Minister’s Letter (2024)
[2022 letters], [2023 letters]

Thank you so much for your warm welcome into the Shelswell Benefice.
As you probably know, my start here was severely disrupted by crashing my bike crossing the “Bainton Splash”. As advised by a physiotherapist, that will be the last time I try to ford a stream on two wheels! The accident forced me into six weeks of convalescence, that coincided with Lent, the period when we reflect on the time Jesus spent in the wilderness following his baptism by John, and before starting his ministry in Galilee:

At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
Mark 1:12-13

Jesus needed to spend time away from the world, preparing for what was going to be an intense time of travelling, teaching, and healing. Regular “retreats” also became an integral part of his life pattern during his three years in Northern Israel.

At times my time at home did feel like being in the wilderness. In such circumstances it can be tempting to despair. But I was looked after by a loving wife, and many kind friends came to visit me – I certainly felt like I was attended by angels and not wild beasts! And I rapidly came to appreciate this new-found space in my life, space to relax (listening to my music back-catalogue!), sit in God’s presence and reflect on what’s next.

Isn’t that something we all need to do? Modern life is that hectic, with so many priorities conflicting with each other, sometimes it can be hard to know how to plan or prepare for the future. Don’t many of us feel over-faced, dissatisfied, and stressed out?

Perhaps surprisingly, the solution to this can be the opposite of what you might expect – rather than frantically dividing our time between planning and action, to take time out to rest, recharge our batteries and spend time with God. Those who do this regularly often find they have renewed energy, clarity of vision and motivation to get important things done.

Traditionally, Lent is a time of self-denial and reflection. But as that season comes to an end and we enter Easter, why not take forward a desire to create space in our lives to be kind to ourselves, that we might better love our neighbours?

Prayer

Loving Father,
We thank you for the gift of life, and for this day.
In the hustle and bustle of life, help us to set aside time:
to rest,
to focus our distracted senses on you,
and to be restored in heart, soul and mind.
As we bring our cares and worries to you,
Give us a peace that surpasses all knowledge.
In the name of your precious Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.

March

You are delightful!

I wonder how you have been encouraged over the years? Who has encouraged you? What did they do that encouraged you?

As I reflect on this, I am aware that some of the people who have encouraged me probably never knew they were doing it. They were just doing a job well and with kindness. They were just smiling as they walked by. They just said a cheery word. Other people didn’t do anything particularly extraordinary – just a word of appreciation or a thoughtful act. But these things matter, don’t they!

And of course it works the other way round too. Within the space of two hours I have heard about two people left thinking they were rubbish through the hurtfulness and thoughtlessness of others. I doubt that the people who caused the hurt were even aware of it. In one of the situations, I suspect they even thought that they were being helpful and encouraging. In the other, they just weren’t thinking – and that was the problem, and they weren’t thinking about the impact that their sloppiness was having on the other person.. And we’ve all been there, haven’t we – you stand in a long queue in the bank or shop, and when you finally get to the front, the tone of voice of the person serving you leaves you feeling like something unpleasant stuck to the bottom of their shoe. Or someone is so busy trying to tell you what you ought to do, what they would do, indeed what they did do, that you end up feeling truly inept and stupid.

Most of us, however we appear on the outside, have fairly fragile insides. Even if some of the time we feel confident and assured, our image of ourselves is easily knocked and we are left feeling rubbish, that we are incapable and have nothing to offer, and that, in contrast to everyone else, we are no good. And somehow, the memory of those hurtful words and actions can persist and persist.

The truth is that each of us is a unique and precious individual, dearly loved by God. The Bible tells us that God delights in us and even though he knows our weaknesses, he sees our strengths, our gifts, our talents, and knows the ways that we, and only we, can bless other people, make the world a better place. God never thinks we are rubbish, because he knows we are not! And of course, on Good Friday, we remember that God thought we were so precious, so worth bothering with, that he was prepared to give up everything for us.

Our true value is our worth in God’s eyes – and in God’s eyes we are infinitely precious. We need to remember this for ourselves. And we also need to remember it about others. That’s why we need to treat each other with care and respect. That’s why we need to do the tasks of the day to the best of our ability. That’s why we need to encourage one another. Because a simple word or act of encouragement can make all the difference in the world.

February

It is still Epiphany-tide as I am writing this letter. The feast day of the Epiphany is on 6 January, but the ‘season’ carries on until 2nd February when we remember the day the baby Jesus was presented in the Temple in Jerusalem. This day is sometimes called ‘Candlemas’ because in many churches, after the Communion has taken place, the people will process around the building with lighted candles rejoicing in the birth of Christ, ‘the light of the world’. Epiphany-tide is the time when the coming of Christ into the world is revealed as being for all people, all nations. The wise men from the east who visited the child Jesus were from outside Israel. The two old people who encountered Jesus when he was presented in the Temple, recognized him as the Messiah and, as St Luke’s Gospel expresses it, the one to bring salvation for all people “to be a light to lighten the Gentiles: and to be the glory of thy people Israel”.

There is a lovely custom associated with Epiphany. When the wide men followed the star they came to Bethlehem and crossed the threshold of his birthplace, where they found the blessing they were seeking. In remembrance of this some churches, or homes, use chalk to mark the main doorway with the following inscription: 20 + C + M + B + 24. The 20 and 24 represent the date of this year. The C + M + B represent the traditional names of the wise men - Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar – but also the Latin phrase ‘Christus, mansionem benedicat’ which means ‘Christ bless the house’. [In Bavaria, Germany, people dressed as the wise men actually go round the houses and chalk the doors.] As we mark the threshold of our home or of our church in memory of the wise men’s journey we pray, at the threshold of the new year, that Christ will bless our homes and remain with us throughout the year.

You could do this for yourself, and then pray:
Visit, Lord, we pray, this home with the joy of your presence.
Bless all who live here with the gift of your love.
Help us share your care and compassion with one another,
to make this a place of welcome and strength,
of blessing and friendship,
that all who pass through this doorway
may find a hearth and home lit by the light of love.
May we grow with Christ in truth and wisdom,
as we learn to follow in his steps,
and take on his yoke,
that we may be blessed by his grace,
and find refreshment for ourselves, soul and body,
as we walk in his light into the adventure of this new year.
We make our prayer through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

And then, when Epiphany and Candlemas are past, we turn to Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent (on 14 February this year), and the journey of preparation that brings us to the sadness of Passiontide and the joy of Easter Day. How shall we make the journey this year?

January

New Year Resolutions – or Re-Commitment?

During my time in Waddesdon, Anglicans and Methodists held a joint Sunday service every so often. A particularly moving occasion for me was when we joined in worship for the Methodist Covenant Service. This service is often held on the first Sunday of the year.

The practice of holding a Covenant Service dates back to John Wesley, who wanted to provide an opportunity for Church members to make, or renew, their covenant with God. In the service Methodists joyfully celebrate God's gracious offer made to all people in Jesus Christ, that "I will be their God and they shall be my people."

The emphasis of the whole service is on God’s readiness to enfold his people in generous love. It is not so much about coming into a relationship with God, more about remaining in it. It highlights the importance of living within the loving relationship that God has already offered, following the supreme example of Jesus who shows what it is to live in a relationship with God.

God's gracious offer is also a challenge, not just to individuals but to the whole congregation. If God is committed to his people, are they prepared to accept that as a reality and commit themselves to God in return? People are encouraged to continue to work out the implications for their lives of the fact that their relationship with God had been renewed in and through Christ.

Wesley’s first formal covenant service was held in 1755, and revisions have been made over the years, the latest being in 1999. The modern wording of the Covenant Prayer below, which is included in the Methodist Worship Book, makes it very clear that the affirmation is a serious one that embraces the whole of Christian life. The Covenant Prayer is preceded by prayers for forgiveness and an encouragement to trust in God’s promises and rely on his grace.

Understandably most people find the prayer tough to say and really mean it. The prayer does not imply that God sends troubles upon us, rather that in all circumstances of life we will continue to find God.

The Covenant Prayer is so central to the Christian life that other Churches have also adopted it. Should our Anglicans Churches do the same?