March 2012 Vol. 34 No. 3

Dear Friends  

This year of 2012 may have got off to a good start for some of you, indeed I hope that it has. Yet I know many people for whom the year has begun with sadness and loss.  For those of us involved in offering pastoral ministry, much of our time so far this year has been taken up with visiting parishioners who are seriously ill, and trying to help families through the trauma of bereavement.  Our hearts go out to all who are struggling with difficult and sad situations.  At times like this it is all too easy to feel downhearted. The cold, dark winter days may add to a feeling of gloom and despondency. Now as we enter the month of March, spring is on the way and with that season there comes a resurgence of hope. There are stirrings of new life in the world of nature and the appearance of spring flowers reminds us of the growth that has been going on, unseen, in the darkness.

We are in the season of Lent.  For some this is a time of going without something we enjoy in order to give a little more of ourselves to God in prayer, and to focus our thoughts on Jesus and all that he has done for us.  Some people do something extra during Lent, for instance reading the Bible more or reading other Christian literature.  Some attend worship and meetings that help us to think about our faith and to come closer to God. During Lent we remember that Jesus spent forty days and forty nights in the wilderness, being tempted by the devil.  At first those things the devil asked him to do seemed not unreasonable. The devil even quoted words from the Hebrew Scriptures (our Old Testament) making his claims seem plausible, at least on the surface.  The things we are tempted to do are not always obviously wrong.  Temptation can be subtle, and misuse of Scripture texts can confuse us.  Jesus was well versed in the Scriptures, understanding their proper interpretation. He wrestled with temptation and quoted Scripture in an appropriate way to defeat the devil, winning through to a place where he was strengthened in his resolve to do the will of the Father.  This took him, eventually, to the cross.  Jesus calls his followers to take up their cross and follow him.  We cannot avoid temptation or situations of sadness and loss.  Yet through all this we can discover God’s peace and the strength that the Holy Spirit gives to aid us in our struggles.

Lent is a time of preparation for Easter, when we celebrate Jesus rising from the dead.  During the testing time of Lent, and the suffering of Holy Week and Good Friday, we look forward to the new life which will break out on Easter Day.  This is the good news that brings light in our darkness and comfort in our sorrows – the gift of new life, eternal life, in Jesus’ name.

With my love and prayers

Glynis Hetherington

February 2012 Vol. 34 No. 2.

Dear Friends  

Among the saints who are commemorated by the Christian Church, some are mentioned in the New Testament, like Mary the Mother of Jesus, Joseph, John the Baptist, and the disciples of Jesus.  Many of us have heard about these people who knew Jesus in his earthly life and ministry.  Among those who came later who were made saints some are well known, like Francis of Assisi, but there are others we may not know about at all.

One saint most people have heard of is Valentine who is remembered on 14^th February, but I wonder how much you know about him.  For instance did you know that Valentine was a priest or bishop who was martyred in Rome under the Emperor Claudius?  The connection with lovers may have something to do with a pagan festival in Rome which occurred on the Ides of February.  Another view is that in mediaeval belief 14^th February was the day when birds mated!  Whatever the reason for St. Valentine’s Day, some of you will send a card or a gift to the love of your life and perhaps arrange a romantic evening out!  With love in the air, February seems a good month to invite couples who are engaged to be married to come together to find out what is involved in planning a church wedding. Please see Benefice Notes for details of a ‘get-together’ to be held in St. Mary’s Church, East Leake, on 4^th February. I shall be pleased to welcome any couples who may be thinking about getting married in church as well as those who have already booked a service in one of our five parish churches.

A wedding is a celebration of the love of the bride and bridegroom for one another and an occasion to make a public declaration of their commitment to be together for the rest of their lives.  The love shared by the couple is a gift from God, and in the church service we seek God’s blessing for the couple on their special day and in their future life together.

Christians believe that God’s love is revealed in many ways, and uniquely through Jesus Christ.  Jesus commands his followers to love one another.  Love can be expressed through giving, caring and seeking the best for others.  There are many kinds of love, including romantic love, the love of families and friends, and the love of God for each one of us. 

Whether or not you receive a card from a special person on 14^th February, remember that everyone is special to God, who loves each one of us, and who sent Jesus into the world to show that love to us.

With my love and prayers

Glynis Hetherington

January 2012 Vol. 34 No. 1

Dear Friends 

What does January mean to you?  It could be writing letters, texts or emails, thanking people for Christmas presents.  Perhaps it’s a time for dressing in your “glad rags” for New Year parties, or browsing through brochures and searching the internet to book a summer holiday in the sun.  You might anticipate fun in the snow or cosy evenings by the fireside. On the other hand, you may find this a depressing time of year, when your spirits plummet with the drop in temperature. Perhaps you worry about how to keep warm and well.  Maybe you daren’t venture out much, or you feel trapped in your home, with attendant feelings of isolation and loneliness.

At the risk of becoming boring on the subject of breaking a wrist, I want to say that this has given me some insights into how it feels when certain simple tasks can’t be carried out unaided.  Perhaps one good thing to come out of this is a deeper empathy with those who face the frustration of being less active than they were.  I’m grateful to those who have been helping me in all kinds of ways, and I now have a little more understanding of the importance of such help to those who are frail, sick or disabled.

I know that lots of active people in our parishes keep an eye on elderly and housebound neighbours, but there may be someone reading this who hasn’t got around to contacting a neighbour who is struggling with poor health or age related problems. I’m not suggesting that this is due to selfishness or indifference. You may simply be a bit diffident about offering assistance, perhaps wondering whether or not your call would be welcome.  The likelihood is that your neighbour would be really pleased to see you, but if ringing the doorbell feels a bit daunting, you could always pop a card through the letterbox first.  Many elderly and housebound folk don’t see all that many people and would be delighted with a visit, or help with collecting prescriptions or fetching shopping.  A friendship may well begin which becomes rewarding for both of you.  A word of caution though – if your elderly neighbour doesn’t know you; you may need someone else to introduce you.  Don’t forget all those warnings about not opening the door to strangers.  Most people are genuine, but sadly there are also some unscrupulous con men out there.     

For some people the month of January means New Year resolutions.  If one of your resolutions is to befriend or help a neighbour, remember that Jesus said that whatever we do or others, it’s as if we did it for Jesus himself.

Wishing you God’s blessing in the coming year

Glynis Hetherington

DECEMBER 2011 - Vol. 33 No. 12

Dear Friends 

I have returned to parish ministry after ten weeks sabbatical/study leave.  It has been a time of refreshment and challenge.  Unfortunately, towards the end of October, during a visit to my Mum in Stafford, I slipped on a ramp and broke my left wrist.  So I am having to think about what I can and can’t do one handed.  I expect to have the plaster off on 6^th December.

In a hospital waiting room I spotted, across the room, a man I recognised with a teenage boy I had not met before.  The lad was obviously the man’s son; he was just like a younger edition of his father. Not everyone takes after a parent or other relative, but some children show a startling resemblance to another family member from an early age. Some grow up to become more and more like someone in the family. We may hear people exclaim, “You’re just like your mother” or, “You’re the image of your father”.

Jesus, the Son of God, showed an amazing resemblance to his Father.  We are not talking of physical likeness, because no-one has ever seen God.  Nor do we have any description of what Jesus looked like, although it’s highly unlikely that this Jew, born in Palestine, looked anything at all like the blue-eyed, blond haired figment of some artists’ imaginations!  Whatever Jesus looked like, he resembled his Father so closely in character that Paul described him as “the image of the invisible God”. (Colossians 1:15) In Jesus the nature of God is revealed – all the compassion, kindness and unconditional love of God in one perfect, sinless human being.  This is what we celebrate at Christmas, in the birth of the child named, in Matthew’s Gospel, ”Emmanuel” – “God is with us”. (Matthew 1:23) Even in infancy the light of God’s love shining in Jesus was revealed to visitors to the manger. A few weeks later when Mary and Joseph took the baby to the Temple an old man called Simeon and an old woman named Anna recognised him as God’s promised Messiah.

We, too, bear the image of God, though that image in us is marred by sin.  Yet our heavenly Father loves us also as his sons and daughters.  It’s because of his love for us, and for the world, that Jesus came into the world.  In John’s Gospel it says that all who believe in his name are given power to become children of God. (John 1:12) Our heavenly Father sends his Holy Spirit into the hearts of all who will receive him, to begin in us that transformation that will make us more like Jesus.  Jesus is the image of his Father, but if we live our lives close to him we can become more like him, and the light of God’s love can shine in us.

With my love and prayers for a blessed and joyful Christmas

Glynis Hetherington

NOVEMBER 2011 - Vol. 33, No. 11

A Recognised Lay Minister writes:

Dear Friends,

Our Rector will return from her sabbatical this month and we’ll be pleased to hear what she’s experienced and learned during the last few weeks. In her absence, we have been thankful for the help of visiting clergy, as well as being grateful to our licensed readers for leading more services. When I ‘did my bit’ at St Mary’s Harvest Thanksgiving service, I mentioned being “substitutes” in Glynis’s absence. We are not the only ones.

During November, we think of those in the armed services who have committed themselves to combating injustice and standing up for the oppressed and weak who cannot defend themselves. These individuals have risked their lives as “substitutes” for those who are unable to fight strong dictators and violent regimes. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice, so that others would be able to live in peace. We commemorate their courage and self-sacrifice in our Services of Remembrance on 13^th November, and we thank God for them all.

Jesus was the greatest “substitute” of all, when He died for our sins on the cross. He loves us so much that He died in our place, taking the punishment we deserve. Because of Jesus, we now have direct access to God, in prayer, because God no longer recognises our sins, our disobedience to Him, which would otherwise be a barrier between us. Those sins were washed completely away by Jesus’ death, and we are free to live the lives God made us for – if we follow Jesus. We can be assured of His presence in all that we do, and in difficult or sad times. God made us in His image and loves us as His sons and daughters.

It doesn’t end there – we have the Holy Spirit, who helps us to become more like Jesus. That means we can be tools in Jesus’ hands, doing His work. We sing a song including the words “Brother, Sister, let me serve you – let me be as Christ to you”. We can never be a substitute for Jesus, but we can point others to Him, by committing our lives to Him and sharing with others the love He gives us, through our words, actions and prayers.

There is no substitute for following Jesus.

With my love and prayers,

Sue Shaw

OCTOBER 2011 - Vol.33 No. 10

A Licensed Reader writes: 

Dear Friends,

‘Hi.  How r u?  I’m here 4 u always.  Lol J xxx’

We live in busy, frenetic times when everything seems to be reduced to a minimum – including the ways in which we communicate with each other.  This in turn can lead to misunderstandings or different ways of understanding.  Take the text message above: what does ‘lol’ mean to you? Apparently it is the most commonly used acronym in the English language. Even so, people cannot agree on its meaning. Some say it means ‘laugh out loud’ while others insist it means ‘lots of love’. 

When it comes to the good news that is the Gospel of Christ we can be reassured that either definition would fit.  Even in the worst of times when things seem at their darkest for whatever reason, we can know that the Lord is with us in the midst of the suffering and pain.  How can we know this?  Because he lived among us some 2,000 years ago, knowing our laughter and our tears; because he suffered greatly for us taking upon himself our burdens and undergoing scourging and crucifixion on our behalf and because he rose again, triumphantly defeating death and opening the doors to eternal life to all who would follow him, trust in him and laugh with him.

As the stealthy burglar found out one evening; he had waited patiently for the family to pack their car, lock up the house and leave for a few days.  When all was quiet he found a way in to the house which was in darkness.  Making his way to the living room he pushed open the door and went in.  As his eyes adjusted to the limited light he saw some items which would be easy to remove and started to put them in his sack.  Suddenly a voice spoke “I see you and Jesus sees you”.  He whirled around; no-one was there.  He shivered, laughed to himself and turned back to what he was doing.

“I see you and Jesus sees you” the voice announced again.  He turned on his torch and flashed it around the room, and noticed a parrot’s cage in the corner from which, for a third time, came the words: “I see you and Jesus sees you”.  He laughed and lowered the beam of his torch to the floor below the cage.  Just as he recognised the outline of a huge Doberman Pinscher, the parrot screeched “Attack, Jesus, attack!”

It’s good to laugh as we remember that Jesus is always with us.

‘Hi.  How r u?  I’m here 4 u always.  Lol J xxx’

With my love and prayers

Sue Waterston

SEPTEMBER 2011 - Vol. 33 No. 9

Dear Friends

I hope Compass readers have had a good summer, although I realise that not everyone was able to get away on holiday.  We were fortunate this year to be able to enjoy a Baltic cruise.  First thoughts for this letter came to me on the homeward voyage. We had sailed mostly under sunny skies and on calm waters, but as we left our last port of call the Captain announced that gale force winds were forecast.  Some of us were woken in the early hours as the sea became rough. We needed our “sea legs” if we had to get out of bed in the night!  Some people felt seasick and maybe a few were a little bit anxious or afraid, even though we had confidence in our Captain and crew.

Imagine (if you have never experienced this) how it would feel to be in a much smaller craft being tossed about on a stormy sea.  The Gospel writers Matthew, Mark and Luke record a story of Jesus and his disciples in just such a situation.  Jesus was fast asleep in the boat.  The disciples, fearful for their lives, awoke Jesus who then spoke to the wind and the waves, and calmed the storm.  The disciples were amazed and asked, “Who is this man?”  Some believe that Jesus was a good man, a miracle worker, a teacher or a healer.  All these are true, but Jesus was and is so much more.  Christians believe that in Jesus we see the whole nature of God revealed.  In stilling the restless waves and the wind, Jesus demonstrated the power he had from God. 

While we were enjoying a peaceful, restful holiday, we heard of rioting in London and other British cities.  Meanwhile in the wider world many conflicts continue to rage.  As politicians and others try to understand the root causes, and how to tackle the problems, one thing we can all do is to pray, and to ask Jesus to bring peace and calm to these turbulent situations.

Meanwhile some people are travelling through stormy waters in their personal lives.  We don’t have the power to calm all these situations ourselves, but we can turn to God and learn to trust him to steer us through these times, much as passengers on a ship learn to trust their Captain to steer a safe and steady course through troubled waters.  We can also call on Jesus who is with us in the boat (that is our lives) and who can bring peace and calm into our hearts.   Christians have no guarantees that they will never enter stormy seas or be buffeted by the winds.  What we do know is that Jesus promises to be with us always and that he can give us peace and calm within.

With my love and prayers

Glynis Hetherington