Newsletter: February, 2004

God Will Reward You

Jesus said, “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6,18)
Little Polly Flinders sat among the cinders.
Warming her pretty little toes.
Her mother came and caught her
And whipped her little daughter
For spoiling her nice new clothes.”

So says the old nursery rhyme, and most children are probably able to identify with Polly Flinders’ bewilderment as her mother appeared from nowhere and took uncomfortable action. Mothers have long been said to have eyes in the back of their heads, and are adept at spotting their children preparing to get up to mischief.

Many people think of God in much the same way, as a sort of stern, Victorian schoolmaster with a cane in his hand and eyes everywhere, waiting to pounce on unsuspecting sinners the moment they contemplate mischief.

Nevertheless, in a reading, for the beginning of Lent, from Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus deliberately says, “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” He does not say, “Your Father who sees in secret will punish you.”

God is always looking for the best in us to encourage us and help us along the way, just as Jesus looked for the best in the woman who was caught in the act of adultery (John 8:1-11). In this story there is no mention of punishment for sin and it is clear from the Gospels that Jesus had a soft spot for sinners. Jesus had a real and deep love for those who were aware of their sin and reserved his hardest words not for sinners, but for hypocrites.

In Jesus’ day, those who were hypocrites were mostly to be found amongst the religious authorities. They put on an outward show of religion, but the love of God had not reached their hearts. God cuts through all outward show, says Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel and sees what is in the innermost parts of our being.

God is not looking to catch us out, but if we claim to love God when actually we are sour and miserable inside, God can’t help but “hear” the feeling rather than the words. Those who are aware of this find themselves praying, “God, forgive my sin and help my unlove.”

Little quiet acts of kindness and gently spoken words, which are mostly unremarkable to us and to other people, are heard and welcomed by God. As the Holy Spirit, the God within us all, develops and grows, so such little acts and quiet words become more frequent and more habitual. We don’t need to make a show before God because he knows our hearts; he knows of what we are made.

Sin militates against this inner closeness to God and this growth in our inner being. Sin is a kind of unpleasant stickiness, which drags at us and prevents us from reaching our true potential as human beings. Someone once described sin as “walking through treacle”, because we are so powerless to escape its clutches. Merely by being human, we all walk in the treacle of sin.

Sin is full of nasty little secrets that we all keep hidden often from ourselves, let alone from other people. So there are dark places within each of us, which are shut away from the presence of God and where we do not allow his light to penetrate.

Jesus explored all this darkness on the cross and faced all its worst secrets, expressed through the physical agony of the cross. Moreover, Jesus emerged unscathed from that terrible cross into a glorious, light-filled resurrection. Therefore, he conquered sin for all of us so that we too might experience freedom from sin and might experience the glorious new life which resurrection brings.

To take advantage of this act of Jesus on the cross, we need to acknowledge that we are indeed sinners and to open ourselves to God. The more we are able to open ourselves, the more God’s light will penetrate the depths of our being and the more we will experience that freedom from the stickiness of sin which Jesus achieved for us.

We are human beings, so such freedom rarely happens all at once because we are unable to let go of all our sin at once. But as we gradually allow God to penetrate deeper and deeper into the dark recesses of our being, so sin gradually loses its hold over us and we find ourselves stepping confidently forward into God’s amazing light.

The words of Jesus are true. Our Father does see what is in secret, and he will reward us.

Lorna Smith

NEWS IN BRIEF
In 1981 the Englefield Green Methodists celebrated 100 years of Worship and Witness in the building in Victoria Street which is now the Church Hall behind the existing Church. In March 2004, they are marking the Centenary of the Church (the listed building with the copper dome!).

They invite everyone to join them on Thursday 4th March to decorate the Church during the day and for Holy Communion at 7.00pm. On Friday 5th March, Pat McIntosh will speak at the Women’s World Day of Prayer Service at 2.00pm and on Saturday 6th March there will be Coffee and a Visual Display in the porch (for Crusaders) with Centenary Capers from 2.30pm to 4.00pm followed by a Bring and Share Tea. The celebrations end with a service on Sunday 7th March at 2.30pm.

PARISH CENTRE APPEAL
Total raised so far £87,525
Total expenditure so far £9,181
Total promises so far £17,688
Money available for project £96,032
Balance needed £403,968

Raised last month
Donations £131

FROM THE REGISTERS
Holy Baptism:
(11th January) Matthew Luke Charles Bates, Hannah Rosalind May Walmsley; (18th) Poppy Grace Woolger, Rosie Megan Woolger.

Funerals:
(7th January) John Spencer; (13th) Jessie (Joan) Walker; (15th) Violet Squire, William David Hopkins; (16th) May Sadako Bosman; (22nd) Mary Goddard; (23rd) Clara Willet; (27th) William Kingston; (29th) Raymond Goddard.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

COFFEE MORNING
Coffee Mornings now take a break for a while. We would normally start again in April but as the second Saturday in April is Holy Saturday with Easter Day next day, we have decided to start them again in May. The next one will be on Saturday 8th May from 10.00am.

AFTERNOON TEA FOR IRAN
Those of you who were unable to come to tea on Saturday 17th January, will have to imagine the scene — there were tables laid with white tablecloths with groups of people sitting at all of them (indeed we had to put up an extra table). Everyone was invited to tuck into cucumber sandwiches, scones, clotted cream, strawberry jam, fruit cake, tea brack, sponge, lemon slices amongst others. Coffee and several different teas were on offer (made from leaf tea in pots!). Everyone had a great time and seemed reluctant to go at the end of the afternoon.

As a result of all this enjoyment, we raised £582.20 to be sent to the Iran Earthquake Relief Appeal. Many thanks.

MOSIAC
Mosaic is a fairly new Chamber Choir which is soon to celebrate its first birthday. The choir consists of music graduates and highly experienced choral singers. Karen Faulkner was, for many years, Director of Music at Sir William Perkins's School, Chertsey, and several of the singers and the accompanist, Catherine Chew, were music students at the school.

MOSAIC aims to entertain the audience with a wide variety of styles, performing music from the Renaissance to the present day, both sacred and secular. Composers range from Tallis to the Beatles. The choral music will also be interspersed with instrumental solos performed by some of the multi-talented members of the group.

Whilst they thoroughly enjoy singing and performing, they hope that their skills can be of benefit to others and to this end they will perform in St Jude’s Church on Saturday 20th March at 7.30pm in aid of the Parish Centre.

MOSAIC will also be available for fund raising concerts for other charities and worthy causes. If you would like their help, please telephone 01483 831954.

LENT GROUPS 2004
The following groups will be meeting during Lent—
Sundays at 8.00pm
Geoff and Jenny Chew at The Vicarage


Mondays at 2.00pm (Book 3)
Val Ward at 29 Alderside Walk

Tuesdays at 7.30pm (Book 1)
Roy and Cassandra Gouriet at 12 Larksfield

Tuesdays at 7.30pm (Catholic Basics)
Fr David Maskell at the Jurgens Centre

Wednesdays at 11.00am (Book 2)
The Revd Lorna Smith
at St Jude’s Church

Wednesdays at 7.30pm (Book 1)
Ann and John Pym
at 6 Spencer Gardens

Wednesdays at 8.00pm (Why Course)
Rita Berry at 16 Laurel Avenue

The Books
Face to Face Cost — Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
Knowing and Growing — David Adam
Using the Jesus Prayer — Chichester Diocese.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES
Sunday 24th March at 4pm, Stations of the Cross at The Church of the Assumption.

Tuesday 6th April at 7.00pm Seder Meal at the Jurgens Centre.

Sunday 27th June at 6.30pm Songs of Praise at St Jude's.

Sunday 26th September at 4.00pm Harvest Service followed by tea at St Jude's.

Quiz Evening Saturday 1st May 7.30pm

Auction of Promises Saturday 26th June 7.30pm.

ROYAL HOLLOWAY
The Savoy Opera from Royal Holloway College will perform The Mikado on 26th and 27th February at 7.30pm and Saturday 28th February at 3.30pm and 7.30pm in the Social Hall, Harvest Road.

Jeremy Filsell will give an organ recital in the Chapel on 8th February 2004 in aid of the Chapel Choir Fund.

CALENDAR FOR FEBRUARY 2004
1 FOURTH SUNDAY of EPIPHANY 8.00am Holy Communion (BCP)
9.30am Youth Eucharist
8 THIRD SUNDAY before LENT (Septuagesima)
6.30pm Evensong and Sermon
15 SECOND SUNDAY before LENT (Sexagesima)
22 SUNDAY NEXT before LENT (Quinquagesima)
24 Shrove Tuesday 7.30pm Pancake Party with Entertainment at the Vicarage
25 ASH WEDNESDAY 10.00am Holy Communion and Ashing
8.00pm Holy Communion with Hymns and Ashing
29 FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT