Monthly Letter from the Ministry Team
FEBRUARY’S LETTER FROM OUR MINISTRY TEAM Dear Friends, This morning, as I write this article, I am conscious of the way in which Storm Eowyn is blowing us around in all directions. Walking the dog this morning was an interesting experience, and many a joke was passed between fellow dog walkers. Fortunately the area we live in was not facing the extremes being faced further north. However it did make me reflect on all that is going on in our lives and how the sense of calm seems to have long disappeared. We seem to be blown about by the situation in our political world, international, national and local. The element of being blown about and facing change after change is also evident in our church world. In my discussions when I visit fire stations, in my role as chaplain, the question of what role faith and church have, in today’s society, is often raised. I read this article recently that I found really helpful. “Why go to Church? A church attendee wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. “I’ve gone for 30 years now, “ he wrote, “and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me I can’t remember a single one of them. So I think I’m wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.” This started a real controversy in the ‘Letters to the editor’s column’ for weeks until someone wrote this clincher. “I’ve been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32.000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this: They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!” When you are DOWN to nothing, God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes in the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!” In these days of debate and concern re attendance at church, and it’s relevance today, we perhaps need to ‘get back to basics’. Before we get lost in the national debate re what type of music, what to wear, what type of service, all age, young age, old age etc perhaps we ought to reflect on the response referred to in the article quoted and pray through the question ‘why do we go to church?’ Then the debate can focus on what we need to fulfil our need for spiritual nourishment and to make people of all ages aware of God’s love for them in this bumpy world. It is lovely to be part of a benefice which is continually looking at ways to do just that. I encourage you to use the gifts that God has given you to help our churches in Balderton, Barnby and Coddington do even more. Every blessing, Revd John Chambers |