Embedded Files
From Rev Andrew Brazier
April 2025
Dear All,
Happy Easter
I am not sure which part of the Easter/Lent journey you particularly like or dislike, but it's very specific pattern that we repeat every year. We've been in some chaos on a personal level because the school holiday has fallen before Easter this year: Events with family and children crossing over with one of the busiest work times in the calendar.
As we think about our traditions and contemplate an ever changing world, I hope you get to read our EDI officer’s article. I found it quite a challenge.
I remember years ago writing bits and pieces as the youth worker for the church. Whilst I lacked Sam's wisdom and maturity, I remember being quite the cause celebre with my cowboy boots, white jeans and some very peculiar views. Perhaps I am now a tad more mature, but I wonder if that same radical is still there. Having worked for the church for so long, I realise I've become a bit institutionalised. As Christians we are followers of probably the most radical thinker of all time (and who was killed for bringing revolution to the understanding of God) and we are expected to consider WWJD - what would Jesus do. If that slogan doesn't date me, then nothing will.
My point, I think, is that faith requires us to be open to challenges, and to hear new things. As I turn 60 this year though, I find it a little harder not to get stuck in my ways. Even worse, I wonder if I am also starting to look back more than forward. As a church we are considering all sorts of new things; new ways of doing worship, a youth worker and modernising our online presence. It can sometimes feel overwhelming. I can't help but reflect that that is probably what the early disciples felt too as they faced the crucifixion and Holy week events.
I think together we can handle all the new challenges and support one another. In the end, the message of Easter is one of complete personal transformation. In the meantime I will be hanging on to some traditions. Oh, and I'm going to find myself some white jeans and a pair of cowboy boots - they must be back in fashion by now?
God bless,
Andrew
March 2025
Dear All,
It just happens that as I write this, it is Valentine’s Day. Perhaps that has influenced the style of the piece, but I guess that this is a love letter – although not that romantic. I imagine by now that you will have heard of the whole Justice, Dignity and Solidarity (JDS) thing. If not, in synopsis, it is the dream of creating the fully inclusive church. The team in this District that I work with, and the JDS Committee are trying to create a culture of, and cultured work on, JDS topics. We are instigating pilot events, worship materials and even looking to a festival of inclusivity. In this area, with the help of our own Equality Diversity and Inclusion Officer, we want to provide lists of resources to assist every church in promoting these issues through worship, small groups, discussions and any other format you could imagine.
Perhaps you are wondering why I get so passionate about all this? In part that can be put down to having faced bizarre exclusion and prejudice myself, but it’s more than just that. Progressively, over the last few years, the voices of negativity and hate have grown louder. The internet has aided the speed with which those voices are heard. In a world where exclusion and extreme rightwing politics deny love and suppress human rights, we must be even stronger about our absolute belief that everyone is created in the image of God. Creativity is ‘Negative Entropy,’ the reversal of the decline. Ours must be the clarion call of hope over adversity. Not just an occasional prayer or a headline, but vast tracts of new materials drowning out the voices of hatred.
I am literally asking us to write love letters. To respond to anything that doesn’t fit the message of hope, forgiveness and kindness that we have learnt from Christ and one another for two thousand years. Modern communication means that we can spread the message of love just as fast as the internet trolls and false prophets can spew out rubbish. We are the knights in shining armour, the romantics for a better world and the carriers of new hope! Forward into battle my friends, and please forgive the style – as I said – I blame St Valentine!
God bless,
Andrew
January 2025
Dear All,
Happy New Year
As part of the JDS (Justice Dignity and Solidarity) team for the Connexion I helped to organize an event last Saturday. We were trying to create new worship materials based on inclusivity themes. To be honest, for me, it was quite the flash back to the days of being a professional actor. It sometimes surprises me to realise that I have only recently succeeded in being a minister longer than I was acting. Falling back into workshops, dressing up and - on this occasion - sword fighting as a pirate, were a reminder of a world that I once thought I had left behind.
The surreal nature of the Christian journey seems, frequently, to involve discovering that some unlikely past experience has become part of our calling again. A circular recycling of gifts that we saw as redundant, becoming key skills. Perhaps the most notable part of reflecting on this, is that we are surprised. No matter how often it happens, we never seem to see it coming. You'd think that by now we'd know the way that God works a bit better. If we tried to predict the upcoming year, I doubt we'd get more than 20% right. I think I am starting this year wondering what we will end up looking back on from the perspective of next Christmas.
The Methodist Church has set itself a couple of pretty tough targets to achieve over the next few years. Things like creating a fully inclusive church might be the work of a lifetime, but net zero carbon emissions is meant to happen by 2030. I have no doubt that I will be doing more performing in the name of JDS, that we'll have many discussions about the use of technology, and things will go wrong with buildings because they always do. Some people believe that if you can visualise the world you want, we stand a better chance of creating it. Holding an optimistic and positive view helps to advance the causes we believe in.
As we pray for the year ahead, and despite all the dangers and problems that seem all to close, we need to hold onto the positive possibilities. Perhaps the take away idea is that we need to pray for the world we want, and have faith that change is not only possible but is inevitable. You never know, God may surprise us - again!
Love and God bless,
Andrew
December 2024
Dear All,
I've been having some fascinating conversations with our new EDI person, Sam. Along with discussing the quiet Christmas service on Saturday 21st December, we have been wondering about sensory overload at this time of year. As a person who loves all things Christmas, even the commercial nonsense, I am one of those who needs the occasional reminder that it isn't the easiest time for lots of people, and for lots of reasons.
The more conversations I have about It, the more I realise that most of us live with a sort of joyful ambiguity; loving most of Christmas but enduring certain stresses and reactions in order be part of it. Perhaps a good message might simply be to get to know more about each other’s peculiarities (although I haven't run that by Sam yet!).
Here then, as a starter for ten, is my Christmas list of oddities. Looking forward to hearing yours.
I love cold crisp mornings, ice, snow and the sound of shoes crunching. My favourite service is Midnight Christmas Eve. Mince pies are wonderful, brussel sprouts are just wrong.
I like small quiet gatherings, Boxing Day breakfast and a walk - and time to read a book. I do actually like new socks, but turkey is a bit odd.
My struggles are difficult memories of childhood, feeling overwhelmed in social gatherings and at Christmas movies which make me cry.
So, this Christmas, I wish you a wonderful time in which the ambiguities are skewed the right way. I pray that the stuff that stresses you out is far outweighed by the positives, and that whatever is worrying you, turns out not to be as bad as you expected.
Happy Christmas.
Love and God bless,
Andrew
October 2024
Dear All,
At some point you reach the top. No matter how hard the climb, you eventually do reach the top. For this story, the peak is Alto del Perdon. It was the12th of July - and I'd just turned 59 years old. I had always hoped that I would be somewhere nice for my Birthday, but this place was beyond my expectations. I'm not sure if it would be everyone's cup of tea, but I decided to celebrate by cooking a meal on my Trangier Stove at 750m above sea level.
Picture, if you will, the vast panoramic views, the iron figures of pilgrims and the slowly turning (wind) turbines propelled by the constant heavy wind. When you turn away from it, it is like a mighty hand is pushing you in the back. I found shelter behind a random monolith and began the ancient ritual. First put the Trangier together. Then carefully fill the burner with Methylated spirits. Light with a match, and you boil the water you've carried up the rocky narrow path. Eventually the noodles were ready, and I sat and ate in the peaceful shelter of the summit and the giant stone.
I have rarely felt so absolutely at one with God and the world around me. I am not exactly sure what it is about walking, or being in the wilderness, that brings us closer to God - but it does! A hundred Bible stories, many an adventure tale, and at least one documentary a week confirms that it is easiest to meet God on 'the Way.' Of course, that can be a cerebral, spiritual or metaphysical journey- and a mountain might be cut out of suffering as much as rock, but for a while at least, the house of God for me is Alto del Perdon.
The fact that others had chosen to place the iron figures at this point suggests that I was not alone in choosing this location. I had walked apart for a while, but on the Camino, you are always connected to those who went before. You feel you are becoming part of what others will find in years to come. I think we also need to be aware that that is true of our daily lives, and the life of our church too. Our footsteps, however marked, are the path for those who come next.
God bless,
Andrew
The ‘Alto del Perdon’ or Mount of Forgiveness on the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrim route through northern Spain which Andrew Brazier walked while on his sabbatical
Pentecost - May 2024
Dear All,
Sabbaticals are often a life line for tired ministers, but I have to be honest and say that I am a bit thrown by them. Certainly a holiday and some time to work on a book are a great blessing that I am looking forward to.
Being out of touch for three months is however somewhat daunting. I think it is also true that those three months are but a blip next to the five years I have been in the area. The time will no doubt pass quicker than I think. This then, is just by way of a temporary farewell. I will miss you all.
See you on the other side.
God bless
Andrew
Easter 2024
Dear All,
The Easter story goes from the sublime to the ridiculous. After a life of healing others, Jesus falls foul of local politics, is put to death, and then rises again. The astonishing events of those few days literally changed the course of human history. It's almost impossible to imagine what the world would look like if it hadn't happened!
If you are the sort of person who is now actually trying to picture that world - here is some advice.
First watch the sketch, 'What Have the Roman's Done for Us,' by the Monty Python crew. Then do the same, but with Easter. What did Easter ever do for us? I was presented with exactly that question the other day. Weirdly the first thing that jumped into my mind was Hot Cross Buns!
Once we got started though, the list was extensive. From the eventual collapse of the Roman Empire, the founding of the church, new architecture and the redefining of a torture device, before you even consider the salvation of humanity.
Regardless, if you consider it from a religious point of view or the purely secular - it astonishes me that the actions of one man, over a few days, 2000 years ago really did change the world. Perhaps the message this year then, is never underestimate what any individual can do! As we face troubled times carry that hope that things can get better overnight. What wonders can happen when God and humans work together!
Happy Easter and God Bless
Andrew
February 2024
Dear All,
I had the great pleasure of seeing the play, 'A woman in Mind' over in Harpenden the other day. The High Street Players – including our own Mr Pennycook – did a lovely job of presenting Alan Ayckbourn's surreal comedy.
Part of the fun is that you are never quite sure what is real during the performance; a style of writing known as the unreliable narrator.
In my role as a minister, I often hear folks saying that they accept this, that and the other about Christianity, but that they can't get their head around X or Y. The X or Y varying greatly from person to person. As you read this you will no doubt have your own Xs and Ys. It's a perfectly natural result of having a questioning nature.
You'll not be surprised to hear that I've resolved a lot my own Xs and Ys over the years - just through doing my Job. The more people I meet, the less unbelievable things seem. Additionally, I constantly find my absolutes challenged by God. I often feel like Peter, facing a sea of ‘unclean' food with God saying 'but what if I tell you they are clean?’
It seems to me that believability is an issue from Biblical miracles, though politics to the endless rubbish on the internet. I'm not sure whether the following is of any use, but if you find yourself struggling with 'What is real,’ try these.
1) No matter how daft it may seem always start from the basis that it could be true. In dramatic improvisation, life and debates, things will be much more interesting if you start from the positive. You can still decide its nonsense in the end, but you might have learnt things on the way.
2) Does it matter? Sometimes the truth is less important than wisdom.
3) To whom does it matter? Is someone benefitting from convincing you that something is true.
4) The truth is often the most straight forward explanation in the end. Ask yourself if the alternatives require ridiculous levels of justification to make them work.
5) Having faith shouldn't require you to close your eyes to the world around you.
6) Lies and falsehoods are mostly used by people to disempower other people. The things of God will always empower you.
As I suspect that these dilemmas have been around forever, it’s no wonder Jesus declared that he was,' the way, the truth and the light.’
Thank you Messrs Ayckbourn and Pennycook, – you really got me thinking.
God bless
Andrew
January 2024
January 2024
Dear All,
Just so you don’t feel cheated, let me be open that this is a blatant attempt to persuade you to come to the EDI training on the 20th of January - even if you are not required to.
The idea of making our church more inclusive has not particularly phased HHMC, as it has been part of our mission programme for some time. Not Just in recent years but going back through our history there has been a lot of effort put into how we welcome people. So, a fair question might be, “so why is this any different to what we already do?”
A couple years back, a previous president was collecting stories and a worrying pattern appeared. Although most people agreed that they now belonged to a welcoming church, they also agreed that at various points along the way they had felt excluded. Whether this was intentional or accidental, a very substantial percentage of Methodists could identify with the statement, “a church I used to attend didn’t really understand or listen to me.”
It became obvious that there was a miss match between what churches thought they were doing and some people’s experience. As all this coincided with various changes in charities law, it was imperative that we act.
Let me be really clear, this is not a guilt trip. We do belong to a very welcoming church - and most of what needs to be addressed is accidental and unintended. It is also very important that churches identify the many areas where they are hugely successful. Passing on good practice is also a key part of all of this. We can learn from one another.
In conclusion what is so important then? Imagine for a moment if we could figure out a few minor changes that would encourage new people to come to church, stop people leaving and simultaneously make everyone feel more comfortable and included? Well, that is what EDI is all about. Equality Diversity and Inclusion training is the beginning of seeking some answers to questions we have all had at some point over the years.
So please don’t wait until you are on some list, come along to the training and find out what it’s all about. This is different because it is a personal exploration of our own role in mission.
Love and God Bless,
Andrew.
December 2023
Dear All,
“Be prepared” is the message of advent. One that the Scouts and Guides may have nailed - but not really my strength. Well, I find myself writing to you on the top deck of a London bus, looking at an array of lights and pre-Christmas wonder. What an astonishing world we live in! By the time I am on the bus back I will be emailing Beth this missive. I hopefully will also have done step one of the Christmas shopping: which was the original purpose of the trip. I hasten to add that in some years I've started the process around the 22nd December!
Despite my dyslexic view of the world, I am able to do this because of an amazing new gadget on my phone that learns my handwriting - and translates it into type! Our abilities and technology now allow for us to multi-task almost continuously. “Be prepared” should now be easier than it has ever been. So I, we, are all ready for Christmas, right? (coughs to cover the shame !) Well, no, actually. We seem to be in just as much chaos as we always have been - and I still don't know what to get anyone.
What is easily forgotten in the fun and the fussing is that advent has nothing to do with being physically ready. It has everything to do with being spiritually ready. To use biblical shorthand, it is Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus that is more prepared than Martha rushing about.
As a soppy romantic who loves Christmas, the movies ... and yes even the cold damp weather, I want to wish you a gentler Advent. Let's try, as much as is humanly possible, to give ourselves some peace. To set aside time to enjoy people, to put up our feet, and even... even... pray! Be kind to yourselves.
Now all I need to do is press send. I'm looking forward to all the carol services and the Christingle. We miss so much of all the fun because we are worrying about what is next, rather than what is now. Ho ho ho...
Love and God Bless,
Andrew.
******
October 2023
Dear All,
I think in my last letter but one, I ended up explaining the Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) policy of the Methodist Church, or some version of it. It’s a topic that I am very passionate about, and I think autumn is a great segue into why.
I am a science fiction fan. I have loved most forms of it from Star Wars to Asimov. I love the freedom to explore ideas with limitless scenarios. Historically sci-fi often presents either the failure or success of people to achieve peaceful harmonious egalitarian futures. Well, that and flying cars of course. So far not only do I not have my flying car, but humanity’s ability to live harmoniously together remains a struggle. My dream has always been that Christianity will finally complete that healing. In the meantime, I’ll settle for just grasping every opportunity to move the church closer to Utopia.
Autumn is the time of waiting. The leaves must fall first before the winter chill and coming spring. Autumn holds though, the greatest potential. The half colours and the cooling air are the opening movement to a series of changes that promise a better future.
I feel like it is autumn in the church. That we must let the leaves fall and leave the stark beauty of the bare branches. Then when the green grows back, it will be brighter and more effective than ever before. EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) for me is the hope of a new world in which love is triumphant – oh, and I’d still like that flying car please.
God bless
Andrew
September 2023
Dear All,
I don’t know what the difference between a Methodist New Year and any other kind of New Year is, but here we are again starting another one. Whilst I have nothing against our Covenant service - our traditional start to the New Year, I have to admit that it’s not exactly a firework display.
I do, though, love the gravitas of the language and the sense of commitment that we make to our church and to God. I have to admit it’s not a service that I instinctively would invite a newcomer to.
Over the centuries the church has changed radically from generation to generation finding new styles of liturgy and music as it looked to engage with each new generation. Our music particularly gets added to with new songs and hymns. These then tend to become traditions after two renderings.
There is a theory that life it's like being on a train. In fact it is this year’s conference image for a faith journey - asking the question, “Where do you get on board?” Anyway this theory suggests that life is a train journey where there are certain rhythms and patterns – stations as well. Once we have been on the train a while, we are no longer able to see or hear them because we are already used to them.
A newcomer joining the church may be aware of all the things we don’t notice anymore. The theory goes on to suggest that what is true of church is also true of life. That we have, for example, ceased to notice the way that God works in the world. Some of the more artistic and meditative practices that you may have noted our church trying out are mooted in the idea of reconnecting to that rhythm of life. Setting aside time to reflect and re-sensitising ourselves to the beauty of creation currently disguised under the hoopla.
I don’t know what the New Methodist Year will bring us and I suspect that somethings will not surprise us at all. Others may shock us. My thought here is that I’d like this to be a year of peace and tranquilly. It would be lovely to think that conflicts, especially the ones that we read about every day, might come to an end. I’d like to believe that we could all grow to be more at peace with ourselves. I also hope but it will be a year in which we begin to feel our church growing. Maybe in the search for ourselves we will find others and in finding others we will find ourselves.
God Bless,
Andrew.
July 2023
Dear All,
I feel like I am in recovery after Conference. Is there a condition called Post Conference Fatigue Syndrome? PCFS? It might be Excessive Acronym Reluctance Syndrome (EARS). I went to conference as a representative on EDI issues, in the service of the JDS committee and in attendance with BEH District.
On my return, in fact before I returned, I was encouraged to explain some of these little codes. Whilst BEH (Beds, Essex and Herts) is easily covered, JDS and EDI will take a bit longer.
Back in the days when Safeguarding started out, there were many who saw it as ridiculously restrictive. It took ages to get through to people that making our churches safer was in fact missional: Or perhaps more importantly that all the headlines about abusive churches destroyed any mission we had. In the end Safeguarding has been a painful but successful project – and is still developing.
Despite churches being genuinely welcoming, far too many people say that they don’t feel like it was a place they could come into. Lots of people, including myself, have faced scenarios where they didn’t fit. Others have faced inadvertent unintentional exclusion. Sometimes we just don’t understand what people are going through. Even the way we do church might be accidentally excluding people without us even knowing.
So JDS is absolutely about mission and getting to a situation where anyone can feel at home in all our churches. The J is for Justice: a willingness to walk alongside, fight for or advocate for anyone being mistreated. Ramona Samuel says that what people really need is ‘someone who will jump into the trench with them.’ D is for Dignity. Simply going beyond a warm welcome to ensuring that people are recognized for who they are and the gifts they bring. Think of a young person coming into church. They are at university studying law. Of course we are pleased to see them, but how many years would they have to be with us before someone thought they could hold a role in the church? How often would they get ignored because they were young? How often would it be assumed that they had a particular lifestyle because of their hair colour? Finally, the S. S is for Solidarity. Think of this as being the moment when someone is being got at, and you say ‘I am also like that! You are criticizing me too.’ You never walk alone.
So it is now Methodist policy that we strive towards JDS and the way we do that is through EDI – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. This is not about doing more or having to jump through more hoops. It is the process of looking at what we are doing through EDI eyes. It may even involve us doing less. Maybe stepping away from things that don’t work or finding easier ways for people to step up and help. There are programmes and instructional videos that I am happy to share or discuss in small groups. (Unconscious bias training to name but one.) On the whole though, it’s about allowing us to ask the difficult questions. You remember “Think Once, think twice, think BIKE?” That programme of adverts reduced accidents at junctions by 20%. Well now it’s “think equality, think diversity, think INCLUSION.” Does what we just decided to do, exclude anyone? Why are there no young people on church council? Is it just an accident that all our stewards are white, or women or ... you get the picture.
This is a topic of enormous passion for me personally. I was nearly lost to the church because I was excluded repeatedly for being different – and I am pink and male-ish! Imagine how often we accidentally exclude someone who doesn’t look like me! In my journey I watched churches lose LGBTQ folks, young people, families and all manner of ‘foreigners.’ Usually this was to the tune of, ‘but we are such a welcoming church.’ If this JDS works, I believe our churches will begin to grow again. Think once, think twice, think EDI!
God Bless,
Andrew.
May 2023
Dear All,
I don’t think anyone will be surprised that this missive is really just reflecting on my son’s wedding.
In our household there has been little else in the conversation for weeks. Wedding, Wedding, Wedding. Wedding cake, wedding arrangements, wedding clothes and the inevitable logistics of getting everyone to where they are meant to be. In the midst of it all, there is an act of worship – which ironically is often the easiest bit to arrange. Especially if, like us, you get someone else to sort that out.
There is a part of the Bible that suggests that our lives are/should be an act of worship and that we should be constantly praying. I remember thinking as a youth that that made certain biblical characters sound terribly pious. I pictured folks randomly falling to their knees, or the whole world living like monks. Since I also thought that church was very dull, I couldn’t help but feel that being a Christian sounded pretty tedious. If the wedding service our cherubs had is anything to go by, worship isn’t dull at all. Flower ‘girls’ scattered petals, crowns and tiaras were worn and there was a big hoop of flowers surrounding the two worship leaders. If that is our picture of worship, then life is going to be interesting, but we are all going to be exhausted
Of course, worship has grown on me. As my sometimes far too interesting a journey of faith has continued, my picture of worship has grown to fit the things I have experienced. I recognize now that ‘constantly praying’ and living as an act of worship is not about piety or being a monk. It is, though, about an authenticity and consistency to try and live well. To be true to yourself and your belief. It is much more like learning to drive. When you first potter out of the drive with your L plates on, you are aware of everything that you are doing. Driving is exhausting. Also, driving at that point holds very little pleasure and is all about passing a test – not very exciting. After many years go by, driving becomes an instinct. You find your own way, and you get to travel further and further with your increasing skills. So it is with worship and faith. Eventually it all just becomes part of who you are. Faith becomes an instinct.
What I loved most about the wedding was that it was very much ‘them.’ The whole thing was a joyous, fun and unconventional expression of love. It was not a separate design, but a natural part of who they are. It was an authentic act of worship. I will therefore be introducing flower ‘girls’ scattering petals down the aisle into every service from now on – or maybe not.
God Bless,
Andrew
Easter 2023
Dear All,
I imagine that it is part of any writer’s condition; a feeling that you must find an insight or phrase that no one else has ever thought of. It is hard to tell whether this is just vanity or, ‘the search for the mind of God’ as both Newton and Mozart thought. As we are in the Easter season, I can’t help but wonder what the writers recording Christ’s life had in mind. It would have been impossible to overlook the impact of the man himself, but did they envisage the longevity of their personal scribblings? In something most writers will find familiar, there was a blurriness about authorship. Although the particular saints get billing for their stories, the original sources of the material have been somewhat obscured. So, the Gospel of Mark may well be the story of Peter told by Peter – although Mark himself figures in it. In fact, Mark may well have been the equivalent of a biographer, sitting beside the ailing Peter’s bedside recording the astonishing tale.
If this sounds a bit vague, just ask any writer where they got their ideas from. Shakespeare borrowed heavily from the well know stories of the age and mythology. He rewrote them with a style and magnificence not perceived in their original forms. Look at the list at the end of any decent movie or series. ‘The 44 Vintage’ based on a novel by Anthony price, foreword by Len Deighton – original screenplay by Eric Smith, editor Jane Green. Although this is a made up one, it is what we see every week on the television credits.
It has been the want of many a critic to suggest that this dilutes the authenticity of the Bible. How can it possibly be the truth if it went through a number of translations? Why are there four versions of the Gospel? And what of the discrepancies?
From my perspective it is the reverse. For me these weak challenges to the story sound suspiciously like a holocaust denier – a reference I deliberately use thanks to Gary Lineker’s recent experiences. There are many versions of the life of Jesus, not just the ones in the Bible. The Romans recorded his exploits, there are other Gospels, and far more early copies of the Bible than anything Plato or Socrates wrote: Both of whom we take for granted as historical figures. Those who would deny the reality of some aspects of war, or wantonly ignore things that have changed the nature of the world we live in, can only do so by undermining the author of the record: They must have made it up, It’s a conspiracy to hide some other truth, The writer is not who they say they are.
My Eastery message – and I hope that it is a reassuring one – is that an abundance of war stories, true or imagined, do not detract from the truth that a war happened. A source, analysed and re-edited by numerous people, is not a weakened story but one checked and validated. The Bible, despite its astonishing message, is not a series of Chinese whispers lost in years of blurry authorship. It is a fundamental document that has been checked and rechecked, compared and held up to the greatest of scrutiny.
I draw from the events of that first Easter the importance of truth. As we watch previous leaders finally being brought to task for their determinations to rewrite history in their image and where the internet has become littered by untested theories and damaging negativity. Never has it been more important for us to keep seeking the mind of God. The truth of love, kindness, self-sacrifice, hope and the triumph of good over evil, are not up for negotiations.
God Bless,
Andrew.
*******
February 2023
Dear All,
At the time of writing this, the weather is fluctuating between cold, wet and just plain cold. Soon winter will fall away, and spring will appear. Like a mysterious scratch card – it’s not that life was absent, it just got hidden. Language is bothering me at the moment. I am not even sure what to call these bits of the year that are neither Christmas nor spring; and which simply act as padding in the calendar. In the church these ‘gaps’ are referred to as ‘ordinary time.’ When you’ve celebrated every possible part of the Christian journey, the remainder is ordinary time.
I am sure that at first glance this just looks like a random rant, but I have a real affection for ordinary time. Life’s great roller coaster would be unbearable without the plateau’s of peace when we can take a breath, read a book and finally get round to the laundry. Cliché suggests that we should take time along the path to smell the roses, but they are not even in flower yet. Now is the time to sit with a warm cup of tea and dream of the roses to come, the adventures ahead.
There is a lovely bible reading that says, “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. In fact, even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are more valuable than many sparrows.” (Luke 12 v6-8)
If we could trust that simple statement, maybe we could calm down and assume that just ‘being’ us was enough. Imagine not having all that pressure, of being free to be you? There is an ordinary version of all of us and it’s a comfortable place to be. Between changing the world, we need to be able to settle back into a consistent shape.
The film ‘About Time,’ suggests that we be much more aware of our ordinary days as we go through them. Instead of treating them as a burden, we seek all those special moments hidden amongst the banal. The passing smiles and glances, the little things we miss, the humour. It suggests we train ourselves to enjoy every moment regardless of how ordinary. So at the time of writing there is a bird sitting on the tree looking down on the new stems of daffodils breaking through the icy ground. The sun is easing through the grey sky and lighting a low mist over the fields. This ordinary day is still and calm. The dawn has come, and nothing is required except that we see it. God the artist painting a new world.
God Bless,
Andrew.
******
Janaury 2023
Dear All,
Happy New Year! Slightly belatedly I admit but, nonetheless, better late than never. I’m not quite sure what the point of January is, but when I was a child, I think it represented the time we eventually got to play with the toys we got for Christmas. One of my Christmas presents this year was a book about numbers. It recounts all sorts of disastrous errors that result from extremely large figures.
One such example is the enormous calculations that go into keeping our calendar accurate to the movements of the sun, moon and stars. The amusing fact is that, despite having changed our calendar previously, it may now be the case that the previous one is more accurate. The reason? That our ancient calendars were based on the seasons, and not on the vagaries of the solar system. It turns out that the angle of the earth alters, so eventually the seasons will not match up with our calendar.
As these things are likely to happen over vast periods of time, it probably won’t affect us, but I like to think it explains the anomaly that is January. Maybe one of the reasons we all feel a bit non-plussed about this grey month is that somewhere inside us something is trying to tell us that it’s not in the right place.
It sort of reminds me of many of those conversations on the quiz programme QI. A whole bunch of wonderful, not necessarily useful, facts which left us all a bit startled. A tomato is a fruit, some sparrows are not sparrows and nothing in the world is where you think it is. Just take a look at a Peters projection map.
A Tree Sparrow is not a sparrow!
My purpose in this newsletter is not to be depressing, but to suggest that we might want to approach the New Year, the World, January and the whole of life with a bit more humour. There is a humility in being able to laugh at ourselves and our situation. There is a great deal of stress caused by not recognising the ridiculousness and irony in many of the things that happen.
As Christians, I think we are being encouraged to look at the bigger picture. To be aware of the wonderful things of the creation around us. To stand in awe of the astonishing wonders God has made. That perspective, however, makes no sense unless we can also admit that we just stood in a puddle. Our greatest achievements will feel so much better when we have failures to contrast them with. Our greatest joy means so much more because we will have struggled to reach them. I am looking forward to 2023 not because I am blind to the difficulties around us, but because I know from my faith and my friends that at some point we will be celebrating together. It will be some glorious event, some lovely success, some new opportunity that none of us could possibly ever have thought of. So, as the sticky path of January trails its way onto the carpet, I wish you hope, love and great merriment for the coming year.
God Bless,
Andrew.
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Advent 2022
Dear All,
The minister peered down at me like I was something he’d found on his shoe. Apparently, my giggling in the pew with my friends was an issue. “Some people in this church may have been bereaved and you are disturbing them with your incessant …” He petered out, apparently unable to find a word for the happiness that was breaking out in his church. With all my sixteen-year-old wisdom I thought, ‘and I am not sure my shutting up will make them any happier.’ It was the middle of advent 1981. Many years on into ministry, and having gained some sensitivity, I might word it a bit better. I would though, still suggest that I have rarely met anyone going through a horrible time who wanted everyone around them to be unhappy too.
You must slightly be wondering by now what this has to do with Advent and Christmas. As I was preparing this newsletter article, I kept getting flashbacks to a number of negative reactions I’ve had over the years to the festive season. Many remarkably similar to my teenage nemesis. You see I love Christmas. I enjoy all the nonsense, the cold weather, the carols and of course tacky Christmas movies. This apparently is a controversial view. One year I dared to mention how much I liked snow in my Christmas sermon and received a lecture on how snow is a killer, and that I shouldn’t be, ‘so chipper about it.’ I have also over the years been encouraged to be less chipper about presents, sticking fake snow on windows and putting up the tree early.
My Christmas message this year is hardly new, and Charles Dickens might well have concerns about plagiarism, but the internet looks like Scrooge got himself a publicist. The list of complaints is vast; it starts too early; it’s just commercial materialism and tinsel is not what it used to be. My faith tells me that we should embrace all that, and the struggles. That we should face it all with the joy and love that the nativity story brings us: new light, new hope and a new start. The Bible tells us not to go round with long faces while we are doing good work.
There will always be issues, but I want people to know that when we say, ‘happy Christmas,’ that we mean it. I hope and pray for us all that this will be a wonderful time of sharing, and that when the snow comes, we all get a day off of work.
All I want to say is, ‘Merry Christmas one and all.’ Now where have I heard that before?
God bless,
Andrew.
******
Late Autumn 2022
Dear All,
And, 20 seconds later I was back on the boat.
The funny thing was at no point did I really feel scared. I suppose I could say that the canal boat weekend went swimmingly. The whole idea was trying find a point of contact between all the different churches that we have spread across our Circuit. It's not like we have some sort of big city plonked conveniently in the middle for us to all aim for: in fact, the really big city that is near us is not
only outside our Circuit but has a tendency to draw people away.
Let me describe the scene. When Peter and I first picked up the boat, there was a steady drizzle falling. I have to be honest and say that I did wonder if being out on the canals in October was a bit of a daft idea. The persistent rain seemed to seep into everything, and not even constant tea brewing offset the chill. On the other hand, the quiet of the canals, the beauty of the overhanging trees and
branches, and the drifting smoke from the warm looking houseboats, created a picture of impressionist beauty. What in some ways will always remain an industrial landscape, also pulls the peace of the countryside into the hearts of towns and under roadways.
It was then with joy of course, that setting out from Croxley Green, the sky was clear. The brisk chill of the morning hinted at a warm day ahead. Along the route we stopped, prayed with people, ate bacon rolls, and met a diverse range of humanity; both from the churches and strangers on the tow path. I can't help but feel that there is a very important ministry to be explored amongst the folk who choose to live, exercise, and philosophise in this magical place. The members of the churches that joined us ranged from a man two weeks off being 100 years old, to a very highly trained 15-year-old scout. Church members walked alongside, walked dogs, assisted with locks, and occasionally steered the
boat. They also helped to consume vast quantities of cake and biscuits. I'm still trying to untangle and deliver packages and presents that were gifted along the route to go to other churches.
In the end it was a watery pilgrimage, a successful gathering of the faithful and a true meeting with community at the edge. I've learned more about our circuit in two days than I could ever have imagined. Not only was it a very physical voyage but I think also something of a spiritual one. I know for me it was an answer to prayer.
There will no doubt be more adventures like this. Possibly involving canal boats, but also buses and trains. I might draw the line at aircraft. I think there's something important about us travelling together, a visible witness to life in the church.
In conclusion, mission accomplished. Lots to learn of course, not least that ministers should avoid falling in the canal. Oh yes, I should have mentioned that, on the first day, at Home Park lock, whilst pulling on a wet rope I managed to miss the back of the boat and plop like a disgruntled frog into the deep water. All I remember is seeing the bubbles above my head as I reached up my hand. I was grabbed by Karol from Kings Langley.
And, 20 seconds later I was back on the boat.
God bless,
Rev Andrew.
******
Autumn 2022
Dear All,
I’m not going to make any pretence that this is profound, or that this newsletter is anything more than an opportunity to share my holiday adventures with you. Unless you manage to draw some link between Bill Bryson’s travel logs or some sort of deeper analysis of cultural comparison, this is the verbal equivalent of my holiday snaps.
If you have been regularly following our Facebook page you may have seen a variety of shots showing beautiful buildings, outstanding vistas, and good food from our travels. We set out on the Eurostar heading for Brussels. With only a few hours in that city, and once we had recovered from Belgium’s hotels not providing tea in the rooms, shock horror, we ended up sitting in a street cafe eating waffles. These came with strawberries, chocolate and ice cream. That alone stood as a good reason to visit the country.
From there we headed to Germany and old friends. This proved to be one of the few trips, or at least parts of a trip, in which we encountered severe delays. Decanted from a cancelled mainline service, we ended up on a local chug chug nudging our way across the border. Plodding through rolling fields and obscure villages, we saw a world far from the tourist trail. Our first stop in Germany was
the town of Aachen and as was generally our experience, there were no passport controls or ticket checks. Despite ending up two hours behind schedule, I don’t think we would want to have missed the places we saw on the slower track.
Once into Germany, the trains were fast and the stations big. Chromium tubes whistling along at 200kph. We finally found ourselves sitting out on a terrace eating the best German wurst. The couple of days we spent near the city of Bonn, seeing the Rhine, and going to the top of the Drachenfels
Mountain, were blissful. For me of course, the fact that we went up on a mountain railway may have added to the joy.
There is much more of this story to come, but for now I shall only hint at the regrets of missing Liege and Paris, or how Hamburg hit the senses like a steam roller. I’m not sure if I have a purpose in writing these things but I guess it did underline for Ruth, and I, the insanity of pretending that we are separate to the wider world. I don’t mean in a pro or anti Brexit kind of pettiness, but the sheer lunacy of pretending that nationhood is about boundaries and not identity.
Alongside the beauty, it was obvious that the Rhine was severely diminished by climate change. We were travelling in very un-European temperatures. The people we met were entirely like us and fundamentally different to us all at the same time. The links and similarities though were undeniable - and of course travelling on a train makes borders irrelevant - it is after all the same track, the
same locomotive, and in most cases the same cup of tea. If I am to extract a message for this missive, then let it simply be, God’s Kingdom is everywhere and to draw a line in the earth and claim it for ourselves is as pathetic as putting a flag in a cloud.
Next time I’ll write a little about Hamburg and COVID restrictions, but for now I want to leave you with a picture. A middle-aged couple with their backpacks standing on any one of a number of stations, clutching their proudly purchased pretzel. They have used tiny bits of other languages to obtain their prize. Who says Interrailing is only for the young. We have our hats, we have our sun cream and nobody can stop us now!
God bless,
Rev Andrew.
******
Summer 2022
Dear All,
I wouldn't be at all surprised if a number of people are wondering why the minister is pottering off to do some acting several days a week. Whilst I have been able to continue working, as has of course become common practice these days, by Zoom and online, it must still seem to many to be a bit of an odd thing to do. After these incredibly intense couple of years that we've had, I could probably justify going a little crazy just because life for all of us has been so difficult. I also think that “a change is as good as a rest” might also apply here. Certainly, seeing the world from a different perspective has done my mental health a lot of good. In the weeks and months to come I am sure that there will be plenty of opportunities to talk about the exciting adventure that I've been on. I've certainly gathered a few more stories!
Above and beyond all of this though, is an overarching theme that has been playing on my mind even before the lockdowns. One of the grand challenges to all churches recently, and by recently, I mean in the last 30 years, has been how we engage with the folk in our communities who would never come to church. We have made enormous strides, including our endeavours in the virtual universe, in being more inclusive and welcoming. I have been haunted for years, though, by a nagging comparison. That the things we are now grasping were unremarkable in the theatre forty years ago.
Mainstream TV and cinema has treated inclusivity, in some form our other, as a given since the 1980s! When I worked in the theatre a number of the things that we see in the church as being deeply radical, controversial and cutting edge have been the norm and unremarkable for a very long time. Although it wasn't particularly my intention, my sojourn in the land of the luvvies has ended up being a way of checking if my memories were correct.
As a young man I would escape my family home and church to spend as much time as possible in the theatre. The reason was simple; in the theatre I could be myself, be accepted for who I was and not live in fear of judgemental words. To paint such a picture of some utopia needs to be checked, because of course it could just be nostalgia. Returning to the town, and somewhat remarkably, the same people all these years later has underlined for me how important our current discussions on the future are. Having this month had the privilege of leading our first same sex wedding blessing, seeing the joy on people’s faces and understanding the pastoral reasons for doing that service, marks real movement. Closing the gap between the reality of the fake world I perform in, and the falseness of the real world that I've grown up in, seems to be Godly.
I am proud of all our churches and have been utterly moved by the huge steps made during COVID and in the mission discussions, but I am hoping these are just the first steps on a glorious rainbow road. This is not some new radical theology imposed by a somewhat unhinged minister with stripy socks, but a simple fulfilment of the basic teachings of Jesus Christ: that pastoral concern and love for our fellow human must trump every other action, rule, or social nicety. I pray that in the future that disenfranchised young people can run towards the church for safety instead of away from it. I am not sure I can quite believe I am asking this, but is it possible that the moral teaching of the modern age has come through drama and not via the church?
Anyway, my days of being Detective Inspector Thomas are nearly done. They have renewed my faith and my energy. I am left with, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28)
God bless,
Rev Andrew.
******
Pentecost 2022
Dear All,
It seems a little like the whole world is getting married, engaged, moving house, or having babies – and, in our house, watching our lovely cherub turn 21. I know it is the product of two years of Covid limitations condensing everything together but, even so, it does feel a little chaotic. One of my favourite films, ‘Big Fish’ tells the story of a life, but through the eyes of a storyteller. In this slightly peculiar tale, the central character sees the love of his life for the first time and is frozen to the spot – as if time was suspended. Then, as the eye contact between them is broken, he says, ‘the thing they don’t tell you is that afterwards time catches up with itself.’
That image has stuck with me recently. We have been on hold for quite a while – but now time is catching up with itself. In terms of our faith journey, I feel like the same whirlwind is sweeping through our souls. As if we are all going through a sort of mid-life crisis. On the mission day we learnt a lot about how mid-life is not necessarily a crisis and doesn’t always happen in the middle. The lockdowns and re-openings mean that universally the world has gone through a time of transition. Instead of everyone doing things in their own time, we are now doing everything concurrently. We trip over each other’s plans and find that we are in lock step as all the events that were missed, return.
It will all settle down eventually. New things will grow, some things will be the way they were before, and some things will cease. In all this it can be far too easy to feel like we are out of control and that we will not cope. I have to keep reminding myself that ‘God with us’ is a reassurance not a pipe dream. Living through strange days does not mean that God left us. Christ walked in strange days, the Spirit descended on the disciples on the strangest day – and the Methodist Church owes its existence to a sinking boat and a panicking passenger.
All these tomorrows will be great stories when they are our yesterdays. With a little trust in God, we can ride out the storm and find safe landings in new lands.
God bless,
Rev Andrew.
******
Easter 2022
Dear All,
Happy Easter
Every year when I was growing up, my grandfather would complain that he didn’t understand why they kept changing the date of Easter. I have to say that on those occasions when Easter has been very early or very late, I tend to find myself agreeing with him. If we can find a definite day for Christmas, then it seems pretty daft that probably our biggest festival of the year is decided on the basis of a mathematical formula and Paschal Full Moon. On the other hand, it puts us in good company with many pagan festivals, Ramadan, and a wide range of advertising campaigns by major retailers – who generally seem to just go a bit lunar. I only note this in order to make a point. Historically the church has always had close links with the so-called secular world around it. An intertwining plait of agricultural seasons, fertility rites and rhythms of life inform our worship - from harvest right through to all the ministers popping off to Barbados in the summer!
We have a liturgical year, a lectionary, and lots of ‘Connexional’ input. My point is that you can't really separate the life of the church from the world around it. When the world got COVID, the church got COVID. As Russia continues to invade Ukraine, the world church joins the fight. It’s easy sometimes to lose heart and wonder why it is that we don't have the numbers that we used to have. Whilst I may not have all the answers to that question, I am very aware that historically the church has grown when it has best engaged with society. Most notably of course we have also grown radically when we have been forced underground by oppressive states! It tends to decline in times when it sets itself apart – or above – the people around it. In many ways it is not possible for God’s church to get smaller. The crucifixion was not limited to “signed up” members of any denomination. No matter how often people imply that God was English, Church of England, Methodist or whatever other shape or form we wanted him to fit into – the truth is that the cross and Easter Sunday reminds us of the universality of the message.
The year ahead is going to include a lot of discussion about what mission looks like. Key to that is going to be working out what Easter means to us. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross removes the boundaries and allows the spirit of God to be present in the lives of churches, communities and nations. Those who would instigate war, those who would do evil, and all of those who present life as hopeless had better beware the risen Christ. In 2000 years of history, including innumerable panics on behalf of the church, the message of Christ has never been thwarted by any dictator, plague or war.
Let me conclude then by saying when I say ‘Happy Easter’ I do so with a genuine smile and a sense of hope. As we write these letters, as ministers are ‘want’ to do, inevitably we are slightly guessing what might be happening in two weeks when you read it. As we are gathering up Easter eggs on Sunday morning things could be very different. It may seem ridiculous, but what if the Russian invasion is over by Easter Sunday? Unlikely of course, but very recently we were all stuck indoors hiding from COVID – then suddenly nonagenarians are being perforated like tea bags with vaccines in the name of good health. It is part of our job, as the bearers of the message of Christ, to claim the victory even when we are facing defeat. Ultimately, we know that nothing can bring the cross down. If death itself has been defeated, then what else do we have to fear. Personally, I think certain world leaders should be very afraid because the spirit of God is over the waters.
God bless,
Rev Andrew.
Lent 2022
Dear All,
The other day I watching that wonderful Oscar winning film ‘Forrest Gump.’ One of my favourite lines in it is, ‘life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.’ As we again approach Lent, our inner Calvinist sneaks out and ropes us into preparation that involves giving up chocolate or some other variation on the fasting theme.
The purpose of the fasting was originally to set aside time for spirituality, rather than an aid to weight loss or because a bit of suffering somehow did us good. Breaking the usual routine prompts us to reconsider our perspective and reevaluate our faith: festivals, fasts, occasions and other interruptions to routine increase our awareness. Even in the heyday of the reformists, the fasting was broken regularly to increase the contrast, so the point is not necessarily to fast.
So in 2022 it might be enough to have the most normal time ever, just to juxtapose the weirdness of the last two years? I might ask you, ‘what are you doing for Lent this year?’ and your response might be, ‘being ordinary.’ Watching the Olympics has been a change of pace too. As long as we set aside time to reconsider our faith, then the terms of the fast are satisfied. As long as Forrest continues not to read the lid of the chocolate box, he leads a very Lenten life. Each choice produces an unexpected result, causing him to rethink the way his world is.
There you see, I did it. I made the case for eating a box of chocolates for Lent. Are you ok with that? How does that make you feel? Surely celebrating before Easter is wrong? Maybe have a piece of cake while you think about it….
God bless,
Andrew.
January 2022
Dear All,
5th of March 2022
Day of Mission
Put the date in your diary. To misquote Doctor McCoy from the Star-ship enterprise, ‘it’s life Jim, but not as we know it.’ We are boldly going to go where no church has gone before. That would be some claim - that we were going to go somewhere churches hadn’t been. That, though, is the ambition of mission. The word mission gets misused in all sorts of ways and can be made to sound terribly complicated. At its core it is simply sharing the word of God with others. We share, not in some sort of self-serving way, but because ultimately the lives of those who received the word are almost invariably improved; the world is made a better place.
If spreading God’s word is fundamental to our belief. How do we reach out into the community? Hemel Hempstead Methodist Church is a very positive, connected community that is a pleasure to be part of. From my perspective it is also a great place to work. On the whole we are a very successful church – and let’s face it, the building is fantastic. The paradox of course is, that the hardest time to consider mission is when things are working. It is also hard to consider how we might do things better when you are in the midst of that life. So, that is what I am hoping to offer the church on the 5th, not my perspective but a broad range of ideas, thoughts and challenges
from some people who are experts in the field of mission. Yes, we will need to translate those ideas into what would work here, but we need to make decisions about the future of our church with our eyes wide open to the possibilities.
Returning to my Star Trek analogy, it might be great to go into the unknown, but we also need to know where we are coming from. Having been a mission enabler in my previous circuit, I am very aware that we must also honour all the ideas and effort that has been put in before. If we are to boldly split infinitives, then it would be useful to have some sort of a map to travel by – and part of that map is the discussions and thoughts that have happened over the years. For our particular community that includes recognizing the monumental effort of bringing together five churches under one roof. This required ambition, vision, and resilience. After building this fantastic Methodist cathedral, this ecological masterpiece, it would be completely understandable if everyone felt worn out and drained. It can also feel like completing such a task is the point of arrival – rather than what it is, the perfect starting point.
So, what am I inviting you to? Firstly, let me say that I am using ‘I’ deliberately. In most circumstances of course, we work together, and ‘we’ would invite others. This though is me personally bringing something, a gift if you will, to the church. I am inviting you all, and the members of Kings Langley, Ley Hill and hopefully any other interested persons across the circuit, to a day of festival. I am hoping that you will come and join in a day of fun, activities, and a good lunch, to learn from some of the most successful mission experts I have come across. This will be an opportunity for us to simply be on the receiving end of other people’s energy. I would love it if everybody could come out of the 5th of March feeling inspired, challenged, and with a new perspective on what we might be able to do in this wonderful church. I am hoping this will be unlike any of our previous mission days – not so much lists blue tacked to walls, but a change of heart.
Whilst all the details are yet to be finalised, the day will start around 10am. There will be speakers, workshops, music and opportunities to wrestle with different ideas. The day will end around 4pm with an act of worship. Much more to follow …. Watch this space.
God bless,
Andrew
Advent 2021
Dear All,
I don't know if it's just me, but it seems like the Christmas displays of lights outside peoples’ houses are bigger than ever this year. As I write this I'm aware that Christmas is still technically quite a few weeks off. However, no doubt spurred on by the restrictions from last year and the fact that we didn't really get to do Christmas properly, I think this year is going to turn into some sort of double celebration: an opportunity to make amends for all the stuff that we missed out on. Whilst I wouldn't want to be thought of as some sort of party pooper, I can't help but feel that we might be out of practice for full-blown hedonism. We've got so used to all the various different social limitations and restrictions that we might want to warm up to the big day. Like athletes at the start of the marathon perhaps we need to be doing our mince pie stretches and turkey training and before we dive into full time yule we might need to practice joy.
In case you're thinking that that phrase sounds familiar, it probably is. I'm not an expert on Buddhism but I do know that there is a concept known as practicing joy. In very generic terms it's taking time to stop and smell the roses, as the old cliché goes. Of course it's much deeper than that, but it is the principle of setting aside time in order to celebrate the small things in life. I wondered whether it was helpful to us in our advent journey, to think about this time as training.
The idea that you would have to practice joy might sound quite silly. On the other hand even the idea of getting back on the proverbial bike would be foolhardy if we weren’t ready. It’s easy too, isn’t it, to get into bad habits like always assuming the worst or constantly seeing the negatives. After last year, to be fair, we can feel pretty justified in bemoaning our lot. In order therefore to move on from all that, focusing on simple pleasures is quite sensible. Just taking a moment as you drink that first sip of coffee or eat a piece of cake to be ready for the joy: to not only see the wonderful sunset or sunrise but to pray as it happens. I think it is also important to make sure you’ve built up to Christmas. Why wait to the day to try and do all the celebrating? Start sooner and build up gently.
As I look back over what I have written I begin to wonder if I am just justifying the number of mince pies I have already had! I am going to stick with it though because I do think there is great merit in there somewhere. What if I start replacing the treats with other words? What if I said, ‘why wait until Christmas to start being KIND ?’ What if I suggested that we should practice LOVE or HOPE fulness? Practicing joy might be a Buddhist concept, but it is reflected often in Christian teaching. Not least of which is the story of Mary reflecting on the amazing things she has seen, ‘and Mary pondered these things in her heart.’
So, whether you think Christmas is arriving too early, or the neighbour’s lights are too bright, whether you are predicting lock down number four, or noting how the Easter eggs will be in the shops by mid-December, practice joy. Sit down with a coffee and a mince pie, or walk by the lake, or literally smell the flowers – but mostly ponder the things in your heart.
Love and God bless,
Andrew
October 2021
Dear Friends
I’m not sure at what point I am going to grow tired of them, but the phrases ‘returning to normal’ and ‘the new normal’ are everywhere at the moment. It seems to me that the main thing those sort of conversations prove is that we had little idea of what we meant by normal before the lock-down, let alone now.
I even looked up the history of the word normal because I hear it so often. Turns out there was nothing ‘normal’ about the word normal either. It comes from a Latin word ‘normalis’ which was a right angle or any line coming from the ground at ninety degrees. It was many centuries before it started being used as ‘conforming to an accepted pattern.’ Thereafter the meaning of the word has also varied repeatedly; largely because our understanding of what an accepted pattern of life is, remains pretty random.
That word only appears a tiny number of times in the Bible, and most of them are in the Old Testament. The only two I could find in the New Testament refer to healing. Normal wasn’t a Jesus sort of word. Even if you extend it to include conforming, Jesus’s position is mostly to defy convention. Certainly, it is arguable that the entire subtext for the New Testament is the sweeping away of conventions: this in order to save, support and love individuals or groups. Jesus repeatedly places himself across the boundary and reaches out to those who fall on the wrong side of the line.
I think the future of the church is going to have very little to do with any kind of normal. We follow a Messiah who offended the authorities, hung out with some very iffy characters, turned over tables and broke several laws. In modern safeguarding terms he was a reputational risk. Over the subsequent centuries, just like the word normal, the church has reformed itself over and over to engage with an ever-changing world. If we have been forced by circumstances into wondering what the future looks like, then I hope we’ll do it ‘Jesus’ style.
It is fun to speculate that Jesus’s only real need for the word normal was as a carpenter using a set square.
God bless,
Andrew
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September 2021
Dear All,
Back to School
Maybe it still works the same, but this time of year used to be when we’d all have to run to that special shop which did the school approved clothing. Anyone who has parented or grand-parented children of that age, will have had a similar experience. “It is back to school in the next few weeks or days,” we’d say to the cherubs, “we need X pairs of socks, some gym shoes for PE,” and so on. Thankfully I don’t have to engage in that particular nightmare anymore.
Not only is school returning, but it is the beginning of a New Methodist Year. Maybe I should go out and buy some new socks before Synod? On a Zoom call with Jay Bisset in Carolina USA some of us were comparing cultural differences and ended up talking about Sunday best clothing. I don’t remember there being an inspection back in the day, but you darn well knew when you’d fallen short of the approved standard. The understanding, as in school, was that not coming in proper uniform was disrespectful. Over the years church has thankfully relaxed a bit, and whilst we might still be a bit socially cautious about what we drag out of the wardrobe on a Sunday morning, there is now far less judging and a lot more accepting.
My purpose in writing this is to encourage the continuing broadening of those acceptances. As I child I was frequently hindered by lack of the right clothing, or by lack of resources. I still remember the head teacher arguing that if all children dressed the same you removed some of the social boundaries. The problem from my perspective, as a child, was that everyone knew I was from a poor family because I had the worn-out uniform: not to mention shoes with holes in. I was just as excluded and bullied in a uniform as I was on the street. The establishment of a declared social norm, as always, left a group of people on the outside looking in. On occasion I was even sent home from things because I didn’t have the right ‘stuff.’
So, as we go back to school and stand for the inspection, (I hope to goodness there isn’t really an inspection at Synod as I would surely fail) let’s live that age old adage, that we shouldn’t judge the book by the cover. Perhaps more importantly, we also need to let the wider world know that as a church we don’t judge a book by the cover. The way we look, the colour of our skin, our income, worldly standing and even abilities are irrelevant to God’s love. Now before you say it, yes – I know – that is blatantly obvious. This is probably the least controversial newsletter I have ever written. However, just consider if you have ever found yourself changing your behaviour, avoiding someone, or complaining about someone, just because they didn’t look like they belonged? If the genuine answer to that is no, you are amazing and you are probably not human. If you honestly answered yes, then join the club – we are all learning what acceptance looks like.
Love and God bless
Andrew
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Summer 2021
Dear All,
Over the last few months a recurring theme has been the use of language in the church; and I don't mean swearing! When I was younger I remember various parents at the school-gate berating their cherubs for the use of some pretty foul language. It tended to make me feel smug as I was well behaved in that area and never said any naughty words. Any of my teachers would no doubt confirm that I was a complete pain in so many other ways - but I could always be counted on to say things politely. I didn't hand my homework in, politely; I would turn up late for class, politely; and sometimes bunk off completely, but always with a level of courtesy unreachable by my school chums.
When recently we started discussing how to make our online services more approachable, and as we attempted to convey the message of God in a down to earth way, I realised I may be one of the worst culprits. Despite growing up with literacy issues, verbally I had a vocabulary that mitigated my ineptitude and graced me with an insouciance to education and preternatural interest in word-eousity. You get my drift!
Jesus sets a useful example by using the most fundamental of images. No fancy showing off with words; just a sea of bread, wine, fish and farm stories. The Bible even says to avoid unnecessary embellishments. This is very important when trying to convey the meaning of life. Even when Jesus said things pretty directly, people over the centuries still managed to rewrite it to suit themselves.
If I had believed what I was told in Sunday School you would imagine that the Bible was all about not going to wild parties, smoking and definitely no enjoying yourself. Once I read it for myself there were a couple of phrases that were so clear that I have never gone back to thinking that the Bible was a set of rules - or just some encouragement not to swear. Those two phrases are so well known - and so beautifully uncomplicated - that I don't even have to write them and you'll know exactly which ones they are ...
Love and God bless
Andrew
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Pentecost 2021
Dear All,
I might call this newsletter article something like, ‘the ups and downs of Christian life.’ In this short period, we celebrate two amazing supernatural events; Jesus going up into Heaven and the Holy Spirit coming down on the disciples. These are not particularly easy events to explain even to a committed life-long Christian, let alone anyone just starting out on the journey. The key thing is that the Bible puts far more emphasis on the prayer that Jesus says for humanity before he leaves, than the brief moments of leaving itself.
Over the centuries Pentecost and The Ascension have provided poetic and artistic inspiration. I suspect tackling one of Christianity’s greatest mysteries is often easier with pictures or a sculpture. Mind you the results have been mixed and may not have clarified the situation. The carving of Jesus’s feet in the ceiling of the Ascension chapel in Walsingham have been treated with everything from adoration to mockery. As you look up you see a ring of light, and in the middle Jesus’s feet. We ‘imagine’ the rest of him has already left. If you didn’t know, you be forgiven for thinking that Jesus was falling through the ceiling.
The whole thing might seem silly; Jesus floating up into the sky and disciples speaking in different languages whilst seeming drunk. It’s not like Jesus’s story is much altered without it. Jesus has still come back from the dead and spoken to his friends and followers. We already know that Jesus has made the ultimate sacrifice for us – so why the ‘beam me up Scotty’ moment?
Probably the best explanation I ever saw, and which had the great merit of being in language I understood, was the movie ‘MATRIX.’ The Matrix presents Jesus’s life as a science fiction thriller. It covers all the key aspects including Jesus’s death, resurrection and ascension. During the resurrection we see how he transforms from a limited being, into something that is simply energy and light. Once you have travelled the rest of the journey with Jesus, the Ascension makes sense – he simply returns to that from which he came. I think I would suggest that for anyone coming new to faith, the Ascension is not the place to start, but it’s a jolly good place to reach. So maybe the question and challenge is, in your own non-jargony way, explain how you see it?
In each era this tale has been told in the language of the time. It exactly illustrates the need for us to put things in words that are not exclusive or alienating. The prayer in John’s Gospel and the Ascension illustrate that Jesus has moved from the limited existence as person, to being there for everyone. The disciples speak in many languages because their message is for everyone. It is the final removal of all the barriers. These passages say very loudly ‘I embrace you all in love.’
Love and God bless
Andrew
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Easter 2021
Dear all
With the clocks going back (At the point I am writing this) I guess time has been on my mind. Whether it is the prosaic administrative alterations that the UK loves, or science fiction style mind bending fantasy, time has vexed humanity from the moment we could describe it. Even in the Christian journey it has been one of those topics that can make us sound like we have lost the plot and headed off into the surreal. Jesus as Alpha and Omega, Old Testament figures living into their 900s and, according to John, Jesus being there in the beginning as the ‘Word.’ For those who struggle with belief, faith, hope, love and eternal life are often cited as being just wishful thinking.
Over the Lent and Easter weeks I have been exploring the mystical aspects of the Bible in a series of YouTube videos. What that has reminded me of is that almost all of us, Christian or not, experience inexplicable spiritual feelings and events. Whatever you attribute those things to, the lockdown has caused us to have even more of them. Let’s face it, time itself has got pretty twisted over the last year. Whilst I doubt we will solve all the questions of time in one slightly cliched newsletter, I do want to offer you a challenge to be open minded.
Modern science has repeatedly shown that time bends and alters according to speed and location. Once you leave this planet, and the faster you leave this planet, the more time begins to bend. In a blackhole there is no time in the middle, as far as we know, but there is at the edges. We are on a planet spinning at enormous speed, but we don’t feel it because everything around us spins too. The time we experience is in some ways connected to the fact that we are constantly shifting at 1000mph. Which is my excuse for always being late and not knowing where I am half the time.
My point is that you don’t feel the speed or the effect of time. Jesus, as alpha and omega, is alluding to the timelessness of God. Because we are ‘in’ time, like we are ‘on’ the Earth, we can’t feel the changes. Time could be whizzing about us in a bunch of complex loops, and we wouldn’t have a clue. No wonder it feels so inconsistent when we reminisce – did that happen last year, or the year before? Well that just felt like it happened yesterday – as we look at a picture of ourselves in a school uniform.
If timelessness is a scientific given, and that our souls are outside time, then its not so hard to know that Jesus died on the cross to show us ‘the way.’ The way being that life is not limited by any dimension – not even time. So, it is inevitable that I have run out of time to write this, and that this letter will time travel. My ‘now’ will be experienced by you in the future, when you will call this the past. Imagine if I predicted something and it turned out to be true by the time you read this – you’d call me a prophet. What if you are reading this in fifty years’ time as you go through the records of the church for a GDPR exercise? Are my words alive or dead? Do my thoughts exist beyond my presence here? My argument is that I would be equally gone and still there.
So! I hope you are having, have had, or are remembering a wonderful Easter. AND if eternal life is not impossible but inevitable, then maybe a world of love and hope is just a matter of time …
Love and God bless
Andrew
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February 2021
Dear All,
Even the snow is indecisive. Falling as gently as it possibly can without actually having any impact on the world around it. An icing sugar thin layer dusts the roads and gardens.
Recently, when I was chatting with a congregation member about their experiences of rationing back in the 1950s, the topic of survival came up. I decided that her 90 plus years gave her credence on the subject. She pointed out that the hardest part is near the end. In the first days of rationing there was still a strong sense of unity. Everyone wanted to demonstrate how they were able to make the best of it. People shared resources and recipes. People ardently supported one another. When limitations were still in place in the following years it became a matter of apathy and dissent. As it became obvious that things in the world weren’t quite so bad, the interminable dragging out of the coupons scheme resulted in a mixture of responses. She and I both thought that some of our distant relatives were involved in the black market. “Ultimately,” the lady told me, “people did what they had to do to survive.”
I am no expert in the topic, but I am sure that the then government were attempting to make sure that any recovery wasn’t temporary. Similar nuances are no doubt playing out now. This little letter is NOT about church reopening or when the lockdown should end, but more the state of mind that we find ourselves in. To miss quote senator Charlie Wilson, “it’s one thing to win the war, it’s another to win the peace.” The snow still can’t get its act together outside the window, and I am reminded by the radio that there is actual physical evidence to show that the vaccines are working, yet another factor in our state of confusion.
No, this is really a letter about snow. Bear in mind Paul’s advice that the different parts of the body being different but working together. Imagine that there was a lot of snow. The sort of wonderful snow that we had a few days back. Picture, if you will, the Christmas card landscape and children building snow people. Instead of the current light fluffy nonsense, feel the large wet flakes falling on your face and smell the brittle air. As I describe this you will already be forming an opinion. You might agree with the romanticism in my description, or you might have anyone of a number of more negative views including that snow is cold, dangerous and inconvenient. Certainly, the other day during the morning Facebook service there were some very polarized views expressed about the snowfall. What is important is that we would all also react differently. My grandfather’s immediate response to the snow was to get the shovel out and dig the drive clear. Once he’d finished our drive, he’d do the neighbour’s ones, and then start on the road. Some people, maybe me, find the snow peaceful and calming – a time to write poetry or the newsletter. Some will be out in walking boots or building a snowman. The point is that all the responses are valid. It is not wrong to be impatient with the snow or want it to end. It is not invalid to be scared of the snow. It is not invalid to delight in the change it brings. So, whether you find the snow a good opportunity to take photographs, or to hide under the duvet, we all know that God speaks through our different skills and perspectives. We should celebrate and accept all our different ways and understandings. There is no one way to face our struggles.
Hmmm, I’m just wondering if maybe it was a little bit about the lock down …
God bless,
Rev Andrew.
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Advent 2020
Dear All,
A quick guide to being annoying in the time of Covid.
After all the newsletters that I have written since March, I suspect it will come as no surprise to find me trying to put a positive spin on things. I think I was born optimistic. Optimism is fine until things don’t get better quickly enough. Alternatively, I also know that a permanent state of pessimism is equally likely to annoy all the people not previously annoyed by all the optimism. You remember the classic phrase, “You can’t please all the people all the time.” I can amend that to say that you can annoy all the people all the time – especially when I start talking about plans for Christmas.
If I have a point, and honesty requires me to admit that I might not, it is that what remains is the practical. Methodism’s approach to most dilemmas in the past has been to ask, “what shall we do?” Let us therefore make an agreement. We shall neither say that everything will be better by Christmas, nor shall we assume the apocalypse. We shall simply say – it will be what it will be. In the meantime, we shall have Advent, and we shall have Christmas. Christmas has not been cancelled.
By now you may have seen the following message about having something to look forward to in the build up to Christmas. (It has been in HHMC’s Notices.) The aim is to have a video of one church tradition from around the circuit each day in December.
“CHRISTMAS IS NOT CANCELLED"
As a circuit we would like to try and do something special for Christmas – and something special we can all join in with. This Advent we invite your church to take part in an online “advent calendar.” We’ll release a YouTube video each day on Facebook and make the link available to all churches. The link could go out via newsletters, blogs and websites.
Here’s the rub, as the bard would say. We want the videos to be of your community and church. We want them to be about what you think is important to your church around Christmas. They only need to be about 3 minutes long –
just a little treat so we can celebrate together. You can either make the videos yourself in any format or tell us about your idea and we’ll come and film it with you. You could even just send pictures of your church’s Christmas memories and we’ll put them together. To show you how simple it could be – here is a video we made in a matter of minutes during a Zoom call. We had a lot of fun making it, we hope you will enjoy this project too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUISYnywFU0&t=497s
I hope everyone will get to see what is going on. In these peculiar days it helps to aware of one another. To share the experiences, pessimistic and optimistic, is an important part of how we get through all this. Which may be the point to close this – with a simple encouragement. Have you ever thought that maybe that is how God planned it? That the world was created with a preordained balance of optimists, pessimists and realists to face each of life’s crisis? We are actually meant to be that annoying to one another, because that is how we solve the issues?
And, “On that Bombshell,” as the cast of Top Gear used to say, God bless,
Rev Andrew.
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October 2020
Dear All,
Over the last few weeks we’ve had our first few services under the new booking system. Previously we'd added gel dispensers, measured the space for social distancing, and tried frantically to follow the apparently weekly changes of rules. Safety first characterises the current climate. The church is as safe as it can possibly be, but still it has been hard to persuade people to return. As a church online we are bigger and more missional than we ever were in a building, but we are both a physical and spiritual community. There is no online church without a physical church to support it. We are not Amazon. Our church, and all churches, are stuck between Peter the Rock and a hard place. Do we encourage people to come back, or dissuade them for their own safety? Do we change our policy, or even our theology, because of the virus?
It has been a bumpy ride getting back here at all. Being a fan of science fiction, I would quite like to be able to do a bit of time travel to find out what is coming in the future. As our state of being fluctuates with the varying ‘Covid’ numbers – it is much easier for me to imagine we have been invaded by hostile aliens, and that Captain Picard will pop in and fix it all. The trouble with such a fantasy is that the aliens are probably friendly, and the virus is very much a resident here. What science fiction does tend to focus on, be you a Treky, Jedi, or reader of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, is the bigger picture. Most science fiction is about exploring huge ideas of the universe - finding the meaning of life as it were. Reopening the church reminds me of our connection the historical church - a form of time travel in itself. We have what is known as institutional memory. The church has experienced and survived wars, plagues, civil unrest and endless political change. In each reincarnation the church reminds us of the big ideas, belief, faith, love and especially hope. For all the difficulties of institutional religion, it has for centuries been the seat of learning, the holder of records, and the cushion against disaster. As the national mood changes, and as the rules get re-written, our role must be as a reminder of hope. The lights are going on in the church – and in a few months, the lights will go back on across the world. The darkness will never destroy the light.
All that said, and as I try to figure maths that gave us 9 x 6 = 42, we may not live in darkness, but we are going to have to live a while longer in confusion. If you'll forgive one last science reference (and not fiction this time) we are living in Schrödinger’s Chapel - a place in which we are both simultaneously open and closed at the same time - I can only say that we must individually decide how we do church. The age old and glorious institution is open, and its people singing God's praises in a new way. I would love to be able to tell you what to do - but I am going to leave that to the Holy Spirit and the experts.
God bless - keep safe, AND I really hope to see you soon.
Rev Andrew.
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July 2020
Dear All,
As we take baby steps back into a less locked down world, we are going to see all sorts of reactions and concerns. Over the next few weeks there will be church councils and discussions. Little by little we will create a hybrid version of the old and the new. Virtual but real, forward looking in some places, nostalgic in others. We will be both seeking a way forward and being the institutional memory for what we have learned in the past. Some will be excited to return to a more physical world. Others will be afraid. People may hide their excitement so as not to overwhelm those who are afraid. Those who are afraid will pretend to be excited so as to encourage those who are seemingly unafraid. All of us, no doubt, will also struggle with how to react when we see one another. It's going to be a confusing time.
Some years ago, I found myself helping an elderly gentleman back to his hospital bed under very heavy fire from German fighter planes. We had to jink our way across the car park, before making a high-speed dash into the ward. I used the laundry trolley I was pushing to give us some cover. Having run alongside the gentleman with dementia, I was most surprised to hear the nurse say on his return, 'He's been nothing but trouble since he forgot that he couldn't walk.' Never underestimate the power of the mind. Whatever the reality we are presented with, locked down or otherwise, the ability of our minds to throw us off, or lift us up, is enormous.
One of the key things, then, will be mental health. We all have mental health, but it probably says quite a lot that our first reaction to the phrase often conjures up something negative. When I use the word health, we don't immediately picture someone with a broken leg. If we are talking, and you have a broken arm, I don't ignore your broken arm. Nor do I start with the perspective that it will never get better. I am, though, absolutely going to ask you how it happened and be interested in the crazy story that led to the situation - there usually is a good story. The challenge, of course, is how to create a comfortable environment where people can talk if they want to. 'Excuse me, you seem to have a broken leg. Can I help?' My experience also tells me that we should accept the response we are given without judgement.
To return to my friend in the car park, this is how the story started. I worked in Newton Abbot Hospital delivering clean laundry to the wards. As I headed across the car park a gentleman wearing a hospital gown ran towards me.
'Are you alright?' I asked. 'You seem a little confused.' The response I got was not what I expected.
'Get under-cover you bloody idiot, you'll be killed.'
Years of drama training had prepared me for this pastoral emergency.
"Where are they?"
'The planes, can't you see them?' he demanded pointing aloft.
"Right yes, of course. We should get under cover."
The only problem with this was that my trolley of towels was on wheels, had no brakes, and this guy could run pretty quickly. I had no choice but to join in.
'Oi, this way - look the base is over there,' I said pointing to the ward I assumed he'd escaped from.
'Use the trolley for cover.'
Now before you say that this is fun story but unhelpful, it is not his state of mind that is worth noting. As we sat on the steps catching our breath he said, 'Well done boy. Quick thinking.' I felt enormously proud that a decorated military officer had complimented me on my actions. I had run up a 1/3 hill with a load weighing 200lbs, checked the sky at least twice to see what direction the planes were coming from, and decided the enemy would not be able to see us from the south side of the ward. It made my day.
My experience tells me that we need to be more candid. Whether your mental health is good or bad, whether you are the helper or the helped, our inability to discuss the issues doesn't make it better. Nor does pretending we are not struggling so as to maintain the status quo. Going back to the start, I think it is helpful to know how people feel about things, rather than having to guess. Nor should there be any more stigma to poor mental health. Wouldn't it be lovely if we could talk about it like we do anything else? I think we are probably going to have to. I know how important that candour is.
So, in that spirit, I say that I both want the church open tomorrow, and for it to stay closed for much longer. How I feel about that changes by the day or the hour. I know the direction we are called to, and I know that it is going to involve a much bigger and better online presence. I know that for those who are housebound and for those who we had lost but are now returning, we can never drop the new way of being. I know all this because I can see it working. Does that make me ok with it? Well, a bit like Wesley and street preaching, let's just say that I am coming round to the idea. In the first few weeks of the online church I was having panic attacks on a weekly basis. Returning to my regiment in Newton Abbot seemed pretty appealing. Now, so many weeks on, it feels relatively normal. I should be ok with it, I trained to perform, but 'should' and 'assume' need to be dropped from our vocabulary. We are going to have to do a lot of new things over the next few months, and it is perfectly valid to say that we are worried by it. We may not be able to stop progress, but we can keep each other safe as we run across the battlefield.
God bless,
Rev Andrew.
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May 2020
Dear all,
“A letter of understanding”
I am mildly amused by the term that many of you will recognize from the ministerial stationing system. Even if you know nothing of the Methodist internal machinations, “letters of understanding” are commonly used in business too. They are a sort of catch all document covering the verbally agreed start to your new employment. What they rarely talk about is anything vaguely recognizable as a pastoral understanding of anyone. These are not empathic documents!
In the current scenario, and with our heads gummed up with endless government pronouncements and statistics, I always try to have something positive to say. I suspect some people think though, that I have lost the plot. All this talk of positive futures and a better world to come, must be utterly maddening.
Whatever else, I do genuinely believe that we are entering a brave new world, but this is not on the basis of some delusional misunderstanding of the situation. Nor is it because I am ignoring the darker truths of this life. In the hope that you might better hear my sense of God’s deep and unending love, and in the certainty of hope for tomorrow, I thought I had better share some of my internal machinations – my “letter of understanding” as it were.
I have a friend who couldn’t find an optimistic thought with a torch and another one who analyses every statistic, then sends them to me. I love them dearly, but their method of getting through all this would drive me nuts. The point is though, that it works for them. So, let’s begin our letter by saying be kind to yourself. I don’t survive all the rubbish the same way you do, but that doesn’t mean you are wrong, or I am right. We all do strange things to get by, and now of all times, we need to be generous to ourselves and say – I need that, I need to filter the world through my own kind of crazy – it’s my crazy and I love it.
Secondly, let’s be kind to one another. “I understand.” Some days the people around us won’t function the way we expect them too. Sometimes they might do nothing at all, or suddenly rush round and try and do two hundred things before breakfast. They may not even know why they are doing it, nor will you have a clue that you are doing it too. Some will shout, and some will be silent – and that is ok.
Finally, be true to yourself. If you are afraid, if you are not bothered by it all, if the whole thing is challenging your faith, then that is an acceptable thing to feel – don’t spend a lot of time trying to figure out what you should be feeling.
Ascension Sunday is coming, and we will rise with the Saviour to a better life in this world and the next, and I say that because I understand. In this role, and a number of previous ones, I have seen the worst that the world has to throw at us. I have experienced it, heard the stories, and sat with the victims. This job is an honour, but it comes with a cost.
I do not believe in the beauty of the world because I can’t see the darkness, but because I walk with it. In owning my own darkness what I see is that the world rises again and again. People overcome, transcend, and bring about the greatest of wonders. The finest poetry is born out of the deepest despair, the greatest love is shown in the darkest times, and I know there will be a wonderful tomorrow, because it has happened over and over again. In the love of Christ, we will ascend and be free – because we always do.
Be kind to yourself, be kind to one another, and be true to your feelings.
God bless,
Rev Andrew.
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Easter 2020
Dear All,
I am not sure when you will be reading this, but I am going to make a prediction. In a few weeks from now I imagine that the worst of this crisis will be over. Thereafter there will be a steady loosening up of the movement restrictions. I am no expert, but we all know how these things go. Of course, way down the line, this will be the thing of legend - the hero NHS, the surreal events and the wonderful people who kept us going. We will tell tales of our wondrous survival - and the brave new world that came after.
It’s easier for those of us that saw the Cold War, or who were there when those awful AIDS warnings went out on TV. It’s harder when you are young I think. If you've been there before you recognize the hyperbole, and the realities. But for our youth and children this is a face of the world they do not know - nor have they realised their own strength yet. One of the great victims of this will be mental health - and that may take longer to fix than a virus.
I was inspired to write this by Beckie, who posted a video on Facebook - an ode to our current scenario. If you haven't listened to it, you should. It inspired me to remember the virtue of hope - and of the need for honesty and openness about our feelings and fears. In fact all our cherubs here in the house have inspired me by their creative approach. If the future is in their hands, things are going to be just fine - oh, and our minds will be much healthier too.
It encouraged me to think about our role as a church, and our future. To start with, we need to stop people saying stupid things. We need to stop the talk of the apocalypse and how no one’s lives will be the same. Us previous survivors need to be speaking truth: the truth that actually, mostly, our lives will return to normal, that if anything, things should be better because of what we learned. We need to be there to support those who emotionally got battered by all this.
We also need to be the voice of experience - the voice that says that human rights and freedoms must be returned, for we all know how that game plays out.
Most of all we need to be there as the reminder of the source of all hope, the source of love and the antidote to fear. For all things shall be well. We shall be well.
God bless,
Rev Andrew.
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17 March 2020
Dear all
Currently there is so much information flying about in connection with this virus, that it must seem like the whole world has gone mad. Inevitably as your minister, I have yet another update on the ongoing situation! I know that this is all very frustrating – and in many cases quite scary but be reassured. All this chaos is about prevention. It is still very rare to catch this disease, and even if you do catch it, most people only experience very mild symptoms. I am told that for most people it is less horrible than flu.
It is important, though, that for the small number who might get the serious version, or who are more vulnerable, that we make our churches as safe as possible. In this particular moment – and for the next few weeks – it means we won’t be having formal gatherings or worship in the church. This is partly to make sure the NHS has time to prepare for any problems. During the coming weeks I and pastoral visitors will be phoning round to make sure you are ok – and to see if there is anything you need. I’ll also be asking if anyone is free to help shop etc. for those who are self-isolating.
Please also note that the church does not have the same definition of ‘old’ that the government do. We will not be asking your age when we discuss how we ‘do’ church in these strange times. The issue is not whether you are over 70, but whether you believe that you would be at particular risk – i.e. be sensible if you have an ongoing health concern.
Listed below is the advice that we are being given.
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE:
NO CHURCH SERVICES. We are encouraged to have the church open for personal prayer at times when we would normally have services but there will be no official gathering. This is so people will not feel like they are missing something or feel obligated to attend.
NO GROUPS (no lent groups, house groups or coffee mornings)
BOOKINGS can continue. The church is not responsible for external groups, and since the government is yet to close schools etc. then the various organisations that use our churches can continue to do so. The groups are asked to make sure that they clean properly after they finish including wiping door handles etc.
WE ARE BEING ENCOURAGED TO:
I) Check regularly with members of the church by phone
II) To make worship available online, in recordings and in materials to circulate.
III) That children’s groups and messy church circulate materials where possible to help with families stuck at home with children
If there are any problems with any of this, please please feel free to contact me and discuss. I will be meeting with Jenny Harris tomorrow (Instead of there being a lent group at HHMC) to discuss online church. As soon as we have met, there will be information circulated as to how you can access these things.
Although I may ask for your help in doing so, it is my responsibility to circulate worship materials. Please help me compile a list of those not able to receive emails or see the blogs and online information. If there are local preachers, worship leaders or other creative souls, also willing to circulate worship materials this would be wonderful. The more the merrier. I am sure that people would happily receive two sets of prayers rather than none! This way we can make sure they receive prayers and personal devotional materials during the weeks ahead.
In the end all this will pass. I hope that in a matter of a few weeks we will look back on this with wry smile. In the meantime, I recommend a sense of humour and making the most of any free time we find ourselves with. This is the time to start that book, write that poem, or finish that project. God is with us in our endeavours and we know the Holy Spirit is with us.
Love and God bless
**********
Andrew
March 2020
Dear all
This time of year – especially as we say farewell to storms Dennis and Ciara – I find myself, like Noah, watching the skies for signs of a new age. The winter feels like it should have ended by now, and the budding snowdrops seem to be acting in defiance rather than prophecy.
Maybe there isn’t an exciting thing to write about in this grey time? I always find it hard to decide what to put in newsletters anyway, or even what is pressing enough for a mention on social media. I know some people can post what they had for lunch and make it gripping - but I always feel like I need a decent excuse - and some editing. Shall we cancel February due to lack of interest then? NO – for this month is full of heroic tales. Even for myself I got to review the newspapers on BBC Three Counties Radio with Nana Akua, had to stand in a storm and reconstruct a bunny hutch that had lost its roof, and experienced a lady in a residential home telling me the two of the best jokes I'd ever heard.
If I was looking for a profound message, I might suggest there was something about finding God in the unexpected - but all of this pales into insignificance next to the funeral of one David Brider that I had the privilege to take. David was a Dr Who fan, a prodigious communicator on Facebook and had a wonderful sense of humour. In life he often encouraged people to be themselves - including me - and I knew taking his funeral I'd be in danger of that ministerial trap, theme related incidences happening on the way to the pulpit.
What I did not expect was my trousers catching fire. As I tried to flatten my clothes for David's funeral, an overheated iron ignited the plasticky polyesters. A flash of flame blew a hole through the fabric, and little tattered shards floated across the kitchen. Interestingly the smoke detectors that pass judgement on each piece of toast I make, did not think this was a problem.
Maybe not everything is a sign or a message, but I am certain that David would have appreciated the gag. And maybe this time of year we just need something to cheer us up.
God bless
Rev Andrew
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January/February 2020
Dear All,
Happy New Year - well, and possibly, maybe, depending on your perspective - the start of a new decade. (I know some are waiting for 2021!)
A time of hope? Change? To some extent we know that every new start comes both optimism and fear. In another sense, the New Year is just a meaningless line in the sand. It isn't so much a religious festival anymore and, if you were working, the clock probably ticked over with little more than a greeting to colleague, and a tea break.
In my first sermons this year I am talking about what I am calling the ‘new puritanism’ and our history as non-conformists. That sounds a lot heavier than it is in reality. What I will be encouraging us to think about, as we disciple our way through the 20s, is what happens after. There is always an after, and it is usually the result of a very large before. There was an election - now there is after.
There will be a Brexit and then there will be after. There was a building project, now there is after. There was Christmas, there was a year full of events - and if nothing else the arbitrary line says, "Hey folks, it’s time for after."
So as you face the heap of recycling, hoover up after the last guest has gone, or hide the empty wine bottles at the bottom of the bin, it is natural to start saying what shall we do next? As we get older the temptation is always to think that
that next maybe not so exciting or hopeful. The best could all be in the past. In our house we are learning about a future in which the children have moved out. What does that mean to us in the new year?
Whatever happened previously our faith tells us we need to stand up for certain things. In following Christ we are by definition trouble makers, reputational risks, and what my Aunt Win would have called 'occer'd cusses.' As disciples we
know that the establishment, whoever they are, must be reminded of the equality of humanity under God, the beautiful nature of His creation - and that we are all spiritual beings imbued with love. There is a lovely word/phrase for
this. We must as a church remain counter-cultural.
What I am trying to say at the start of this new year is that we need to remember that there is constantly a new start in Christ. The world tries to teach us to be cynical, to fear life, and to think ourselves beyond hope. Christ’s consistent message was that at every stage of a voyage we should be ready to kick the dust off of our heels and move forward. Our lives are not bound by human limits. There is always tomorrow, and we know that in this world or the next that tomorrow has hope, joy and wonder. In conclusion then I remind myself and you all, that we are to enter the Kingdom of God like a child - with open hearts, minds and doors. What might that look like? Well Greta Thunberg sat outside a school ......
Looking forward to many adventures with you all.
God bless
Rev Andrew
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December 2019
Dear All
So the truth is out. Something important is going to happen in December. Sadly it turns out that from the national news, it isn't Christmas. At the time of writing the election for the 12th had just been announced. Probably by the time of reading they'll have moved it to the 25th - after all nobody works then - well apart from ministers of course.
It's worth remembering that Jesus was born into a similar time of political chaos. A Jewish nation under foreign rule, an imposed census and plenty of trouble between religious and political leaders. Jesus birth represented then the idea of stability under a powerful Messiah. Instead they got a baby who caused even more issues.
We now know what wonders Jesus represented - but we know it in hindsight. This year let us make a pledge to pray for all the people who find themselves affected by the instability of nations and leaders. Jesus taught us through his life to ignore the division and speak of love and light. He taught us that good words and acts of kindness can change the world for the better.
I think that is what Paul meant when he said Christians are above the law. Not that we are lawless, but that we must always hold up the message of Christmas, hope, in the face of those who only have the law. I have no idea what the situation will be by Christmas - or whether we will all be living on the moon - but I do know that our leader is strong and stable. Also thankfully he isn't up for re-election.
God bless
Rev Andrew
October 2019
Dear All
Ah yes, October. Must be time to start worrying about Christmas. We have a passing dig at the commercial word for bringing out the Christmas tat just after Halloween, but the Methodist church is worse. Our dates for the preaching plan have to be in by September. I don't know about you, but I am still working out what happens this week – let alone what happens early next year. Oh I know that planning is good, and that the Spirit can work through the organised and the spontaneous, but there is a risk in our way of doing church.
Whilst we are always grateful to those willing to assemble rotas and be on them, the truth is that constant conversations about the next thing sometimes preclude us being ‘in the moment'. The Martha and Mary debate, as it were. Part of being God's creation is to experience the nature of God in the world. You know what I mean; that buzz, that tingle, that joy in being loved and in love. The Bible assures us that we shouldn't worry. That our lives are in his hands. Sometimes we need to take time to enjoy what we have right here, right now.
Last month I asked you to think about your contradictions. This month I am adding the question, ‘are you a planner or a blagger?’ I think it’s really important to both leave space for others who are different to ourselves, and to walk a mile in another person’s shoes.
To sum up here is an example. Imagine that you are – as you may well be, or have been – a young parent. Your child is at an age when feeding routines and nappies dictate the parameters of your life. You'd like to be involved in church life, but don't know until the day what time is available. How, as a church, do we plan so that there is space for those who can't plan?
God bless
Andrew
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September 2019
Dear All
As I sat in the traffic Jam on the M25 I pondered what I could write to you, by means of an introduction. Facts? Age 54, married (to Ruth) and with two 'growed' up children; Ben and Beckie (21 and 18 - yes, it has been an expensive year.) I am not sure if the facts help. I could tell you stories. At school I was asked to write an essay describing myself. I put, 'I am seven feet tall, bright green and have a vivid imagination.' Whilst I am shorter and less green now, I still have a vivid imagination.
The best description I ever heard of me was during the candidating process. My then mentor said, 'Andrew is a bundle of contradictions.' It was meant as a criticism, but I think it was brilliant. If nothing else I think it is a good description of all of us. Give me a person who is entirely consistent and I'll show you a robot. As Christians we often find ourselves wearing a multitude of hats, and dealing with a variety of situations. Each one of which may bring out something contradictory in us.
We are in good company. The disciples were living examples of how to be in a muddle. The Bible itself contains some wonderful contradictions. I've heard it argued many times that the Bible isn't the truth because of the anomalies. For me it is exactly the opposite. One of the reasons I can refute the conspiracy theories and defend the Bible as the word of God, is that no human built organisation would leave the anomalies in. The Bible is not a corporate document. It challenges us to wrestle with it and to seek the truth. My anomalies are God given - as are yours.
For myself, I am a creative writer who can't spell or punctuate, an actor who eschews being on stage, and a Methodist minister who likes to robe and wear pretty scarves. My fun challenge in this welcome letter is to ask the same of you! When we meet I'd like to hear about your contradictions. Try scribbling down a few statements in that format - I am “an X” who does “Y”, I am “a this” who does “that”. To know ourselves, and each other better, is to know God better.
I am looking forward to getting started properly here. Ruth and I love the manse, and even the rabbits are looking less confused. See you soon.
Love and God bless
Rev Andrew
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