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

AUGUST 2011 - Vol. 33 No. 8

Dear Friends 

This month many young people are awaiting exam results. Some will be celebrating success, while others will be disappointed if they haven’t done so well. My heart goes out to those who don’t achieve the grades they need for those coveted university places, or for the next stage of their education or training.  Some of us can remember the “good old days” when anyone with a reasonable basic education could start an apprenticeship or find employment and work their way up from lowly beginnings to a position of responsibility.  These days it’s harder to get a job, and some people have to accept work which doesn’t make good use of their skills and qualifications.  I hope there won’t be too much disappointment for young people whose education and career path doesn’t take them straight to where they want to be. There may be valuable experience to be gained in other areas before re-sitting exams or finding a different route to a worthwhile career.  Sometimes, as we look back, we can see how it all worked out for the best in the long run.  Having said all that, passing exams is the passport to entry into some schools as well as the means of gaining a university or college place. 

Just imagine how it would be if we had to pass an exam to gain a place in heaven!  Picture the scene as people exclaim over their results:  “I’ve got an ‘A’ in Good Works, and ‘B’ in Bible Knowledge, but only a ‘C’ in Prayer and a ‘D’ in Church Attendance.”  Imagine the despondency as they learn that they need straight ‘As’ for a place in heaven.  It sounds ridiculous, but people often speak as if going to heaven one day depended on their own efforts.  What if our “End of Life” reports were like those end of term reports with comments like, “Could do better” or “Must try harder”? 

The good news is that a place in heaven one day rests not on our efforts, but on God’s grace. Jesus is the way to the Father. He offers us a relationship with God that is as close as that of a child with a loving parent. This relationship makes all the difference in this life, and it goes on into eternity.  There’s no need to pass any tests or exams.  All that is needed is to turn away from what is wrong in our lives, to turn to Jesus and accept the new life he offers.  To coin a phrase, ‘It’s not what you know, but who you know.”

With my love and prayers

Glynis Hetherington

JULY 2011 - Vol. 33 No.7

Dear Friends 

Many of you will know by now that I am planning to take ten weeks sabbatical study leave in September and October.  This will include a retreat at Loyola Hall, Liverpool, followed by time reading, reflecting and gathering resources for accompanying people on their spiritual journey, and leading quiet days and retreats.

Jesus often set aside time to be with God the Father and it’s a good basic principle of Christian life to set aside time for God in the midst of our busy lives.  If Jesus needed that time of spiritual refreshment, then so do we.  Prayer first thing in the morning works well for many people, while others find that their best time to be still and quiet before God is at some other time of the day.  Setting aside a regular time for prayer is a discipline.  There’s always the temptation to get on with the tasks we have to do, and to skimp on our prayer time.  Perhaps some people feel they don’t know how to pray, although prayer is something most of us do, even if it’s only the occasional plea to God for help in times of trouble, or asking God to watch over and bless those we love.  At the heart of prayer is time spent with God.  He is our heavenly Father and we are his children.  Parents and children need to spend time together.  That’s important for bonding and building up a loving, caring, trusting relationship.  We can have that kind of relationship with God, but like any relationship it will not thrive on neglect.  Time spent together is important.

From spending a short time each day with God in prayer, we can build up to longer prayer times, which may include praying with others in small or larger groups.  Retreats offer time and space to be still and there are leaders and spiritual directors to guide and suggest approaches to prayer and how to use the time set aside. Retreats can be short, just a weekend, or a week or longer.  The retreat I am planning to attend is for five weeks, and will focus on a particular approach to reading the Bible and praying, as taught by St. Ignatius, following what are known as the ‘spiritual exercises’.
It is my hope that this time away will bring me spiritual refreshment and will deepen my relationship with God and that I will have more to offer in my ministry as I get alongside others who want to draw closer to God in prayer.

With my love and prayers

Glynis Hetherington

June 2011 - Vol.33 No. 6

Dear Friends 

Millions of people at home and abroad enjoyed the splendour and pageantry of the royal wedding.  It was wonderful to see such happy and well behaved crowds in London. Many more watched on television. William and Catherine have been prayed for in our churches, and I’m sure we all wish them well. It’s good to join in celebrations whether these are religious festivals, national events or family occasions. 

 As I was wondering what the next big story would be to displace the royal marriage from the headlines, it was announced that Osama bin Laden had been killed.  We saw pictures of jubilant crowds celebrating outside the White House, but some Christian leaders have spoken out against such rejoicing.  It is to be hoped that the removal of the al-Qaeda founder will lead to greater safety and security, and that there will not be reprisals. Undoubtedly bin Laden was the instigator of unspeakable evil, but should we not also feel sorrow that a man’s gifts and abilities were so misdirected?

There is a prayer which begins “Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather than he may turn from his wickedness and live...”   A popular hymn includes the words, “The vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.”  We often sing it with great gusto, but do we really believe that the vilest offender, even someone like Osama bin Laden, could have been forgiven if he had turned from his wickedness?  Christians believe that, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,  sin and selfishness are put to death, the slate is wiped clean, and a new life can begin.  The offer of forgiveness is for all, whatever the scale of our wrongdoing, but we have to turn away from all that is wrong, and allow our hearts to be changed.

The war against terrorism goes on. Removing one vile offender who has not repented will not remove the threat of terror, nor the reality of suffering in a world where there is much wickedness.  What really makes a difference is a complete change of mind and heart. Then God’s healing, forgiving love can flow into a person’s heart, making them new.  In the Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 we have the story of Saul who persecuted Christians until he had a dramatic experience on the Damascus Road. Saul, otherwise known as Paul, went on to become the most ardent follower of Jesus Christ, spreading the good news, bringing people to faith and starting churches.  Jesus Christ still changes lives today and, ultimately, it is changed lives that will make the world a better place.

With my love and prayers

Glynis Hetherington

MAY 2011 Vol. 33 No. 5

Dear Friends

Travelling along the A46 these days feels a bit like a parable of modern life. The landscape is constantly changing. It’s even getting a bit like that (albeit on a very, very small scale) on the journey from East Leake to Gotham! New roundabouts and re-routed roads can make the traveller feel disorientated. A much travelled and hitherto familiar route suddenly requires concentration. So many things in life change, sometimes gradually and imperceptibly, at other times rapidly. Change can feel exciting or threatening. One thing is certain – nothing stays the same for ever.
In a changing world the Church faces many challenges. Some of the old traditional ways of doing things just don’t resonate with the modern generation, or even with some older people who have come to a new understanding of what it means to be a Christian or who find different things feed their spiritual lives now than in earlier years. For others the older traditions have more appeal later in life, or there is a longing for the Church to provide stability and constancy, giving comfort and help in coping with other changes going on all around.
The journey theme is prominent in the Bible, in both the Old and New Tesaments. The key event in the Old Testament is the Exodus. Through Moses, God led his people Israel out of slavery in Egypt. God led them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. When the pillar of cloud or fire settled, the people stayed in that place until the pillar began to move again. There are times when God is telling us to stay in one place, and other times when he leads us on the next stage of our journey. For many of us the difficult thing is discerning when God wants to move us on. It can be hard to leave behind what is familiar and to set off into the unknown. Long before the time of Moses, Abraham responded to God’s call to set off on a journey, trusting God’s promise to give him a land, and to bless him with descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore. Abraham is remembered today as the Father of all three monothestic faiths – Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
When old routes disappear and new roads are constructed, we need to follow the signs or listen to the satnav. As we travel through life, let’s look for God’s signposts and learn to listen to his directions, knowing that God is with us whether the landscape is familiar or strange. Jesus promises his followers that he is with us always, and if we put our faith in him we can be assured that our ultimate destination is to be with God in glory.
With my love and prayers

Glynis Hetherington