Being called BelovedAt St James’ last summer, we were looking at extraordinary things that happened when Jesus physically walked the earth. One of the key times that we explored was Jesus’ baptism and afterwards I remember reflecting on my own Baptism as an adult. We may or may not remember our own baptism depending on when we were baptised. However we can remember that our baptism says who we are - a Child of God. Imagine God, who made all things, who holds all things together by His mighty power, sits with you, looks directly into your eyes, and says, “I am proud of you. I see you for all that you are, for all that you have, for all that you’ve done, and for all that you ever will do. I’m so glad you’re my child. And I am proud of you.”As far as I know, there is nothing better than knowing those words deep down inside. That we are loved and that we belong to God and that no matter what we do God won’t love us any more or any less. No matter what happens with your relationships, your work; no matter how many mistakes you’ve made, how much you’ve done that you aren’t proud of, how much you wish you could change. No matter how much you achieve, how many things you have, how much influence you exert, when all is said and done, you can’t improve on the very idea that God loves you and welcomes you into His family.In our own baptism, we make promises (or our Godparents do) to serve God and God’s world with love and justice. We promise to resist temptations and the darkness of this world. This is not an easy road to walk. Immediately after Jesus’s baptism, he is led into the wilderness and faces temptation. (We consider this during our Ash Wednesday service - details below.)Our own journey of faith can be tough as we too face temptations and times in the wilderness of life. As we seek to establish God’s justice and peace on earth, we will battle the demons of hatred, racism, sexism, ignorance, oppression, all of which seem to gathering more steam every time we open our newspapers. But Jesus promises that he will never leave us or abandon us. So let’s hold onto God’s words that were said over Jesus as he was baptised and God says over us, “You are my beloved child” as we walk our faith journey and seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly through the ups and downs of life.Blessings,Rev VikkiAsh Wednesday Service on March 5th at 7pm at St James Church. All welcome.
There’s a long way to go on all the repair works needed to St James Church and a lot more funds to be raised and grants to be applied for, but we are delighted to share with you that we have been awarded two grants worth £10,740 towards the much needed repairs of the church’s tiled roofs, gutters and downpipes. It may be a drop in the ocean that is needed, but the grants have been awarded as a result of all the community activities we are doing ourselves to raise funds for the restoration project of St James Church. So far we have raised approx £6,500 and this has been used to match-fund grants from Coventry Diocese and the National Churches Trust. Grant applications aren’t always successful and so it’s been a great encouragement to the team to have received two towards some of the works.We know that St James church holds so many connections and stories for people who live, or have lived, in Southam and surrounding areas. The Grade 1 listed building has stood in place for hundreds of years and has been a place of worship, a place of tears and loss, a place of celebration, a place of laughter and a place of love. And it’s our hope that the church is there for generations to come. So thank you to all of you who have donated, volunteered, attended events, made cakes, stewarded, served refreshments, prepared crafts and fun activities for the children… the list is almost endless! Without you, our hope that the church is there for generations to come would not be possible. In addition to the grants, last Autumn our efforts were also recognised when we were shortlisted for the National Churches Trust Church & Community Volunteers Award. All of these things have been such an encouragement to us!We know there is still a lot of work to do and a huge amount of money needs to be raised for the major building repairs and for the upkeep, so if you’d like to get involved in some way please get in touch. This year we are planning more events and activities to continue ‘having Fun whilst Fund Raising’ and with your continued support, we will be applying for more grants to tackle the bigger repair projects as well as to improve our facilities and accessibility for the wonderful community of Southam.Watch this space!With thanks,Rev Vikki
Joy is one of the most prominent themes of the Bible. From the very beginning, God’s plan for mankind has been to bring us joy and peace. Throughout the Bible, we see stories of joy in response to God’s blessings and celebration of His promises. In the Old Testament, the Israelites rejoiced and sang songs of joy when they escaped from the Egyptians and made their way to the Promised Land. In the New Testament, Jesus brings joy to those who follow Him, and encourages others to do the same. The Apostle Paul also speaks of joy in his letters, urging believers to be joyful even in difficult circumstances. Joy is threaded all the way through the Christmas story. Angel Gabriel promises joy to Zechariah when he tells him that Elizabeth will conceive in her old age and give birth to John the Baptist; the shepherds were brought great news of joy on the hillside; and the magi, or wise men, when they saw that the star had stopped at Bethlehem were filled with great joy. Do you know who wasn’t filled with joy at the birth of Jesus when he was visited by the magi? Herod. The verse reads that he was disturbed (as was Jerusalem). He was not full of joy like others were. His heart was hard to the love of God.The Bible teaches us that joy is a gift from God, and that it is something to be celebrated and shared with others. According to the Bible, joy is not the same as happiness, although the world tends to believe they’re interchangeable. Both are emotions, but their sources are different. The source of joy is rooted in the Holy Spirit - it is the Fruit of the Spirit. Happiness, however, is grounded in circumstances that can quickly dissipate with a middle-of-the-night phone call, a disappointment, a misspoken word, or watching the evening news.Because joy differs from happiness, we can walk through all circumstances trusting in God. Bible verses can help us when we go through a difficult season as they are reminders of God’s promises and love for us. Joy is rooted in who God is rather than on who we are and what is happening around us. It is not fleeting or based on circumstances. Worldly possessions, accomplishments, even the people in our lives, are blessings that make us happy and fuel joyfulness. However, the Bible teaches that the source of all joy is Jesus. God’s plan from the beginning, the Word made flesh to dwell among us, is rock solid, allowing us to navigate difficult situations while sustaining our joy.And the best part is we don’t have to wait until heaven to know how good Jesus is. We get to have a relationship with Jesus, where we get to worship him, talk to him, listen to him, and love him. Knowing Jesus requires time with him in the word of God, and that time produces a relationship full of abundant peace and joy.God’s word is His revelation to us, it’s where we can get to know him no matter what is going on in our life. God says in his word that he will never leave us or forsake us, he will strengthen us, he will comfort us, and bring us peace. He is near to the brokenhearted and wants to bless us and keep us close to him.Biblical joy is choosing to respond to external circumstances with inner contentment and satisfaction, because we know that God will use these experiences to accomplish His work in and through our lives. Joy comes from the choice to trust that God will fulfil his promises.
For some strange algorithm of social media, my social media feeds have recently shown old photographs of my old home town at Christmas. This has generated lots of different comments of people reminiscing how Christmas used to be. Life seems so very different now or maybe I’m looking through rose tinted glasses.With Christmas rapidly approaching, there are many who will get caught up in all the busyness and preparations, others will prefer a quieter, simpler Christmas and some will find Christmas a really hard time for lots of different reasons. I’ve been mulling over a chapter of a book that I’m currently reading and, with some poetic licence, the writer has explored what Joseph may have felt that very first Christmas - Mary giving birth in less than ideal circumstances and away from home. The writer wonders whether Joseph ever questioned God or doubted His plan when things unfolded as they did and probably very differently to what Joseph was expecting. I wonder whether we have found ourselves in situations that aren’t what we expected or that don’t make sense to us. I wonder what questions you may have asked of God? I don’t think that the Bethlehem sky was the first, or the last, to hear the pleadings of a heart. Along Joseph’s journey, from the moment of discovering Mary was expecting, the Angel visiting him, Jesus’ birth, the escape to Egypt and as Jesus grew up, he would have had questions and doubts. But he trusted and obeyed.Perhaps one of his questions in all that happened was, ‘Are you still with me God?’ From my own personal experience the answer would be ‘yes I am right there with you.’ In all the messiness of life and in the darkest of times, God is there.By the time that you read this, we will be in Advent. Advent - a time of waiting and preparation for Jesus, the Light in the darkness. Throughout Advent at St James we have a ‘When Christmas Hurts Tree’. Through December, it gradually fills with baubles that people hang on the tree to represent loved ones that they are missing or situations that make celebrating Christmas harder this year. As a church we pray throughout December for what the baubles represent and we also have a When Christmas Hurts service (Saturday 21st December 3pm) which is a quieter more reflective way of celebrating Christmas. A time to step away from the busyness and hustle and bustle and to just be. However you celebrate Christmas this year, remember that the good news of Christmas is that even when the world or our circumstances change – the message of Christmas is timeless. Because Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, Immanuel meaning God with Us. It’s about how He came to give us love, hope and joy. And that message doesn't change from year to year.Blessings for a peaceful Christmas,Rev VikkiPlease see the dates section for the December and Christmas services and events.
