Dear Friends, Whilst we were away these last couple of weeks, as we were queuing up on the ferry waiting for the restaurant to open, I commented to Janet on how we British like queuing up, waiting patiently to take our turn, that after a couple barged in front of others, not willing to wait with no regard to those who’d been waiting patiently! How rude I thought!And it’s about waiting and the quality of our waiting that sprung to mind. We are in October already, and, no doubt like me you’ve seen or heard of lots of things to do in preparation for Christmas, In September I saw Christmas parties at pubs being advertised, tickets going on sale for Christmas concerts. We’ve become accustomed to planning and getting things done as quickly as possible, not being prepared to wait and appreciate a time to reflect, before moving on to the next thing to occupy our lives.But we do spend an awful lot of time waiting, in our cars at traffic lights, on train stations, in doctor’s surgeries, waiting for an all-important call for an operation, or treatment, for babies to be born, for the post to arrive, for the kettle to boil. You get the general idea! But it’s in the quality of our waiting that matters. Are you impatient, excited, full of dread, or at peace with yourself and the world. How do you cope with waiting?October, seems to be an in between month, a time of waiting. Summer has all but passed and Autumn is with us, and yes there are those preparations with Christmas on the horizon. All this while I look in my diary noting, things for this month such as some harvests still to take place; Janet waiting patiently for her new hip replacement operation; a couple waiting patiently for their wedding; a number of All Soul’s services taking place right at the end of the month with the opportunity to reflect on loved ones gone to glory. Things waiting to be done or to happen.But there is a quality in this month of October of patiently looking back at the fast-receding year and waiting for the next months of remembrance and the joy and excitement of Christmas. But also waiting for the unravelling of what the future may hold for us in the Uttoxeter Area of churches.As Christians we are to be encouraged in our waiting and we have times in the church’s year to help us to reflect and wait patiently on the Lord, like in Lent and Advent.So, what do you do to cope with the waiting times, do you sit idly waiting for the time to pass or do you plan and occupy your time with activities in preparation, or a mixture of ‘being and doing’.The psalms teach us a lot about ‘being and doing’ in our following God and of how we are all held in his time and keeping and of being patient in times of waiting on him. They help us to cope and to trust that in God all will be well.Psalm 27 ends like this ‘I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage, wait for the Lord.’Blessings, Charles
Dear friends,What does Harvest mean to you?It’s fair to say that our experiences of Harvest will vary according to our context and background, and that our understanding of Harvest has changed over time. Traditionally, Harvest was a time of hard work bringing in the crops which had been carefully tended throughout the summer, followed by the opportunity to celebrate the fruits of those labours with a church service and a Harvest feast. For those living in rural areas, or who work in agriculture, or those who grow produce in their gardens, community orchards or allotments, Harvest will continue to mean much the same. Growing produce is no mean feat, and those who live and work on the land very much know the delicate balance of the right weather, good soil and careful timing which results in a successful crop. A bountiful Harvest is a true cause for celebration, for both the work of the farmers and the providence of our good God.But those of us less connected with how our food is grown and produced (which I suspect is a large majority of us), will experience Harvest differently. Food is generally bought in a shop, with little knowledge of the energies that have gone into producing it. With the ability to ship produce across the globe, we are not always bound by what crops are in season, or by worries about whether the weather has been kind this year. I remember one all-age talk I experienced many years ago where the leader held up a bunch of bananas and asked, “where do these come from?” “Tesco!*” a young child enthusiastically replied! Some have argued that Harvest Festivals are less relevant these days. However, I’d disagree! Being increasingly disconnected from the origins of our food, it’s very important to consciously take time to pause and give thanks for the food we so often take for granted and those who have laboured to produce it. Our Harvest Festivals may have evolved quite a bit in recent years, with an emphasis on bringing non-perishable packets and tinned goods rather than the fat marrows, potatoes and cauliflowers of yesteryear, but the principle remains the same: to give thanks for our food, for those who have worked to produce it, and for God’s goodness in providing it. And of course, our proper response to God’s generosity to us is to be generous to others. After all, “ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” we hear in Matthew’s gospel. Traditional Harvest Festivals included giving to the poor and needy. Today we do the same as we share our food with local Foodbanks and other projects. Let’s try to be creative with our Harvest thanksgiving this year – St Peter’s Marchington for instance will come together at their ‘Gather’ Forest Church and ask for donations of our decluttering: bedding, clothes, toiletries as well as the usual food and money donations – what will you do? What does Harvest mean to you? Every little helps!*With love,JulesRev Jules Walker, Interim Team Vicar for UAP* other supermarkets are available 😊
Dear friends,As I write this letter we have just received the news that June this year has been the hottest June since records began. We are constantly reminded that inflation is at its highest, that interest rates are still rising, that food prices are rising. In fact everything seems to be excessive. Today we are going to be doing something directly opposite to all the excesses of today’s life, we are going minimalist. August is traditionally the month when all those that can afford the time or money take their holidays. The idea being that as they take their annual break they begin to re-create themselves. In this time of re-creation they re- build their lives, mentally and physically so they can carry on with their lives for another few months. I have often remarked how the Christian year is all festivals and important events from Advent until Ascension and then seems to go quiet during ordinary time. Is God telling us this is a time when we should also be taking a spiritual rest so that we can re- create ourselves in our journey of faith? In that re-creation we also re- motivate ourselves re-discover that unending and excessive love that God has for us all. It is in this ordinary time of the lectionary that we hear of Jesus calling his disciples out, training them and sending them out into the world to heal the sick and broken spirited. I feel that this is when Jesus lets his disciples know something of his mission here on earth. This mission is something they, and we in our turn, are going to partake in. are they prepared for this mission? Is there a way they can opt out? I have not discovered anything the bible where God or Jesus gives their followers an option to remain inactive. . We are a pilgrim people always moving forward towards God’s kingdom. We are God’s children led by his son Jesus Christ to take the good news to all his people. Is this the time for us then to re- create ourselves on our journey of faith to also examine where our missionary calling from God is taking us, are we listening to what God is calling us? Are these few months of ordinary time the opening that God is providing for us to re-mould our lives into an outgoing and missionary time? As you have probably guessed the minimalistic approach is the use of the two letter prefix re. The number of words these two letters can be put before which energizes the meaning of the words is very similar to the way the word of God energizes us. If there is one thing in this life and world today that needs to be remembered for its excess is the love of God for us all, wherever we are in our journeys of faith, life and work, God is always loving us and pushing us to excess in zeal for his word. How we take up this challenge is, I feel, a personal understanding of where we are with God. As I close this letter I wish you all enjoy your time of re-creation and that it brings you home feeling re-freshed, re-motivated and re-ady (I know but it was too good to miss) to go out into the world and make disciples of all people knowing that God is with you every inch of the way.All God’s blessings,ChrisRev Chris Brown, licenced minister with PTO for Uttoxeter Area of Parishes.
‘Goodbye Jesus!’ No, this is not a late reflection on the Ascension – after all, we have entered the long season of Trinity. Trinity always seems to herald the holiday season and, give or take the few weeks of exam stress for students, feels like a time for relaxing and taking things easy. For someone, like me, who endures cold hands for the greater part of the year the long warm days of summer truly are a blessing. Life can seem so much more comfortable and calmer in what is called ‘Ordinary Time’ than the frantic period during the season from Advent to Pentecost. It may seem a little strange to refer to these long weeks as ‘ordinary’, as if they are routine or even mundane. The word ‘ordinary’ here is actually derived from the term ordinal, which refers to rank or position, especially relating to numbers. In the lectionary the Sundays have numbered ‘propers’ – but that’s probably getting too technical! Our lives tend to revolve around routine – the trivial round, the common task (as the hymn ‘New every Morning’ goes) speaks of structure and familiarity. The majority of our days can seem to be generally unremarkable, but even so we ought to catch glimpses of God’s blessings, love and maybe glory. Each day starts fresh and with the potential of hope and a sense of moving closer to God. Perhaps this should be our appreciation of ordinary time, the many chances we have to offer our lives to God, so that they may be transformed by God’s, making ours more beautiful. It can become a time for growing and maturing in faith, and becoming living examples of Christ in the places we inhabit as we understand more about the practical life of God’s Kingdom. The big challenge of our churches is growing disciples, looking for new ways of expressing and sharing the Gospel message. It’s easy to overlook the obvious sometimes, as ordinariness can feel inadequate – after all, where is the charisma in ordinary? But just occasionally we are offered a little glimpse of the impact of an ordinary life in an off the cuff remark. I am part of a team that goes into schools with Open the Book. On an ordinary morning we entered the school gates to see pupils from one year who were waiting to board a coach for a short trip. After a few light-hearted chats, and as the coach pulled up, one young lad replied to my farewell greeting with “Goodbye Jesus!” Not wishing to rise above my status, I had a wry smile, but realised that he had engaged with what we were doing through the medium of presenting the Bible in this way. He had made a connection. Who said, ‘ordinary is boring?’ Blessings John Rev John Lander, Self-supporting minister for Uttoxeter Area , based in Bramshall.