Dear Friends

One thing, or should I say lots of things, that have been in the news lately are tents. From St Paul’s in London to our own market square, canvas dwellings have sprung up. They’ve not gone away quickly and they’ve caused quite a lot of disturbance, not least for some clergy who’ve resigned their living over them.

These small, temporary communities have certainly got themselves noticed; it’s hard to ignore camp sites which spring up in the middle of cities. They’ve certainly raised a lot of questions: What are these people protesting about? Are they right or wrong? Are they in the proper place to protest? How should the church respond? Is anyone actually sleeping in these tents anyway?

If you’re looking for a Christmas message on this page, then you won’t be disappointed. The tent protest and Christmas have got quite a bit to do with each other. At Christmas, we celebrate that Jesus was born: he is God with us. In John’s gospel it says, The word (Jesus) became flesh and lived among us. The original language meant: The word (Jesus) became flesh and pitched his tent among us.

Pitched his tent among us? What does that mean, especially when we know that Jesus was born in a stable and lived in houses?

Well, if you live in a tent, you’re living close to the earth, you’re living close to the weather and to your neighbours, there’s not much protection from canvas walls. When Jesus came to live among us, he really came down to earth. He didn’t have any special protection and he didn’t keep away from people.

Jesus also caused quite a bit of disturbance, he made people ask questions and some religious people didn’t know what to make of him.

What’s more, if you live in a tent, it’s not difficult to move around, to set up camp somewhere different every night if that’s what you want. Jesus didn’t stay put in one place. He travelled through towns and villages; he turned up in fields, in the desert, in market places, by the lake, in houses, synagogues and the temple. It seems that nowhere was off limits to him and no-one was beyond his company.

This is what we celebrate at Christmas: God with us, God amongst us.

It’s more life changing than any number of tents in the Market Square.

This Christmas, let’s not try to ignore Jesus, there’s lots going on in Bilborough and Strelley to help us remember him and think about what it means to have him living among us here and now.

Have a joy filled and blessed Christmas.

Dear Friends

“Memories may be beautiful and yet, those too painful to remember, we simply choose to forget.” So sang Barbra Streisand in the song The Way We Were. Well, November is full of memories. Perhaps this month brings painful, proud or wistful memories of world war. Perhaps it brings a closer, sharper sadness because someone we know has lost their health or their life in a recent conflict.

Memory is a great thing. Without it, we’d constantly be burning ourselves because we’d forget that boiling water hurts. Memory plays a big part in who we are: if we had no memory, what sort of people would we be? Indeed, it’s true that we never really forget anything; all that we do, say, see, hear, taste, smell and touch is stored up in our brains. Of course, some of us like me sometimes take a bit of time to find the relevant bit in my brain, but it’s all there.

So what are we to make of the song? Can we really choose to forget painful memories?

Maybe not, and sometimes it’s better to face up to them, but perhaps we can choose what to focus on. Maybe we can build up a good memory bank of favourite places or great conversations and laughter; mental pictures of the people who we love and who love us; friends who help us understand ourselves and the world better; times when we’ve known without a doubt that God is alive and active in our lives. It’s a good idea to often think about these things, then they’ll come to mind more easily and when the going gets tough we won’t have to strain our brains too much to find them.

I’m not just talking about the power of positive thinking. This is ancient and modern Christian wisdom which can help us to live our lives to the best of our ability and to do good in the world. It’s advice which comes from hard human suffering. While St Paul was in prison, possibly facing death, he wrote to one of the churches, “Whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

It’s advice that has stood the test of time and can help us today.

If this remembrance time is too painful, and it would help to talk to someone, please remember that in church there are folk who are willing to listen.

God bless you this November,

Dear Friends

I’ve been on my travels again, this time to Scotland, with Phil’s choir. We had a wonderful time with great company, great scenery and great food.

On the last night there, the choir sang in the hotel and appreciative speeches were made to the organisers of the trip. The choir chairman insisted that the hotel manager and staff were found and brought into the “ballroom” where we were all seated. It took a while because obviously they were working, but it was worth the wait. A very sincere and well presented vote of thanks was made to them and to all the staff of the hotel. It was a very well deserved “thank you”. We had been incredibly well looked after during our stay.

What was very moving was their reply. They were surprised and quite moved. They said they were not at all used to being thanked but rather more used to receiving complaints.

How sad that words “Thank you” should be unusual, surprising or even shocking. How sad to think that complaints are more usual.

I suppose it’s not new. We read in the Bible about people complaining about each other and about God. We also read in the Bible lots of encouragement to say “Thank you”. Do you know that saying “Thank you” is good for us? It helps us as much as it helps the people we’re thanking. It wakes us up and reminds us about the good things in life. Saying “Thank you” gives us more energy, but complaining drains us and can make us feel miserable.

Why not try going out of your way to thank someone every day? See what a difference it makes to you and to them.

Why not try thanking God every day? See what a difference that makes.

This month we’ve got great opportunities to thank God in Church. Our three churches have all got Harvest Festivals on October 2nd and 9th (more details inside) and you’ll be very welcome to join us. You’ll also be very welcome to join us for our harvest meals (again more details inside). There’s also a harvest festival at Beechdale Community centre on October 5th at 10.00 am.

At the end of the month, we have our memorial service when we remember those who’ve died. It’s at St Martin’s on October 30th at 6.00 pm. This is also an opportunity to say “Thank you”; “Thank you” for someone’s life and for all that they’ve meant to us.

So, as the year turns colder and autumn takes hold, let’s warm up Bilborough and Strelley with our thanksgivings to God and to each other.

God bless

Dear Friends

Instead of September’s refection, this can be called a letter from Brighton. Why? Because I’m writing this from my friend’s house. I’ve been banished to the study to write a letter to you whilst everyone else clears away the cereal, fruit, bacon and toast of breakfast. Apart from the welcome promise of a mug of coffee, I’ve got the luxury of an uninterrupted half hour.

It’s great to have friends isn’t it? Especially those who are understanding and helpful and will tell you that you really need to get on and finish a piece of work instead of just worrying about it!

Have you ever thought that having friends is like having treasure? Friends that go back a long way are precious. So here I am, away from home with Phil for two days, enjoying the company of long standing friends from school. Even though we don’t see each other very often, perhaps not even every year, we have known each other so long, that it really is as though we see each other every day. Conversations have started easily, old and new jokes have been laughed over, school discos have been re enacted. We’ve talked about our parents, our children and ourselves. We’ve taken about an hour to get down one small shopping street; we’ve been battered by the wind on the sea front. We’ve eaten, drank, dreamed dreams and been tired out by half past ten at night!

Nowadays, we may be more concerned now about health, spending cuts, and pensions than about spots, boyfriends and homework. Our lives have taken different directions, but we are the same people who have giggled and cried, and worked our way through about forty years more or less together.

As well as all that, we’ve read the papers and tried and failed to put right a few of the world’s problems. We couldn’t avoid talking about riots and looting. We’re all aware of and concerned about suffering because of cuts in public spending.

We’re puzzled and perturbed when folk can’t work out the consequences of their action either for themselves or for other people or for their communities.

These are lessons that we learn through good relationships with other people.

On another of our gatherings, to celebrate our 50th birthdays, I was given the gift of a mug on which is written, “Between myself and insanity stand my friends”. It’s really true!

I value that mug. I value the sentiment and I think it’s a good lesson for all of us. Jesus also values friendship and what’s more he calls us his friends. Read about it in John’s gospel chapter 15 verse 15.

Friendship with each other, friendship with Jesus. That is good for us and it’s good for our communities. Let’s do all we can to be good friends.

God bless you all