Made for Community
not-from-the-vicar’s-letter
With the imminent return of our parish priest, Nick, from his sabbatical leave, this will be my last letter with the silly title.
During Nick’s absence we have been greatly supported by other Team clergy and I have been happy and privileged to have been able to play some part in that. As well as some Sunday services and many Wednesdays I was particularly pleased that I was well enough to carry out the ‘occasional offices’ which I had said I would - a Baptism, a wedding, a funeral and memorial service, the interment of ashes and a Thursday evening ‘Be Still’ service and a Eucharist at Netherthong. All that until on the first of August I became quite suddenly very ill and spent four days in hospital and have since then been gradually recovering day-by-day with occasional set backs.
I think we sometimes tend to try to impose on others the things we do ourselves – because something works for us we think it would be good for them. My own daily practice of prayer follows a modified version of the Daily Office along with Bible Reading Fellowship notes, but while I’ve been ill my mind has just not been capable of that kind of concentration. And so my prayers have followed a very different and variable pattern – and in many ways that seems to me to have been a very positive experience. What I’m recommending in mentioning that is that we should not become too fixed in the way we carry out our spiritual exercises. The ‘Be Still’ services have been, for example, a revelation to many. Be ready to let circumstances direct the way you should go.
And one morning when I was feeling somewhat better the words of the hymn ‘New every morning is the love’ came to my mind and I sang it quietly to myself – words I presumably I had learned by frequent repetition many years ago during Sunday Mattins. I found it a surprisingly good experience. If you know the hymn I recommend your bringing it back to mind – it can be re-assuring and refreshing. And if, brought up since the days of Mattins, you don’t know the hymn may I suggest you look it up on line (where it may even be sung for you!) or, failing that, get a copy from church. It’s number 2 in the church hymn book. Its author, John Keble, knew what he was writing about. And it’s as relevant today as on the day it was written.
Finally thank you for all the prayers and support over the past month. Much appreciated.
Geoff Bamford
Life in 3 Dimensions
Has there ever been a more attractive life than the life Jesus lived? God incarnate, here on earth for 30 some years. God with us, God for us, God dying and rising again for us. Looking at his life as recorded in the 4 Gospels, here we see someone who is more fully alive than anyone has ever been. Is there a way of life we can follow which can open up this abundant life (John 10:10) Jesus said he came to bring?
Jesus lived His life in 3 Dimensions and it’s the pattern He taught His first followers. This diagram points us in the right direction:
This triangular diagram is based on an understanding of the rhythm of Jesus’ life. His ‘3 dimensional’ life was spent facing Up, In, or Out.
One example comes in Luke 6:12-19 (NIV)
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
The 3 dimensions are therefore:
Up - time alone with the Father, seeking Him
In - time spent with His closest followers and friends
Out - time spent engaging with the needs and pain of the world.
A healthy life as a follower of Jesus will involve all three of these dimensions and reflecting on them regularly.
How can we, as a church and as individuals learn to pattern our lives after the life of Jesus, living Up, In and Out?
1. Developing a rhythm/way of life which includes time for God, work, ourselves and others.
2.Gathered worship: Meeting together, as the Bible tells us, is essential to our lives as Christians. Following Jesus can only be done with others. Developing spiritual disciplines such as regularly gathering together (often on Sundays) encouraging each other, offering ourselves to God, learning and receiving from God and being ready for the week ahead.
3. In Community: In addition to gathered worship it’s important we develop our relationships with one another in other contexts where we can find support and a chance to learn and grow together.
For some this will be in our Home Groups which consist of 6 to 10 people meeting fortnightly during the day time.
We recognise that a regular group on an evening is very difficult for many people to fit into lives which are already extremely busy. Something more convenient is needed and comes in the form of our Life Groups to be launched after Easter this year. These groups of 3 or 4 people will meet once a month at a time which is convenient to them all. These groups may be made up of 2 couples or 3 or 4 individuals and may meet over a meal, over coffee or at the pub.
All these groups are resourced by the church with materials and a suggested structure which enables members to think about their lives as followers of Jesus.
Following Jesus is not something we can do on autopilot and as this year goes on we’ll be helping people find a way of life which works for them (for you!) as a follower of Jesus in your context and in the context of community. There will be lots of opportunities to come, but for now could a Home Group or Life Group make a difference to you – if so, look out for more information soon. And for all of us – where are we with the Up, In and Out three-dimensional life Jesus encourages us to live? Where are you strong and where do you need some help?
With love in Christ
Nick