Viewpoint Jan 11

The New Year gives us all an opportunity to reflect on where we are going and what are our priorities for the year ahead.
At St.Mary’s Church in recent weeks we have been working at refining our vision for this worshipping community, so that everyone knows what our most important objectives are. We have crystallised these into three main themes:

1. We are a community of people who worship God and follow Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. We seek to reflect his character and wishes in every part of our lives.
   KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING.
2. We seek to grow in love for one another and for all in this community in meaningful and practical ways.  
   LOVE IS CENTRAL TO EVERYTHING
3.  We believe that church is for everyone, regardless of age, circumstances or status. 
   CHURCH IS FOR ALL

So, what does this mean in practical terms? How will following these objectives help us to become more relevant within the local community and more helpful, caring and welcoming to any who seek our friendship and support?

Jesus is, of course, the supreme example of someone who loved and cared for any in need, regardless of their background or status. We Christians aim to follow his example in our attitudes to others, whether members of the church or not. This may very well mean putting the needs of others before our own.

The love we try to show to all is not merely sentimentalism, but is based on our trying to meet real needs with real and positive action. If one of our number, one of our neighbours or someone we may come into contact with needs help and support because of sickness, bereavement or conflict, we try our very best to respond in a way that actually makes a difference. However, we are all God’s “work in progress”, and may not always get it right!

We firmly believe that church is here for everyone, regardless of age or background. If you try a visit to St.Mary’s for one of our worship services, we trust that you will receive a warm welcome and an opportunity to meet other people like yourself with hopes and dreams just like yours. You will find that we are a likeable group of people. Why not give us a go this New Year?

Wishing all our readers a blessed New Year.

David Payne

Rev Graeme - Sept 2011

I have been thinking a lot recently about the word ‘disciple’. What does it mean? Do we know the importance of it? In our Lord’s understanding it seems very important indeed. Here are some words from the very end of the Gospel of Matthew:

And Jesus came and said to them, ”All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..... teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

I think it would be very fair to guess that the little band of disciples (later to be known as apostles) had those words from Jesus imprinted on their brains. If you were a disciple I think you would as well. So I would like to say two things concerning this.

First, to be disciples is to have an active desire to become increasingly like the master/teacher. This is a whole lot more than simply learning what he knows, or gaining a skill that he has. No, it is the desire increasingly to tick like he does. As time goes on, people should be able to look at the disciple and see and even experience what the master/teacher is like. So Christian people should be those who are becoming increasingly like Jesus Christ. Of course, that does not mean we all have to be male and presumably grow a beard! It does mean that Christian people should have the same morals, motivation, sacrifice, source of joy, response to criticism, love of people, divine help, etc. etc. etc.... as Jesus Christ!  Now, we all have a long way to go! That is obvious! But have we chosen that pathway for our lives? And do other people know that we have ?

Second, we are given the task of helping other people to become disciples. We are called to have a strong motivation within us, a strong engine that seeks to give many other people the very best opportunity of becoming disciples of Jesus Christ. So, if  you are a Christian and you are reading this; how big is that engine? If we have that engine, that desire, within us,  then we will find ways to draw people to our Christian faith.

So, let us get on with being good disciples, and making new ones too! We can all help each other with this, and God will certainly help us !

Always with love and respect,         Rev Graeme.

Rev Graeme - June 2011

Yes, I along with so many other people watched the wedding of William and Kate the other day on TV. What a grand occasion it was, and we as a nation do that kind of thing so well. I guess that is why the world's media was queuing up to relay the wedding to their homelands. I especially valued the Bishop of London's sermon. Imagine it. You have the job of giving a sermon that is instantly heard by millions upon millions of people. I think he did a great job and communicated very clearly.

Their wedding was not only a wedding between two people, it was a Christian wedding, and I would like towrite a few words about that. As I have written just now, it was a wedding between two people. It was also a wedding of someone who will almost certainly become King at some point. But, to me, the thing of greatest significance was that it was a Christian wedding. I wonder if we see things quite like that?

A Christian wedding means that these two people are making promises to Almighty God, with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. It means that they are saying that they have chosen to become followers of Jesus Christ, and to let God have the overriding say in every aspect of their lives! Wow, as we let the weight of this sink in, it is something profound and truly wonderful.

And where is God with all this? Well, He is jumping up and down for joy about it. He is rooting for their success. He is on tiptoe, wanting to respond to them whenever they call on him for help. He is also wanting so much that their marriage honours Him, and it is to this I will now write a few words.

God wants human marriage to be a reflection, an image, and a reminder of His relationship with us. Just as a married couple stick together through thick and thin, so the relationship between us and Jesus should stick together through thick and thin. Just as a loving married couple are prepared to suffer for the sake of their spouse, so it should be between God and us. Jesus Christ suffered because He really cares about us, and so many Christians have suffered through their public loyalty to Jesus. As you can imagine, I could go on and on about the similarities between our relationship with Christ and a marriage relationship.

Let us pray for William and Kate, that their relationship to each other will be an enduring reminder of Jesus Christ’s relationship with those who place their trust and future in Him. Let us pray that when the pressures come, they will both seek ever more to be followers of Jesus Christ, and that they would ask for His help. He is only too willing to be there with them and help them through.

And that goes for all of us who are married too.

Always with respect and kindness, Rev Graeme.

Rev Graeme - Feb 2011

There is something that has been going through my head quite a lot recently. I have not been able to shift it! It is something that our local Methodist minister, the Rev Janet Tanner preached about on Boxing Day in St Mary's Church. Let me tell you what struck me.

The Rev Janet quoted something that I have heard many, many times before "we need to put the Christ back into Christmas"! She alluded to the thought that many Christians complain that Jesus Christ becomes marginalised during this festive season whilst other things take precedence (holiday, alcohol, presents, busyness, serious calorie intake)! But then, she said something different and very unexpected to me.

Read more: Rev Graeme - Feb 2011