Holy Spirit- Eternal perspective
(Please note this was written prior to the
situation that barred David sadly from leading the party
tour to Turkey)
One of the things people most dread when they read the Scripture in
church is that they will be lumbered with some of those long and unpronounceable
biblical names!
In the middle of the exciting story of Pentecost in Acts Chapter 2,
for example, the pace is mounting as people from all over the known world are
responding to the gospel message. Then verse 9 suddenly puts on the brakes, as
you struggle through – ‘Parthians, Medes and Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia,
Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya …..’
You are bound to stumble over one of them! But Luke is insistent! He wants it to
be known that the impact of God’s Spirit came upon all the people, from all
places –
‘From every nation under heaven’,
he said, but probably making a tiny exaggeration!
Luke was stressing that the Holy Spirit was God’s gift of himself to
a great and diverse company of people, who were visiting Jerusalem for the
Pentecost festival. No doubt, they took their experience and the message away
with them. Luke continues the story throughout the chapters that follow, making
it clear that the power of the Holy Spirit gave birth and life to the church, as
it began to take root all over Asia Minor.
Turkey Pilgrimage
These things are on my mind because a group of us, mainly from
Carshalton Methodist Church and Epsom Methodist Church, will be in Asia Minor
(ancient Anatolia, i.e. modern Turkey) in late May 2006. We will be exploring
the life of the early church, learning about the spread of God’s mission and
visiting the places where the Holy Spirit had powerful impact in the lives of
ordinary people. We will be back to celebrate Pentecost at the beginning of
June.
Luke mentioned that pilgrims from Cappadocia were in Jerusalem at
Pentecost. They must have been caught up in that amazing experience. When they
returned, they told their friends and neighbours about Jesus Christ and a
Christian church began to grow in that troglodyte community from the earliest
days.
Cappadocia
You may have heard me waxing lyrical about Cappadocia before now as
I’m spellbound by its unique, haunting, multi-coloured, fairytale, lunar-like
landscape. People lived in caves for thousands of years. Rock houses were hewn
from inside the soft volcanic rock from about 4000BC. (If you have missed those
words then look no further – just
CLICK here.)
Christians sheltered in the caves for safety throughout the Roman
persecution. By the third century fanatical, crazy emperors claimed divinity and
demanded that they should be worshipped. Christians, who had found life and
salvation in Jesus Christ, could not give in and publicly declare that ‘Caesar
is Lord’. Later on Christians found that the caves of Cappadocia provided a
hiding place during the Arab invasions, then through the Turkish assaults and
the Muslim incursions.
For centuries this area of central Turkey provided some protection
from violence and fear. It seems surprising that faith survives through poverty
and persecution, but more than 2000 churches have been found in the region. Over
350 of them are in the Goreme valley. Churches had been carved out of the rock
or cut into tunnels that burrowed into the ground. We will be seeing the remains
of convents, monasteries, chapels and churches. Some have been painted with
magnificent frescoes, expressing the faith and worship of generations of
Christians and of a growing church. I find that Cappadocia is quite a wonderful
place to be.
Hooked
I can’t resist. I keep returning to different parts of Turkey to
explore the New Testament sites, to learn from local people and to discover more
about the early mission of the church. In doing so I am infected by the
inspiration and energy that gave life and spirit to the early followers of
Jesus. I am seeking the same Spirit that empowered them to pass on their faith
and to build up radiant and loyal Christian communities against enormous odds.
That is the Spirit I long for and pray for, to continue its work in our church –
to ensure that the building programme is, first and foremost, the work of God’s
Spirit in building the life and witness of the church, rather than building
merely in bricks and mortar!
I have chosen to continue work on the New Testament church as the
focus of my sabbatical study, when I will away from the church from
mid-September to Christmas. This means that I will be off again, exploring some
of the almost inaccessible places where Christian mission first took root.
Why am I so hooked? Well, the photogenic beauty of the strange and
‘mystical’ scenery is one reason. The fascination of the New Testament history
and spirituality is another. You could add the challenges of other
civilisations, cultures and religious convictions. But one of the things that
impress me most is in the matter of perspective! When I see the evidence and
hear the testimony of Christian communities which, from the time of the
apostles, have persisted through the struggles of history, poverty and
persecution, through suffering and through slaughter, and have survived the
affluence and power of dominant empires - it puts the troubles of life and the
problems of the church into perspective! The Eternal God is working his purpose
out as century succeeds to century. My fuss and worries for the church pale into
insignificance when I see the fingerprints on the landscape of our history. My
own sin and failure and the many problems of the contemporary church in the
modern world are but hiccoughs in the long-term plans which God is working out
with his people through the centuries. When I see these things, it tells me to
leave a little more of the worrying to God, and gives me courage and vision to
go on.
And
I pray that you will catch the Spirit, or that the
Spirit may catch you, this Pentecost.
David Winwood
Those of us who attended
this year’s ecumenical Lent Groups found much to consider and think about over
the course of the weekly sessions. The book which we followed, “Life Attitudes”
by Robert Warren and Sue Mayfield, took us through the Beatitudes, causing us
not only to look at the meaning of this well-known passage in Chapter 5 of
Matthew’s gospel but also to think about how to apply its lessons to our own
lives by means of “Get Real” challenges.
Of course the
ecumenical Lent Groups also provided a wonderful opportunity to get to know
Christians from other denominations and to share together with them. The group
which was held at the Manor Green Road Manse comprised members of 4 different
churches, and it was enriching and fascinating to hear each other’s views and
find out a little about our respective church backgrounds.
A few years ago I
came across an ‘alternative’ set of Beatitudes by Joseph Folliet which I’d like
to share with you here:
Blessed are those who
can laugh at themselves;
they will have no end of
fun.
Blessed are those who
can tell a mountain from a molehill;
they will be saved a lot
of bother.
Blessed are those who
know how to relax without looking for excuses;
they are on the way to
becoming wise.
Blessed are those who
are sane enough not to take themselves too seriously;
they will be valued most
by those about them.
Happy are you if you can
take things seriously and face serious things calmly;
you will go far in life.
Happy are you if you can
appreciate a smile and forget a frown;
you will walk on the
sunny side of the street.
Happy are if you can be
kind in understanding the attitudes of others even when the signs are
unfavourable;
you may be taken for a
fool but this is the price of charity.
Blessed are those who
think before acting and pray before thinking;
they will avoid many
blunders.
Happy are you if you
know how to hold your tongue and smile, even when people interrupt and
contradict you or tread on your toes;the Gospel has begun to seep into your
heart.
Above all, blessed are you
who recognise the Lord in all whom you meet;
the light of truth shines in
your life for you have found true wisdom.’
Yours,
Nigel Wright
CROSS AND
RESURRECTION
Easter helps
me to know that beyond every cross there is resurrection – beyond every
crisis, failure, worry, pain and disaster, although we may not be able to
perceive or believe when in the midst of it, there will be life and hope
again – in this world or beyond it.
We can only know that by faith and trust in God. When we are in darkness
and distress it frequently feels as though there will never be a glimmer of
light again. Even when we have chosen to walk in the light with Christ, we
still stumble and fall along the way, as he did on his way to crucifixion.
Yet we dare to believe in forgiveness and renewal, in healing and peace.
Part of our task is to help one another along the way with loving prayer,
compassionate understanding and practical support. That is an essential
part of our ministry as a church, which is to be shared by every Christian.
We are called to help carry each other’s cross and to be a healing,
renewing, life-giving community within which the spirit of Christ’s
resurrection may be known in the life-giving support found in its
fellowship.
At EMC I am thankful that, not only do we have loyal and committed leaders
and a wonderful Christian community with whom we share Christ’s mission, but
we also have a fine group of ministers, who, in colleagueship with each
other, participate in that total ministry. What a privilege that is! Most
ministers in Methodism work virtually alone, and rarely see other ministers
in the Circuit. We have a team who are called by God to work together.
What a bizarre bunch we are! Where else would you find such an amazing
miscellany of ministers? One glorious bundle of contrasting personalities,
complementary gifts and a variety of faults and failings, yet committed to
encouraging each others contribution, seeking to share each others burden,
praying that together we can be used by God to sustain and stimulate the
spiritual life of our church and the community of Epsom.
Godly gossip
Perhaps this is a good time to bring you up to date on the ministry team.
First our grand patriarch – Reverend Michael Whelton, whose wonderful
chaplaincy at the hospital came to a conclusion last month, when Michael
retired. He has not retired from ministry, as he will continue in
leadership and pastoral care alongside us at EMC. We are thankful for his
energy and for his loving care.
Six months ago Reverend Nigel Wright came into the team, following his first
period of ministry at Knaphill, near Woking. Nigel brings expertise from
his legal background, he continues his specialist prison ministry on Tuesday
afternoon each week, and he is leading worship, visiting folk in hospital
and at home and carrying special responsibility for supporting those who
work with children and young people in EMC’s wide spectrum of activities.
We are glad he is part of the team.
Reverend KK Yap is Pastor to our Chinese congregation with its growing youth
group, choir and worship band. On April 2nd the Chinese
congregation will be celebrating its 10th anniversary, and the
Chairman of the District, Reverend John Swarbrick, will be visiting as guest
preacher. The whole church at EMC congratulates the Chinese members of our
family and assures them of our prayers in this special anniversary year.
KK also visits the Chinese congregation at Gillingham, and in Hastings, to
conduct Holy Communion, Baptisms, for pastoral care and Christian education,
as minister with oversight of these communities as well as the Epsom
congregation. KK faithfully worships with us in the morning services each
Sunday and frequently shares in Holy Communion.
New and
Renewable
In September 2006 Reverend Hazel Yu will return from her studies in
Cambridge to begin her new ministry as a Probationer Minister at EMC. She
will work with KK in the Chinese congregation, but also with the whole
church – and beyond it in the community. Hazel will still be in training
for two years, so she will have a heavy programme of study. Her work will
be on a part-time basis, so we must not be too demanding on our
expectations.
Please pray for Hazel as she begins this new stage in her life. We know she
will bring God’s blessing to many through her ministry. Please pray for all
of the ministers, as we need strength, support, inspiration and
understanding, to enable us to give our best in God’s work.
One of the ways in which the Methodist Church seeks to support its ministers
is in requiring them to take sabbatical leave for study and renewal every
seven years. It’s like taking an aging vehicle for an MOT and service. My
sabbatical was due in 2004. So by this stage I am in desperate need of a
spiritual oil change and the renewal of a few well-worn out spark plugs!
In 2004 I delayed this sabbatical as I was coming to a new appointment, with
the expectation that we would be about to begin a building programme. When
that programme fell through I renegotiated the sabbatical period for 2005,
but our new project is not yet underway so I have been given special
permission to delay the sabbatical period until autumn this year. It
therefore follows that for three months I will not be on the job, from mid
September, when the development programme should be well underway, until mid
December.
I know you will be understanding and will work well together, to maintain
the life and harmony of the whole church community during this difficult
time, at the beginning of the building development programme.
Change not
decay
Prompted by the many changes taking place throughout the Circuit a major
review has been commissioned and will be making some strategic
recommendations to ensure the best use of the Circuit’s staff and resources
to sustain and develop our Christian mission for the next ten years. A
small team from each church has been in consultation with the commission
members, reporting extensively on statistics, programmes and vision. We do
not yet know what impact these recommendations have on our church and our
ministerial team, but perhaps we should be prepared for some changes.
September 2006 will see us re-structured into a New London District of the
Methodist Church, but that may not bring many immediate changes to the local
church.
One other change which has happened recently on the ecumenical scene is that
the ordained ministers of EMC have been authorised by the Bishop of
Guildford to preside at Holy Communion in the Anglican churches of Epsom.
This will remove any hindrance to the mutual acceptability of ministries
between the two denominations on our own patch. We were already able to
welcome Anglican clergy to preside in a Methodist church. This is a
positive change and a cause for rejoicing!
Transformation
Some changes and challenges which are ahead may be more painful in our
personal lives and in the church, but this is the right time for us to be
aware of them, as we approach the cross. Yet we do so knowing about the
life-giving hope of Easter day – believing that beyond every cross there is
the hope of resurrection and the promise of new life.
I’m sorry that the one person I have not named in our review of this
ministry team is you. The ministry of this
church would be incomplete without you. We would be less than the church,
only part of the body of Christ. We need each other’s love, support,
prayers and partnership to enable us to be God’s people.
Let us complete our Lenten pilgrimage and carry our cross together –
prayerfully encouraging one another to claim the promise of new and
transforming life beyond the cross. And we will celebrate that with joy on
Easter day.
In love and care, David
Hi
How easy do you find it to live out a life of faith? We constantly
face dilemmas that test and challenge us in our daily lives and many of us are
faced with competing demands on our time, maybe from our family, maybe from the
workplace, maybe from the church.
It is always important, though, no matter how busy we are, to set
aside time for our relationship with God. In worshipping together in church on a
Sunday we give ourselves the opportunity and space to be open to God.
The message that we receive varies from week to week;
it is sometimes comforting,
but also at times disturbing and challenging and
God can and does speak to us through our worship.
It is for each of us as we come together to worship to ask God to
speak to us and to show us what he is saying, whether it is through
the hymns and songs,
the prayers,
the readings,
the silences,
the communion
or through the words of the sermon.
There may
well be different messages for different people. I have vivid memories of one
service I attended when I felt that God had been speaking to me very strongly
and eagerly awaited the transcript of the sermon - but when I read it there was
nothing there about the message I had received! God had taken a throw-away
remark by the preacher and had used it to speak to me. I have come across
numerous services where some people have felt that they didn’t receive anything
from that particular service but others have been profoundly touched by God.
Our personal devotions and house groups that include bible study and
prayer also help us to create some space for our relationship with God to
develop. Please consider joining a house group – it might feel like one more
extra pressure on your time but being part of a small fellowship group has been
where I’ve experienced the greatest growth in my own spiritual journey and where
friendships have developed and deepened.
It is also an excellent way of creating space in our lives for God.
If you would like to know more about house groups then please do have a chat
with me e-mail me.
Nigel
The Art
of Mission
Thank you for
Christmas.
I know it’s almost forgotten now, but the joy and genuineness of Christmas
worship makes Christmas for me. This Christian celebration has amazing power to
bring many people together – when the church is decorated, the candles are lit,
the music is bright, the children dress up and people feel able to enter the
spirit and drama of this part of the Christian gospel.
I am always delighted at Christmas, when some people remark on the beauty of our
carved wooden nativity figures that form a centre-piece on the Communion table.
I’m delighted because they are among our treasures. We fell in love with them
years ago, when we used to go camping in France or Switzerland every summer, but
as a young Minister on £625 stipend per year (plus Wilma’s university grant of
£300) we could not afford to buy them. We saved up over a couple of years and
returned to buy them later. Since then, it has been a joy to share them with
every church to which we have belonged.
Spirituality and Art
Fine craft, art, music, dance and drama are wonderful mediums for creating
spiritual contact. They convey meaning, beauty, emotion and creativity. They
link people of different denominations and of different faiths and cultures.
They provide common ground for spiritual relationship within our secular
culture, when people of faith and people without are uplifted by the same piece
of music, stirred by the same drama or inspired by the same work of art. The
arts therefore offer new dimensions for mission and evangelism in the twenty
first century and need to be greatly valued within the church.
It is for these reasons that I am deeply saddened by the decision of our
Methodist Connexion (central staff and central committees) to cut out the
funding for “Creative Arts in Methodism” and for the MAYC Orchestra and Singers,
because of financial pressures on the church. It is also the reason why I am
chairing a steering group which is aiming to set up a charitable company to work
throughout Methodism (and ecumenically) to sustain those things that will now be
left without support, and to develop creative arts, music, dance and drama
within the church. The outcome will, of course, be dependent upon the
availability of funding.
On our patch
There are wonderful opportunities within our church when musicians come
together, when the children act things out, through the drama group, the young
people’s Performing Arts Group, the Chinese Youth Band and their choir, the Gang
Show, flower arranging, the quilters
Looking ahead to the completion of the building development, our Church Council
has already agreed to a year or so of mission and outreach with all these things
in mind. We hope to arrange a special event each month to draw people from the
town together at EMC. A new building will attract people anyway. I will always
remember how more young families started coming to my last church after the
development, and people said, “It’s so much easier to come into the church
now!”
We are thinking of organising a weekend with
The
National Methodist Youth Brass Band
Methodist Art Collection
Flower Festival
Easter Musical Drama
The
MAYC Orchestra and Singers
Youth Festival
Choral Concert
….such events will provide opportunities to meet people, to be drawn together in
creativity, for Sunday Services to be linked with the events, and all this to
lead to a period of mission and evangelism.
We’re even thinking of building some artistic elements into the design for our
development – a water feature near the entrance, linking Epsom’s history of
spring water with the New Testament ‘water of life’. And we have recently been
discussing the possibility of a small memorial garden. Like the Connexion’s
funding problems, the big challenge for us will be coping with the rapidly
rising costs of the building development. There is, however, an even bigger
challenge in the long run. That is God’s challenge to build up the church, to
find a new spirit of mission, to make new spiritual contacts with the people of
Epsom, to be open in our witness and faith-sharing, and to create opportunities
for people to come closer to Christ.
“Craftsman’s art and music’s measure
For thy pleasure
All combine.”
(Hymns & Psalms 484)
As
always, David
Happy New Year
May I begin
by wishing you a very ‘Happy new year’! But, no sooner have I said it, than
my cheerful spirit is quickly dampened by the words of a wet-blanket
preacher in Ecclesiastes Chapter 1, verse 9 – when he says,
“There is nothing new under the sun.”
In the next
verse he goes on to say,
“When they say, ‘look here’s something new’, they are wrong.
It has all
happened before, long before we were born!”
How can I
wish you a happy new year if there is nothing new under the sun? Are my
words mere ‘vanity’, as that old-time preacher said, are they meaningless or
useless?
“Generations come and generations go,”
The preacher
continues,
“But the world is still the same!
The sun rises
and the sun sets. The wind blows from the south and then from the north.
Everything leads to weariness. What happened before will happen again.
What’s been done before will be done again. There is nothing new in the
whole wide world!”
That poor old
preacher must have had a really bad year! The implication of what is said
is right however. The world will not change because we have entered into a
new year. At a personal level it is good to make a new start and to be as
positive and hopeful as we can, but the truth is, we cannot leave behind all
the worries, pain and disappointments of the past year – it seems as though
it may all come round again, as the preacher says. And yet, we have no
reason to believe that life could be renewed by entering a new year, by a
change in the date! Would we not be setting up great disappointments for
ourselves - Would we not be likely to face a disastrous sense of failure –
if we expect to be made new by the tick of a clock at midnight?
Yes – the
preacher is a bit of a killjoy, a spoilsport, perhaps even a misery-gut, but
what else would you expect from a preacher? And yet I believe he is right.
If we are expecting things to be renewed, then something much more profound
is needed to bring about that change in our lives, and in our world. We
need something much deeper, more lasting, more dependable, more powerful,
and more effective!
By way of
contrast
Let us put
this word from Ecclesiastes alongside the word of a visionary from
Revelation 21, verse 5 – “Behold, I will make all things new.” The book of
Revelation was written by a visionary, St John, but at this point God is
speaking. For the first time in the whole vision we hear our word directly
from God,
“Behold I will make all things new.”
God the
creator is promising to re-create. Our maker will re-make. He is ‘Alpha
and Omega’ – the first and the last, the beginning and the end, the old and
the new, the source and the goal. Life begins from God and ends in God.
There are some things that only God can do – like, ‘Making all things new.’
It is a big
and bold promise, and yet we know from experience that God does not usually
step in to change things. He does not protect us from harm or rescue the
world from its course towards conflict and destruction. God does not
transform our personal circumstances to take away risk or failure – although
sometimes we wish he would!
I think that
God usually makes things new, not by changing life around us, but by
changing life within us. Most of us know that, as we receive greetings for
a happy new year, that happiness will not finally be dependent upon our
circumstances or on the world around us, but more probably on ourselves.
Our contentment and peace of mind usually needs to be found within us. Of
course we would want things to change, especially when they cause pain to
us, or to other people. I think the secret of a happy new year, however, is
most likely to be found in our attitude, within our spirit, in our heart and
mind.
What God is
offering to us in this promise is a new relationship with him – a new
beginning in his loving kindness. He says,
“I will be your God and you will be my people.”
He adds,
“God will make his home with his people – the place where he lives
will be among them.”
It is as
though he is saying – ‘This is how I will make all things new’, by living
with you and changing your life.
Human
relationships change our lives enormously - when we fall in love, when a
baby is born, when a friend helps us through a bad patch, when a new teacher
challenges us, a counsellor listens to us and takes us seriously, or a
leader inspires us. Relationships with people can change our lives. How
much more can a relationship with God make our lives new? Then the next
step is clear - when people are changed the world around begins to change as
we all have an impact on our own circumstances and on those with whom we
share our lives at home, at work and within the community.
Perhaps God
is saying –
“I will be your God”
Or
‘Allow me to be your God,
And will you
be among my people so that then, working together, I will make all things
new.’ It is evident that, in this life, we will not be completely renewed,
not finally, but what God does in our lives will be for real. In
relationship with him, new things can happen from within us. He can renew
us; he will make this a renewed year – in our spirit, lived out in our
lives, within the church, and in our mission and service within the
community.
So, we need
not allow the old preacher to have the final word and, therefore, in the
light of what we’ve said about Revelation, Chapter 21, I have no hesitation,
in fact I have full confidence, in wishing you -
A Very Happy
New Year.
Hi
As we
end December we realise that yet another year is drawing to an end and a new
one will soon begin. Of course, before it came to an end we celebrated
Christmas at EMC in a number of different services over the Christmas period.
Once again we had the opportunity to remember Jesus Christ’s coming to
earth as a baby and to give thanks to God for the wonderful gift of his son who
changes lives and who sets us free.
And
then as 2005 actually closes will bring a round of shows on
television looking back at the events of the previous year.
As you look back
over 2005 what has the past year held for you?
What good things have happened in
your life, what changes have come about, and what were the low points?
If 2005
has left behind some scars and bruises let us ask God for healing and the
strength to go forward into the New Year and if it has brought success and
blessings let us give God our thanks.
I wonder what 2006 has in store for us as individuals and together as a
church?
We
are probably aware of some of the things that are coming.
It is impossible, of
course, to know exactly what next year will bring but what we can be sure of is
that God will be alongside us, guiding us and inspiring us if we’re open to him.
In the Covenant Service, which will be taking place on 15 January
2006, there will be
the opportunity to recommit ourselves as disciples of Jesus Christ.
What better
way can there be to start a New Year?
I
urge you to make it a priority to be there.
I
trust you had a Happy Christmas
And the New Year will be full of God’s
peace.
Nigel Wright
‘Others like seed
sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop – thirty,
sixty or even a hundred times what was sown’
Mark Chapter 4:
Verse 20
I have long found the parable of the sower
fascinating because it is trying to explain why people respond to the gospel
in such different ways and because this is obviously not a new issue but one
that has been around since the very beginning of Christianity.
It can be a mystery to those who are wholeheartedly
committed to the gospel why others reject it completely. But this is the
first of the categories that Jesus deals with – he compares that reaction to
seed falling on a path, the seed cannot get into the soil and is unable to
germinate. At that stage in their lives the people represented here are
unable, for whatever reason, to accept the gospel. It does not of course
mean that that will always be the case – there may be other times in the
future when they will be more receptive.
There are some who seem so keen when they first come
to faith but who then fade away. Jesus compares these people with seed
falling on to rocky soil. The plant grows strongly to start off with but
then withers when scorched by the sun. It raises all kinds of questions
including the question about whether these people thought that the journey
of faith would be easy. As we know it is not easy; it can bring all kinds of
ethical dilemmas, it can bring ridicule and even persecution, and it can
challenge the status quo in some very disturbing ways. But it also raises
questions for us as a church about how we nurture people who have come to
faith so that they can put down deep roots which help them to sustain their
faith when life gets difficult.
People in our society complain about not having
enough time, imagining that this is a curse of 21st century life
in comparison with the halcyon days of the past. The third category of
people which Jesus refers to indicates that this is nothing new. Luke, in
his account of this parable, emphasises that the seed that fell among thorns
stands for those who hear the word of God, but as they go on their way they
are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature,
and therefore do not produce any fruit. It has always been very easy for
human beings to become distracted by the acquisition of possessions, the
desire for status or the latest experience, or by the concerns and worries
of human existence and as a consequence it is so easy to push God to the
edges of our lives without even realising what we are doing and then we
wonder why our faith is not as it used to be.
Lastly there is the seed that fell in good soil which
represents the situation where the message of the gospel has been taken on
board and acted upon come what may. In this situation the faith of the
people concerned has become mature and you can see the harvest that has
resulted through that person’s witness and work.
The seed, which Jesus says represents the word of
God, is the one constant in all the scenarios but the soils and growing
conditions are very different.
The parable of the sower leaves us with a number of
questions to ask ourselves and urges us to become and remain good soil in
which God’s word can be sown. Spending time in prayer, worshipping together
with other Christians on a frequent basis, and studying the bible are all
good ways of fertilising the soil and helping the seeds of God’s word to
grow in our lives.
What are the soil and the growing conditions like in
your life and how is the seed of God’s word being nurtured?
Nigel
Wright
“For I know the plans I have for
you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to
give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah. 29: v11.
This letter is
being written to you on a beautiful spring day as I admire the garden with
its colourful display of daffodils heralding the coming of summer. Yet it
seems only a few weeks ago that we were celebrating Christmas when, in a
sermon, I was saying that we cannot look upon the baby in the manger without
seeing the shadow of the cross of Good Friday and all that it means to us.
You will
probably be reading this letter as we approach Holy week and move towards
the good news of Easter Day. It was at that first Easter that the disciples
who had been following their Master were disillusioned and shattered by the
events that had taken their Lord from them. Yet they found themselves
transformed by his resurrection appearances. As a result they became
effective witnesses to one another and to the world.
This was in my
mind as I watched the contractors this week busy at the front of our church
and thought of the hope that awaits us when the work is finished. The
inconvenience of the building works has proved far less that I had
anticipated. All thanks to the development team.
Although we
may all suffer somewhat as a result of the upheaval, I sense a mood of
excitement now that the work is under way. The long awaited redevelopment
will transform our ministry in Epsom and give wonderful opportunities to
further the Lord’s work in the community.
I consider
that we, who are at presently involved in EMC, are probably not unlike those
who, many years ago, built our present church and provided a centre of
worship that has served us so well over the years. But we live in a changing
world and must look at new ways of reaching out and meeting the needs of
those about us.
We are
privileged to be called upon to provide for the years ahead and for the
future generations who will benefit and bless us for the sacrifices we are
now making.
I
know that I speak for the whole Leadership Team in wishing you all a happy
and Holy 2007 Easter.
Michael J Whelton.
DEVELOPMENT FACTS
DEVELOPMENT FAITH
You may not believe this, but the contractors will be on site for the church
building development programme to begin on 26th February
2007.
Once you have taken it in, the first thought must be of praise and
thanksgiving. We are thankful to God, to the architect, the quantity
surveyor and contractor, to the design advisory team, the finance committee,
to all who have been making personal contributions and working hard to raise
funds, to those who have promised grants and to the staff of the Methodist
Property Office in Manchester, who have now given us permission to get
going.
Let me explain the delay, as the contractor was ready to start in October
and has generously held the price, and been ready to go ahead, for four
months. Permission was not available from the Property Office, however,
while £900,000 of our budget was still at a stage of negotiation. It is
wonderful that £500,000 has been granted to EMC’s scheme by the Circuit,
from the sale of Great Tattenham Methodist Church closure and proposed sale,
but that sale is not yet completed. The sale of the house beside our church
in Ashley Road (which was purchased from the development fund to provide
land for the new Scout headquarters) is also not yet complete. So the
Property Officers were resolute in saving us from possible financial
disaster!
Where there’s a will
I was alarmed, when I returned to EMC in January, to find that, despite
every conscientious and committed effort, we could not move ahead and that
the unstinting extension by the contractor was about to run out. We feared
that the scheme could crumble!
It was, therefore, necessary to find a way to request permission to proceed
with the first phase of the project in the expectation that the two sales
will be completed in time, to enable the work to proceed to completion
without a break. After careful consideration of the case that we presented
(and recognising the detailed and responsible assessment and costings which
had been undertaken by the team and our professional advisors) the Property
Office staff in Manchester gave approval for us to proceed with the first
phase. This is a considerable departure from their usual procedure – so for
this decision we are most grateful.
The first phase
I hope I am not boring you with unnecessary detail, but inevitably folk have
been wondering what has been going on and this seems a good time to bring
you up to date. I imagine that your next question may be – ‘What will be
included in the first phase?’ So here goes –
The removal of the garages for the Nursery play area and access to the site
for the Scout headquarters
Children’s toilets and storage space
New ladies and gents toilets
Reconfigured offices, interview room and access to the hall
Dovecote Bookshop at the front of the building
Preparatory work for the entrance and welcome area, for the church extension
and for the Scout headquarters (drains, water supply, electricity etc.)
Within a few months the funding matters should be settled, permission for
the completion secured and the preparatory work done – then we will expect
to move into the second phase on completion of the first. It is then our
further hope and commitment to work towards the building of the Scout
headquarters within a year or so.
I’m gratefully relieved that we can no go ahead. I am deeply grateful for
the work and worry which has been carried by some of our members and for the
generous giving which has brought us this far. These things witness to the
faith and devotion of the Christian community at EMC.
We will have a period of five years in which to complete the fundraising for
this project. That will be possible only because of the kindness of those
who have been making regular gifts to the Development Fund and are willing
to continue. It will also depend on the willingness of the congregations to
continue to work on fundraising efforts, as they have done in recent years,
to clear the final £72,000.
The foundation is faith
I mentioned faith and devotion. Jesus said that this is the stuff of the
foundation of the Church (Matthew 16 verses 16-17). In Jesus, Peter
recognised the living God. He dared to believe that He was the Christ.
Peter’s witness to Jesus, his allegiance to Jesus (despite his humanity and
failure in denying Him), and his surrender to Jesus – is the bedrock of the
Christian Church.
“Peter, you are a rock,” said Jesus, “and on this foundation I will build my
Church.”
He was not planning a building project, of course, but this project of ours
will be a testing time in which we either build up God’s church at EMC or
our life could fall apart!
A year without a car park, constant building dust, restricted space, groups
being moved to other rooms, nerves occasionally fraying at the ends! These
things will demand more constancy, more understanding and care for one
another, more loyalty to our groups, regular presence in worship, continued
giving, patience, prayer and faithfulness in following Jesus with vision and
expectation.
“Faith, trusting love – this is the foundation on which I will build my
church”
The building project is not just about bricks and mortar it is more about
our spiritual life and the quality of the Christian community. It is about
our commitment to the future and our vision for God’s mission for,
“If the Lord does not build this house we will be wasting our time!”
(Psalm 127 verses 1)
Blessings,
David J Winwood
Blessings!
It is lovely to
greet you again at this glorious time of the year. I hope that 2007 brings
many blessings and challenges, and that we have grown a year of knowing
Jesus more intimately.
We welcome
David back at the beginning of a New Year. We give thanks to God that his
health has greatly improved and now is with us. Those present during his
leading Services gave a loud applause on his return, his ‘second coming’.
Ernest and I
are proud to announce of the safe arrival of our grandson, Maxwell Chergfai,
on 10th December last year. He is God’s wonderful gift to our
son Timothy and his wife Kan. The gift of a new life reminds us to be
thankful to God, for His love endures forever. A new life thus inspires us
to think of a new beginning in 2007.
A famous Chinese proverb says: -
“A whole year’s
plan is made in Spring
一年之計在於春”
How sensible it is! Similarly in Christian tradition, the Covenant Sunday
marks Christians’ yearly commitment to Christ. It
is powerful for a congregation to say together their commitments in the
Church on the first Sunday of the year. Liturgically, this is also a Sunday
called 1st Epiphany. The great truth after the angel, shepherds
and the wise men have seen that a child is born for us, a son is given. We
praise and thank God for the wonder and supreme demonstration of that love
in Jesus Christ.
We are blessed
to have English and Chinese speaking congregations at EMC. May God’s grace
and love enable us to grow to love Him and each other.
Challenges!
Together we
build a strong Church. The EMC Church Building Project needs prayer and
support this year but so does every aspect of the Church’s life. Our vision
of God’s purpose depends on Him and on His power. Jesus did not die to make
good theology. Jesus died to love us. “For God loved so much that He gave
His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have
eternal life” (John 3:16). Our first challenge for this year is not to
lose sight of the need to rekindle our relationship with God. Our second
challenge is to love one another. In a community life, we belong to clubs,
classes, and professional organisations and so on. But in the Church, we
are part of the one body, a fellowship with God and with one another
- The Body of Christ.
Christ is the
head of the body. He is the one who gives us direction, energy and life.
This image speaks of the intimacy between Christ and His Church. There is
no closer bond in existence than the union of the varied aspects of a human
person. In a real sense, we share one Church life. Each of us affects one
another in every way. We have inter-dependent relationships with one
another. The head is needed by other parts of the body to make whole and
complete.
We see God’s
divine presence manifested in the variety of spiritual gifts which are
continually bestowed on EMC. Having been involved with members of the
congregation in Worship for the past few months, I realised that there are
many gifts and talents among us. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians gives us
some encouragement. He described many of the these gifts such as
prophesying, healing, working miracles, involving and exercising leadership,
teaching, extending charity and helping are signs of God’s presence to His
people. Methodists in particular value and recognise people’s many gifts
and talents. Please make a list of things that you are good at and not so
good at, and let this list be a challenge in your 2007 year plan. We have a
strong team of ministers at EMC, we are delighted to hear from you and serve
you. Please share your gifts and talents and also ask for help if needed.
May the greatest gift of love remain in us forever.
A brief word!
What a privilege to be back! I have been quite overwhelmed by the warmth and
affection that has been expressed by so many people, and the spirit of
worship on the first two Sundays of 2007 has been moving. I must say that it
was a bit of a shock to be greeted by applause as I came into the church at
the 9.0am and 10.30am services on the first Sunday of the year – A little
embarrassing but genuine and encouraging.
Thank you for your kindness and care. If we have that kind if love among us
we can move mountains! I mean – we can face up to the delays and challenges
of the building programme ( which I am hoping we may have dealt with by the
time you read this) and concentrate on building up the fellowship, looking
round to see who has been forgotten, welcoming newcomers, bringing friends
and extending the mission of the church.
Before I launch into dreams and visions for the future I must make it clear
that my one purpose in writing this brief word is simply to ask you to
accept my deep gratitude, not only for your care and prayers during my
absence, but now for the joy and warmth with which you have received me back
into action!
David.
All I want for Christmas!
The best Christmas present I can imagine will be returning to EMC at
Christmas: so that is my aim to be in the congregation to worship on
Christmas Day and to pick up my ministry among you at the beginning of the
new year.
Thankfully, my troubles are over – my health has greatly improved and, by
God’s grace, I am looking forward.
I am deeply grateful for the care of a good doctor, the love and support of
my wife, Wilma, and for the kindness and prayers of many people. Your
letters, cards, e-mails, verbal messages, and little gifts have been
wonderfully strengthening. Thank you. I am sorry that I have not replied to
each one, but more than a couple of hundred have arrived and every one
bringing a little of God’s grace.
Thank you’s
May I express my thanks to Nigel and the Church Leadership Team for
sustaining the work of the Church in my prolonged absence, and to every
volunteer and participant. I’d like to add my thanks to Rev. Martin Camroux
for picking up the responsibility and workload of the Circuit
Superintendent, and to Sue Massingham for holding the administration
together, supported by the office staff.
A word of admiration, as well as thanks, are due to EMC’s architect, the
Design team and the Finance Committee as, with expertise and devotion, they
have continued to steer the development programme through a number of
complex hindrances to a positive outcome.
I must add a special word of profound appreciation to Revs Michael Whelton
and Simon Leigh for their pastoral support – for frequent visits and regular
times of prayer with me at home. Those visits were, without question, a
vital part of the healing process. St. Luke said something like that to
describe the coming of Jesus. You’ll find it in one of the Christmas
readings – Luke 1 v. 68 “He has visited and redeemed His people”
It is a summary of the Incarnation: in Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem, God
has visited and healed His people and He continues to bring redemptive
healing through the visits of His followers today.
Sickness plus Sabbatical
I am very sorry that I have been away from the Church for so long. In nearly
forty years of ministry I have never had sick leave before! It’s unfair that
you have had to suffer forty years’ worth in one go, and then sabbatical
study leave to follow! That seems a bit of a cheek on my part, but perhaps I
should tell you that I was instructed to take it!
In connection with research for my sabbatical studies, we had a week in
Patmos (Greek island off the west coast of Turkey) in mid September. For us
it was a lovely peaceful place, but that is in stark contrast to the
experience of St. John, when he was exiled to work in the mines of Patmos.
That’s where he received God’s
Revelation.
You will know, however, that the Book of Revelation is full of demons and
dragons, thunder and lightning, hail and fire and a monster with ten horns
and seven heads rising from the sea, not a lot of peace for him there! John
came to the island haunted by suffering and torture, torment and death,
which was being inflicted upon Christian people – because of their faith in
Christ. The Revelation begins with John recognising Christ in the midst of
the torment, among the suffering churches, like a radiant light in darkness.
Christ laid His hand upon John, saying, “Do not be afraid, I am the
beginning and the end, I am the living one and my life is for ever.” (Rev. 1
v.17 – 18)
Enriched
A few people have suggested the stress of ministry at EMC is enough to
finish off a minister! I want to assure you, however, that our Church and
Circuit are not responsible for my being unwell. I have grown to love our
Church and its people. I am happy in the ministry we share and in the life
of the Circuit.
There is no way I would have chosen to be out of action for so long and yet,
I must say that Wilma and I feel enriched by the loving support and prayers
that have sustained us.
The truth of Christmas brings another positive thought to mind. I mentioned
that I have not really been ill before. I have not been in hospital, and
never quite so vulnerable, fragile or dependent, nor would I have wanted to
be. The Christmas message tells us, however, that in Christ, God allowed
Himself to be vulnerable, fragile and dependent. For the love of the world
He voluntarily entered into our suffering and torment, our inadequacy and
failure. He was born as a child. He died on a cross. This is part of the
salvation story in the Christmas message.
Philippians 2 v.6 – 8 tells us how God emptied himself, became as a servant
to us, was born into human experience, humbled Himself (entering the
suffering and failure of human life) and, in obedience, He carried His
cross to His death.
I have been somewhat humbled by the experience of recent months, so I pray
that it will help me to understand a little more of the meaning of
Christmas. I shall remember that for many it is still a time of pain or
loneliness. Yet, at the same time, I am more thankful than ever that when
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, God came into our depths to bring true love and
peace and Christmas joy.
All I want for Christmas is to come back and share in the proclamation and
celebration of that wonder again, and for us together to be an incarnation
to others bringing healing to God’s world.
As always, David Winwood
Hi All
‘Pray continually’ (1
Thessalonians 5:17)
This is one of
the shortest verses in the bible but it’s also one of the most important as
it reminds us of the importance of prayer as a way of life for the
Christian.
Keeping the
channels of communication open is so vital in all the relationships we have,
whether it is with parents, children, friends, spouses, partners etc and the
same is true of our relationship with God. Prayer enables us to keep the
channels of communication open with God, both in speaking to God about the
issues and people who concern us and also in listening to what God is saying
to us.
It may seem
very daunting to pray continually but I would be surprised if this verse is
meant to be taken as meaning that we should be speaking to God every minute
of every day. I think what it does mean is that we should always be in an
‘attitude of prayer’, open for God to speak to us and ready to offer up to
him the things we face as our day unfolds. It means that we should be
spending some time in prayer in all the different parts of our lives, in all
the different places where we spend our time. It may, for example, involve a
brief prayer at our desks in the office before an important decision is
taken or an important meeting takes place. It may be a brief prayer while
taking children to school about the day ahead. It may be a brief prayer
while out on the golf course for those we are playing with or will meet
later on in the club house. Wherever and whatever we are doing it is
important to spend time communicating with God because God uses it to alert
us to his presence and to opportunities to speak and work for him.
It is
important, too, to spend times in our business meetings as a church in
prayer because prayer within those meetings helps us to fix our minds and
thoughts on who it is that we’re serving within those meetings. It reminds
us that the overriding aim that we have when we meet together is to serve
God. Acknowledging and calling upon God for his help will help to bring
about consensus and imaginative solutions to some of the issues we are
dealing with.
It is important
to spend time within our house groups and fellowship groups in prayer for
each other’s needs, and for the needs of the church and the world. Again it
helps us to focus on God and to open ourselves to his solutions.
God always
answers our prayers but the answer doesn’t always come in the way that we
expect. Sometimes the answer is ‘no’, sometimes it’s ‘not yet’ but when the
request and the timing is right in God’s eyes then the answer will be ‘yes’.
So let us keep
on praying for each other, for the needs of the church and the world, and
for our own needs too. The God we serve and love is generous and gracious
and will answer our prayers.
AMEN.
Pastor K K Yap