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’ The United Reformed Church
Southern Province
Synod
Synod
Office • East Croydon URC • Addiscombe
Grove • Croydon CR0 5LP Telephone: 020 8688
3730 Fax No: 020 8688 2698 Email: urcsouthern@talk21.com
Moderator: The Revd Nigel P Uden aa, Synod Office
Synod Clerk: Mrs. C P Meekison
Des, Synod Office
Synod
Treasurer: Mr. B West,
Christmas Letter
2002
Dear Friends,
“A Paradox, a paradox, a most ingenious
paradox.” “ - WS Gilbert
Isn’t life a
paradox? Two things illustrate that even as I sit writing to you. Yesterday I
was in a glorious garden. It was full of country flowers. Most abundant were
the Cosmos in every tint of pink imaginable. As I admired them a wasp sneaked
up and stung me. This morning I have a seriously swollen left hand waiting for
antihistamine tablets to take effect. The paradox of beauty hiding danger!
And here’s another.
Today is 11” September —the world is recalling the toss of thousands of lives
when
remarkable rescuers and carers
who laboured long and hard to bring succour. The paradox of what Rowan
Williams calls
“religious hatred redeemed by secular love”.
Christmas-time is a
paradox as well. I have so often been aware of how our festivities, brash and
compulsorily jolly, unwittingly stir up the renewal of sorrow in so many an
aching heart — a paradox. Then there is the over-lavish gifts bought
to bring happiness, but at such cost that there follow months of debt and
anxiety — a paradox. And what about those toy weapons given to
celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace?
— a paradox.
Not that any of
these paradoxes are surprising. The whole idea behind Christmas is a paradox.
We celebrate God coming to us in Jesus Christ — the Word made flesh.
We marvel at the realization that “love came down at Christmas”. And we join
with the angels in singing “Glory to the new born King”. Yet in a sense the
incarnation was anything but glorious. It was about God emptying himself of
everything that set him apart from us so that in his humility and humanity he
could be utterly at one with us. It is not that this self-emptying somehow
waters down who God is, limits his majesty. No. For
me, Jesus’ revelation of an utterly self-giving God was the truest, fullest
revelation of God that could be given. Sacrifice and loving to the uttermost
are at the heart of what I believe God is, so Jesus, in the crude cradle and on
the cruel cross, paints the most complete picture possible of a God whose
supreme greatness is in his self-giving — a paradox.
I think that we find
here a key to how the Church should be the Church. It, too, has got to be
something of a paradox. Even as we pray and work for Church growth, for the
building-up of the body of Christ, we need to take seriously the idea,
suggested by a self-emptying Christ, that we will be built-up and effective
when we are self-emptying: on the edge as servants of the poor rather than at
the centre as cohorts of the powerful; more concerned for the healing of
society than for the security of the Church; more ready to take Christ to the
world than to bring the world into the Church. It’s a paradox, but I think it’s
the way of being Church which is modeled for us in the way that Jesus was God.
“Mild he lays his
glory by, born that Man for man might die”. That’s the real paradox of
Christmas. May yours be merry and rich in many things, but let’s allow it also
to model for us the best way to be the Church which, like Jesus, will find its
real majesty in meekness.
Bethan and Jessica,
from the Manse, and Christine, Glenys, Janette and Norman from the office, join
me in
sending Christian greetings
to you all and thanking you for your friendship throughout 2002.
Nigel Uden
From
an old Angler (1)
Give
me, oh Lord, to catch a fish so large that even I, in boasting afterwards,
shall have no need to lie.
From
an old Angler (2) - Epitaph
God grant that I shall fish until my dying day and when it comes to my last
cast - I humbly pray when in the Lord’s
safe landing net I’m peacefully asleep that in his mercy I’ll be good enough to
keep.
How
many psalms and hymns have crept into the pop scene? Psalm 137 “By the Waters
of Babylon” -Not sung by Abba. “All you need is
love” and “My sweet lord” - sung by
George Harrison. “Michael row the boat ashore” etc.
The devil doesn’t have it all his own way.
c-+oc~~.
Speak
to people
Smile
at people
Call
them by name
Be
interested in people
Be
generous with praise
Listen
to the opinions of others Try to serve people
Remember
we are all one family and Christ served his Apostles when he was on earth.
ps I must
try to remember some of these
o+oc~>
We
always have time enough. If we
use it afright.
I may be 86 but …
That
dreamy girl who once was me
She
is not dead. How could she be.
Tap
that computer in my brain
And
back she comes to fife again.
Once
more she walks to bluebell wood
To sit among the primrose flowers.
How young we were, how good the time.
How
swiftly flew those golden hours.
The
scent of bluebells filled the air.
The
days were magic, ~gj~ were
there.
Time’s
up young lovers, move along.
Life
cannot be just one sweet song.
Tomorrow
I’ll press button B
“Bring
back the day you wedded me”.
Jesus
says we should go to our private room
and pray to our father in that
secret place
(Mat.
6. v 6).
The
following reflection on the words of
Jesus
is taken from the writings of St
Ambrosia.
You
must not think that he means by this a room with four walls separating you
physically from others, but the room that is within you:
Where your thoughts are shut up, the place that
contains your feeling. This room of prayer is with you at
all times, wherever you go it is a secret
place & what happens there is witnessed by God by God alone.” There’s
nothing so bad it couldn’t be worse, There’s little that time won’t mend. You’ve stumbled - well
so have we all in our time. Don’t over dwell on it, for
you’re sorry -leave it at
that. The past is past - just forget.
Just be yourself - the self that is highest and best.
Live every day in a sensible way and leave to God all the rest.
United Reformed Church
Southern Synod
LOMAS HOUSE
43,
A NEW PLACE FOR YOU
AND YOURS.
quiet days, healing retreats,
pastoral care, elders retreats,
holidays, sabbaticals, breaks away,
training events, creative courses.
PLEASE PHONE
for a 2003 Programme
with all the exciting
details.
01903 200 400
LOMAS HOUSE belongs to the Southern
Synod of the United Reformed Church. It is a newly refurbished 20 bed well
appointed home for retired missionaries, now also available for full board
residential or day accommodation, with full facilities for any who wish to
come. It is ideal for small groups or people needing a place to get away from
it all for their own reasons. Most bedrooms are en-suite, with teal coffee making facilities and free
computer/internet access, and all diets are catered for. Daily prayer adds to
the restoring nature of the house. Please get in touch with us for more
details. Revd Peter McIntosh
(Director)
The
Christian Adult Learning Meeting (CALM - a
co-ordinating group of Churches Together in
www.calmonline.org.uk
SEITE
is an
ecumenical training agency to provide courses in theology for lay people (as well as
for
formal ministry). There are no formal academic entry requirements
for adults not training for ordained ministry. Contact Mrs Joan Crowie on 01634
846683 or via www.seite.co.uk
Taizé-style
services are held on the first Sunday of each month
(except August) in the crypt of Rochester Cathedral at
December
1st is Advent
Sunday and UN World AIDS bay.
December
9th is Human
Rights bay
January
International Sculpture Festival at
January
18th_25th Week
of Prayer for Christian Unity
January 26th
A Call for Change -Homelessness
Sunday. www.chasnational.org.uk
January
27th Holocaust
Memorial bay
What is Christmas about?
Can you see beyond the tinsel and fairy lights?
(‘an you see
beyond the cost and not fight?
Can you see more than the wreath upon the door?
Can you see more the
brightly Lit Santa’s galore?
Is Christmas about cost and what we have
lost?
Is it
about the
light dusting of
frost?
Is Christmas about food and a mid winter celebration?
Is not about our saviours creation?
Is
it the food and games that make it
special?
Is
the decoration and brightly coloured wrapping
paper?
Is
It the Christmas cake and Christmas pudding?
No
to see what for,
We must
look beyond the stable door
WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY? Or
THE THINGS
YOU WANTED TO KNOW
BUT NEVER
GOT ROUND TO ASKING.
What
do Christians believe?
The answer to this question can be summarised by either the Nicene creed
or the Apostles creed. These are passages which are sometimes recited in more
traditional churches.
However, in every day language the following
will give you some idea.
1. God is the pure essence of everything good,
warm and loving in the Universe. He created everything and, despite His immense
power and might, He still cares for each of us, without exception, in the same
way that a father cares for his own precious child.
2. God is pure perfection. Unfortunately, we are
not - after all, nobody’s perfect. So
because of our imperfection (our “sin”), we can never reach Him: we are
condemned to death.
3. God sent His only son, Jesus, to earth. Jesus
never sinned because He was God in person on earth. But Jesus was put to death.
When Jesus was crucified He was innocent of any crime and so remained sinless.
He was then able to take on Himself the sin of the world, our sin, and die in
our place. So if we want to reach God when we die we can acknowledge our imperfection
(our sin) before Jesus and ask Him to take it away.
Why do
some Christians always go on about their faith?
When a Christian accepts that they have been
forgiven, they often get a feeling of release, a feeling that >ABOUT
CHRISTIANITY
everything has changed
for the better and the past no longer matters. AU they want to do is then share
that with others. The Christian also feels a sense of urgency: if they don’t
tell a person about Jesus then that person cannot ask Jesus to take away their
sin and that person will eventually die. (Incidentally, remember that the
Christian already has a place prepared for them in Heaven. So, they don’t
actually gain anything more for themselves if they bring somebody else to know
Jesus.)
But
/ believe in God and I’ve lived a good life. Surely I will go to Heaven?
It’s a nice idea but it doesn’t make sense. Even
the most pleasant and generous person isn’t perfect. How can we imperfect
people come into the presence of the dazzling brightness that is the perfection
of God? We can’t! The only way is through Jesus, who takes away our
imperfection and allows us into His presence.
Isn’t
Christianity just a set of rules:
Don’t
do this! and Don’t do that!?
Our selfish human nature leads us to
imperfection, to “sin”. Asking Jesus to forgive our sin and then continuing to
doing selfish things defeats the object of the exercise. He says that if we try not
to continue sinning he will continually forgive us if we ask. He knows we are
not perfect: all He asks is that we try to improve. So no, it’s not a set of
rules, it’s a point of view: God’s point of view.
Kenton Smith
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I
thank my friends of Ron
Love cake we cut at the Fish & Chip lunch we |
Bible Class
Second week in the month by Rev Boxer aII welcome.
Hemelza House
Christmas Gift
again this Christmas I ask all
members to support the children’s hospice again this ear. Last year we sent
£100. This was one instead of giving each other Christmas [cardsj, please give a donation or] which everyone will be
given an envelope. Please give all you can to help he children who will spend
Christmas here.
Twenty
people enjoyed our Fish and Chip lunch on Saturday 26th
October. As always it was
from
Is always freshly fried.
This was followed
by Bingo. We made £33 for
church funds.
Ron Love
Also
on the 26~’~ October we celebrated Denise’s 80th
birthday unknown to her. Denise has done so much for
our church, so members decided to make her day 5pecial although she told me no
fuss (I never do what I am told). We got a lovely; cake from Miles
Patisserie, Vol told me to jet a nice bouquet of flowers
and a gift token from her friends at the coffee morning (including
me I hope). Denise’s special grand-daughter was there to
bring the cake to her, also the bouquet. I am sure that
made Denise happy.
At
our Church Meeting 30th
October I decided to resign from being a Steward. For
13 years there always been rent problem and letting of the hall. I wanted to
take over the letting of the hail but some members don’t agree I should. I also
don’t think the church should be I I thank you all
for the help and support you have given me this last 5 years since my George was
taken suddenly at Buckingham Road. When we were married in 1943, the vicar
told us to remember that true love never faileth - that
was our password. So I say to all my friends that true friendship
never faileth. God Bless you all.
Denise
This
year members of our church have filled empty shoe boxes with goodies for poor
children in countries where children have nothing. About ten of us have done
this including two friends outside our church. Let’s pray for these children
and hope these gifts will give them a brighter Christmas. God Bless all the
children.
Ron Love
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We
celebrated our lO6th year of prayer on Special
Prayer for Dorothea as she went
the 3rd November.
It was nice to see so to
service was great
by the Rev’d John King. always
visits Bert Lilliot each day in the
Everyone
enjoyed the service and it was nursing home, putting him before herself.
nice
to see John and his wife Brenda A
true Christian if anyone is. Our prayers and thoughts be with her. God Bless
you. From
Ron Love all the
church members.
Ron Love
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Please
pray for Doris Potton still unwell Mrs Clay -
still unwell Kathy Fox -
with cancer And for
many other members who have health problems. |
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Confirmation
that God Is a Methodist: During one of my weekly visit to my
dear old widowed mum, who is a devout Anglican, we
often watch the weakness link. Sometime the contestants are priests. They
usually get voted off, but on one episode. there was
a Methodist lay preacher. He of course won, and I pointed this Out to mum.
See; I told you God is a Methodist. Thanks lord, for
confirming my faith in you. Keith |
Garlinge
REMEMBRANCE DAY / CHRISTMAS DAY
The dictionary tells us Remembrance
Sunday is the nearest Sunday to 11th November on which services are held in
commemoration of servicemen and servicewoman who have died in war.
Christmas day it tells us is the
annual Christian festival commemorating the birth of Christ on 25th December
We start to sell Poppies for
Remembrance two weeks before the day, but Christmas goods are on sale in
September some four months before the day It gives a
space of time to sale the Poppies and the Christmas goods. But the differences
in the space of time for the Christmas goods tells me that Christmas is
becoming more and more a time for commercial gain and the real Meaning of
Christmas is being lost in the glitter of tinsel and expensive presents
On Remembrance Sunday we commemorate
those who gave their lives for freedom and that we may live in peace.
On Christmas day we commemorate the
Birthday of Jesus, who went on to died for us bearing all the guilt and penalty
of our sin, giving us the free will to chose between right and wrong good and
bad.
As all Christians should know God is
Love, He proved his love for us by sending Jesus into the
would fully human and fully God.
“God so loved the world that He gave
his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal
life”(John
People today seem to think the
bigger and more expensive present they buy and give the better, forgetting that
the greatest gifts are those that God gave us at Christmas time, His Only Son
1-us wonderful LOVE and PEACE. So let us all that loves God, go out this
Christmas time and always Telling others about Jesus
Christ by life and word.
Love and Peace to
you all this Christmas and though out the year EDDIE.
An High Water Mark in Keith’s
Life
Since finishing the
Alpha course in 2000, 1 felt it was right for me (Keith) to get baptised, but because
my parents already given me an infant baptism, Rev. Geoff was not allowed to perform
this service, but he know a minister who could, Rev. Andy Potter of the Cecil
Square baptist church.
The main problem
was getting Andy and Geoff together and the chance came in August during the
open-air service at the Clock tower. I waited for the moment when they
approached each other: AH! , I said; “Right you two, When
are you able to baptise me, please?” or something similar. They couldn’t escape
and after two years I finally got a date sometimes in October.
I can only imagine,
that Andy could have rushed to his church council with the news that they been
chosen to baptise the ‘Keith’.
The resulting panic
and cries of ‘what have we done to deserve this! ‘an
invasion by the Methodist.
OK, maybe there
wasn’t a panic, but talking about the ‘Red’ carpet or should I say the new
‘blue’ carpet treatment, and the retiled pool.
I felt most
honoured to be the first newly baptised person to walk on their new carpet. I
sincerely pray that many more will follow after me.
The Baptist members
really make me felt and I am certain that I can say for all of us from
Garlinge, that we were made most welcomed.
The service was
just how I expected it to be. I was very well aware that I was at the centre of things, but I
simply try to relax, enjoy the occasion and concentrate on why I undertook this
important point in my life. On entering the water and has I turn round, I was
aware out the corner of my eyes the stampede to get a good view, and while I was being lowered; I
cleared my mind and cry out to the lord to accept my service and to use me in
any way he see fit.
Afterward, I feel
most elated and ready to starting an exciting new life,
it is almost like that I have changed from being a slow unresponsive ‘modem’ to
a fast responsive ‘broadband’ connection to Jesus and God.
Many
Thanks to Andy for the service, to Geoff for assisting, to Eddie for personal
support, and the encouragements from both churches of Garlinge and Margate
Baptist If you never been baptise, or feel you are not worthy or ready. I must say to you
that; I strongly urge you to reconsider, now is always the right time, and
everyone is worthy, simply by wanting to turn to Jesus, to serve the lord, and
to positively reject Satan.
