Christ Church, Longridge

Dear Friends,

You know, they say that one of the best ways to sustain a meaningful relationship is to keep talking to each other – whether that is just communicating the day’s events, or through a more in-depth conversation. It is an important part of keeping that relationship alive and fresh.

I would say it goes for all our relationships, whether it’s personal or communal – but perhaps it is particularly vital when considering what should be our number one relationship – our relationship with God.

Talking to God – aka Prayer – is the way we let God know how we are feeling – what we are doing – what we’d like to do – what problems we have…. and whilst it’s true that God already knows all of this before we even know it ourselves, God wants us to voice the words, to cry out in times of trouble, to simply let Him know how things are with our soul.

The Prayer-life we have, both as individuals and as a community of faith together, I believe, should therefore be at the top of our list of priorities in everything we do – but is it?

Instead of taking a few moments at the beginning and ending of each day to talk to God, we sometimes forget, or get distracted by the busyness of our lives. Talking to God then becomes an afterthought rather than a priority.

Rather than an on-going conversation with Him during our day, we try to squeeze in a few moments when we remember.

It’s a good job that God doesn’t really mind – He knows the failings of our humanity – but considering all the prompts and resources we have for prayer, both personal and corporate, do we really have any excuse worth voicing?

In Advent of 2009, the United Reformed Church – as part of the Vision4Life programme – began a year of prayer, with a booklet called ‘Praying our days’ – and followed that up this year with its prayer handbook entitled, ‘Still Praying’.

The Methodist Church is also focussing on a Year of Prayer in 2012, with many useful resources being produced.

Within Christ Church itself, there are many opportunities for both personal and corporate prayer. How many can you think of?

Perhaps the most recent development within the Prayer Life of our church has been the commencement of the ‘Prayer Breakfast’ – which takes place on the first Sunday of the Month (normally Communion Sunday). It starts at 9am with a time of discernment, reflection and prayer, led by one of the group. During this time, prayer can be spoken or unspoken – both are important, and as we are ‘amongst friends’, those nervous of praying aloud need not feel under pressure. It ends with the group leader bringing the time of prayer to a close – and the sharing of cereal and toast for breakfast.

Those of us who have attended Prayer Breakfast, I hope, would agree with me that this time of sharing together has been of immense value – and we would encourage everyone who is able to, to come along and try it out, because it’s not the same as being lead in prayer during the actual service. 

Imagine if we had the whole congregation of Christ Church gathered together, praying together our individual and collective concerns and hopes for our church, sharing in the fellowship of food together – God only knows what it would lead too!

The next Prayer Breakfast will be on Sunday 4^th December at 9am – God and I would love to see you there!

Yours in Christ,

Helen   <><

Dear Friends,

Anyone who has email communication will surely receive some that just make you stop and think.

I received one such email recently which had a link to a YouTube film clip – and if you are able perhaps you’d like to watch it too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzgzim5m7oU

In case you can’t, this short film illustrates the power of words to radically change your message and your effect upon the world. It was made by an online marketing company, but through the power of YouTube, it has received over seven and a half million hits. Continue reading »

Dear Friends,

Life as a Minister can often be as confusing as it is rewarding. Let me explain….

At the moment there doesn’t seem to be a day goes by without some new initiative or mission opportunity dropping into my post-box or clogging up my ‘inbox’ – all of which call for either my own or Christ Church’s time and energy. There is just so much around to choose from – including the Vision4Life Year of Evangelism (which begins in Advent), and the launch of ‘Bible Fresh’ (a partnership of over 50 agencies, festivals and denominations, including the Methodist Church, who are joining forces to encourage and inspire churches and individuals to make the most of the Bible in 2011 – which is the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible.)

As a church with two parent bodies, each clamouring for the attention of their ‘child’, the danger can often be that we either end up doing too much in the way of mission and evangelism, or not doing anything at all! However, all the material that is around can have the advantage of focusing our collective minds on how we ‘live for Christ, in the heart of our community’ (our mission statement!) – And providing we agree that whatever we do is right for our membership and is the will of God – what’s the problem!!

The problem is that faced with too much, we can become over stretched and overwhelmed – or like me, confused, bewildered!
The solution, I believe, is to firstly focus on the very thing that underpins our church and fellowship – Prayer!

Recently a group of Christ Church folks, met together to discuss how healthy our church prayer-life is (see article in this issue of the Messenger) – and I think we were all encouraged by what is happening – whether we are all aware of it or not. New ideas were expressed, and old ones revamped, but I think we all agreed that at the heart of everything we do, now or in the future, must be the notion of ‘taking it to God in Prayer’. Certainly, as I try to sift through everything that requires my attention, the first thing I try to do is to ask God’s advice – I find he usually knows what’s best for me!

Yours in Christ,

Helen
<><

Dear Friends,

It’s been an interesting few weeks! As you read this I will just have had two weeks of holiday interspersed with a Minister’s Retreat on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne – and as I reflect on my experiences, I realise how fortunate I have been in coming into contact with some of Earth’s ‘Thin Places’.

‘What is a thin place?’ you may ask! In the Celtic tradition it is place that gives us an opening into the magnificence and wonder of God – and there is a Celtic saying that heaven and earth are only three feet apart, but in the thin places that distance is even smaller.

A thin place, then, is where the veil that separates heaven and earth is lifted and one is able to receive a glimpse of the glory of God. Contemporary poet Sharlande Sledge gives this description:

“Thin places,” the Celts call this space,
Both seen and unseen,
Where the door between the world
And the next is cracked open for a moment
And the light is not all on the other side.
God shaped space. Holy.

It is no wonder that thin places are most often associated with wild landscapes – and one such place I found was at the top of Helm Crag at Grasmere.

We were staying in Ambleside, thanks to a Christmas gift from our eldest son and daughter-in-law, Dan and Lowri. After a particularly ‘full’ Lakeland Breakfast, Colin and I agreed that we should go out for a walk. It was a lovely day – so with guide map duly purchased – we set out on one of the ‘short’ walks suggested – only 3 miles! The trouble was that most of it was vertical!

Despite the fact that my body may have indicated otherwise, I did not have a coronary – and though it may have taken us a couple of hours, we did reach ‘The Lion and The Lamb’ (a rock formation at the summit). Once I had got my breath back, I sat amazed at the wonderful view, and contemplated the forces of nature which had shaped the landscape. This truly was a ‘thin place’.

Coming down was possibly more difficult than going up – and the muscles in my legs certainly made their presence known the following morning, when I tried to get out of bed.

Other ‘thin places’ were found on the route between Ambleside and Ravenglass, when we took the Wrynose Pass and Hardknott Pass – a car journey I will not forget for some time! As Colin commented – ‘we should come up here more often’ – to which I agreed. How about we all meet up there for worship one Sunday morning!!!

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne is another of those ‘thin places’, but not because of the sweeping grandeur of the mountains. A first time visitor to the island, and staying at the Lindisfarne Hotel, I found that once the tide came in and the causeway was closed, there existed a sense of solitude and quietness in which you could palpably feel the presence of God. Even the multitude of birds and seals (sadly didn’t see any puffins) which love to make their presence known, didn’t detract from this. And there is definitely something to be said about living in a place where life is determined by the incoming and outgoing tide.

I suppose the challenge for me now, and for all of us for that matter, is to find the ‘thin places’ that exist in my day to day life! Happy searching!

Helen <><

Dear Friends,

Recently I was invited to take part in something called ‘Time and Space’, which is an accompanied reflection for Ministers, organised by the United Reformed Church. Great, I thought, another thing to add to the list of ‘things to do’!!
The invitation came in early July, at about the time when I was busy preparing for two very important events – the wedding of our eldest son, Daniel, and the wedding of Susan and Ian Lawson – so I thought how nice it would be to reflect on these two ‘firsts’ as well as the many other positive aspects of ministry.
Unfortunately, as I was soon to find out, life as a ‘Minister in Pastoral Charge’ is not always so gloriously happy, because in the space of the few short weeks, up to the time of me writing this, I seem to have experienced the whole gamut of emotions – as well as feeling like I’d just had a trip on ‘The Big One’ at Blackpool Pleasure Beach!
I came back from Minister’s Summer School to find that a much loved member at my Fulwood church had died suddenly – then I took the funeral of a Longridge Lodge Resident – then it was off to Wales for Dan and Lowri’s big day – then my brother arrived from Canada for a visit – then our daughter Charlotte had her Graduation in Sheffield (and very nice it was too!) – then it was the Funeral of the Fulwood member – then it was Sue and Ian’s big day – then the newest member of the Turver family arrived – at about the same time as my brother-in-law, Martin, died very suddenly. So, as I write, we are preparing to make another trip down to Portsmouth for his funeral, which I will be taking.
What has sustained me, however, through all that has taken place, is not only the love and support of my family, friends and members of both my congregations, but the love and peace of God, who has richly blessed me during this time.
So when I do finally find the ‘time and space’ to ‘reflect’ on my two years here in Preston, and on the beginning of my third, I will continue to thank God that He brought me here, and ask for his continuing support and grace which allows me to be alongside some wonderful people during the peaks and troughs that life brings us.
Yours in Christ, Helen <><