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July
"— in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God". Philippians 4v6b
June Editorial
After they prayed,
the place where they were meeting was shaken. Acts 4 v31
July
Dear Friends,
There is a great story in the Old Testament in the book of Nehemiah Chapter 4 where he sets out to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after their return from exile. The people make great progress much to the anger of their neighbouring enemies who then ridiculed their efforts and threatened to put a stop to the rebuilding. Guards were posted day and night but the Jews began to be disheartened with this continual threat and the amount of work that needed still to be done.
Nehemiah then decides to arm his workmen. Those who carried materials carried them in one hand and a sword in the other. Those who built wore a sword in their belts. He also posted families to guard the areas where their kinsfolk were working and then at night time they stayed in the city to watch and guard against attack. A trumpeter was on post all the time to call people to any place where an attack was threatened.
All the while Nehemiah prayed to God and reminded the people that He would fight for them. There were continued taunts, threats and letters from their enemies but in 52 days the walls were built and their enemies lost confidence and were afraid.
So what has this story to do with us in the Communities of Heanton and Marwood ?
The main thing that the Church needs to do is to rebuild, maybe even to begin to build, its relationships with those who live around us. This needs vision and commitment on the part of those who are the Church - the body of Christ. It also means giving time and using the gifts God has given us to enable the work of the vision to develop.
I know that there are those among you whose time is limited or who are physically unable to help but Jesus never did any of His fathers WORK without prayer and neither can we. I am well aware that we have our watchmen - our intercessors - and as Nehemiah knew - we cannot do with out you. Your work of interceding often goes unnoticed, but I want to encourage all you who pray, as you are so important, for the rebuilding cannot happen without you.
The opportunities are there. God is providing openings, but our enemy the devil does not like this and he uses every means that he can, spiritual and secular, to prevent God's work being done. Those of us who are actively engaged in trying to build need you to pray along with us and for us; for more workers and resources; for better communication between us so you know what to pray, and a belief that God is in it all with us.
It might take rather longer man 52 days and it will need the time, talents and gifts of all of us. "Not by power, nor by might, but by my Spirit", said the Lord at the time of the rebuilding of Jerusalem and we need to remember this for ourselves as we work out His vision for the communities.
With love in the Lord Jesus,
June
Dear Friends
On Sunday, May 8th a letter from the Bishop of Exeter was read out in all the churches of the Diocese. Its purpose was to outline the Diocesan policy, 'Moving on in Mission and Ministry' (MOiMM). This policy is central to church-life within the Diocese and so it is important that we understand what it will mean for us.
But firstly, why the need for new policy?
The Church of England, along with many other denominations, has reached a time of crisis. It has to either change or die. The existing way of church life is no longer viable because of the considerable reduction of people committed to the Church and Christian faith. There is no longer sufficient money, ordained ministers or people in general to run the church as it has been for so many years. MOiMM propose^ a change that involves two central directions:
1. Mission Centred
The existing pattern of ministry is one where church-goers simply receive the services of the Church organisation and clergy. This however is not the role that God intended Christians to adopt. In the last month we have celebrated Ascension Day and Pentecost. On Ascension Day Jesus went to His Father in heaven, leaving the work that He had begun to His followers (Acts 1:1-11). At Pentecost the followers received the Holy Spirit by whose power they would do that work, (Acts 2:1-21) work we now refer to as mission.
For me, the definition of mission can be found in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians.
'All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself through Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation' (2 Cor 5:18-19)
Reconciliation (restoring relationship with God) is then the principle mission of the church. We, as Christians, are to live out a personal relationship with God and help others also to find that relationship. To do this the church has to connect with the community it is supposed to be serving. Christian leaders have a crucial role to play in this. Firstly they are to take responsibility for themselves to avoid the temptation to simplycontinue to do everything for everybody. Secondly they are to affirm those they lead to find and pursue their own particular ministry among the people with whom they regularly engage. Many Christians, willing to serve God, are removed from the very places He has called them, in order to serve the church organisation. With fewer people now available, just keeping the church going is an all-consuming task. Which leads me to the second focus of MOiMM.
2. Community cooperation
At present we find local clusters of small churches independently doing the same work. Such replication is costly on time, money and people, an extravagance that we can no longer afford. Instead we have to be prepared to work with and alongside one another. Inevitably our identity as a church community will change, but we can pray that our new identity will be better; welcoming the diversity that different traditions will offer. If we fail to take this risk and close ranks to preserve what we have, the outcome is certain death. Jesus said 'whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it' (Mattl6:25). In Heanton and Marwood, I believe we are already becoming a mission community, working together with one another and with other local churches, but we still have further to go.
At the centre of everything has to be prayer to seek God's vision, 'Many are the plans in a man's heart but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails' (Prov 19:21). We and other local churches, have started praying together in this way.
I believe that God rejoices over the cooperation, unity and move towards mission that is emerging. It is entirely possible that He has either allowed or even brought about the current crisis in order to restore His Church to that which He intended it to be.
Yours in Christ
Steve
Dear Friends
This month we celebrate the birthday of the Church. This season of the Church's year is called Pentecost, and we remember the time when all the disciples - 120 of them - were together in one place when they experienced the power of God's Holy Spirit coming upon them. The amazing result was that 3,000 people heard God's word preached in a language that they could understand and asked to be baptised and they became followers of Jesus Christ.
From then on we read of the disciples meeting regularly together, caring for each other, learning of Jesus and praying. And when they prayed miraculous things happened. People were healed, baptised, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and spoke of Jesus, when, only 40 days previously they had been hiding behind locked doors for fear of their lives.
Can prayer really make that sort of difference?
I believe it can. That is why we shall be coming together this month on our usual evening of prayer -on the third Sunday- with other Christians in the community and their ministers. We hope Heanton and Marwood will be joined by the URC and Methodists, Pentecostals, Roman Catholics and Christians from RMB Chivenor and from Calvary Chapel, Woolacombe on May
15th at 6.00 pm, in Wrafton Church Hall.
What a Pentecost we could have! What a birthday celebration!
There will be a time of worship followed by both silent and spoken prayer. Whether the place will shake, I guess will be more to do with what God does in us than what we do for God, so - as the song - 'let's do it'. It could begin to make a real difference to our community.
Whether you are a regular worshipper at a church or not, you are all very welcome. Many people who do not come to church, pray. Prayer is the one thing the devil can't abide us doing, as it means we are communicating with the One who has already beaten him by His death on the cross and His resurrection.
And who knows what the outcome will be? We don't - but God does - and He says that none of His words fall to the ground fruitless but will accomplish what He purposes and the task He gives it.
About six weeks ago a group of leaders were praying about how the work of the Church should move forward. We believe that God showed us that He wanted us to spend more time in prayer, both as individuals and as Churches.
The next morning I awoke to these words ringing in my ears; "What if we became a praying community?" I shared this with other Church leaders in the area and all have responded with enthusiasm - hence our Pentecost Prayer meeting.
I pray that all who read this, will be challenged to become part of this birthday celebration.
Alleluia, Christ is risen -
He is risen indeed, Alleluia!
Dear Friends
From Easter to Pentecost (Whitsun), the words above are said almost every time we meet for worship. This is the Gospel we have, Jesus died but is risen. He is no longer dead but alive. "Go and tell" were the words that Jesus told Mary Magdalene when He met her in the garden and consequently she was the first to preach the Gospel!
This is the good news that Easter brings to us, but when people are bereaved they often can't see beyond the tomb and Jesus' disciples found it just as difficult to believe as many people today still do.
But look around you. What do you see? The bulbs and seeds that once looked dead and were buried have come to life. No longer do they look like they were when they were buried, but with different bodies, with a beauty that belies how they looked when they were planted. Look at the daffodils, crocuses and anemones. What colour, what pleasure they give, how different they now look - enhancing our gardens and perfuming our living rooms.
And this is what St Paul was saying when he wrote about the resurrection to the Church in Corinth. The body that we have in our resurrection life will be different from the one we have here on earth. "What you sow does not come to life unless it dies".
(I Corinthians 15v36)
We do not have to die physically to experience new life, although when we do die those who have trusted Jesus in their lives will experience this.
What we need to take on board is, that if we choose now to die to our old ways of life and instead follow Jesus, and all that such a
commitment means, we can begin to lead a new life now! Think of the freedom and beauty of the dragonfly or butterfly when it is set free from its pupa. How would you like to have that same sort of beauty and freedom in your life here on earth? Well Jesus offers it, and its free. He's paid the price for us already on the cross. The symbolism of Baptism, going down into the water and coming up out of it, is about dying to our old life and being raised into a new life. Easter was the traditional time for baptisms for this reason. Because many of us have been baptised or christened as babies we have to make our own decision to experience this new life for ourselves as adults. If you want to do this then you could use this prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for loving me enough to die for me. I am really sorry for the ways I have sinned by hurting other people and putting myself first before you. Please forgive me and come into my life to make me new person. Help me to die to my old ways and instead to live a new life following you. Amen
Alleluia - Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed - Alleluia!
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