Hi Everyone,

It’s a slightly longer thought this week so why not grab yourself a brew before you settle in to read.

When I was at primary school I had a headmaster called Mr Ottowell. He was an older gentleman who had served in the Second World War. He wasn’t exactly conventional in the way he taught us; I probably ought to mention at this point that the national curriculum wasn’t introduced until part way through my time in Junior School (Key Stage 2). Despite it being a Church of England Primary School where it was expected that assemblies would be faith-based and the songs we sang would be hymns, Mr Ottowell delighted to regale us with wartime stories, teach us about wild flowers and sing songs with us from his army days (I’m pretty sure some of them had been edited to make them slightly more child friendly). He also had a number of sayings that he liked to teach us. One of his favourites was:
Good, better, best,
Never let it rest,
‘till your good is better,
and your better is best!

He would get us to chant this over and over again, getting faster each time. At the time this seemed right and perhaps a Christian statement. It didn’t feel dissimilar to some of the messages that I was learning in church as a child. It definitely fitted with some of the Victorian hymns and carols we used to sing. Every Christmas we would be left with the words from Once in Royal David’s City ringing in our ears:

“Christian children all must be,
mild, obedient, good as He.”

I suspect that has a lot more to do with the Victorian ideal of children being seen and not heard rather than anything that Jesus said.

The point of me telling you all of this is that sometimes things can sound like they are Christian ideals when they are not. For example, a mindfulness post popped up on my Facebook feed this morning and it said something along the lines of:

“You don’t need to be perfect,
you just need to do your best.”

It sounds wise at first reading and even Christian but I’m not sure it is. I can get on board with the first line. Absolutely, we are not called to be perfect, Jesus is the only one who is perfect and we won’t ever be perfect this side of eternity. That’s sort of the point of all that Jesus achieved on the cross. We can’t be perfect, however much we try but Jesus was perfect on our behalf (I’m sure the theologians among you will pick that apart but please indulge my incredibly simplified gospel). 

I’m not convinced that doing our best all the time is any more possible than being perfect. Doing our best implies trying hard, being constantly conscious of our thoughts, motives and actions and choosing the most excellent course of action within our own limitations. Sounds biblical right? I’m not convinced. You see, trying our best all the time is ultimately quite stressful - believe me, I have tried it! It also somehow reduces our value and self-worth. We become people who are putting on an act, or a brave face all the time. This attitude also tells us that we are not quite good enough when we are being ourselves.

I think the Christian message is a little bit different to this. I believe that the Bible teaches us that God created us in His image and that he looks at us and says that we are his good creation. That is not to say that we don’t get things wrong, of course we do, and of course we need to think of others and behave well towards each other but I think there is a reason why this line from Bridget Jones’ Diary is considered to be one of the most romantic:

- Mark Darcy: I like you, very much.
- Bridget Jones: Ah, apart from the smoking and the drinking, the vulgar mother and... ah, the verbal diarrhoea.
- Mark Darcy: No, I like you very much. Just as you are.

There is something very freeing when we realise that we are loved just as we are. It frees us from having to be perfect or having to try our best all the time. Yes, there are situations when we do need to try our best (usually exams!) but more generally Christ calls us into freedom. Perhaps a favour we can all do ourselves today is to see the good in ourselves. To choose to see the unique goodness that we bring rather than focussing on those messages that tell us that we need to do better. Because the truth is, that (unless you are a serial killer or something like that) the reality is that you are loved, just as you are.

So why not take a break from striving and stressing today and let the words from Psalm 46:10 sink in:

“He (God) says: Be still and know that I am God”

With love,

Jess

Hi Everyone,

This morning I have been contemplating exams. For most people this will not be their favourite subject. I have a love / hate relationship with exams. I find them stressful but I also like being able to measure how well I am doing. I want to know that I am hitting the mark. Basically, if you give me a star chart I'm a happy bunny (perhaps I should have mentioned this to Simon at the beginning of my curacy!). My lockdown project has been to teach myself piano and, after a few months break, I returned to daily practice with the hope of taking some exams soon – watch this space!

On Sunday we were thinking about calling; the call to love, to serve and to follow. During the sermon, one of the things I got everyone to do was to write a list of all the things that make them who they are. It's a really interesting exercise to do but, unlike my love of star charts, there is no pass or fail in this system of measurement. The goal is not to be the most accomplished; instead it is to know ourselves and who God has created us to be.

God calls us to come to him, just as we are, to know him and to know ourselves as loved by him. Then he sends us out to share his good news using the gifts, skills and passions that he has given us. We are often at our very best when we are authentically ourselves, restored in the image of God and empowered by his love for the world.

So, whatever you are doing today, be the you God made you to be and use all of your wonderfulness to bring his good news where you are.

With love

Jess

Hi Everyone,

I have been thinking a lot about our Queen this morning. It is her 95th birthday today and I imagine she does not feel much like celebrating. I was struck again this morning by how utterly alone she must feel having lost her husband; the person that she confided in and who knew her best. In this moment, I suspect she is more human to us that ever. It's very rare that I can relate to royalty on a personal level; their experiences and story is so removed from my own. Yet I suspect that most of us have experienced that feeling of grief or loneliness at some point in our lives. I certainly can say that that is true of me. 

One of the most notable things for me about our Queen's her strong faith. While she has inherited the title "Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England" her faith is not just another duty associated to her role but she has a very real and genuine faith. You only have to listen to her speak about faith to realise that. She has often spoken of the importance of her faith and how it has sustained her over the years and many of us can testify to the same.

However, it is not the ritual, or tradition that sustains us (although we may find that comforting at times). Ultimately, it is a real and living relationship with God through Christ that makes the difference. He is the one in whom and for whom we live, breath and exist. He is the one who brings us comfort and peace and it is in him that we have hope in the resurrection; the enduring belief that death does not have the final word.

So today I pray for our Queen, and for all of us, that we would know God with us and that we would rest in the knowledge of his enduring love, his faithfulness to us and his promise of eternal life.

With love

Jess

Hi Everyone,

It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue but I hope you are getting chance to enjoy a few of the new freedoms we have at the moment. I have spoke to a number of people who are excited to get back to the gym. It will come as no surprise to you that going to the gym is not high on my priority list but it's great to see so many people so happy. I'm looking forward to the May date when we can go back to meeting others indoors. I love the outdoors but it's still not quite been warm enough for me to visit family yet who live a bit further away. I love them dearly but sitting in the garden or in a park in the hail, sleet and snow does not sound fun.

It was also really encouraging yesterday to meet with a few others to begin thinking about what we might be able to start doing again in the near future as church. It finally feels like we are starting to see a way to get back to being able to do the things that we do best in the way that we would want to do them. So keep listening to the notices because hopefully there will be good things beginning to happen over the next few months.

Right now, everything feels hopeful and that's exactly as it should be. We are still in the season of Easter and are still celebrating the great news of the resurrection. The stories we read on a Sundays are so full of joy as we hear of various resurrection appearances in the lead up to Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit. And that joy and hope is not just for those people living 2000 years ago but it continues for us today. Jesus is alive, he is with us by his Holy Spirit and, despite the all the challenges and sorrows, he brings us strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. Great is his faithfulness! 

Why not spend some time thanking him and praising him today? Sing along to a hymn or worship song (there are some great ones out there) or spend a few moments giving thanks - you could even start a gratitude journal.

Whatever you have planned for today I hope you have a great one. 

With Love

Jess

This is my chance to check in with you all between our two services. I wonder how you are feeling today?

If I'm honest, I'm feeling fatigued. I was unwell last week and still haven't quite shaken it off yet, I had some disappointing news earlier in the week and the situation both here and across the globe still looks pretty grim. I find that the temptation for me is to want to curl up and hibernate until things are looking a bit more positive and yet one of the major themes of Lent is about facing some of the tough stuff in life head on. 

When I reflect on last week's readings and the the beginning of Holy Week this coming Sunday we can see that Jesus has positioned himself to boldly walk towards suffering, rejection, betrayal and ultimately, the cross. He continues on even when he feels fatigued, sad and afraid because he knows that this is  his destiny. I'm not suggesting that our current hardships are our destiny but perhaps those feelings surrounding our current situation are a way for us to access the story of Jesus in a way that we haven't before. There is a difference between reading about grief and experiencing grief. There is a difference between reading about fear and experiencing fear. There is a difference between reading about the heaviness of life and experiencing it. 

As we read the familiar stories again, why don't we use our experiences over the past year to gain a new meaning and perspective as we journey with Jesus to the cross. And remember, this is a story that doesn't end with death, it ends with hope and new life. That's a promise, even in the most challenging of times, that we can all cling to.

With love

Jess