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July 2010
An old violin was being auctioned; it looked
well used and very dusty. The auctioneer was to start the bidding at £25, but a man asked if he could play the old violin
before they started the auction.
He wiped the dust from the old violin, tightened the strings and started to play.
The most beautiful, tuneful melody could be heard, "as if angels were singing in unison", someone said. The
man ceased playing; there was absolute silence. Some began to clap, others to cry. The auctioneer, in a low voice said, "What
am I bid for this for this old violin?" "£500" said one person. "£1,000"
said another. "£2,000" said yet another. "Going once, going twice, sold!" The
auctioneer asked the new owner what had changed the worth of the violin, and the man replied, "The touch of the master's
hand". What is your life worth at the moment? Do you feel unimportant, worthless, run down, dusty, tired? If your
life were to be auctioned, what do you think the bidding would start at? Let me share a wonderful piece of news with
you. In the master's hand you are priceless; you are the biggest jewel in the crown; you are the most famous and sought
after diamond in the world; you are worth more than all the gold in Fort Knox. God will give up countries for you, because
he loves and adores you so much. Why don't you let the master touch you and bring out the best in you? You may
think of yourself as a pauper, but in God's hands you are royalty. Why not come to him and be pampered?
June 2011
I read about Ray MacCaulay, who is the vicar of a church in South Africa. One
night he was making his way home and a drunk was staggering and bumping into people. Ray shouted at the man and walked off
in disgust. Just as he got to his house and put the key in the lock he heard God speak to him ever so clearly. He said ―
Ray, the only difference between him and you is me. That night in his room Ray knelt in prayer, asking God to forgive his
temper and attitude.
O Lord, help me to see you more clearly Love you more dearly Follow you more nearly
Day by Day Those of us in the church can also forget so quickly. We get so religious, so critical, so out of
touch, we forget where God found us and what he saved us from. We forget what he has done for us. St Paul asked the
Corinthian church ― What do you have that you did not receive? All of us who call ourselves Christians have only
what God has given us, and that also includes our salvation. Let us ask God this month, as we celebrate the coming
of God‘s Holy Spirit at Pentecost, to give us a new love and compassion for Him and for everyone we meet in our community.
Because the only difference between us who are inside the church and those outside, is Jesus. As Christians
let's get involved in our community and support the Big Lunch and the Debden Camp.
May 2011
Your heart will always be where your riches are. Matthew 6 v 21 What do you really believe in? What do you really trust in? History records
that John Wesley, founder of the Methodist church, was returning from a missionary trip to America on a ship bound for England.
In the middle of a storm he found himself terrified. He noticed a small group of Moravian Christians sitting calmly and peacefully
singing the hymn, "How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord". He was amazed! Later he wrote in his journal,
"I came to convert the heathen, but who shall convert John Wesley?" Months later, he went to Aldersgate Chapel
in London and heard a sermon on "Trusting in Christ Alone". That night God gave him a revelation of what it means
to be saved by grace alone. Later he wrote in that same journal: "All my life I have believed in Jesus; I believed in
him in English, in Greek and in Latin, but I trusted in John Wesley. So starting from tonight, I transfer my trust from myself
to Christ alone". From that night on he never doubted his salvation, and that God was able to bring revival in our land.
How about you? Where is your treasure? Do you really know Christ and trust Him for everything? Easter has come
and gone, and you may still have some chocolate eggs left, but the Easter message never goes away, because it is a message
of believing and trusting; it is a message of hope and security. Let the Easter Message be a strength and comfort to
you every day, then you can put your treasure firmly in his hands, knowing that he will always accomplish in your life what
you really need.
April 2011
Anthony de Mello tells a simple story about a little fish who lived in the ocean. The little fish asks an older
fish an question, “Where can I find an ocean?”. The older fish replies that this is the thing they are now in.
“But this is water” the disgruntled little fish replies “what I am seeking is the ocean” he adds as
he swims off to search elsewhere. Many people spend a long time searching for something which is right under their noses.
On Easter Day the disciples not only witnessed an event, but realised a truth which up to then they had been unable to see. When
Mary Magdalene goes to Jesus’ tomb and sees that the stone has been moved, all she can think of is that someone has
stolen or removed Jesus’ body. It is not until two disciples run to the tomb and see for themselves that a fuller understanding
of what the empty tomb signifies begins to dawn. The penny begins to drop, as they see the grave clothes perfectly laid out
as if the body had disintegrated. They realise that they do not need to search for Jesus, but to look at what is staring
them in the face and remember what Jesus himself said concerning his death. Jesus had risen from the dead as he said
he would, and his resurrection marked a new era for the destiny of humanity. Although the disciples saw only an open door
and discarded clothes, their hearts saw the glorious truth of Christ's victory over death. Many people look for
peace, hope, love, reason and purpose, and they look in all sorts of places. But the answer to these questions is right under
their noses - in the Church. The church is made up of people who are not perfect (believe it or not), but of people who believe
that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and in him all questions about life are answered. What do you want out
of life? Have you looked in the Church for it? Jesus said “You will look for me and you will find me only when
you look with all your heart". When you find Jesus, you will find your heart’s desire.
March 2011
Wednesday 9th March is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent
– and in Lent we give up things. Often these are things that we know we should not do anyway – swearing
perhaps, or eating too much chocolate! The tradition began with much more serious abstinence, with genuine fasting and wearing
of sackcloth and ashes as a sign of penitence: hence Ash Wednesday. Fasting, like prayer and giving, is one of the marks of
religious observance – common to Christianity, Judaism and other world religions. "Giving up" has another
meaning in English – when we reach the end of our tether, when it all gets too much, there is a temptation to say "that
is it, I give up". Having tried everything, we decide that enough is enough and the situation is really hopeless. Lent,
when we recall the time that Jesus spent in the wilderness, is a vivid reminder that God never gives up on us. Jesus faced
hunger, isolation, and fear of the unknown, but resisted the temptation to give up, turn aside from his mission, and surrender
to the lure of worldly power and glory. Alone in the wilderness, he fasted, prayed, and prepared for his ministry and its
inevitable outcome: the ultimate act of giving, laying down his life. There is a relationship between fasting, prayer,
and giving. In fasting we deny ourselves luxuries which distance ourselves from God; prayer brings us closer to God; and our
love for God spills over into our dealings with others. Other people are then no longer those whose admiration we crave,
but those with whom we want to share the Love of God. When this happens we gladly deny ourselves unnecessary extras, so that
we have enough to give others, and so it goes on. In fasting we can give up those things we really have no need of.
In prayer we can give up asking for ourselves, and instead ask God what he wants of us. In helping others we can give up thinking
in terms of charity, and see it as sharing all the good things God has given to us; not just money, but our time and our talents.
As we begin this Lenten time, let us take it seriously, and use it not only to get ourselves right, but also to get ourselves
right with God.
February 2011
Follow
Me . . . Most people are afraid
of the dark. We are afraid of what might be out there, of what might threaten us. There are few things more frightening in
the life of a child than to wake up in the middle of the night alone, afraid and in the dark. The darkness for many people
means fear, loneliness, even terror. With the light of day comes sight, safety and hope. I read with surprise that when some
blind people have their sight restored they are full of regret. They had understood their world, learning to flourish in the
darkness, being comfortable with their lives. The world of light can be an unknown and uncharted land, and it is understandable
that the loss of the familiar can bring fear. Jesus asked people to follow him, but follow him where? They did not
know, but they accepted. Like stepping from the unknown darkness into the known light, they trusted Christ. He made no promises
of wealth or power; he did not sit down with people and negotiate; there was no hard sell or soft soap, just a simple "Follow
me". His character was such that whoever he asked could not help but say yes. The same invitation is given to us: "Follow
me". We have no guarantees where it will lead or what it will entail - we know following him is not a soft option - but
it will mean living in constant reference to God; repenting will become a way of life. It will mean learning how to follow
in our master‟s ways. It will meaning changing our old ways of thinking and acting, adopting instead his values and
learning to build them into our lives and letting them change us. This is difficult, it is much easier to follow the old routines,
to continue to follow the well trodden paths, to remain in the dark. Follow me says Jesus. The choice is yours
- will you stay in the dark of comfortable familiarity, or bravely step out into the light? It is never easy to do, but it
is worth doing, because it is the only way of getting to know God and living the life he made you to have.
January 2011
Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you (1
Peter 5:7) Do you have a friend you
can talk to? I do not mean an acquaintance, but a best friend who you can tell anything, and trust them
not to tell anyone else. I have a fridge magnet that says “You will always be
my best friend, because you know too much”. Is that how you see your friends - they are friends,
but only to a point? We sing this song in church: What a Friend we
have in Jesus All our sins and griefs to bear What a privilege to
carry Everything to God in prayer. When you have fears, worries, problems,
difficulties or whatever, and you have tried every avenue, and friends to share them with, but still you are left empty or dissatisfied, then try prayer. Prayer is talking to Jesus; God
does exactly what he says in his book, the bible, that he gave us to help us to get through this life
and into Heaven. If you like to drink coffee, that’s because at some time in your life you
tried something new, and you found that it was nice and so you continued to drink
coffee. In my experience of 40 years as a Christian I can promise you that when
you call to Jesus and talk to him, he hears, and wheels will be put into motion, and the heaviness is
lifted and peace returns. Trust me, try it. Have a very happy and
peaceful New Year.
December 2010
For most people Christmas Eve is a time to buy or wrap last minute presents, and maybe to meet friends and have
a drink and a laugh in anticipation of Christmas Day. Scrooge the miser in Charles Dickens' ''Christmas Carol‟
refused to celebrate Christmas, closed his eyes to the hardship suffered by Bob Cratchitt and his family, refused to give
money to charity, and wanted to spend Christmas alone; he did not even want to share himself.
When Joseph
found out that his girlfriend Mary was pregnant when they had not made love, he wanted to get out of the relationship with
a woman he thought was unfaithful to him. He was not prepared to share his life with her, even though she told him what had
happened. While he was asleep an angel came to him and told him exactly what had happened, and that he had been chosen to
be Jesus' earthly father. So he married Mary and accepted her unborn child as his own.
Jesus was not
born to keep himself to himself. He came to share our life in all its ups and downs and to share himself with us, so that
we might share our future lives with God. Jesus suffered death for the sake of others, rose from the dead to lead the world
to eternal life in Heaven, and shared his teaching and his vision with those who chose to follow him.
We may not,
like Scrooge, shun the Christmas excitement in favour of a quiet day counting our money, but we can be tempted not to share
our lives. Perhaps we believe that we belong only to our family and friends, and so we turn a blind eye to others. Or maybe
we are happy to share our joys and sorrows but stop short of sharing our faith.
We are all God's people; we
all need the salvation which Christ brings. We cannot leave God's work to God alone; God has chosen you and me to work
with him and that work is to share our faith with others and not to keep it to ourselves. It is in the sharing our ourselves
with others that we discover the joy of following and knowing Jesus. This Christmas eat, drink and be happy, because
over 2,000 years ago God became human and lived among us. We can live for ever more because of Christmas Day - Alleluia!
November 2010
Did you know that you were born to praise and worship God?
Your life and that of everyone else
you know is like a jigsaw puzzle: everything has its compartments, its right place. But one piece is missing, and the whole
picture can only be complete when you insert that missing piece.
The missing piece is called worship.
If you look at history, or any culture, the one thing they all do is worship. It may be a totem pole, it may be the sun,
it may be the water, soil, or trees, but they worship.
In our Western society we have moved away from worshipping
the one, true and only God, to worshipping ourselves and our wants. Money sex, music, famous people, football teams, cars,
clothes - none of these things can truly satisfy our desire to worship. Nor can they bring us peace and a sense of fulfilment
and satisfaction, which real worship is meant to do.
We were created by God. He made us, he put us together, and
true worship is a part of who we are. It makes us whole people when our thoughts are moving away from ourselves and into the
realm of the spiritual.
If your car goes wrong you take it to a mechanic. If your lights play up you call an electrician.
You look for assistance and help from a professional, or you send the item back to the makers.
Likewise our worship
will not be real until we worship the only true God who is revealed through Jesus Christ. Fill that ache, that missing part
in your life; not with things that only give pleasure for a short while - fill it fully and properly to overflowing.
As
we approach Advent and Christmas and celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ, why not join us in true worship and adoration of
the King of Kings and Lord of Lords?
Not man made to satisfy us, but God Himself to fulfil us.
October
2010
Our Harvest Festival Service
is on the 3rd October at 10:30 am. Harvest is a time when we need to remind ourselves that:
All good things around
us Are sent from Heaven above So thank the Lord O thank the Lord For all His Love
When
was the last time you thanked the Lord?
Why do Christians give thanks to God for their meal before they
eat it? Because it is a way of reminding ourselves to thank God for providing the food, and thanking those who prepared the
meal. It seems to me that all around us so much is taken for granted: we turn on the tap and hey presto water appears; TVs,
telephones, films, light, darkness - they are all available at the touch of a button. Even your food can be delivered without
you getting out of your chair. Many children really do think money comes from a hole in the wall!
When
did you last think about the food you eat and the water you drink, and think any further than the shop you brought it from?
Harvest reminds us that God has provided all that we need to live. He made the first fruit and the animals.
Everything has a beginning: this world, the air we breathe, the sea, all the plants and the animal life. So isn‟t it
right to thank the Creator God for not only starting everything, but still being fully involved in all that he has created?
August/September 2010
The gardener‘s assistant was about to uproot a climbing
plant which had overgrown. ―I might as well get rid of this,‖ he said, ―it is just like a load of old string
climbing along the fence.‖ ―No‖ said the gardener, ―that is a beautiful clematis, and if it is carefully
pruned and nurtured it will produce the most beautiful flowers next spring and summer‖. As every gardener knows, many
plants appear dead in the winter, but with careful pruning they can produce wonderful flowers or fruit.
Jesus
told us he was the vine and we are the branches. He is the living trunk and we are the living growing branches coming from
the trunk; that is what Jesus is say-ing. He wants us as his followers to be a living, vibrant, fruitful presence in the world.
We as his branches cannot bear fruit by ourselves, we have to rely on the source - Jesus. How do we do that? By listening
to and reading the word of God and putting it into practice in our lives. We also have to rely on each other. Branches are
all interconnected, part of each other, all feeding from the same stem out of the same soil, but all growing in different
and unique directions. We share a common life, and within that we become our own unique, distinctive selves. But if
the words of Jesus do not remain in the lives of his followers, like dead branches they are useless, fit only to be cut off
and thrown away. Jesus invites his followers to make their home with him, to trust him, to rely on him, and to draw nourishment
on him. If a branch is detached from the tree it will die; it can-not live on its own, and we cannot either. Often
we rush about following our own chosen path in life, trying to do good for those around us. We may forget about depending
on Jesus and on one another. If our love is real and active, if we rely on him and make our home with him, then the words
of Jesus will truly bear fruit in our lives and in our world.
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