In May I went on retreat as I try to do every year. It’s a privilege that I don’t take for granted. You don’t have to be ordained to go on retreat and I certainly encourage people to take a retreat. However, I’m aware that prioritising time for an annual retreat to pray, read the Bible, truly embrace the concept of Sabbath and take delight in God’s creation is made simpler when part of your vocation, job, calling, is about doing those things and encouraging others to do them too.Retreats are important. Sometimes we can retreat for a week, 4 days, a weekend, a day, four hours. Sometimes our retreat might be in the Pyrenes, or Lake District, or Scunthorpe, or Burslem, or the local café.Retreats are about taking the time to pause. We read in the gospels, of Jesus going up a mountain alone, or withdrawing from the disciples to pray. And throughout the centuries as disciples and apprentices of Jesus have sought to follow him more closely, they have taken time for pilgrimage, or times of retreat.The thing with being a disciple, or apprentice of Jesus, is that it’s not just about head knowledge, or heart knowledge, or the way we practically live out our faith, all three of those aspects of faith are important. Personally, I’ve found retreats help me to re-balance that dynamic, even if all balance seems to melt away when I see my email inbox on my return home!This year I stayed at Llannerchwen (www.rscjuk.org/llannerchwen) a silent retreat centre I’ve stayed in a number of times before. It’s in the midst of the Brecon Beacons and is a beautiful place if you are seeking some silence and peace.The day after I returned home I was saddened to learn of John Lloyd’s death. John was a wonderful friend and colleague who took his apprenticeship to Jesus very seriously. If you’re interested in prayer and perhaps want to begin with a regular “armchair” retreat, then I whole heartedly commend his little book, The Adventure of Prayer, free copies are available from both All Saints’ and St. Margaret’s. John will be greatly missed, but his heart for prayer lives on in the pages of his book.Take some time, pause, retreat. You won’t regret itBlessingsTim
One of my favourite times in the Christian calendar is a reasonably new invention - the Thy Kingdom Come initiative that takes place between Ascension Day and Pentecost Sunday each year. This year Thy Kingdom Come - TKC - is happening between the 14th and 24th of May. Across the parishes of Betley and Madeley there will be a number of special services and events.There is a prayer walk in each parish, there’s a Picnic Communion in Betley and Soaking Worship in Madeley. There’s a special Ascension day communion and Explorers at All Saints’. We will also be repeating our 5For5 initiative where we encourage people to pray for 5 others for 5 minutes each day, that they may encounter Jesus intheir lives and come to a living faith in him.One event I’m particularly excited for, is our planned 24/1 prayer event, where for 24 hours from 10:00am on Friday 22nd of May to 10:00am on Saturday 23rd of May people will be able to sign up to pray in our pop-up prayer gazebo at All Saints’ Madeley. The idea is that people will book a time slot to come and pray. There will be prayer prompts and all sorts of thinks to help you pray.At one church where I used to work, they regularly held 24/7 prayer weeks, with 24 hours of prayer every day for 7 days. It was a massive thing, a big commitment, but when I look back on my faith journey, those were very special and formative times. I’m looking forward to what God might do with and through this day of prayer!More information about the 24/1 prayer day will be available in the pew sheets. Watch this space!BlessingsTim
DIOCESE OF LICHFIELDNEWCASTLE DEANERYPARISH OF ALL SAINTS’ MADELEYNOTICE IS GIVEN THAT THE ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING & VESTRY MEETINGWILL TAKE PLACE IN CHURCH AT 7.30 P.M. ON WEDNESDAY THE TWENTIETH (20th) OF MAY, 2026.NOMINATIONS ARE INVITED FOR: · TWO POSTS OF CHURCHWARDEN TO SERVE FOR THE YEAR 2026/27. · UP TO FIVE PLACES ON THE P.C.C. FOR 2026/29 – NO CURRENT MEMBERS, WHOSE TERMS EXPIRE, CAN SEEK RE-ELECTION THIS YEAR.· UP TO THREE PLACES ON NEWCASTLE DEANERY SYNOD FOR 2026/29 (ALSO PCC MEMBERS) - ALL CURRENT MEMBERS, WHOSE TERMS EXPIRE, ARE ELIGIBLE TO SEEK RE-ELECTION THIS YEAR.NOMINATION FORMS ARE AVAILABLE FROM OFFICERS OF THE PCC OR IN THE PORCH. CANDIDATES MUST BE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH ELECTORAL ROLL – IF YOU WISH TO JOIN THIS, CONTACT TREVOR DOWNS BY 12 NOON ON SUNDAY 10TH MAY, 2026, FOR A FORM OF ENROLMENT. MEMBERS OF THE PCC ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE OR OBTAIN AN UP TO DATE D.B.S. CERTIFICATE TO HOLD THE OFFICE, AND TO UNDERTAKE ONLINE SAFEGUARDING TRAINING.SIGNED:TIM WATSON, VICAR
The Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann died in June 2025. He was a pre-eminent professor of Theology and his work on preaching, the Psalms, the practice of Sabbath, and the Prophetic writings in the Bible were masterful. So much of his work was weaved together with different themes. One of the themes, was “radical hope”.Another of his themes that was always so striking, was his reflections on Western society, particularly the United States, being caught up in the grasp of what he described as a “culture of death”. His argument, at its most simplistic rendering was that this culture was driven by, consumerism, militarism and the notion of scarcity. We all want things. We’ll fight for things. We base so much of our world-view on the idea that “those people over there” want our… whatever, and we will guard it and even try to take theirs. For Brueggemann the consequence of this world view meant that it is easy to dehumanize others, to see people for what we can get out of them. It meant that so much of society becomes anxiety-ridden. Endlessly comparing ourselves to others, envying others, trying to take what belongs to others. Ultimately this world view can lead to violence. Hubristic military action, or the violent taking of other people’s resources, maybe breaking into someones house and stealing their jewellery, maybe it’s more to do with envying another nation’s national resources.The ”culture of death” sounds disappointingly all too familiar. And yet, as Christians, at this time of year, we celebrate the death of death. We celebrate life winning out over the forces of darkness. we remember the death of, and celebrate the resurrection of, Jesus, God’s son.We celebrate our calling to be people who live the culture of resurrection, not death. Through Jesus God is making all things new. It’s time to play our part by “beating swords into ploughshares” and whispering “resurrection” to our neighbours in the street, and to the plants growing in our gardens!Happy Resurrection day everyone!Rev Tim
