FROM THE MISITRY TEAM This morning, I was trying, with the benefit of Google Maps, to find the best route from Coddenham to Ipswich station. My usual route, along the Henley Road, was closed. Much to my surprise, there were too many alternatives, on top of one another, to make sense of them on my phone! Did I prefer to go through Barham, Sproughton, or via the Asda junction, the Norwich Road, or down the Hadleigh Road, or via Westerfield, or a back road through Hemingstone – heaven help if a lorry had tried that! There were so many close to home and one another, that my usual alternative route via Witnesham didn’t even show up! I’ve just checked again and the shortest route currently involves the A14 and the Wherstead Road! Recently, we’ve suffered more than usual, I think, with potholes (about which much has been said elsewhere!) road works and road closures. A journey that might normally take 15 or 20 minutes can end up taking 30 or 40 or longer, as we navigate the diversions. To say nothing about the effect of traffic light controlled road works which – often three way controlled - can be a nightmare on popular roads at peak times. Just a drive into Ipswich earlier this week necessitated three longish waits and I imagine road works and traffic lights contributed to the myriad options I was given this morning. It struck me, as I was thinking about this, how often our journeys by road raise practical issues that you could say mirror the mental and spiritual issues we face in our journeys through life. Quite a light-hearted thought, maybe, but with a serious note underneath. How often do we plan on a course of action, but, through no fault of our own, often because of something outside our control, we are diverted from that path. Sometimes we feel lost as a result, directionless where we had thought that we knew where we were going. It can often be very difficult to navigate an alternative path to get to the same end point – to know the pitfalls or complications that might be involved in the different choices available to us. Sometimes, we face traffic lights which delay us in our journeys and something we want or are working towards, is put off into the future. We are not always patient and happy to wait. We are used to keeping a weather eye out for potholes but from time to time one catches us unawares and we shudder as the car bounces into some very deep holes and we can’t see the damage that’s been done. The same is true of life. How may times are we faced with health issues, job or relationship problems, that hit us when least expected and can leave us unsettled and anxious. Think, too, about the choices we have to make, even when the roads are flowing freely. Do we need to turn right or left at a junction, which exit should we take off a roundabout? Is it safe to go faster at this point, overtake someone in front of us? In all that we face in life, all the choices we make, or the hurdles we encounter, we can take strength, courage, support and advice from Jesus and what we learn of him from his words and actions 2000 years ago as well as from the words of those who came after him and continued his work. Jesus can, if we are prepared to learn from him, show us the right path to follow, and help us to find it again if we become diverted. He will encourage us to resist temptations around us – it is so easy to be caught up with material possessions and lose sight of what is really important. If we welcome him, he can be with us in times of trouble, helping our anxieties and bringing us calm and peace. And when we are sorry for the things that we’ve done that are wrong, he forgives us. He tells us that we should love one another. This type of love – which St Paul subsequently wrote about - is not the sort of romantic love we see in films, (although Paul’s words are very appropriate when a couple looks to marry and is thinking of a template for their relationship) or what we might say when we feel more than liking for something – I love ice cream or I love football. Paul says that if you love, you’re patient and kind. You don’t envy or boast and you’re not proud. You’re not rude or self seeking, not easily angered and you don’t keep a record of wrong doing. This love rejoices in the truth. It protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres. He finishes by saying that three things remain: faith, hope and love and that the greatest of these is love. All that explains the love that Jesus and his Father have for us. So whether you’re facing or you’ve fallen into a pothole, you’ve been forced off the path you were on and are lost or delayed, or if you have choices in front of you as to what path to take, remember what St Paul said and let the love that he spoke of, the love of Jesus and his father guide you, support you and give you courage and peace. Rev Helen Norris
As many of you know, I was fortunate in March to have been able to trek to the top of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The summit is at a height of 5,895 metres (19,341 ft) above sea level and Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain in the world. It is interesting in having five different climate zones: an agricultural zone, through which we drove, before setting off at 2,100m through rainforest; then moorland, then alpine desert and finally the ‘Arctic’ zone, with its rock, scree, snow and ice. We trekked for 6 ½ days up, taking the longer Lemosho route in from the west to give ourselves more time to acclimatise, as well as see more scenery, and 1 ½ days down via the shorter Mweka route to the south to 1,800m. The summit ascent day was quite a gruelling one, setting off from a camp at 4,600m at 11.30 p.m., ascending by the light of our headtorches through the night until dawn and finally reaching Uhuru peak at 10.20 a.m. Then the long descent to the camp at 4,600m where we had a 1 hour kip and a meal, before descending to a lower camp at 3,900m, the last hour and a half again in darkness. But we had made it! As I write this, I have just been celebrating another ascent, Jesus’s ascension, 40 days on from his resurrection on that first Easter Sunday, with an encouraging Ascension Day service at Crowfield. And by the time you read this, Pentecost will also have been celebrated, marking the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples, 50 days on from Jesus’s resurrection. Following which, we are, in the church’s calendar, into ‘ordinary time’. In June, people celebrated in the church’s calendar include the hymnwriter Thomas Ken (on 8th), St Columba of Iona (on 9th), St Barnabas, Paul’s companion on some of his missionary travels (on 11th), Richard of Chichester (on 16th), St Alban, the first martyr of Britain (on 22nd) and St Peter and St Paul (on 29th). Thomas Ken is famous for his great doxology: Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow, Praise Him, all creatures here below, Praise Him above, Angelic host, Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. St Columba wrote the prayer: My dearest Lord, be thou a bright flame before me, be thou a guiding star above me, be thou a smooth path beneath me, be thou a kindly shepherd behind me, today and for evermore. And Richard of Chichester wrote the prayer: Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits thou hast given me, for all the pains and insults thou hast born for me. O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother, may I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly, day by day. I hope you will find these all helpful to recall and recite. Henry StanfordReader
FROM THE MINISTRY TEAM I had wished for some time that I could locate a book or two that would give me stuff that is motivating, informative, not too academic and full of common sense that would provide me with some hours of interesting reading. I had seriously hoped that they would help to direct my mind towards understanding the decisions made by leaders of various countries and faith groups around our world. Then came Christmas and it wasn’t a chocolate, sock or scarf Christmas it was a book Christmas. First one, ‘Going to Church in Medieval England’, informative, second one, ‘How to save The Church of England’, worth sharing, and if you have read it worth reading again me thinks. I will share a bit with you as we are still in an interregnum. I quote from ‘Final Observations’. ‘We need to rethink how we allocate our resources. No priest should be expected to shepherd a dozen parishes singlehandedly, nor should they be buried under a mountain of administrative tasks that pull them away from the very people they’re called to serve. We must streamline these processes and create structures that allow clergy to focus on pastoral and sacramental ministry. Equally, we need to cultivate a culture where support for clergy is not just a sentiment but a lived reality- through genuine opportunities for rest, ongoing formation, and meaningful community. Most of all, we need to remember why the Church exists. It is not for the mere survival of its institutions and beautiful buildings but for the proclamation of the Gospel. If we truly believe that, then we cannot allow those called to serve to be left carrying the weight alone, quietly burning out while the rest of us watch. The words of Christ remain as urgent as ever; ‘Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’ (Matthew -28).’ The ministry team are called to serve which brings me to my third book titled ‘SERVE’ Loving your church with your heart, time and gifts.’ I am not saying we, as the ministry team are the only ones serving our Church but again, I quote from the book I considered motivating and full of common sense. It is worth sharing, me thinks, or reading again, if you haven’t already read it. I quote. ‘Serving God and his church is something most of us know we ought to do. But often it’s not particularly an aspect of the Christian life we want to do. Many of us are wary of serving or weary of serving. Some of us don’t think we have much to offer.’ Some of us are so busy doing stuff we feel we are trying to walk through treacle. So here is an invitation. ‘Discover how you can enjoy serving and being served as part of your church. Find fresh motivation in seeing how Jesus serves you and loves you. And learn how to identify the gifts God has given you and how you can make a difference to those around you- whoever you are.’ I have used some quotes from those books because I believe them and that everyone has a calling to love and a gift to share with others. It’s common sense in this world today, so, join the many who have accepted the invitation because the service by leaders throughout the world without love is taking us on what seems that long walk through treacle. We would rather walk with Jesus, wouldn’t you? Judy Hailes Reader