Ascension Day takes place on the 29th May this year. And for the last few years between Ascension Day and Pentecost we’ve been trying to mark this time by joining in with the Church of England’s Thy Kingdom Come initiative which tries to make the 10 days between these two important Christian festivals a time set aside for prayer.One of the focuses of Thy Kingdom come isn’t just to pray generally about things (though that’s a good thing to do!), but to focus our prayers on those who do not yet have a living faith in Jesus.This year, across Betley and Madeley churches we are running a “5 for 5” scheme. The idea is very simple. Choose five people you want to pray for and commit to praying for them for five minutes each day with a simple focus:“pray for 5 people for 5 minutes each day, that they may encounter Jesus in their lives and come to a living faith in Him”. You’ll be able to collect a little pocket-sized reminder card from St. Margaret’s and All Saints’. The card easily fits in a wallet or purse and will hopefully act as a reminder to pray for the five people you have chosen.Let’s commit this special season to God in prayer as we journey on with God as God’s resurrection people.Rev Tim.
This month we celebrate Easter. Easter is perhaps the most important festival of the church year. Don’t get me wrong, Christmas and the celebration of the incarnation is important. And Pentecost, the birthday of the global church is important too, but Easter, is absolutely central to the church because without Easter there would be no need for the church.Through the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ all things are made new, liberation is proclaimed and brokenness is forgiven.As a global Church we are left to reflect on the “Good News”, the “gospel” of Jesus Christ. And this Good News is proclaimed widely.When we proclaim this Good News we can speak of heaven, of eternal life, words of eternal hope. And as a vicar it is a privilege to be able to speak about these things at the funerals of those who have died. To speak hope to those who mourn. And I believe these things with all my heart.Yet when I think of the fullness of this Good News that is birthed at Easter, it’s not just the heaven-stuff that I want to speak about. In fact, outside of the very precious funeral ministry of the church, I don’t really think about heaven much, I’m not motivated to live out my faith because of it.Rather, for me, at the heart of the Good News of Easter is Jesus’ words articulated in John 10:10“I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness.” John 10:10 (GNT)What excites me about my faith, and the Good News of Easter, is the desire to live life in such a way as to seek to live with an awareness of God and in fellowship with Jesus and the hope of bringing the richness of that idea into every experience. That through trying to follow the way of Jesus, I might live my life in step with the Spirit. For me, that’s a key part of the Good News of Easter.One well-worn and widely attributed anecdote that sums this up might be said to be, “it’s not about pie in the sky when you die, but cake on your plate while you wait”.Rev Tim
This month we start the liturgical season of Lent when churches around the world begin to prepare for Easter. Lent is regarded as a penitential season that builds up to the events of Holy Week culminating in the crucifixion on Good Friday. Once all the pancakes have been eaten on a particular Tuesday evening Lent begins with Ash Wednesday with the Imposition of Ashes when worshippers receive a mark of the cross on their foreheads with words spoken over them:"Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return"Lent holds us together as humans, as mortals, as people who have made mistakes, as people who struggle, as people who hurt ourselves and others. In summary, Lent feels like a time of turning, a time of confessing, a time of seeking forgiveness, and a time of remembering.This month, I’d normally be telling you about the Lent and Easter services and events coming up in the next few weeks. But given the summary about Lent that I’ve just given I want to take this opportunity to say something different.Sorry.As your local vicar, and thinking about the national Church of England, as your representative of the ‘CofE’ I’m sincerely sorry, the national news about the wider Church of England has been really devastating. The past few months have seen the Safeguarding failings of the Church of England being brought into the light, and some of the voices of survivors finally being heard. As I write, General Synod is meeting and Safeguarding is being discussed. It’s my opinion that we, the national Church of England have utterly failed. People come to churches in moments of joy, in moments of grief, ready to mark significant moments in life. People encounter the local church week by week, or at festivals, or when seeking a quiet safe space to pause and pray. And all too often, across the nation, local churches haven’t always been a safe space. Which is heartbreaking. When I think of Jesus’, whose Church this is, who loved all and stood up for the forgotten people, I’m conscious that the Church of England we’ve become isn’t always worthy to bear his name.Nationally the Church of England will make the decisions it makes and I pray that an appropriate way forward will be found. Locally, we will continue to abide by the Safeguarding standards of our diocese. For my part, I want to acknowledge that as Christ’s body – the whole global Church, we’ve not always got things right, and there is so much more work to do, there are many more survivors who need to be heard, there are many more challenges to be resolved. But I want you to know that here in Betley and Madeley, Safeguarding is at the forefront of what we do, and we will continue to strive to improve our practices as we seek to keep you and your family safe.Please pray for us as we pray for you.Rev Tim.
