Dear Friends

Once again, this Wednesday morning finds me looking out of the church office office window, whilst the toddler group takes place in the garden. It’s an inspiration to see the children being….well, children! Wide eyed, open to interaction with others, embracing new discoveries, and playing with wonderful abandon. There is a lot of joy being expressed, and I as an observer cheered too.

I wonder when you were last able to tap into such feelings? If we’re not careful, (and particularly in these times which remain challenging) we can become so taken up with adult responsibilities, concerns and worries, that the ‘free child’ in each one of us, can be squeezed out. If it’s been a while, can I encourage you to find time to engage in some play? For myself, on Monday I got to spend a wonderful hour or so playing pinball with Helen - a recreational pastime that played a part in bringing us together close to 27 years ago. On one level, it was frivolous, pointless and with no productive output. But on the other, it was wonderful escapist fun, where I also believe my heavenly Father, observing at a distance, was cheered too, and took delight in seeing His child rediscovering his free child!

Keep safe
Keep in touch
Keep the faith.

...and Keep Childlike!

Simon

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to start by saying thank you to all of you who have sent such lovely messages to me over the past few days. I have genuinely felt very loved and I wanted you to know how precious you all are to me. I'm not going anywhere yet but one thing is for sure, I will miss you very much when I do move on.

It's been a strange few months. Beneath the facade of smiles there has been a fair amount of stress and a fair few sleepless nights going on in the background; wondering about the future, worrying about logistics, panicking about there seeming to be a lack of employment opportunities, and doubting whether I have what it takes to move on to the next stage.

These kinds of feelings are probably familiar to many of us. The specifics might be different but the feelings of fear and the stress are surprisingly similar. It's been a rough 15 months and, while some of us are celebrating that something like normal life is on the horizon, others of us are anticipating a rough road ahead. It's has been a really stressful time and, for some, life continues to be really stressful. 

Sometimes stress and fear can be really hard subjects to talk about in a faith context. I think it's because it sometimes feels like a lack of faith to express those things. Well-meaning people often give quick responses of "God's in control" or even "I'll pray for you", but it's not always helpful when you are really under pressure because those responses can feel like you are not being listened to or that your pain is being dismissed. 

So what does help? 

I think genuine listening really helps. Allowing someone to express fully all of those things that they are holding on to without comment or judgement can make the world of difference. Also doing that regularly when someone is in a prolonged stressful situation (even if they tell you exactly the same thing every time). Stress eats away at us on the inside, so expressing it is a little like cleaning a wound so that it doesn't become infected. A cup of tea or a pint of beer are usually welcome too!

I think encouragement makes a huge difference. Stress often eats away at our confidence and self-belief. We never know what people around us are going through so it's important that we build one another up, that we encourage each other and show our appreciation of one another as a habit.

I think prayer helps, but actual prayer, not just saying that we will pray and then promptly forgetting. The praying hands emoji or comments about "thoughts and prayers" have become just a kind thing to say when someone shares something difficult but ultimately those things are a bit hollow unless we actually are going to pray. Prayer makes a massive difference, particularly because those who are stressed often find it difficult to pray for themselves. 

I think practical assistance really helps. When things are at their worst, sometimes all you want is for someone to take the reins or hold some of the load. Always remember to ask what they want though. I had lots of well meaning people offering to do the cleaning for me when the kids were little but what I really needed was for someone to take the kids out for a couple of hours so that I could sleep. 

All of this might seem like good and sensible practical advice but, you might be asking where God is in all of this. I truly believe that God is in the midst of his people. He places us within the community of believers because it is in that environment that God expresses his love for us though his people. Jesus said that people who know that we are his disciples by our love for one another and the apostle Paul says that God places gifts within the church to build one another up. 

If things are good right now, remember to listen, to encourage those around you, to pray and to offer help to those who need it. If you are going through a tough time right now, lean on the family of believers, let us help you to carry the burden and remember, God is not far off, he has not forgotten and he will sustain you.

With love

Jess

Dear Friends

This lunchtime finds me typing away at my laptop, whilst sitting outside on the lawn in the rear Rectory garden. It’s good to be outdoors! Earlier today, I was able to complete what I label as my “4 park jog” – a bit of exercise taking in the wonderful green spaces of Whitworth, Platt fields, Birchfield and Swinton Grove and their respective parks. And it was lovely on my return to see our own church garden being utilised by the Wednesday toddler group, with the little ones enjoying the lawn and other areas to explore. Even in the midst of the city, we are blessed with green spaces where a combination of lawned grounds , and leafy boulevards (offering precious shade in these balmy times).

In our all age service last Sunday, looking at how God can use all of us in his service both young and old alike, and taking as our inspiration from the anointing of the young David, our prayer time utilised the church garden as a prayer station whereby we could take refuge and be refreshed “in green pastures”. Whilst the weather allows (and in the midst of prolonged uncertainty regarding Covid restrictions in the future), please be encouraged to spend a bit of time outdoors, or at least open a few more windows!), and take in some of the refreshment that God our creator wants to offer us.

Stay Blessed!

Keep safe
Keep in touch
Keep the faith.
​
Simon

Dear Friends.
The ear worm (tune in my head) with me today, comes from the amazing vocalist Bobby McFerrin, who briefly troubled the charts with his catchy ditty; “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”. When pondering on the lyrics for a moment though, I was templed to conclude that it is easier said that done. For I acknowledge myself that I seem to have inherited the worry gene that I can trace through my dad’s side of the family, that is only marginally being diluted from generation to generation. Early mornings if unchecked, can be accompanied with a gradual panic over a multitude of things enhanced by the silence, which is only broken with the noise (greater than usual at the moment!) which ushers in the day. I suspect I am not alone, and clearly there are many of us who have been beset with enhanced worries over this last year. But what to do? Indeed the same theme of worrying is picked up in a poem I came across recently, by Mary Oliver, which was shared by our friends at the Scargill Community.

I Worried
I worried a lot.Will the garden grow, will the rivers
flow in the right direction, will the earth
turn as it was taught, and if not how shall
I correct it?

Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven,
can I do better?

Will I ever be able to sing, even the sparrow
can do it and I am, well,
hopeless.

Is my eyesight fading or am I just imagining it,
am I going to get rheumatism,
lockjaw, dementia?

Finally, I saw that worrying had come to nothing.
And I gave it up. And took my old body
and went out into the morning
And sang.

Which perhaps brings us back to Bobby McFerrin and his song. For he seems to encapsulate the sentiments of Jesus, who shared these words with any who would listen;
‘Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.’ Matthew 10:29-31. 

We know life isn’t easy still at the moment. We all have bouts of stress and anxiety, which the pandemic has only fuelled, but last Sunday, we were reminded that on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out upon those followers of Jesus who had waited in the locked room for the Spirit, which gave them boldness, confidence and the nerve to follow Jesus; to be empowered and encouraged to be living witnesses to a life with Christ.
​
As Jesus said to his friends then, as he says to us too;
'Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.’ John 14.1

Keep safe
Keep in touch
Keep the faith.

Simon

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