Pewsheet for 20th September 2015

Pewsheets

Click here to see this week’s pewsheet.

Tip: If this, or any other, PDF document opens at too large a size, here’s what you do:

  1. Open Adobe Reader, for example, by opening a *.pdf document you have on your computer.
  2. From the Edit menu, click Preferences.
  3. With Page Display selected in the left hand list of Categories, on the right hand side of the window, choose a Page Layout and Zoom level that suits you, for example Single Page and Fit Page as shown here:Preferences
  4. Now any time you open a PDF, it will open at this zoom level.

From the Rector…

Pewsheets

Words are powerful – more powerful than we sometimes realise.  Words can tug at the heart-strings: Josephine, a lovely, kind, cultured young lady from the church I led in Damascus wrote this week “last night ISIS tried to attack my village … today was a bad day, we were asked by security to leave the village.”  More ‘internally displaced’; friends not numbers.

Words can build up and encourage: Isaiah has been given the gift of “sustaining the weary with a word”.  Do you offer that kind word to a suffering neighbour? Are you going to look out the refugees to be housed in Crawley to extend a word of “welcome”?

Words can express profound truths: “You are the Messiah” says Peter, barely comprehending the meaning and significance of what he says in response to Jesus’ question.  Words will allow us to convey our experiences, doubts, confusion and understanding when we (OK only about 30 of us signed up so far) meet for the Alpha evenings and find it’s OK to get it wrong sometimes – as Peter does in today’s gospel.

Words can also tear down: they don’t have to be “full of deadly poison” to hurt and undermine others – a sarcastic comment; the hint or insinuation in some ‘harmless gossip’ is enough.  The adage “You are what you eat” is familiar and we try to limit our excesses.  But do we think that “you are what you say” and take as much care over that?  If we are deliberate about holding back angry words, or the temptation to boost our ego by diminishing another but instead look out opportunities to offer a kind, encouraging or welcoming word we (individually and as a Church) will be offering clear, sweet water not a brackish poison.  We can’t offer both.    How will you use the power of your words?  Which are we to be?

Anthony


Pewsheet for 6th September 2015

Pewsheets

Click here to see this week’s pewsheet.

Tip: If this, or any other, PDF document opens at too large a size, here’s what you do:

  1. Open Adobe Reader, for example, by opening a *.pdf document you have on your computer.
  2. From the Edit menu, click Preferences.
  3. With Page Display selected in the left hand list of Categories, on the right hand side of the window, choose a Page Layout and Zoom level that suits you, for example Single Page and Fit Page as shown here:Preferences
  4. Now any time you open a PDF, it will open at this zoom level.

The Associate Vicar writes…

Clergy

First of all, a warm welcome back after the summer break to those of you who have been away over the summer.  I hope you have had some rest at some point to enjoy the summer months.

Last Sunday, we opened the “Season of Invitation” which will take us through September and a number of special opportunities up to Christmas to invite people to church, a place and community that is important in our own lives.

It is quite providential that we are reading our way through James’s letter. James reminds us of the importance of underpinning our faith with action.  This Sunday’s epistle focuses on the way we treat those who come through our doors. In years gone by churches used to charge pew rents.  I haven’t been able to find out when these were abolished in St Nicholas, but in my former church they weren’t abolished until 1931.  People paid to sit in their favourite seats; where one sat signified status within the community.  Thankfully, we don’t have to worry these days about sitting in someone else’s seat.  As we, hopefully, welcome people into church who haven’t been or haven’t been for a while we might want to reflect on our own tendency to “partiality” as James calls it.

Jesus learns, too. Through his encounter with the Syrophoenician woman Jesus’ understanding of his own ministry and of God’s plan grows.  Jesus believed he was sent to Israel but realises now that all will have a part in the salvation he brings.

May our faith be always underpinned by the way we welcome those who come to us.

                                                           James

Choral Opportunities This September

Events, Families, Special Services

This September, there are lots of opportunities for you to exercise your voice with us with varying levels of commitment.

  • You could simply turn up at 11am on Saturday September 19th and enjoy being part of a choir for the day at our “Come and Sing Musicals” workshop and informal concert.
  • You might want to become part of the Worth Festival Choir, a choir that only forms for 2 events a year.  Our rehearsals start this Sunday 6th September, 2-4pm and continue each Sunday at this time until November 1st, when we will be performing extracts from Mozart’s Requiem as part of an All Souls Memorial Service. We’d be delighted to have you !
  • Finally, you, or someone you know, might want to join Worth Choir.  Currently, this choir is a mixed group of fifteen singers who work hard to maintain the remarkable choral tradition which St Nicholas’ has supported since the 15th century.  No specific musical experience is required to join the choir. More important is the enthusiasm and willingness to commit and to learn.  To see what sort of things we sing, you can view our September music list here.  To find out more, email musicdirector@worthparish.org.uk

 

 

From the Curate…

Clergy

Once again it seems that we have faced a very challenging week.  As we celebrated in fun and laughter in the glorious sun of the last Saturday’s St Nicholas fete, news slowly trickled through of the terrible tragedy at the Shoreham Air Show and then the heart-breaking news of the death of Pam’s granddaughter who was struck by a car.

As I watched the news and spoke to colleagues who were ministering to those affected in Shoreham there has been a tremendous outpouring of grief.  A few people came to Church to find comfort but the focal point has become the floral tribute on Shoreham footbridge near to the crash site.  This has become a familiar scene along our roads with smaller tributes marking the site of fatal car accidents.  One of the things that such sites and the Shoreham Bridge demonstrates is our human need to gather at a place in our grief.  Perhaps in the past this place was the Church but increasingly in today’s society this has not been the case.

One reason could be that just as the Pharisees were more concerned with religious rules of how people should behave rather than what was in people’s heart, churches have become unwelcoming, worrying too much that people should behave and do things in a certain way rather than holding out our arms in all embracing love in order to welcome newcomers and regular attendees in the same way.  As we enter this season of welcome in the Church’s calendar, if we do welcome everyone then Churches may remain a safe place to gather to be comforted by one another and by God in our times of grief as well as joy.

Steve