On Wednesday 3rd June, five candidates including our Steve were priested in a moving service by the Bishop of Lewes at St Mary, Horsham. Steve says thank you very much to those who went to support him and who have sent him cards.
Here are some of the photos taken by the Diocese of Chichester:
From Sunday when Shirley and Mark (who were both baptised) and Caroline and Sam were all confirmed by Bishop Mark at a moving ceremony at Worth Abbey to the events of the General Election on Thursday, it has been quite a week in many ways.
I believe that our readings today offer an insight into both.
In the reading from Acts, Peter realises that the Holy Spirit is being poured out to everyone and our Gospel reading tells us of a love that loves one another in the sacrificial and abundant way of Jesus Christ.
It is this pouring out of the gift of the Holy Spirit that Shirley, Mark, Caroline and Sam experienced on Sunday as Bishop Mark placed his hands on their heads. It is the receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, that is open to all that then prompts us, and gives us strength to love one another just as Jesus loved us.
As a New Home Group met in Maidenbower Vicarage this week for the first time, as the Pilgrim Course and Confirmation Group merged, both Liz and I could feel that love for one another as we celebrated the events of Sunday. This love also prompts some brave individuals to express that love for one another by seeking to serve as Members of Parliament.
As I write we have just learnt that Henry Smith has been re-elected as our MP. In his service for Crawley, Henry will be making sacrifices as he continues to serve us and we must uphold him and his family in prayer. We must also pray for those who offered to serve but were unsuccessful and who must now discern their futures. We think especially of Noreen and Geoff’s son, Chris.
Steve
‘I am the good shepherd’ is our Gospel reading today and at different times a good shepherd will gather his flock – and this is at the heart of the Big Church Day Out.
‘What’ is the Big Church Day Out? And ‘Why’ am I writing about it?
The ‘What Question’ – The Big Church Day Out seeks to bring whole Church families together to have fun and fellowship in the stunning setting of Wiston House in the West Sussex countryside.
The ‘Why Question’ – because Liz and I are co-ordinating a group from the Parish – Sunday 24th May – gates open at 10am and close at 10pm.
Liz will leave early and set up a space for our Parish to gather together for the day.
After the Church services, Anthony, James and I will then leave to join everyone for a bring-your-own picnic (I will be trawling other picnics for the best bits!). Then you will be free to enjoy the wide range of fun things to do – from the main concert stage to the peace and prayer space of the Wiston Chapel – to the cream tea tent with Graham Kendrick playing, while others will enjoy rock climbing, face painting and fairground rides.
There is something for everyone – including a vast array of cafes and catering vans. The day will end with Bishop Richard launching the Diocesan Mission Strategy on stage. We have a big discount on tickets; £18 for adults, £12.50 for children (age 5 to 16) and £2.50 for under 5’s. There is a “sign up sheet” and more info at the back of both Churches, but do ask Steve and Liz about anything. These days are so important in building and deepening the Church family.
Steve
I am writing this, having just got in from a round of golf at Tilgate. I teed off at 6am all alone with the sun just rising and just enough light to see my golf ball. The next few hours I was alone amongst God’s wonderful creation, with my golf clubs, a small white ball and several deer for company.
I was thinking what I might write in this weeks pew sheet – should I expand upon the need to have healthy doubts, such as Thomas in our Gospel reading, and always be willing to ask ourselves questions so that our faith remains real, open and vibrant. However, as I swung a golf club and then looked for my ball in the woods – my thoughts settled on the enormous challenging picture that our Acts reading offers of the early Church. A place where testimonies were given, there was no envy, there was no need and there was grace upon them all.
What about our Parish? As a family we have found the last year financially challenging as we made the decision that Liz would not seek paid employment in order to support the girls and our ministry in the Parish. This was okay apart from some rather large car bills, but God has blessed us even then – for several anonymous cash gifts arrived that exactly covered the bills. We also received two bags of food goodies at Christmas and a bag of Christmas gifts on our doorstep. This has meant that we have all felt loved, valued and provided for by a loving family – a family that this weekend bids goodbye to Meurig (thank you, Meurig, for all you have done). A family that can at times truly reflect the picture of Church, painted in Acts.
Thank You – the Burstons
It must have been an amazing moment for the disciples. They had spent several years waiting for it. Their Teacher was entering the city of Jerusalem to the acclaim of the masses – surely this was the time when the Jewish nation would be restored and the Roman occupation ended.
At the euphoria, Jesus’ prediction of his suffering death must have faded briefly away. However, as we know, the cheers of the masses soon disappeared through Holy Week. What the crowd saw as the way to restore the Jewish Nation was not God’s plan.
In many ways, being surprised by God has been the story of my life. I was happy in the police with a career mapped out to retirement and then I came to faith. The plan I had sketched out for myself was gone, God had rather different, exciting and challenging plans. Indeed, when I started Theological College I had a clear vision of the type of Church I would serve my curacy in. Again God had different ideas – Liz, the girls and I found us called to the wonderful Parish of Worth.
Likewise, I have no doubt that the new members and existing members of our PCC never expected to be members and for some Church and Deputy Church Wardens.
So, as they enter their terms of office I would like to thank them for stepping out in faith and ask them and all of us to be continually open that God’s plans might not always be our plans.
Steve
The Ten Commandments was said at the 8am Service today. Rules and especially these rules are important for us to flourish.
I grew up playing football in the park pretty much all summer. We would put jumpers down as goal posts, select captain and teams and kick off.
Games would last until either until the score became ridiculous one-sided or we had to go home to tea (generally late! – sorry mum) or more often when someone ignored the vague rules we played to – football without any rules isn’t much fun; goalkeepers picked up the ball miles from their goals, they changed the size of their goals depending how they felt, the pitch would stretch across the whole of the park as their lines to follow and handball and fouling could be the norm.
How much better it was when we played for our clubs when we followed the rules – marked out pitches, standardised goals and a referee. This allowed the game to flow, skills to develop and a better experience; and so it is with life – we live in a culture that demands freedom and fights against any rules. However, a society without any rules doesn’t allow us to flourish or protect each other.
Obviously the other extreme is following the rules so tightly that they become oppressive – a whistle happy referee (with no idea of the advantage rule) kills any chance of an exciting and free-flowing game. Jesus showed that a faith based only on following the letter of the law, like the Pharisees, was not the way to live a life abundantly.
He did not abolish the law but challenged us to see it through the lens of loving God and each other. That is still our challenge today not to ignore the rules but also not to become Christians that create a faith suffocated by rules. To play the game, knowing like Jesus – the advantage rule!
Steve
Worth Parish 