Have you made up your mind yet?For some, the answer is no. We have not decided who to vote for or indeed if we are going to vote at all. But for many ... we know where we will put our cross on election day... The bible challenges us to be involved, to play our part in building the Kingdom of justice, mercy and peace that Jesus proclaims and which those of us who seek to know and share Jesus’ love must by definition be committed.These weeks do therefore matter, whether we have made up our minds or not ... because they call us to be engaged in the great debate about what sort of society we want to be, what sort of country, as we play our part in an increasingly fragile world order. We each have our part to play, to ask questions and seek truth, to look beyond our own immediate need to the needs of others, asking as Jesus does of us, who is my neighbour, and to encourage others, especially the young who are far less likely to vote, not to give in but to play their part to vote.My prayer is first that in this diocese we will play our part, in our daily conversation, for some of different parties in campaigning itself, and for all of us in our engagement in the debate. That we will make our voice heard, speaking respectfully, and respectfully inviting the voice of others, including those who take a different perspective from ourselves. That we will be able to participate in or even hold hustings to hear from the various candidates.One small step you can do now is to sign up to Pray your Part – the Church of England’s national resource with daily reflections and the encouragement to pray.My prayer beyond these next weeks is that the government we elect may be one that reflects the vales of God’s Kingdom, in which God’s will is done on earth as in heaven and in which each will have their daily bread.It is a big prayer, but it begins with being involved.
Coffee Pot is held in the Church Centre every Tuesday from 10 -11.30am during school term time and provides a relaxed and welcoming environment for parents and children, from birth to pre-school, to meet and socialize. Every week the hall is filled with a colourful array of toys ready for playtime to start, including a toddler trampoline, a slide, activity mats, ride on toys and an amazing dolls house.Each session is structured to include playtime, craft, a story and songs, which many of the parents have said that they appreciate as this encourages everyone to interact and provides a range of engaging activities for the babies and toddlers. There is a break for drinks and snacks too! Recently Coffee Pot celebrated Easter by sharing the story of Easter and why it is celebrated by Christians.The children made Easter decorations, creating lots of bright and cheerful rabbits and chicks. At the end of the morning, after much fun and fellowship, there was a lively sing song with plenty of actions which everyone of all ages enjoyed! Amazingly the children also had fun helping to tidy up, especially when it was time to roll up the big carpet!
David writes: 'For Japanese people the way that things are done is all important. In fact, it’s so ingrained in the culture that many aspects of Japanese culture are called “the way of…”. For example, Japanese calligraphy is Shodo - “the way of writing”, flower arranging is kado - “the way flowers” and Judo can be translated as “the gentle way”. But there is one Way that influences Japan above all others, Shinto – “the way of the gods”. If you go to Japan you’ll see in every town and city, and even dotted around the countryside large red gates. These are torii and they all have the same shape, two vertical pillars and two horizonal beams at the top painted red, and a thin roof, usually black, on top. Some torii are small, some are large, they can stand on their own, or with others that create a kind of tunnel. But they all have the same function, they are the entrance to a Shinto shrine. For Japanese it’s more than that, they represent the divide between the unclean world and the clean, between the mundane world and holy. For many Japanese this is the entrance to what their lives are built on. But here’s the strange thing, most Japanese would tell you that they aren’t religious. And in day-to-day life you would be hard pressed to see anything overtly religious in the average Japanese person’s life. But it’s there, under your feet. The way of the gods has become the cultural bedrock of Japanese society. Japanese aren’t religious, but they’ll all go to a shrine on New Year’s Day. Japanese aren’t religious, but a company might have a meeting where the employees pray for financial success in the coming year. Japanese aren’t religious, but they’ll take part in a festival where an idol is paraded through their town. The Japanese aren’t religious, except for when they are being Japanese.'David and his family are nurturing friendships in Japan and sharing the good news that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6 )
David writes: 'Today is an important day for our neighbours the Mori family. It’s a bright autumn morning in 2023 and a car pulls up outside the remains of their house. For the last few weeks, the old house opposite us has been torn down and cleared away. Thankfully though, this situation is not the result of an earthquake. No, the Mori family are building a new home and today the first worker appears on the construction site. But this worker doesn’t wear a hardhat or a fluorescent jacket, instead he has a briefcase and is wearing a long robe. This person is a priest from the local Shinto shrine. A representative of Japan’s traditional religion and he’s there to purify the land and invoke blessings for the new house that will be built there. Standing in the middle of the empty building site the priest sets up a small, temporary shrine and begins his work. As he recites the blessing liturgy, he scatters salt on the ground. The priest is there for only a few minutes before he leaves but for the average Japanese person, he has done something very important. For the Mori family he has blessed the ground that they will build their house, and their home, on. A few months later the house is complete, the construction equipment has been removed and the family moves in. And the family starts this new chapter of their life built on the prayers, and salt, of a Shinto priest.'David and his family are in Japan building relationships and sharing the good news that Jesus is the only true foundation for our lives.
