40 years ago, a young student from Birmingham University auditioned for the role of Director of Music at the Church. Simon is still active and engaged in ministry within the church encouraging the use of music in worship and developing the skills of many. So many young people have passed through our choir and many have gone on to significant engagement with music in their adult lives.In her Sermon the Vicar Rev'd Canon Priscilla White paid tribute to the place of music in worship and to Simon in particular. (this is an extract).Today we celebrate and give thanks for Simon’s ministry here. We give thanks that music is such an important part of our life as a church, lifting us from the mundanity of life. George Eliot said“Life seems to go on without effort when I am filled with music.”And Leonard Bernstein,“Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.”We are lifted by music, and, although, at present, we cannot sing ourselves, it is wonderful to be able to hear and to be moved by music in our services. As we listen, we can find God speaking to us in new ways and offering us new insight and understanding. In Colossians Paul reminds his readers to sing Psalms. Hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in our hearts to God. If we think of an orchestra, we may know that at times the line a particular instrument plays may be quite boring both to play and to hear on its own. But when that line of music is brought together with the other lines something wonderful happens. The full music, the full harmony is so much greater than the sum of its parts. The interconnectedness of the orchestra, the way that the composer has mingled together disparate sounds to create a musical landscape is really powerful. Each instrument, each line of music, is drawn together in a way that offers a powerful experience both to listener and participant. Music offers us something so important in worship. It offers us the chance to go beyond words, to respond to Luther’s concept“When I sing, I pray twice”It brings us together even when we ourselves cannot join in the singing. Simon, we are grateful for your work and for all that you enable us to be.Simon is pictured here with his wife, Susannah.
The appalling and unacceptable murder of George Floyd, in the United States of America, has highlighted the need for further visible and decisive responses to profound injustice, both in Minneapolis and within our own English culture. I endorse wholeheartedly the joint statement issued today by the Archbishops of York and Canterbury.I appreciate, at this time, people will want to make their feelings known, as I do, for example by standing together and socially distanced on Thursday in Birmingham city centre. Peaceful protest and transparent solidarity have always been a significant part of the witness of the church.I expect that Christians, including the clergy, will want to be firmly alongside our neighbours and we may do so significantly by prayer, at home, on-line, on social media, in private outdoor spaces in our permitted groups and where it is safe to do so individually in public.During this intense period of the Covid-19 pandemic, we will do this making personal choices, to keep everyone safe.We have before us the daunting task of eradicating personal and institutional racism. With Lord Jesus’ humbling, forgiving power, we can each be transformed and so be part of making a truly diverse, free, and reconciled society.Echoing the prayer of our Archbishops, I too pray ‘that God’s abounding wisdom, compassion and love will guide us’.
Since I have been working as the Quinton & Oldbury food bank co-ordinator I have believed that it is God’s work and that we have been blessed by the people and churches that have supported us. In fact we have been blessed richly by the donations we have received which have meant that we have been able to feed our clients and had the financial resources to run the food bank.I must confess at the beginning of the current crisis I got very upset by the panic buying that went on which meant a lot of our donations reduced and then the churches closed reducing them further. We had money to be able to buy stock but there was none to buy – who needed all those tinned tomatoes? As for loo rolls – I found myself going up to some students in Aldi who were discussing buying more loo rolls and telling them that we needed them more for the food bank! I became quite despondent about it all before lockdown and for a while after.However, God is good, even when we fail to trust in Him. Through the lockdown we have had an amazing outpouring of generosity such that at times it has been overwhelming. This generosity has come in different ways: many more people than we need have volunteered to help; people have made financial donation in lieu of food donations, often giving ‘a bit extra to help’ and the food donations have also started again. Some has come from church members and some from the general public. Many of you who collected for the Lent 40p for 40 days appeal donated extra money. It has also come in imaginative ways, such as one street in Harborne collecting food after discussing it on their WhatsApp group and one person offering to collect and bring it in. A local company which usually donates food to us at Christmas decided to raise money for us now. So I would like to offer a heartfelt thanks to our God who provides so abundantly, often in ways we do not expect. At a time when people are struggling in difficult situations I am so grateful that the food bank can help in practical ways – but only because of the support of others. I am also very grateful for the volunteers who are giving of their time to support our clients. Week commencing 1st June is National Volunteers week which is a great time to acknowledge all the volunteers at the food bank – but to me that includes everyone who helps in any way: working at the food bank, collecting or delivering food, donating food or money and praying for us and our clients. Food banks would not work without any of you – so thank you to you all!Carol DealeyQuinton & Oldbury Food Bank Co-ordinator
Dial 0121 270 4634 to hear this week's reflection. You can also find a video version on this website, so the telephone version is primarily for those without internet access suitable for video, but of course is available to anyone.
