From the Curate…

Clergy

This is our second Harvest Celebration in Worth Parish – where oh where has the time gone?  The vast majority of our time has been wonderful, joyous and energising; however, there have been some low, dark and exhausting times.  In the joyous times, I can praise and thank God with the best of them, but in the bad times, it is all I can do to say the words of praise mechanically at Morning Prayer.

Faith is a rollercoaster ride with great rises and falls.  God has sometimes helped me drag myself from the falls by the gift of perspective.  I have to deliberate and list the things that are good in my life – that might be as simple as I can breathe, that my body works relatively well, that I have a family, a house, a bed, food and that no matter what I am loved by God.  All our gratitude lists will be different, but if we think hard enough we will all be able to fill them. When they are filled and we look at the problem we face, then slowly we see the light of Christ shining in the darkness – the Hope that we have closed our eyes to in our despair.

The gift of perspective helps us to see our blessings so that we can say thank you to God and from this position of gratitude give to others in need.  I think this letter home from a female student sums up the gift of perspective:

Dear Mum and Dad,

Because of the fire in the dorms caused by the riots, I had lung failure and was taken to hospital. Here I fell in love with a porter and we have moved in together. I have left Uni and I am pregnant and we are moving to Scotland and getting married.

Your loving daughter

P.S. None of that really happened, but I did fail Chemistry – just wanted you to keep it in perspective.        

Steve

Pewsheet for 4th October 2015

Pewsheets

Click here to see this week’s pewsheet.

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The Rector writes…

Pewsheets

Written on Sunday 4th October

Denis Healey, who died yesterday, was sometimes described as the best Labour Prime Minister we never had.  George Bell, who died on the same day in 1958, has been described as the best Archbishop of Canterbury we never had.  That is speculation.  But we do know that three years before he died Bishop Bell came to Worth Parish to dedicate the new church in Pound Hill to St Barnabas, the encourager.  Today we come together to celebrate and give thanks for 60 years of the church’s presence and service in our community– witnessing to the church being both a building and the people.  Those who invested in establishing St Barnabas’ would, I am convinced, be proud of what has been achieved and how their gift has been used and developed; how so many “families of the earth [have been] blessed”.

Aside from the improvements to the fabric undertaken and planned to mark the 60th Anniversary, we need only consider (e.g.) last week to see the ways in which the church allows people to “taste[d] that the Lord is good”: daily worship, 50 for dinner at our Alpha course, more at the Unforgettable concert, the hanging of the “Tree of Life” banner created by the Knit & Natter fellowship (thank you!) and, even more, if we add in the Hall and Pastoral Centre, Toddlers’, the café, a talk on Israel/ Palestine, St Nicholas’ Circle, Friday lunch, Plugged In youth group, the Easter Team meal for the homeless, a Saturday Market and today’s Pork Roast – plus the activities of various community groups hiring the premises.  Jesus came that we might have life and have it abundantly.  It is just wonderful to be able to join with you in welcoming Bishop Mark to a church doing such works in the Father’s name and actively working to develop her fabric and ministry to meet the needs of the community.

To God be the Glory! 

Announcement

Pewsheets

This announcement was made on Sunday 27th September:

“We are pleased to announce the appointment of Revd James Grant as the next parish priest for the parishes of Old Shoreham and Kingston Buci.  James is currently associate vicar in the benefice of Worth, Pound Hill, and Maidenbower.  James will be assistant vicar working closely with Canon Ann Waizeneker who will have oversight and the cure of souls for all the parishes in Shoreham, Shoreham Beach and Kingston Buci.  There will be a further announcement soon about the timing for James’ departure.”

From the Associate Vicar…

Clergy

Back in the 1990s a new fad emerged among a few young people in my youth group: they started having rats as pets. However they were not kept in cages at home where they belonged but carried around wherever they went.  First one rat appeared then another and at the high point of the fad between tamagotchis and pagers we had about five rats running about during youth club.  Not the typical pet and often not more than a “goth” accessory.  They were for some part of their expression of rebellion; rebellion against the typical pets.  I am pretty sure we won’t have any rats blessed at today’s Animal Service.

Today, we will be remembering St Francis of Assisi whom we have transferred from next week due to our Parish Eucharist and Dedication Festival (have you already booked your place for the Pork Roast after the service?).  St Francis took stewardship of God’s creation seriously and wanted to live life in harmony with nature.  His love for all things living had a deep impact on the Church and so it is at this time that we pronounce the blessing on all God’s creatures – a blessing God spoke first when he created everything and saw that it was good.

For us it is at this time that we give thanks for all God’s creation and remember that we should be good stewards of that creation including rats.  Hope you join us for a furry Animal Service later this morning.

James

The Curate writes…

Pewsheets

We begin the Alpha Course this coming week and the first session will pose the question – ‘Is there more to life than this?

This question has been asked and dissected throughout the history of the human race. The Bible can be seen as the story of groups of people – Israel in the Old Testament and Christians in the New Testament – wrestling with this very issue.  Those who reject God in the reading from the Wisdom of Solomon have concluded that there is no remedy when life comes to end.  When you die that is it.  However, even these opponents to God cannot help be engaged and intrigued by people who have faith.

Sometimes churches haven’t been a safe space to ask the big questions of life – my hope is that Tuesday evening at St Barnabas’ Church, in the sharing of a meal and the asking of questions, that Alpha will be such a safe space.  My other hope for Alpha is that it will also demonstrate another aspect of Christian love, the aspect of hospitality.

In the Gospel reading, the greatest will be those with a servant heart who will welcome everyone even the lowest of the low – in the society of Jesus this was children – today it might be the homeless person or migrant.  True hospitality is welcoming everyone in abundant love no matter what baggage they have.  At Alpha, we will all be bringing baggage, but we will all be welcome, just as we are when we gather together, this Sunday, at the Communion rail.  All with our own baggage, but all equally welcomed to share in the Lord’s Supper.  And as Sian and Greta (this week) begin their ministries as Lay Ministers of Communion, may they feel this welcome always.

Steve