Newsletter: February, 2005

Sinners Forgiven

Then neither do I condemn you — Go now and sin no more. (John 8.11)

What would Jesus say to members of the Christian Pro-Life Movement in America who assassinate doctors who have performed abortions? Or to Christians who sent death threats to Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Anglican bishop? Jesus would surely deny anyone who killed or threatened to kill others in his name, no matter how many verses from the Torah they may quote as justification.

In St John 8 v1-11 some scribes and Pharisees try to trap Jesus by asking him to pass judgement on an adulteress. If Jesus upholds the Mosaic Law which says she should be stoned to death, he will be flouting the Roman authorities’ sole right of execution. But if Jesus lets the woman go, he’ll be disobeying Moses. His enemies have surely got Jesus cornered this time! Or have they? The actions of Jesus are always as significant as his words and never more so than here, for Jesus crouches down and proceeds to write in the dust with his finger. He has taken the initiative from his attackers by positioning himself where he wants to be, in a place of lowliness and humility, not where his attackers were trying to place him, high on a judgment seat.

To increase their unease, Jesus delays his response. When it finally comes, we see even more clearly why Jesus has crouched down, for the simple act of straightening up must have silenced that pretentious crowd and made it seem like they were indeed about to hear a judgment from on high.

They thought there were only two possible answers to their question but Jesus gives them neither. Instead he does what all skilled debaters do: he steers the argument onto a different track. Notice he doesn’t say that the sentence of Moses was wrong. His response implies his agreement that the adulteress should be stoned — but he adds a condition. One of the woman’s executioners must be sinless and that sinless person has to throw the first stone, so everyone will know who is making such an outrageous claim. Then Jesus returns to writing in the dirt. This action is again important. If he’d remained upright and maintained eye contact with them, one of them would inevitably have argued the point, but Jesus leaves them to look at each other, asking the unspoken question ‘Will you claim to be without sin, because I’m not going to!’ You can hear the stones thudding to the ground as, one by one, the woman’s accusers admit they’ve been beaten yet again, starting with the older — and wiser — men.

During all this time we know that Jesus’ eyes never left the ground for he has to ask the woman if any of her accusers remain to condemn her. When she says, “No,” he replies, “Then neither do I condemn you”. Note that the forgiveness of Jesus comes from a source quite different from the Pharisees’ forgiveness. Theirs was forced out of them by their unwillingness to claim sinlessness, whereas the forgiveness of Jesus springs from his love for the woman. Jesus, being sinless, actually was the only one who had the right to condemn the woman but he chose not to. He freely forgives her. However, while he forgives the sinner, he condemns the sin and tells her to sin no more.

Jesus was probably aware of the way in which the Law concerning sexual matters was weighted against women — after all, it takes two to commit adultery but you don’t see the man being dragged before Jesus. Similarly, if Jesus walked through our cities and visited our prisons, he wouldn’t fail to notice the connection between drugs, crime and poverty, especially in the black ghettos of American cities. Society needs laws, but the whole ministry of Jesus suggests that a rigorous and mechanical application of the law is less than what people deserve, especially the poor and marginalised.

Put simply, Jesus would say that what our society needs is not tougher laws but tougher love, costly love, the kind of love that provides millions of Africans dying from Aids with subsidised drugs so they can live; the kind of costly love that makes the poor and ill-educated feel included; the weak and vulnerable feel protected; people who are black or Muslim or gay feel respected; the sick and lonely feel cared for; the sacrificial love that everywhere makes everyone feel they have value, especially those who have been consigned to society’s scrap heaps: for in God’s eyes they all do have value — as Jesus demonstrates time after time.

Lorna C. Smith

NEWS IN BRIEF
Please note that there will be no ecumenical Eucharist Service on Sunday 6th February in St Jude’s as the Methodists have a Circuit Event at Staines Methodist Church.

Runnymede Deanery is linked to the Diocese of Kebbi in Nigeria. Five representatives from this Deanery including the Rural Dean will be travelling there in February to strengthen the relationship and to carry out an audit of Church schools and to look at the viability of water projects. They also hope to build up a link with Church Schools in Runnymede.

Bishop Christopher will be visiting the Deanery on Monday 28th February and will be at St Jude’s Church at 2.15pm.

EARTHQUAKE DISASTER
Members of St Jude’s Church are sending donations to the Disaster Fund. If you would like to add to this, cheques made payable to St Jude’s PCC may be left in Church or sent to 11 Willson Road, Englefield Green, Egham, Surrey TW20 0QB.

ST JUDE'S KNITTING CIRCLE
The second consignment of Teddies and squares for blankets is now under way. This time we hope to send 100 teddies and, of course, as many blankets as we can. This is an ongoing project and will continue well into the coming year.

There is also an important way that those of us that do not knit can help. We need new, brightly coloured double knitting wool which may be brought to church on Saturday afternoons between 1.00 and 4.00pm or at any of the services and cash contributions towards this would also be appreciated.

FROM THE REGISTERS
Holy Baptism:
(8th January) Mackenzie James Padfield; (23rd) Lucy Jane Hovland, Isabella Kristina Cook.

Funeral:
(19th January) Irma Anna Green; (27th) Gaye Randall.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

LENT GROUPS
Mondays at 10.00am
Val Ward 29 Alderside Walk

Tuesdays at 7.30pm
Fr David Maskell The Jurgens Centre

Wednesdays at 10.45am
Lorna Smith St Jude’s Church

Wednesdays at 7.30pm
Ann Pym 6 Spencer Gardens

Wednesdays at 8.00pm
Rita Berry 16 Laurel Avenue

Thursdays at 8.00pm
Roy Gouriet 12 Larksfield

Sundays at 8.00pm
Geoff Chew, The Vicarage

More information about these groups may be obtained from the three Churches on the Green and all are welcome to join any of the groups. The group leaders will provide details of the book titles.

CHURCH ACTIVITIES
Coffee Mornings (and Afternoon Teas) at Church continue to take a break now for a while. The next one is likely to be a Coffee Morning on Saturday 9th April.

Meanwhile, knitting blankets/Teddies for Tragedies continues both at home and in Church on Saturday afternoons. Forty blankets have just been delivered to Guildford on their journey to devastated areas of Asia. More help would be appreciated for the sewing up the squares into blankets. Such items may be brought along to Church on Saturdays between 1.00 and 4.00pm.

BAPTISM
Many babies are not baptised into the Christian faith as parents believe that it is right to leave that choice to the child to be made at a later date.

There will be Baptism Preparation for Primary School children aged 6–10 years starting on Wednesday 2nd March at 3.30pm in St Jude’s Church and running for a further 2 weeks. The Baptisms will be at the 9.30am service on Sunday 3rd April. Please contact the Vicar if you know of anyone who is waiting for this opportunity.

DEANERY CONFIRMATION
The next Deanery Confirmation will be on Saturday 14th May at St Paul’s, Egham Hythe. The Vicar is collecting both adults’ and young people’s (aged 10 and above) names. Preparation will be organised depending on individuals wishing to be confirmed.

SEDER MEAL
Churches on the Green will once again be organising a Seder Meal on Tuesday 22nd March beginning at 7.00pm at the Jurgens Centre, Harvest Road. The cost will be £6 per head and tickets will be available at the Church of the Assumption, Englefield Green Methodist Church, Bishopsgate Evangelical Church and St Jude’s Church.

The Seder Meal is celebrated by the Jews at Passover and it is from this that the Christian Church derives its Holy Communion, Lord’s Supper, Mass and Eucharist.

CALENDAR FOR FEBRUARY 2005