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church : revd jo's letter : march 2008 added 15/02/08 One of the lesser joys of the internet must surely be the amount of unwanted advertising that comes our way. This morning I was offered £150 in Tesco vouchers, which seemed a very attractive offer, until I realised that to qualify, I had to sign up to book clubs, sweepstakes, the purchase of endless beauty products and quite a bit more, There is no such thing as a free lunch or a free Tesco voucher. Lent reminds us that Christians do have an unbeatable free offer, however. As we prepare for the dark days of Holy Week and the Crucifixion, we are sustained by the promise of Easter; Christ died to take away our sins and to give eternal life to all who believe in him. And that offer has no strings attached. Full details of Holy Week and Easter services are in the usual place, and you can be assured of a welcome at any or all of them. Our four churches are particularly good at making visitors and occasional worshippers feel included, and that can’t be said for every church I know. I well remember a visitor at Evensong in another church being asked to move ‘because that’s my seat.’ Unsurprisingly, the visitor left the building and never came back. At another large and successful church which I once attended out of professional interest, I was mildly surprised that no-one showed any interest in my presence. Remarking on this to a colleague who was a member of that church, I was told that because it was large, they saw a lot of newcomers and occasional visitors, and couldn’t be expected to welcome them all. I wonder what Jesus would have had to say about these two experiences… Feeling part of any community or group is essential for our well-being, and those of us who are fortunate enough to live in villages rather than amidst the anonymity of city life are very blessed. Last month I was privileged to take part, as a school governor, in the selection process for a new head teacher at the Bythams school. One of the questions the candidates were asked was how they saw the school’s role within the community. As you might expect, the answers were varied and interesting, but I think we can be assured that our school will continue to be at the very heart of this community, and to sustain the excellent relationship it already has with our churches. It is always a pleasure to hear and see our young singers and musicians at special services, and to welcome R.E. classes to the churches as they learn about the Christian community. The governors’ deliberations were both thorough and thoughtful, and I am delighted that our new Head, James Shawley, is keen to further and develop the school’s existing links with both the churches and the wider community. I wish you all a happy Easter With every good wish Jo |
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