We've been able to send 70 bibles to brothers & sisters in Kenya

thank you to all of you who contributed to the postage.  Pastor Omoga has been in touch, and I came across this testimony from him on the internet: 

 A woman who had been losing blood for days after giving birth came to our Sunday worship service for healing. After two hours of laying on of hands and prayers for her, the blood stopped. She said that a woman cursed her with that problem so that she would not give birth to another child, thus leaving her with the shame of losing her marriage, as it is normal in Africa for some women to be chased away if they do not bear children on the demand of their husbands. We prayed for her salvation. The amazing thing was that her husband who was an alcoholic gave his life to Jesus after witnessing his wife’s healing from the issue of blood. 

ECHO Project 

We are close to making this vision become a reality.  To read more about the plans, and to see our publicity leaflet, click here.  To donate, contact us here.  Thank you!

On a recent men’s weekend Andy, the leader, reminded us about early Christians who turned their backs on the Roman Empire and went to live a life of spiritual wrestling in the desert – they were called the “Desert Fathers.”  These people would sometimes develop small communities around them. 
Some of them were a bit uncomfortable in character.  They would instruct their monks or disciples to dig a shovelful of their own graves every day.  If they completed the grave, they would then fill it in day by day, completing the process until they died.
Andy told us this, and then we took a spade, went into a field, and dug a hole in the ground.  We went quiet!
Some things you learn through doing, rather than hearing.  It made me realize how precious the gift of life is, how I am, as a follower of Christ, to be comfortable with my own mortality.
As Christians we have an Easter hope of resurrection – that what happened to Jesus will happen to us.  The sting of death has been taken away.  We are preparing for an unimaginable future.
So, because we have this hope, we don’t have to hold on to hurts, to grudges, to regrets.  As your spade hits the ground, you realize how temporary, how insignificant, most of these things are.
We do not fear the future.  We have Jesus.  We are digging for a future given to us that nothing can spoil or take away.  Let’s live our lives in the power of resurrection, and focus on the ONE THING that matters – loving the Lord our God, who gives us life.

Have a joyful summer
Guy

A message from Guy in Spring 2010. 

Resisting the urge to hibernate...
 
This recent cold weather has made getting up difficult!  Every morning I have knocked the ice off my clothes before putting them on, filled my hot water bottle, and had to gird myself to get going into the day.  Cold weather makes the simplest things seem like a real effort.  You lose touch with people, with what's going on.  You put yourself in a mindset where you are waiting for warmer times to get going again.....
 
Well, as you know, we will be moving on to St Mark's Harrogate in May.  And this will begin the period known as "interregnum" - between vicars.  What I am praying and planning for is that this time for Emmanuel will not be a time of hibernation, of merely waiting, but of new growth and of spring. 
 
Leaders are important (he says!), and between vicars there can be a natural sense of being slightly rudderless.  But I believe we can plan now, and prepare now so that instead of a time of retreat, this church community can take the opportunities that an interregnum offers.
 
Sometimes when a leader is in place I can feel that my gifts are not needed - well, they are now.
Sometimes when a leader is in place I can feel that my role is insignificant and unimportant - well, it isn't now.
Sometimes when a leader is in place I can forget my brothers and sisters need me - well, they do even more now.
 
We are the body of Christ.  We know that - each one of us.  And interregna can be an opportunity to rediscover that in a new way.
 
If the interregnum is going to be a fruitful time for God's kingdom for you as an individual, and for the church as a whole, we need to be addressing these questions:
 
In 2010:
 
Where is my spiritual support?  Where do I give and receive in my relationship with Jesus? (There are groups, and we are starting a new Bible Study group)
 
How can I give myself and use my gifts?  How can I offer myself to my brothers and sisters? (Messy Church?  Youth work?  Prayer gatherings? Breakfast team?  Prayerways? Cleaning? Shop? PCC? Helping in services?)
 
Where am I being called to support the Echo project?
(Letters are going out this month)
 
Let's resist the urge to hibernate, and start praying and planning for spring NOW.
 
Yours in Christ
 
Guy

New worship video 

What do you make of this picture?  It was put up to advertise an American Conference on the beautiful character of God.  In it, Jesus washes Obama bin Laden’s feet, as well as those of other world leaders.

Children and communion.

Any baptised Christian, of any age, is welcome to receive communion.  This means that baptized children can participate.  What we have decided as a church is that before they do so, leading up to Pentecost each year there are three times for preparation for children to come to.  If you have a child who would like to start taking part in communion, please see one of the Church Wardens.

Does everything “happen for a reason”?

In this Larson cartoon God’s finger is hovering over the “smite” button.  It seems ridiculous, but it’s actually how a lot of people think about life.  If you get cancer, it must be because God wants it.  If you lose your job, God wants it.  If you are bereaved God wants it.  “Everything happens for a reason.”  God’s up there, arbitrarily deciding to bless some people, and smite others.

It’s a very damaging story, because it portrays a cruel God.  Not one I’d want to love.

The Bible says reality is much more complex.  Life is a complicated warzone.  Evil happens, and suffering happens, because of many things – chiefly the spiritual battle that we exist in the midst of.  The plain fact is we don’t know what causes a lot of suffering.  There are no pat answers – that’s the whole point of the book of Job.

Jesus consistently confronted evil, sickness and death.  He never told anyone to accept their suffering because God wanted it.  Paul says “God works for the good through all things.”  But that’s very different from saying that “All things are good.”  What he’s saying is that God can bring good out of things that are just plain old bad.  And should be named as such.  He can turn weakness into strength.  Crucifixion into resurrection.

Where does this leave us?  We should never say to anyone suffering, “This is God’s will for you.”  It’s not.

But more positively, we should fight the battle the way that we have been shown – by praying.  Come along and pray on Sunday nights.  As one poet says, “You’ve got to kick against the darkness, till it bleeds daylight.”

Yours in Christ

Guy

Prayer

Recently we have shared in some really encouraging answers to prayer as a church community.

MIRACLE SHEEP!