Stephen Walker's blog

Vicar’s Letter June 2013

Stephen Walker — 2013-05-30T14:06:00+00:00

Dear friends

We are all too conscious of the images of human suffering beamed into our living rooms on a daily basis. How we understand the existence of suffering in the context of a God of Love has always been a question that regularly arises on the Alpha course.

As horrific as the attack on the streets of Woolwich was, it is easier to understand suffering when it has arisen as a result of human choice. The freedom to choose how we want to behave is part of our human dignity. Free will is a gift given to us by God which He hopes will result in people choosing to love and live in Christ. Yet it equally leaves us free to choose to reject the way of love and opt for the way of pride, selfishness and greed with actions that might result in the suffering of others.

But suffering as a result of natural disasters such as a tsunami or the recent tornado in Oklahoma or the suffering cause by disease or biological imbalance are much more difficult to understand.

· Why doesn’t God do something?

· Is He in charge or isn’t He?

· Is His power therefore limited?

· If He could have prevented the path of this tornado across a primary school why didn’t He?

Whenever we encounter natural disasters that have claimed the lives of the innocent we come back to trying to make sense of the experience of suffering whilst holding to a belief in a God of love.

When I read the Bible, I see that there are examples of natural disasters used by God as a means of judgement and punishment, such as the plagues in Egypt. But I also see God protecting his people during times of drought and famine.

How do we make sense of it all?

Well if I’m honest I don’t think we will ever fully understand the mysteries of God and his dealings with the world, but there are some things we can hold on to:

· That God created the world perfect without suffering, tears or pain.

‘God saw all that he had made, and it was very good’ Genesis 1:31

· The Fall of mankind (Genesis 3) has affected not only the individuals concerned or just the human race but the whole of the created order.‘The creation was subjected to frustration… the whole of creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time’ (Romans 8: 20, 22).

Our experience of suffering resulting from natural disasters is not how God had intended the world to be. Creation in its entirety has been corrupted by the virus called ‘Sin’.

For example: We have recently been given some help dealing with a very nasty computer virus that has wormed its way (quite literally) on to a laptop causing corruption to files and affecting the way the computer was intended to operate. It has taken radical counter measures to get rid of this virus and re-install the operating software. In a similar way the effect of sin entering the world has not just affected the human race but the entire creation – everything is corrupted, distorted, like a blurred image through a camera lens. Whether it is global weather patterns causing extreme flooding or drought, tornadoes or the shifting tectonic plates and underwater earthquakes causing tsunamis, the whole created order is impacted. Each time a disaster happens it reminds us we live in an imperfect fallen world.

But where is God in all of this? Does he simply look on dispassionately?

I don’t think so. The Cross of Jesus shows us a God who enters into our suffering. Through the cross he knows what pain, hardship and suffering are like and in this way God enters into our experience. Out of his love for us he doesn’t abandon us but shares the pain until such a time when Jesus returns, the existing order will be wrapped up and all things made new. Until then we live with the consequences of a fallen world and work to bring in His Kingdom – the righteous reign and rule of God – pushing back the tides of darkness and letting His light come.

May we continue to work and pray with urgency: ‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven’ Amen.

With every blessing in Christ Stephen

Stewardship Sunday

Stephen Walker — 2013-05-03T14:39:42+00:00

Dear Friends

Next Sunday 12^th May we will be having our annual Stewardship Sunday, the occasion in our year when we take the opportunity to review the proportion of our income we regularly set aside as our offering to God and his ministry through the life of this church. Through the course of this next week will you carefully and prayerfully bring this matter before the Lord and seek to be obedient to what he puts on your heart?

On the occasion of Jesus calling the disciples and the miracle of the enormous catch of fish (which of course they left behind to follow Jesus) – Jesus, after finishing teaching from the boat tells them to move out into deep water and let down their nets for a catch. Tired and possibly a little grumpy after a long night without any success, Peter replies; ‘Because you say so, I will let down the nets’ (Luke 5:5). Stewardship of the resources that belong to God but which have been entrusted to us is a question of obedience to what God requires of us and that is an important principle as we approach this matter.

Jesus spoke more about money than almost any other subject except the Kingdom of God, affording the subject an unusual amount of time and energy. Why was this? Perhaps it was that Jesus could see how money could become a threat to our relationship with God and therefore knew the power of this potential snare.

Spiritual Power. Money, as we all well know has power to attract us, to motivate us and indeed capture our hearts. St Paul wrote to Timothy that ‘the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil’ (2 Timothy 6:9,10). Jesus knew how we can become enslaved by money and possessions and that is why he spoke so forcefully on this subject in the context of giving, which releases us from its snare. Jesus tells us that we belong to another kingdom and that we should have radically different priorities because of what he has done for us. He encourages us not to store up treasure for ourselves on earth but to invest in eternity because we will have forever to be glad that we did!

Are our current giving habits in line with God’s will for us?

Our vision is to see an increase of God’s coming Kingdom in Tewkesbury and beyond. But for this to happen we need to exercise faithfulness and obedience in this area of giving. Whether we are unemployed, living on a pension, a student with limited means or a well paid high earner, we all are required to take stock of our income however small or large it might be and review our giving to God. God wants to release his blessings upon us but can only pour into our hands if our hands are open.

Why do we need a Stewardship Sunday?

It is good practise every year to review what we give to the Lord’s work. There will be those amongst us who are in a position to be able to increase their giving, but with so many other things going on in our lives, it is easy to get distracted and just never get round to it. Stewardship Sunday provides a focus and an action point.

What does the Bible teach about giving to God?Enshrined in Old Testament law, as a sign of their allegiance to God and as recognition that all things actually belong to God (Psalm 24:1), the people were commanded to give a tenth of their income. It was called the ‘tithe’. This meant the top 10% of all their income (the ‘first fruits’) belonged to God before any other expense was taken into account and it was deemed to be ’holy to the Lord’ (Leviticus 27:30). The tithe was to be set apart as an offering to God with great blessing for the people if they observed this requirement but severe penalties if they did not fulfil their obligations. Indeed in the words of the prophet Malachi, God accuses the people of robbing Him of that which they were commanded to give, by not offering the first 10% (the tithe) which is His due. In this they had unlawful possession of what belonged to God. Yet at the same time God promises great blessing to those who honour Him and show themselves to be faithful.

‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse….test me in this’, says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it’. (Malachi 3:10)

God’s generosity to usThis is the only time in scripture where God challenges us to test Him. Normally, we are cautioned not to put the Lord our God to the test but in terms of giving faithfully to God’s work, He says ‘test me’, in other words, ‘just see if you can out give me’.

Throughout scripture lies the promise that when we honour the Lord God with what we have and give back to Him the ‘tithe’ then there is the reciprocal promise that ‘your barns will be filled to overflowing and your vats brim over with wine’. It’s a picture of God’s faithfulness to us when we are faithful to Him.

‘A generous man will prosper, he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed’ (Proverbs 11:25)

The New Testament. Jesus, living in a culture when tithing was an accepted practice, didn’t dismiss the principle of the tithe (Luke 11:42) but calls us to something deeper. ‘Giving’ represents the whole of our lives not just a portion of it. Instead of just 10% belonging to God, we understand that everything belongs to Him and our job is to be a faithful steward of all that He has entrusted to us. We give because God first gave to us. He has given us forgiveness in Jesus, rescued us from an eternity cast out from His presence, given us the gift of His Holy Spirit and the Christ like character that is consequently being seen in us and much, much more. Jesus doesn’t just ask for a portion of our lives, He calls for full surrender: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’ (Mark 8:34).

How do we give?When it comes to our offerings, Jesus calls us to give according to certain principles:

Generously Jesus drew attention to the widow who gave generously and sacrificially ‘out of her poverty’ all she had to live on even though it was only a couple of pennies. In contrast, the rich, although giving more, gave out of their wealth what they could easily afford (Luke 21-4). Therefore, their giving lacked any real cost or sacrifice on their part.

SacrificiallyGiving is supposed to cost us, it is not supposed to be our loose change that we can easily afford or that we will never notice going out of our account each month – it is an offering that demonstrates our gratitude to God in response to the sacrifice Jesus made for us.

Jesus said: ‘Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured to you’ (Luke 6:38). How much should I then give?Although we are not under the Old Testament Law but under the wonderful free grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, should we therefore expect to give less than was the basic requirement under the old covenant? Many Christians believe that a good guideline for giving to God is to use the tithe as our starting point. For some, 10% will be too little, God may expect us to give at a higher level if we are to observe the principles of generosity and sacrifice. Perhaps a more pertinent question might be: ‘How much may I keep?’ rather than ‘How much should I give?’ As a response to God’s love for us and all He has done in our lives, we should all commit ourselves to regular planned giving based on our income. We need to prayerfully consider what He requires of us and then commit ourselves and give with an attitude of joy and cheerfulness, not resentment, ‘For God loves a cheerful giver’ (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Celebrating Faithful Giving– Many in our fellowship already understand these principles and regularly tithe their gross income to the ministry and mission of Holy Trinity. That is wonderful and is the reason why so much has been and continues to be done. We all benefit from their faithful giving.

A Challenge to allAs we look to Stewardship Sunday next week we all need to step back, look at our income and review how much we give regularly to God’s work here as part of our discipleship and desire to follow Jesus. It may be that God is calling us to increase our level of giving. We need to consider carefully our entire income and work out what % we are committing ourselves to give. Some of us may have had pay increases and we have not so far adjusted our tithe to reflect this. Giving by Direct Debit really helps us to budget our accounts, so if possible I would encourage you to choose this method (and pick up a leaflet about this from the Foyer). Stewardship Sunday 12^th MayGiving to God’s work is about obedience to Jesus, it is about being a faithful steward of all God has entrusted to us, it is about receiving back in abundance from God, but it is also an exciting adventure to see the release that God brings into our lives that in turn brings a blessing to others. In Christ, Stephen

Vicar’s Annual Report 2013

Stephen Walker — 2013-04-26T10:44:19+00:00

Dear friends

For us as a nation, last year was an extraordinary year. I remember attending the arrival of the Olympic torch into Cheltenham racecourse – just one leg on a journey through towns, villages and cities across the country. In many ways it set the tone for a summer of national celebration: the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Olympic torch was the forerunner that prepared the nation, generated excitement and looked forward to all that was to come.

The words of a hymn by Frank Houghton (1894-1972) come to mind when I think of those who carried that Olympic Torch:

We bear the torch that flaming

Fell from the hand so those

Who gave their lives proclaiming

That Jesus died and rose

Ours is the same commission

The same glad message ours

Fired by the same ambition

To Thee we yield our powers.

We may not have carried the Olympic Torch but it is the nature of the church to carry the torch of the Good News of Jesus Christ from one generation to another. It is our duty and our joy to keep alive the flame of love and hope in the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ and to pass it on from one person to another.

In this respect our mission statement is spot on. We are to ‘Build bridges for Jesus to cross’. Our vision is to enable everyone who lives in Tewkesbury and round about to have the opportunity to hear the good news of God’s saving love in Jesus. It is as simple as that – to grow God’s Kingdom, one person at a time. How have we achieved our vision this year through the ministry of Holy Trinity Church? As we look over the breadth of ministry and activity that has taken place this year we can see the degree to which we have been connecting with our community, building bridges, dismantling prejudices and providing possibilities for God to impact people’s lives.

Schools work

Our involvement with the primary and secondary schools is an important arena for engaging with community life. The number of us involved with schools as: teachers, support staff, governors, open the book teams etc demonstrates the good relationship we enjoy with all the schools. This is shown further by the frequent visits of the schools to Holy Trinity to participate in any number of activities. This is good bridge building activity and shows that we are not some private club set apart from the community, but actively involved within it. We seek to be a church in the community, for the community. The recent visit of 5 primary schools to the church to attend the concert given by the Watoto Children’s choir was a wonderful demonstration of the church bringing people together.

Outreach activities

Other ways in which we engage with the community are through the services (Outlook, Sunday at 3, Holy Communion) we take to the residential care homes, Day Centre and the hospital via the chaplaincy team. In this way we are as a church community live out this vision to build a bridge of faith into people’s lives. We also make connections through: Smarties, Alpha, the Mop Fair, church socials and the recent opening of the Food bank. They all provide a point of access for our community through which an individual may choose to explore further the love of God.

If, as Archbishop William Temple is attributed as saying; ‘The Church is the only organisation in the world that exists solely for the benefit of its non-members’, then an outward focus that seeks to engage and grow a relationship with the community is entirely right and appropriate. We continue this outward focus in our worshipping life as we welcome visitors and new comers to our Sunday services and try to enable them to find a point of connection with God in our worship. It is reassuring to hear from such visitors of the friendliness and warmth of our welcome to them.

The three Bs: Belonging

The journey to faith often begins with finding a place of belonging in the life of our church through a friendly welcome and worship which is contemporary and accessible. It is often from this point that individuals will venture onto the Alpha course as it is seen as a way of exploring further what they are experiencing.

Believing

Those who attend Alpha and see it through to the end of the course are usually in a good place to continue the journey through to the Discipleship course in which they have an opportunity to grow in their understanding of faith. This often leads to a decision for Christ resulting in Baptism or the renewal of Baptismal vows or confirmation. From here the individual might join a cell group and continue the journey of discipleship.

Behaving

With increasing understanding and awareness of God, an individual discovers areas of his /her life that need to come into line with God’s purposes. This is the work of the Holy Spirit who gently touches on areas of our lives that need to be changed. This is a process that will continue until we meet the Lord face to face. It doesn’t matter whether we have known the Lord for 1 year or 50 years we will all continue to require change and transformation.

Growing a healthy church

It is good to be part of a community that recognises that we are all in this together and reaches out in welcome and grace to others who might come and join us on the journey and so make the necessary space available that does not restrict our growth. We remind ourselves that ultimately it is the Lord who adds to our numbers and not anything of ourselves.

So I would like to thank all who have continued faithfully to ‘carry the torch’ with us this last year and in particular those in leadership positions. To Sharon, Sarah and John who share the vision of leadership with me and provide encouragement, support and friendship –you demonstrate the importance of relational leadership and friendship. Thank you. To Simon, Pat, Dave and Rachel on the Standing Committee –thank you for your enormous input to the day to day running of the church – its finances, maintenance and onward mission of the church.

To the members of the PCC and your wise counsel, thank you.

To the staff team: Donna and the huge amount of work put in behind the scenes keeping the admin of the church moving forward, to Lynn and your energy and enthusiasm for ministry to children, not just in TJC but through the schools work and bridge building opportunities, to Trev and your willingness to come along side our youth as part of your university placement this year.

I would like to thank every member of our church family for the vital part that each one of you plays in the ministry of this church whatever that might be, for it is in our togetherness that Christ is revealed.

As we look to the future and carry forward the torch of the gospel may we be inspired by these words of Desmond Tutu:

‘We are a church on the move, an instrument in the hand of God, proclaiming the Good News, nurturing new converts. We are instruments of peace and reconciliation and justice in the hands of God. We are the means of healing hurts, of building community, of feeding the hungry. We are a worshipping Spirit-filled community, who knows that we can do God’s work only in God’s way with God’s means, and so we have an engaged spirituality that places first things first.

We are God’s partners, God’s agents of transformation, to change the ugliness of the world; its hatreds, its hostilities, its jealousies, its hunger, its poverty, its injustice,, its oppression, its alienation, its loneliness, its competitiveness, its grasping, its sickness, into their glorious counterparts; so that there will be laughter and joy, caring and sharing, justice, reconciliation and peace, compassion’.

Looking forward as each one of us bears the torch of faith may we keep our eyes fixed on the heavenly vision, the goal of our faith, anticipating Christ’s return that we may be found faithful, serving the Lord with joy and hope in our hearts for this coming year.

With every blessing in Christ

Stephen

Vicar’s letter April 2013

Stephen Walker — 2013-03-28T15:54:50+00:00

Dear friends

Today marks the centrepiece of our faith when Jesus destroyed the power of death by breaking forth from the tomb. Our faith rests on a physical restoration to life by Jesus, for as St Paul writes to the Corinthian Church:

‘If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith…But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man (Adam), the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man(Jesus).For as in Adam all die, so in Christall will be made a live’ (1 Corinthians 15:14, 20 – 22).

The experience of Jesus in being raised from the dead serves as the ‘first fruits’, the deposit, the down payment which provides a guarantee of what is to come for all who are ‘in Christ’. Therefore those of us who have placed our trust and confidence in the saving work of Jesus and consider ourselves to be ‘in Christ’ have that wonderful hope that is steadfast and certain. This is that we too will share in resurrection life and enjoy the same experience as did Jesus.

This is the wonderful truth dramatically symbolised by the waters of Baptism. Being completely submerged symbolises our death with Christ and emerging from the water symbolises our risen life with Christ (Romans 6:4,5).

Paul writes to the Thessalonian Christians:

‘We do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep (i.e. die), or to grieve like the rest of men who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him’ (1 Thess 4:13,14).

This is the bedrock of our faith that we celebrate not only at Easter, but every day because in it is the hope that resurrection life brings.

Carriers of Resurrection Life

Not many of us have been in a situation where we may have witnessed a physical resurrection, but there is a sense in which we can all be those who ‘bring back people from the dead’.

Author, Megan McKenna writes:

‘Once when I was in the parish studying this scripture (Luke 7:11-17) with a large group, someone called out harshly, ‘Have you ever brought someone back from the dead?’ My response was: ‘Yes. Every time I bring hope into a situation, every time I bring joy that shatters despair, every time I forgive others and give them back dignity and the possibility of a future with me and others in the community, every time I listen to others and affirm their life, every time I speak the truth in public, every time I confront injustice – yes – I bring people back from the dead’.

We are ‘Easter People’. People of resurrection and hope – to be those who are life giving, called to live passionately and compassionately with others. Every time the life we carry overflows and touches others, we set the table for resurrection.

When we leave the past to God’s mercy and the future to God’s discretion and live in the present moment, we affirm our belief in the resurrection.

Beautiful Africa

On April 12^ththe Watoto children’s choir will show us what it means to be carriers of resurrection life with their engaging and life enhancing performance. It will, I’m sure, be inspirational. So do invite friends and neighbours to come with you to the evening performance and let them catch the resurrection life on offer.

May we all have a Christ-centred, Joy-filled Easter.

With every blessing in Christ Stephen

Vicar’s Letter - March 2013

Stephen Walker — 2013-02-27T11:56:09+00:00

Dear Friends

Simon Wiesenthal lost 89 relatives in Hitler’s death camps. He has devoted his life to finding Nazi criminals and bringing them to justice. He is often asked when he will give up. After all, he is hunting down men in their 70’s and 80’s for crimes committed half a century ago.

Wiesenthal answered by writing a book. The book begins with a true experience he had while he himself was a concentration camp prisoner. One day he was yanked out of a work detail and taken up a back stairway to a dark hospital room. A nurse led him into the room, then left him alone with a figure wrapped in white, lying on a bed. The figure was a badly wounded German soldier, whose entire face was covered with bandages. His name was Karl.

With a trembling voice, the German made a kind of confession to Wiesenthal. He told how he had been brought up in a Nazi family, the fighting he had experienced on the Russian front, and the brutal measures his S.S. unit had taken against Jews. And then he told of a terrible atrocity.

All the Jews in a town were herded into a wooden building that was then set on fire. Karl had taken an active part in the crime. Several times Wiesenthal tried to leave the room, but each time the ghost-like figure would reach out and beg him to stay. Finally, after 2 hours, Karl told Wiesenthal why he had been summoned.

The soldier had asked a nurse if any Jews still existed. If so, he wanted one brought to his room so he could clear his conscience. He then said to Wiesenthal -"I am left here with my guilt. I do not know who you are, I know only that you are a Jew and that is enough. I know that what I am asking is almost too much for you. But without your answer I cannot die in peace." Karl asked for forgiveness for all the Jews he had killed. He asked for forgiveness, from a man who might soon die. Wiesenthal sat in silence for some time. He stared at the man’s bandaged face. At last, without saying a word, he stood up and left the room. He left the soldier in torment, unforgiven.

Had Simon Wiesenthal done the best he could? He himself seemed dissatisfied with his action. He went over it with his companions. He visited the dead soldier’s mother.

In his book, he asks 32 rabbis, Christian theologians, and secular philosophers to comment on it. "What would YOU have done?" is the question he posed. Out of 32 people he asked, the majority said he had done right in leaving the soldier unforgiven. Only 6 said he had done wrong. Yet the Bible says we have the privilege of granting forgiveness to those who have wronged us.”

Today, as we conclude our sermon series on the life of Joseph, we see that Joseph gives us a model for forgiveness. The past had shattered Joseph’s ability to trust his brothers. In order to trust his brothers, Joseph needed to know and believe two things – that they were telling him the whole truth and that they were truly sorry for what they had done.

You will remember that in the previous chapter (Genesis 44) Benjamin had been accused of stealing Joseph’s silver cup and Judah was pleading for mercy. Judah and his brothers are anxiously awaiting a verdict from Joseph, one that will determine the course of the rest of their lives.

Dr. David Seaman’s in “Healing for Damaged Emotions” says, “The two primary causes of emotional stress are the failure to forgive and the failure to receive forgiveness.” David Seaman. ‘Healing for Damaged Emotions’. (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1981).

God’s free gift to us

This month we will be journeying once again towards the great and central truths of our faith as we approach Good Friday and Easter Day. We remind ourselves of the sacrifice that God has made in Jesus to rescue us from an existence separated from love. We will celebrate the free offer of forgiveness held out to us by Jesus, made possible by paying the price of our sin on the cross. We will rejoice at the freedom that forgiveness brings us and the new life offered to all who put their trust and confidence in Him.

As we continue through Lent and journey towards Easter lets keep these central themes in mind as we enter in to all that this wonderful season of our faith offers us.

‘Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us’.

With every blessing in Christ

Stephen

Vicar’s letter February 2013

Stephen Walker — 2013-01-31T16:26:33+00:00

Dear Friends

How many of us started out in life with a small ‘starter home’, a flat or something equivalent, which was special because it was our first home. Then when the time came to start thinking about a family, what was adequate for the two of us suddenly starts to feel very small. Our thoughts turn to considering a move to a larger property or extending what we already have to ease the pressure of living together in a confined space. So plans are made to extend over the garage and build an additional bedroom, or build a conservatory on the back as an additional living space, or extend the kitchen to accommodate a larger dining area.

In a similar way we at Holy Trinity are a growing family with more and increasing demands on the space we have available; the size of our Hall rooms for children’s groups, the number of rooms available for numerous midweek activities (all happening at the same time), the accessibility of the Hall for fellowship after our services along a narrow corridor. The increase in activity of our growing church family means we constantly have to juggle rooms around to accommodate different sized groups, be creative in discovering additional storage space and become ruthless in throwing out unnecessary items.

Looking Ahead

At the moment with good communication and sensitivity to one another’s requirements we are able to facilitate the life of our family even though we have areas of particular congestion. But as the family grows, we will need to look for additional space in order to welcome in all those whom the Lord is bringing to us. As in any extension programme, plans will need to be drawn up, permission gained and funds acquired and all of this will take time, but the process has to start somewhere. A journey always begins with a first step and perhaps in the life of our church family the time has come to take that first step. We do this prayerfully, always seeking the Lord for his guiding hand to lead us, knowing that we are providing for future generations of followers of Jesus.

So would you remember the PCC in your prayers as those who will be at the forefront of beginning this process and considering the way forward? We don’t want our church family in the future to be limited by the restrictions of our buildings. We want to be available and accessible for all whom the Lord is calling.

Freedom of Conscience versus Human Rights legislation

We have seen recently the European Court of Human Rights making judgements in which they have had to decide between the right of an individual to express freedom of conscience based on religious conviction (and thereby withhold their professional services) versus the human rights (as decreed by law) of an individual not to be discriminated against. Which trumps the other? What do we do when the right to exercise freedom of conscience conflicts with the human ‘rights’ of an individual? Who determines what is a fundamental human right and then enshrines it in law? Is there any place for freedom of conscience in a secular society?

At the beginning of February the House of Commons will be debating the first reading of the Bill to redefine Marriage. Should this proposal become law it will create a clash between law and conscience. Irrespective of ‘quadruple locks’ and other so called safeguards there will inevitably be test cases brought before the courts that will fuel the disharmony in society and accelerate the distance between our Christian heritage and the values of secularism. It is not only those who perform marriages that will find themselves in a difficult position but teachers too who will be expected to deliver this redefined understanding of marriage to their pupils as part of an education syllabus.

Whatever your views are in this debate please pray that God’s will may prevail and that the values of His kingdom may be upheld.

With every blessing in Christ

Stephen

Vicar’s letter - January 2013

Stephen Walker — 2013-01-08T16:21:04+00:00

Dear Friends

Sharon joins me in wishing you all a very Happy New Year. It carries with it a sense of anticipation for all that God will lead us into as we journey together in His purposes for us as a community of faith.

Each New Year is an opportunity for new beginnings and a fresh start. But then so is each week. Every Sunday is the first day of the week - a new beginning. Actually every day is an opportunity for a new beginning: God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). I wonder what new beginningwe would like to enter into this year?

‘Linked-In’is a social networking website for people in professional occupations and as of June last year had 175 million registered users worldwide. It seems to me that the expression ‘Linked-In’very neatly sums up our resolve with which to start the year.

We want to be more closely ‘linked-In’ to God and our walk of faith and we want to be more closely linked in to one another so that together we can work out what it means to be a community of faith in 2013.

Linked-In to Jesus.

The Christmas event has reminded us that Jesus is ‘Immanuel’ which means ‘God with us’. The message of the angels to the Shepherds was that; ‘Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord’ (Luke 2:11). The very name ‘Jesus’ means, ‘he will save his people from their sins’ (Matthew 1:21). Every time we use the name, Jesus, it reminds us that our greatest need is not for happiness or contentment (although these may both be by-products). Our greatest need is for forgiveness. Therefore we need a Saviour. May we be more linked in to our love for Jesus, who has saved us from the consequence of our sin and allow His Spirit to keep our faith alive, fresh and relevant.

Linked-In to the Word

The best way to keep our faith alive and vibrant is by reading a portion of scripture every day (even if it is only a verse or two) and by allowing God to speak to us and nourish us with His truth. Why not try the Bible in a year reading scheme?

Linked-In to one another

This year we would love to see everyone in our church experience the joy of being more connected with one another. We grow friendships by developing a sense of belonging and this helps us to feel committed to one another.

Although many enjoy regular cell life, there are others who for all sorts of reasons feel unable to commit to a weekly meeting, but yet would like to feel connected to a small group even if they cannot attend on a regular basis. So this year we would like to ‘Link-In’ everyone with a cell group so that we all can have a place where we belong with a group that loves and cares for us and shares with us in the journey of life. In the coming weeks Jo Davies, our cell group coordinator, will be working out how to guide us through this process.

Linked-In to Prayer

Each year we come together to pray as a church for the year ahead and listen to all that the Lord might be leading us into. There is much to look forward to in the coming months:

Alpha, Discipleship and Marriage courses starting soon

Visit of the African Children’s choir after Easter

Launch of Tewkesbury’s first ever Foodbank

Church family weekend away

Do join us at one of the three daily sessions of prayer and get excited about all that lies ahead (Mon – Thurs 14-17^thJan).

Linked-In to the out-working of our faith

On Palm Sunday (24^thMarch) we will be having a service of Believers Baptism. This will be an opportunity for those who have decided to follow Jesus to make a public commitment through Baptism by full emersion in our Baptistery. For those who have never been Baptised (or Christened) as infants this will be their personal decision of faith. For others it may be a renewal of Baptismal vows that reflects a major turning point in their journey. Either way, if there are those in our church family who would like to step up to this commitment, please do let me know that this is something you are considering. It is usual that those who are considering Baptism (or renewal of Baptismal vows) attend the Alpha course as part of their preparation.

Alpha starts on Wednesday 23^rdJan 7.30pm– do let Sharon or myself know if you are interested in attending the course.

It is exciting to consider how much richer our experience of life can be when we resolve this year to beLinked-Inmore effectively to God and to one another and find our place in his purposes.

With every blessing in Christ

Stephen

Vicar’s letter - December 2012

Stephen Walker — 2012-11-29T14:33:18+00:00

Dear friends

Yet again, residents of Tewkesbury and elsewhere have come across signs that warn us of flooded roads and pathways, preventing access except on foot and with a good pair of wellies! Yet our hearts go out to those who yet again have found their homes and businesses under water.

Women Bishops

‘Road Ahead Closed’ has also been the experience for those campaigning for the right of women to be consecrated as Bishops. The disappointment of many including those who have been involved in the process of drafting legislation at General Synod is understandable. Presented in so much of the media as simply a discussion on equality between the genders, which if that were the case would surely have been so much more straightforward; the reality is far more complicated.

As I see it, on the one hand, there are those who do see the debate as one of gender discrimination and on the other, those who see the debate to be about how God in his perfect wisdom has chosen to order his church and the different but complimentary roles given to men and women within this structure. Both sides appeal to scripture to argue their position. Both sides have sincerely held beliefs. Both sides claim equality between the genders and both sides come out with different conclusions.

Church Unity

Whilst the two thirds majority required in all three houses for the purpose of preserving church unity was achieved in the House of Bishops and the House of Clergy, it failed to be carried in the House of Laity (representatives of the congregations) by 6 votes. Why was this? It appears that some of those who voted against the legislation did not do so because they were against women becoming Bishops, but because they were more concerned for Church unity and believed that there were insufficient arrangements in place to provide for those who in true conscience and for sound theological reasons could not accept women in this role. The reason the legislation failed is more to do with the process than the practise. Most people accept that it won’t be too long before we see women in the episcopacy, but how we get there is the point of debate.

Anointed Leadership

However, more effective in God’s service than positional leadership is anointed leadership and you don’t need a title in front of your name for that. Every significant renewal movement from Jesus onwards was led by ordinary godly people with a vision for growing God’s Kingdom and a passion to pursue the anointing of God. It is these ordinary people who have changed the course of history and used their influence to impact the lives of countless others. We only have to look at the first disciples to see how blessed it is to be one of the ordinary!

‘What the church and, more importantly, the world desperately needs is women and men impassioned by God and sold out for the Kingdom who will kick-start a spiritual revolution at grassroots level which will see our nation changed’. (Ian Parkinson)

That is something we can all be a part of as we seek to serve with the anointing of the Holy Spirit in the place where God has put us. As we radiate God’s presence and breathe His life into the secular space of the classroom, office, community centre (wherever) so we bring the sense of the sacred that transforms the environment around us. For God’s anointed leadership, the road ahead is never closed.

An Invitational Church

Neither is the ‘road ahead closed’ on the journey of faith as we approach Christmas and celebrate today with the first Sunday in Advent. It is of great encouragement that visitors to our services tell me how warmly they have been welcomed by members of our church family. That is wonderful, and yet we need to move from being a welcoming community to becoming an invitational one – that is, a Church that invites others to ‘come and see’, to share the belonging with us and be part of our community life. The season of advent as it leads up to Christmas provides us with many opportunities to invite others: to our cell group socials, a party with our neighbours, a ‘come with us’ to the carol service or Christingle service etc.

Friends let us develop within our church a culture of invitation that is always ready to reach out to others with an invitation, then people will see that despite what is going on with the water levels in the town, the road to God is never closed. As ever in Christ, Stephen

November Blog

Stephen Walker — 2012-11-01T12:32:10+00:00

Dear friends

Today, 4^thNovember, is the day in which we join with fellow Christians around the world to give special thanks and gratitude to God for the faithful witness of those who endure so much for their faith in Jesus. We express thanks to God for their faithfulness, perseverance under trial and love expressed even for those who hold them in captivity. We give thanks to God that in September jailed Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was set free after a court dropped the charge of apostasy – leaving Islam – but upheld a charge of evangelising Muslims. The court sentenced him to three years, but promptly released him because he had already served the time. We give thanks for the courage and conviction that characterises the lives of these fellow believers, which is so inspirational to us in the West.

Iran is very much under the global spotlight at the moment with its nuclear development programme and the potential for regional conflict that could result. Less well known is the fact that Christianity is growing faster in Iran than in any other Muslim majority country. Therefore we need to pray in particular for church leaders who face intimidation and persecution on a daily basis.

Pastor Behnam Irani was arrested whilst conducting a Bible Study for young Iranian men who had become Christians. He was charged with crimes against national security, but observers say he is being punished for holding house church services and leading people to Christ. According to reports he is beaten regularly by the prison authorities as well as inmates and now has difficulty walking and seeing. His health is failing and his family fear for his life. Let us stand in prayer for Pastor Behnam and others who suffer for Jesus in Iran.

It is striking that a common request to the churches in the West from those who are persecuted for their faith is not for money, material things or even that the governments that intimidate them are changed. Their primary request is for courage to be faithful in their witness.

Their example is an inspiration to us who despite personal struggles are largely free of physical persecution. The one thing we can do is pray for them and do unto them what we would wish them to do for us were the tables turned.

‘Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are ill treated as if you yourselves were suffering’ Hebrews 13:3

If you would like to respond practically to this challenge, why not get hold of a magazine from CSW (Christian Solidarity Worldwide) or Release International and use the daily prayer guide to inform your prayers so that we can prayer earnestly and intelligently for those who endure so much for their faith.

November – a season of remembrance

It is not just the persecuted church that we remember this month. Our annual memorial service provides an opportunity for us to call to mind the impact that others have had upon us who have now passed on. We register the pain of grief and loss as part of our human condition whilst declaring our living hope founded in Jesus. In this we have cause to rejoice greatly.

We also remember the courage and commitment to duty and service demonstrated by our servicemen and women. For many this has been given at such great cost.

Towards the end of the month we will journey towards Advent and the remembrance of the Old Testament scriptures that speak of the coming Messiah, the Saviour of the World. The sense of excitement and anticipation that brings energises us to renew our commitment to walk daily with Christ seeking to be faithful in our life and service.

‘Lord make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon where there is doubt, faith where there is despair, hope, where there is darkness, light where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.’ (Prayer of St Francis)

Every Blessing Stephen

Vicar’s Letter October 2012

Stephen Walker — 2012-09-27T14:06:53+00:00

Dear friends

Have you ever wondered what Harvest is all about and where this service of Thanksgiving comes from? If you have then read on – here’s a little history. If not then feel free to skip the rest of this article!

Harvest Festival used to be celebrated at the beginning of the Harvest season on 1 August and was called Lammas, meaning 'loafMass'Farmers made loaves of bread from the new wheat crop and gave them to their local church. They were then used as the Communion breadduring a special mass thanking God for the harvest. The custom ended when Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church, and nowadays we have harvest festivals at the end of the season.

The tradition of celebrating Harvest Festival in our churches as we know it today began in 1843 (about the same time that the church was built) when the Revd. Robert Hawker invited his parishioners to a special service of harvest thanksgiving at his church in Morwenstow, Cornwall. Hymns such as we sing today: ‘We plough the fields and scatter’, ‘Come ye thankful people come’ helped to popularise this service and spread the annual custom of decorating churches with home-grown produce for this special occasion.

Harvest is the third great Jewish Festival and is called Sukkot or ‘Feast of Ingathering’ or ‘Feast of Tabernacles’ or Booths. It falls between September and October and required a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship in the Temple and offer sacrifices. It both recalls Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness for forty years following their deliverance from Egypt and celebrates God’s miraculous provision. It is a happy celebration – a time of great joy and rejoicing.

Today we thank God for all the good things he has given to us. We also want to share with others who are not so fortunate as ourselves. We do this through our food gifts but also by bringing a financial offering for the work of TEAR Fund who seek to alleviate poverty in the developing world.

We are also thinking this year about how we can serve those in our community with emergency food aid. We will see how the work of the Trussell Trust has benefited countless numbers in dire need throughout our country. Some may think there is no poverty in Britain today, so why do we need a Food bank ministry? It’s true that in comparison to the developing world we do not see children on our streets with bloated stomachs, homeless, without shoes and clothed only in rags. However in comparison to the rest of our society there are families who fall below the recognised poverty line as assessed by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation which defines a standard of living which is above mere survival, but well below luxury.

The Trussell Trust provides emergency food aid only for those who have been referred by the social services. Perhaps the breadwinner in a family has become unemployed and a large bill has created a financial crisis. Perhaps there is a delay in the benefit system kicking in and there is no money to feed a family. People find themselves in dire straits for all sorts of reasons. Harvest is a good time to give thanks for what we have and share it with those in greater need.

‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was naked and you clothed me’ Matthew 25: 35-36.

If you would like to find out more about the Trussell Trust (www,trusselltrust.org) and the Foodbank initiative for Tewkesbury, do come to our open meeting on Thursday 8^thNovember 7.30pm in the Hallwhere we will be joined by representatives from the other churches. Mr James Milton who has set up a Foodbank in the Winchcombe area will be coming to speak of his experiences and answer questions.

Please prayerfully consider attending this event and the impact this project might have in bringing God’s love to this community in a practical way.

Wishing you all a rich and full Harvest Thanksgiving,

Stephen