Dear friends,I began this letter sitting at dad’s house waiting for the gas man to come and repair dad’s boiler, no heating but plenty of hot water. Thankfully dad is in St Marys Mount at the moment and enjoying every minute. My thoughts drifted to where we are as a world at this moment. We have to stay at home, keep our distance and wash hands. Unfortunately this means contact with our communities is very limited. The few people we come into contact with, either by phone or electronic media, are absolutely delighted that we have bothered to contact them. As a member of the clergy team I am conscious of the restricted pastoral care we can give to our community, often when they are in dire need of it. Time on the phone or social media do not seem the same as a face to face conversation, it always seems to be lacking something. The same applies to our worship, I know that Members of the team do a sterling job creating online worship for our area congregations, even farther afield. Distant worship, distant learning and distant pastoral care, our contact with others becomes more remote. I sometimes feel we are all turning into a modern Robinson Crusoe cut off from the world and all alone.Our thoughts are concentrated on the future, when will this pandemic end, when will I be free to go out and mix with family and friends and when will we back to normal?For many there will be a time when, although free to come and go as you choose, the spectre of the virus and fear of contagion will be always there, hovering in the background. Some will experience a time of new beginning building up new friendships and contacts. All of us in some way will have to build up our lives virtually (the pun is intended) from scratch. How that will shape our lives and communities we do not know. Can we carry on as before the pandemic? In some ways we as a church will be like the original disciples setting out to build the new church that Jesus empowered them to do. In a way we will be sharing the same questions as those disciples. What do we do? How do we do it? Should we do it this way or that way? Do we have enough people and resources to continue? Have people’s expectations or approach to worship changed, especially after experiencing different styles of worship on line. Have we as Christians changed inside after lockdown or self-isolation or shielding?As I said to the congregation at Marchington, at the end of my only service this year, be of good heart, God will see us through. As followers of Jesus we are used to having to wait on the Lord and this isolation should be treated as a time of waiting and a time of prayer that will reinforce our own inner belief in God and a time to prepare us to for the time we can gather again to worship and minister fully to all God’s people.All God’s blessings.Chris..
I wonder how many of you were interested in the poll for the best ever Christmas movie (won by the 1946 film ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’); well in 5th place was that 2003 rom-com ’Love Actually’. Even though I watched a few films over the Christmas period I didn’t see it listed on TV this year!! We did watch ‘Notting Hill’ again but I digress. It may seem odd to be harking back to December but, as has been said before, Christmas builds up for months prior to the day, then disappears almost entirely 2 days after, yet we are still in the ‘Christmas’ period until Candlemas - 2nd Feb. Shops and supermarkets keep us looking forward to the next big event/s (with Easter eggs already on display); and tucked away among the cards we glimpse images of hearts and flowers as Valentine’s Day looms large on the horizon. Yes, it’s time to start planning the perfect surprise for that special person in your life…. only we are in lock down again! Anyway, it got me thinking about Valentine; who was he, and why do we associate him with love – and a love that is sometimes shrouded in secrecy?Well, it appears there were 3 potential candidates for the honour and it wasn’t until the 3rd century that St. Valentine’s Day was declared in memory of a priest of Rome who was martyred. Legend suggests it all stems back to the time of Emperor Claudius, during the period when Christians were being persecuted, and who made a decree forbidding soldiers to marry – his logic being that married men would not fight so well if they were thinking about their wives! Valentine felt this was unjust so he defied the emperor and conducted marriages for young couples in secret. Eventually he was found out, imprisoned and sentenced to death. Legend also says that during his imprisonment he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter, and before his execution he wrote her a letter signed “From Your Valentine”. Probably, though, the most plausible story surrounding St Valentine is one not focused on eros (passionate love) but on agape (love of God): he was martyred for refusing to renounce his religion.We certainly are living in somewhat dark days, both metaphorically and physically; and love can sometimes seem to be in short supply as we find ourselves limited to what we can do and those who we cannot meet. It was into such times of turmoil that God’s amazing love was revealed in human form in the birth of Jesus, and 40 days later when the baby Jesus was presented in the temple that Simeon declared that “his eyes had seen God’s salvation, a light to enlighten all people.” Then, as now, people felt lost and lonely with no-one to help them; and Jesus still comes with a message of help and comfort, a guiding light to all in darkness. Thankfully, that message is still heard today and is responded to through acts of kindness and concern. As we anticipate Valentine’s Day and continue our Thursday evening applause for heroes, we are reminded that ‘God’s Love, actually, is all around.’John
Dear all,Today I am writing this Stuff as a genuine 4D, present time, multisensory experience. I have a cup of honey and ginger tea in my 'Tea's a Saviour' mug, which also has a 3D image of Jesus on it. Jesus actually looks as if he might have been from Palestine rather than the blue-eyed, Aryan versions popular in 20th century Hollywood films. He is a touch orange, however, but as far as I know hasn't been asked to go on Strictly Come Dancing.I am also listening to the first of 3 Bob Dylan CDs that my oldest brother kindly sent me a few months ago. I was asking him about Bob's 'Christian Phase' and if there was anything appropriate for me to play in church services. I have been trying to introduce some different styles of music to broaden what we listen to in church and discourage people from singing. Those who were at Christchurch, Tean on 27th December for the annual Uttoxeter Area tradition of a finding an excuse to miss church, were treated to Bob's version of 'O Little Town of Bethlehem', which is the only listenable track on his otherwise appalling 2009 'Christmas in the Heart' album.The first song on Bob's 'Shot of Love' 1981 album is ..... 'Shot of Love', and starts with the lines,Don't need a shot of heroinTo kill my diseaseDon't need a shot of turpentineOnly bring me to my kneesDon't need a shot of codeineTo help me to repentDon't need a shot of whiskeyHelp me be president How I integrate that with 'Shine Jesus Shine' might be a bit of a problem for me. However, as my oldest brother also told me once (with tone and style at its wryest), "there is no such thing as a problem, only a solution opportunity".As I write I'm really rather enjoying Bob's album. It's a mix of folk, gospel and bluegrass, and I can actually hear his lyrics, which is a plus, as on the two occasions that I have seen Bob live it has just been an electric mash of incoherent noise. Another couple of lines I have heard are,'Never robbed any churches nor cut off any babies' heads,He just took the folks in high places and he shined a light in their face.' which I'm guessing partly refers to Herod's slaughter of the under two's in Bethlehem after Joseph and his family and fled to Egypt.I've enjoyed listening to other types of Christian music over the last few months. It's been one of the pluses of COVID restrictions. I have a bluegrass gospel collection to catch up with, which I was hoping to use at church this week but that will now have to wait. I think that the problem with some church music is that a) it's a bit cheesy, and b) it's a bit formulaic. There are many exceptions of course and much great church music. There is also background to some of the hymns we play that we are unaware of, such 'It is well with my soul', where both the writer of the music and the words met with great tragedy, and Horatio's Spafford's experiences are reflected in the lyrics.That is why I am keen to listen to music by Christians which is not necessarily standard church music. Bob Dylan's songs no doubt reflect his experiences of fame, fortune, sadness and social dissent, as well as his faith experience. Some of the images used might challenge our starched expectations from the hymnal, but they also reflect what seemed to be deeply felt experiences,'you were closer to me than my next of kinWhen they didn't want to know or see'and dramatic changes in approach. Compare Bob's 1960s protest songs to this lyric from 'Trouble','Revolution even ain't no solution for trouble.' Strangely enough, the song from 'Shot of Love' that immediately struck me as the most likely one to acceptably play in church is probably the cheesiest, but most beautiful. 'Every Grain of Sand' is a gentle song that talks of Bob at his lowest but also where God was close to him. Here is the final verse,I hear the ancient footsteps like the motion of the seaSometimes I turn, there's someone there, other times it's only me.I am hanging in the balance of the reality of manLike every sparrow falling, like every grain of sand. Pure gospel. Faith, doubt, hope.Peace and prayers, Joe
