. Parliament passed the Easter Act of 1928 to do just this, but it was never implemented. Mental Health Awareness (April 2008 edition of magazine) Bernard Sproston, Healthcare Chaplain with Derbyshire Mental Health Services NHS Trust tells us about his work and how he is promoting mental health awareness in local churches.
Since working as a chaplain I have come to realise how necessary it is to care for the spirit of a person and also how important spirituality is in the recovery of someone suffering with mental illness. Spirituality is increasingly being identified as having a vital part to play in the recovery from illness and the wellbeing of people. Local churches can provide an enormous resource for people in mental distress, which is likely to affect most of us at sometime during the course of our lives. One in four people will suffer in a year of some form of mental distress but one in six more severely in a lifetime. In 2004 a document ‘Promoting Mental Health’ was published by the Church of England. Other faith communities helped to draw it up. In 2007 St John’s Walton formed a Mental Health Awareness Group to look at the ‘Promoting Mental Health’ document. The group tackled issues raised in the document by applying its content to the needs of St John’s and the parish of Walton. The group identified such needs as having the church doors open at particular times during the week (i.e. Saturday mornings) for local people to seek a sacred space for quietness and prayer. People might be in distress about their own health or that of someone they care for. It was suggested that whilst the church doors were open there could be in attendance trained church members with good listening skills to be able to offer prayerful support if required. Another identified need is the formation of a Befriending Scheme, especially for people feeling isolated and trapped in their own home by mental ill-health (for example depression). People with practical skills would offer their services. A third need is to look at the biblical approach to mental health. These suggestions have been put to the Pastoral Team of St John’s for discussion and hopefully implementation. The meetings attracted interest from further a field than Walton with the result that some members of St Mark’s Brampton launched their own Mental Health Awareness Group in January this year. I see my mission as being to offer help to any church (or group of churches) within the Deanery of Chesterfield that is giving consideration to forming its own Mental Health Awareness Group using as a resource the ‘Promoting Mental’ Health document. The document is not a course to work through from start to finish, neither is it a resource to turn congregations into experts. It provides encouragement for what people are already doing within the church or other faith communities around issues of mental health. It asks churches to be more welcoming to people who are experiencing mental health problems and mental distress and also to give support to carers. The information it contains helps to increase the knowledge, awareness and understanding of mental health and ill health. It is a tool to influence and educate attitudes and behaviour people have towards those with mental health problems. It helps the churches to recognise not only the need but also the contribution that can be made by those who suffer with mental health problems, or their carers, in worship and prayer life. I firmly believe that every church should study ‘Promoting Mental Health’. Bernard Sproston Bernard gave a talk at the January 2008 St Thomas’ Men’s Breakfast on this subject. He was supported by Adrian Brimington, a service user, who gave his testimony on how he became a Christian whilst suffering from mental ill health. The Document ‘Promoting Mental Health’ is available from the Church England web site www.cofe.anglican.org The Lambeth Conference 2008 (August 2008 edition of magazine) The Conference has just finished. Robin Dawson gives us an insight into its history and some of the issues it is facing. Around the middle of July large numbers of men and a few women all wearing purple shirts were welcomed at Heathrow and other ports of entry to the UK. Who were these people? They were bishops of the Anglican Church who with their spouses were coming to the Lambeth Conference. This Lambeth Conference, which takes place in Canterbury, is the fourteenth of a series which started in 1867 and takes place every ten years. What is the Lambeth Conference for? It is a consultative assembly of bishops and is one of the four “instruments of communion” of the Anglican Church. All the provinces of the Anglican Communion are autonomous with the Archbishop of Canterbury is the first among equals. The conference is not a legislative body, although up until this conference it has passed resolutions. At the time of the first conference in 1867 the Anglican Church was growing in the African colonies and was no longer confined purely to the British Isles and North America. Disputes had arisen in the colonies over jurisdictional matters and the Archbishop of Canterbury called the conference to consider these matters. The Archbishop of York did not approve of the conference and was absent with a number of other bishops. As time went on the Lambeth Conference became an accepted part of the scene and the steadily increasing number of resolutions passed became an indication (but not a binding one) of the mind of the Anglican Church. Now the conference is so large that it is held on the campus of the University of Kent at Canterbury while still being called the Lambeth Conference. So for eighteen days from 16 July to 3 August over 850 bishops gathered together at Canterbury. The Archbishop of Canterbury said that the conference was to be a spiritual encounter by the bishops with God and one another. On all the conference days the day started with groups of eight bishops studying the “I am” sayings of Jesus in the gospel of John. Later they gathered in larger “indaba” groups of 40 to discuss the theme for the day. For example on 23 July they considered the bishop and social injustice, on 30 July the bishop and the bible in mission, and so on. (Indaba is a Zulu word to indicate a meeting where things are chewed over without time pressures.) At the same time as the bishops meet their spouses were also meeting to consider what the role of a spouse is, family issues and leadership challenges. A new feature of this conference was the hospitality programme. Many bishops and their spouses who arrived early were given hospitality by the home dioceses in England, Scotland and Wales. Derby diocese gave hospitality to about 20 bishops and their spouses from the Church of North India. I said above that the steadily increasing number of resolutions became an indication of the mind of the Anglican Church. Problems arise when there is no agreement on what the mind is. Since the 1998 conference controversy has smouldered over the resolution that was passed affirming what is seen as the “orthodox” position on homosexuality. In America actions have been taken that have been seen by others as running counter to the mind expressed in the resolution. As a consequence some bishops from South America, Africa and Australia have stated that they would not attend the Lambeth Conference. They consider themselves to be in a state of “impaired communion” with some of their American brothers and sisters, who they feel are not acting in the spirit of the resolution, or in accordance with scripture. As the Lambeth Conference is not, in any case, a rule making body the decision was taken to have no resolutions this time. The conference report that summarises the work of the conference will still be published. What of these bishops who did not attend the Lambeth Conference? Many of them attended GAFCON (Global Anglican Futures Conference) in Jerusalem. The organisers state that it was not an alternative to Lambeth and that was is open to clergy and lay people as well as bishops. The purpose is stated to be to uphold orthodoxy, and to prepare for an Anglican future in which the Gospel is uncompromised and Christ centred mission is a top priority. Some 280 bishops attended. Some also attended Lambeth. It is doubtful whether the world’s news media will accept the statement that GAFCON is not a rival to Lambeth. But media representatives will find it more difficult to write about Lambeth without the focus provided by resolution texts. Maybe that is a good thing. The news media talk about a schism in the church. Two bishops have not been invited to the conference, one from each “side” in the present controversy about homosexuality. Certainly some of the things going on in the North American church (about which the average English Anglican-in-the-pew seems blissfully unaware) would look like schism. So this conference was probably one of the more important Lambeths. As for me, Robin Dawson, I had a small part in this great event. I had access to a web based database of all the travel bookings made by the bishops and my job was to prepare tables of information for hosts dioceses and welcoming teams led by the airport chaplains at Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester. The Heathrow chaplain had a particularly heavy job as his team had to chase around five terminals. At one stage on 10 July some 40 bishops turned up within the hour. Just looking down the lists of names I had prepared helped me appreciate the enormous reach and variety of our Anglican Church. For more information about the Lambeth Conference see www.lambethconference.org For details of instruments of communion see the draft text of the Anglican Covenant see www.anglicancommunion.org/commission/covenant/index.cfm For an interesting summary of the history of the Lambeth Conference see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambeth_Conferences For a mind boggling archive of the text of every Lambeth Conference resolution see www.lambethconference.org/lc2008/resolutions/index.cfm For more information about GAFCON see www.gafcon.org Robin Dawson Are Men Becoming Extinct (in Church)? (April 2009 edition of the magazine) At February’s Men’s Breakfast at St Thomas’ the Rector led a discussion as to why the number of men in the Church is reducing fast and why the ministry to men is so important. Some significant statistics suggest that in the last twenty years 49% of men have left the Church in this country. This is a broad brush statistic and it may vary between denominations and worship styles but for the Church of England it is a true reflection. Statistics also show that that whilst men still dominate the priesthood, two thirds of the Church membership are women (look at our congregation) and the majority of church events are run by women. Even more worrying is that the rate of loss of men from the Church is increasing. If the current rate of loss continues it is predicted that by 2028 men will all but have disappeared from the Church in the UK. This trend is also reflected in the number of men coming forward to become ordained. Since the year 2000 there has been about a 50% drop and the trend is accelerating. What can we learn from others? There is no gender gap in Islam, Buddism, Judaism or Hinduism, nor is it a feature of the Eastern Orthodox Church. So it could be argued that men are still interested in spiritual things. This implies that the Church in the West alienates men and deters them from participating. Why is it so vital to reach out to these missing men? The commitment to Church is generally stronger if both partners are Christians and church goers. If only one is a Christian there can be stresses and strains set up within the family. Again research shows that 93% of families will follow a father to becoming a Christian where as only 17% will follow a mother. Why is it getting harder to get men to come to Church? Is the worship and fellowship that the Church of England (and other churches) offers something that men do not feel comfortable with, cannot relate to or engage with? For example women tend to relate ‘face to face’ with people –they can sit and talk with each other in a group or one to one. Men on the other hand relate ‘side by side’ –they will chat when doing activities together. Asking a man to sit down and tell someone about his faith is not natural. However, if he is on the allotment he is far more likely to talk to his neighbour as they dig together. What can be done to get and keep men in the Church? There are three stages to becoming Christians and Church members. This can be illustrated by three interlocking circles. When they all come together we get a Christian Church member. People can ‘join’ each circle in a different order although the Church’s ‘tradition’ has been behave first, then believe and finally belong. However men usually need to belong first, then believe and then behave. So we have to get men to first belong to the Church –i.e. we need to create a space where men can belong. We need to encourage men to want to come to Church. How can we do this at St Thomas’ and St Peter’s? Social events -are they attractive to men? How often have you heard someone say ‘I won’t come to church –but I’ll come and play cricket with you’ or ‘I’ll come for a meal out or a quiz night’? We need to engage with people where they are comfortable. To try and do this, over the next few months we are organising a number of events including meals out, a walking weekend, a ‘DadFest’ for Dads and their sons and the revival of the church cricket match. (Watch out for more details.) Our services –are they in a style that men want? Do men like our modern worship songs or do they want ‘Stadium Rock’ type music where they can really sing out as if they were at a sporting event? Do they want long drawn out services and sermons –or something punchy and to the point? Evangelism and outreach to others –where and what sort of things are men good at or are prepared to do? As Matt said in a sermon recently –we all have a role to play in evangelism. We need to get on and reach out to men or else they will be an extinct breed in Church. Listen to the sermon referred to: ‘Being Resolved to Share Christ Consistently’ here The Church has often functioned under this paradigm: 1. Behave -an outsider must first prove that they can behave. 2. Believe -if they prove that they can behave, then the Church will help them learn how and what to believe. 3. Belong -once they prove that they can behave and they have learnt to believe, then the Church will let them belong. Jesus works under a different paradigm: 1. Belong -Jesus lives in a way that he gives value and dignity to everyone. ‘Sinners’ wanted to be around him and he accepted them. He gave them a sense of belonging. 2. Believe -it is through belonging that Jesus teaches people how and what to believe. 3. Behave -after being accepted and being brought to faith (belief), Jesus teaches people to behave and live as he wants them to.Jesus' model is the better. Many churches (including ours) have slogans like ‘Come just as you are’ and/or, ‘All are welcome here’; but do we welcome everyone? God in Parliament (June 2009 edition of the magazine) We believe that Christian principles and prayer should underpin any important decisions made. Where then can these be more important than for arguably the most important decision making body in the country –Parliament? Jeremy Paxman observes in his book The Political Animal: "Although politics is an intensely earthly trade, it is noticeable that religious belief seems to be much higher among members of the Houses of Parliament than in the country at large." It is thus perhaps not surprising that life in the Palace of Westminster, which, when it is sitting has over 8000 people working in it, includes a whole plethora of church activities including worship, bible study, fellowship and prayer. Each daily session of Parliament is opened with prayers by the Speaker's chaplain in the House of Commons and by the Bishop's Chaplain in the House of Lords. (There are no multi -faith prayers.) The practice of prayers is believed to have started in about 1558 and the present form of prayers probably dates from the reign of Charles II in the seventeenth century. In addition there are masses, communion services and other prayer services for MPs, peers and political and house staff. There are several Christian groups at Westminster including the Christian Socialist Movement, the Conservative Christian Fellowship and the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum. A key organisation is the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship which seeks to support and resource the diverse and numerous Christian activities to promote a stronger Christian voice in Parliament. Prayer has an important role. In 2005 a group of Christian MPs who were on retreat together received a word of prophecy from 2 Chronicles 7:14: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land". In response to this a 24/7 week of round the clock prayer was organised for Parliament. This brought together many of the existing prayer meetings inside the House, as well as external activities, to pray for the government and the country. There were prayer walks, praise and worship meetings, bible studies and many other events. Local Westminster churches including Westminster Cathedral were also involved. This both created media interest and helped encourage the Church nationally to pray for politicians and government more. The week was characterised by a sense of repentance and expectancy that God would act. This really inspired the Christian community on site. Another significant development during the week was the coming together of Christian groups from Westminster and Whitehall for the first time. This resulted in an on going relationship including the running of joint Alpha courses. The 24/7 Prayer week is now an annual event providing a focus for God's power and an inspiration for a new generation to see politics as mission and Parliament as the mission field. This year it will be from Sunday May 31-Saturday June 6. As secular ideologies and political solutions continue to be exposed as lacking the capacity to address the problems and challenges in our world, it is more important than ever that we, who are followers of Jesus, pray for and speak prophetically into politics and government. The floor of the Central Lobby at Westminster is encircled with the words "Unless the Lord builds the House, the builders labour in vain" (Psalm 127.1). How true this is. Some useful web links to look at: Prayer for Parliament Christians in Parliament Could you be a Street Pastor? (August 2010 edition of the magazine) If you are in Chesterfield town centre on a weekend evening, having been to a show at the Winding Wheel or Pomegranate perhaps, you may be surprised and even shocked by what you see and hear. For many, Saturday night in town is something of a ‘no go’ area: noisy, drunken, sometimes distasteful and a place to escape from as quickly as possible. Can or should the churches be doing anything? Yes, but is it a case of ‘Here am I, send him’. The New Life congregation made a few expeditions into the town centre scene, armed with bottles of water and lots of good will. They were well received, but they could not keep it up. Now Christians Together for Chesterfield is looking at setting up Street Pastors in Chesterfield. Elsewhere in numerous towns and cities Street Pastors have started and they are achieving a good deal. Virtually everywhere they go there is a considerable increase in goodwill towards Christians and the church and a drop in petty crime. So how is it done? The local churches seek out suitable people, not necessarily just the young, who are willing to be out on the streets at least one night a month as Street Pastors. Wearing high visibility jackets they support the police and the licensed trade by providing a sober, kindly and friendly presence. They routinely hand out flip-flops to girls whose fancy footwear has got damaged and ‘spikeys’ to protect drinks from being interfered with. They can also help with basic first aid. Street Pastors are friendly and open conversations with anyone and everyone. They have radio support linked to the police, CCTV and Pub Watch. All this is supported by prayer in the local headquarters and elsewhere. There is a national framework for this work provided by the Ascension Trust. The Trust lay down standards and provide training. You are invited to come to an open meeting of the Christians Together Forum in September (date to be confirmed) where a representative of the Ascension Trust will speak, provide more information, and (we hope) recommend that we be licensed to proceed with the training of twenty volunteers with a view to an official launch in the New Year of 2011. Keep up to date on the Chesterfield Street Pastor page The Church in Today's Culture (April 2011 edition of the magazine) An article based on a blog written by Gaz Simmonds, our Parish Assistant and Worship Leader. As the world moves on, patterns in culture move on and, I believe, the church should not be left behind. Walk up the high street past places such as Starbucks, PC World, Next and HMV. Look in and see people buying coffee, the latest gadgets, fashions or music. These things, although different, all have something in common. They attract a very wide variety of people and are culturally relevant. If Starbucks didn’t use their smart advertising and marketing and hadn’t made drinking their coffee an experience that people want to repeat, then they wouldn’t attract the number of customers they do. What about the church? We may not describe ourselves as having a ‘product’ to sell but we have certainly got something to promote in the world of today. Scripture calls us to be ‘in the world, but not of it’. However many churches seem to have disconnected themselves from today’s world, either by choice but usually because they just cannot ‘keep up’ with what people expect today. The church is first and foremost for God, to bring glory to His name and to lift Him high. Secondly church is about the people; it’s about the family of God coming together to know Christ. We need to engage with and make our church relevant to non-churched people. Being culturally relevant does not mean all churches needs to look like a Hillsong church. Although they attract many non church people, there is a need for many different styles of church. Starbucks is not for everyone, so there other coffee shops such as Costa Cafe, Coffee Nero and even the traditional Old Corner Coffee Shop, all which can also do a good trade. However they all know how to reach and keep their potential customers. We must be doing something right as we have seen many new people coming to St Thomas’. The challenge for us is how to engage with the many who are still outside the church. Hillsong Church gets its name from the Hills district of Sydney, Australia where the church was founded in 1983. The Church is well known for its passionate and heart felt praising, but more than this, it has led thousands of people from all different cultures and backgrounds back to the Bible and to God. 66 Cities, 66 Days, 66 Books of the Bible (December 2011 edition of magazine) The Bible contains 66 books and the UK has 66 cities. To celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible, in September the Rev Victor Robert Farrell set off to preach from a different book in a different city on consecutive days. His 3,300 mile journey ended at his 66th and final city, London, on 16 November (16/11 –the KJ Bible was published in 1611.) Robert answers a few questions about his challenge.
It was daunting and demanding and needed a great deal of faith. I would turn up in each city like An Idiot Abroad (Carl Pilkington) and tell people that I had until midnight to find several venues in their city to preach from the Bible ‘Book of the Day’ and find somewhere to sleep. Being a preacher I prefer Coward’s Castle, the pulpit. So to turn up and have to find somewhere to speak, which often ended up being in the open air was like naked bungee jumping to me! Was it worth it? Certainly, it has been wonderful. I met some fantastic people and have had some fantastic experiences. I couldn’t have planned it better! |
