July 2013

A SPIRITUAL MESSAGE


[Our message for July has been written by Ann Collier. I would like to thank Ann for taking time and writing this article for us all to share]


Dear Friends,


I was honoured when Ruth asked me if I would write an article about Christian Aid for the Church Magazine. However I feel I should start with an apology. I normally put a little article into the May magazine, because, as you all know by now, Christian Aid Week is always the second week in May. By the way, is has been the second week in May long before any other charities even thought of having a specific week for collecting for their charity; so if it clashes with other charities’ weeks it is not the fault of Christian Aid! Unfortunately April had slipped by before I realised I had forgotten my reminder in the magazine. It therefore seems a bit passé to say much about Christian Aid except to thank-you all very much for your generosity and to thank, in particular, my dedicated band of collectors who diligently endeavour to collect from every house in the Parish. If by any chance your envelope has not been collected please could you pass it on to a church member who will make sure I will get it. It is difficult in our very busy world to catch people in their homes, so please forgive us if we have called when you were out!


We can however relate the spirit of Christian Aid to our own Parish. When we give to Christian Aid we give unconditionally and in faith and trust. We give to make other people’s lives better. We give to make others happier and joyful in their improved situations. As a church, which is of course a body of Christian people, we go to church (the building) to worship and to proclaim our love of God. However the worship of God cannot be isolated from the spirit of offering ourselves in love to the service of God and this is perhaps harder than putting £5 in a Christian Aid envelope!


Let us reflect upon the words of Jesus: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you …This I command you, to love one another.” (John Chapter 15, v. 112) and again “Love your neighbour as yourselves.”


Love is what unites us. In love we are to live together as brothers and sisters in Christ. We may disagree, but we must never cease to love and respect each other and each others’ opinions.

If as a Parish we are going to be able to welcome the stranger and be prepared to spread the word of God’s love, we must work together in unity and love so that all can see how wonderful the Christian faith is.

Those of you who have read my letters in the past at the beginning of an interregnum are completely excused from groaning and saying ‘Here she goes, on her hobby horse again!’! However, I shall never cease to feel it necessary to stress how important it is to work together, every single one of us, in a spirit of love, faith and trust in all our many and varied activities. Near the end of his life Jesus prayed to his father for his disciples: “and those who believe in me that they may be one… so that the world may know that thou has sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me.” (John 17)

In his last sermon, in the week before his retirement, Richard spoke a lot about the love of god. His final service was to me a climax of his inspirational teaching, it was transcendental. Let us keep his teaching, ringing in our hearts and minds as we try to follow in the footsteps of Christ. Richard and Sylvia have been exemplary Christians and we sincerely thank them for all that they have achieved in this parish and for their shining example of how to love each other and share the Christian Faith. I pray that we may now live up to their trust in us to continue their good work so that we may go forward in faith equipped to face the challenges ahead.

I conclude with a prayer for the Interregnum by Frank Colquhoun.

“Lord God, you have taught us that we are members one of another and that none of us lives to himself alone: we thank you for the church of which we are part; for those who share with us in its activities, and for all who serve its varied interests.

Help us, as we have opportunity, to make our own contribution to the church and to learn to be good neighbours, that by love we may serve one another; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.”]#


Yours in God’s love.
Ann Collier