Newsletter: January, 2005

Follow me!

Jesus said, “Follow me” and immediately they left their nets and followed him.’ (Matthew 4:19-20)

Organisations go to extraordinary lengths to recruit the right people. Yet Jesus finds the leaders of the early Church simply by walking beside the local lake and suggesting to four men — who were already busy at some other trade — that they should follow him! It seems a remarkable and inefficient way of filling a major appointment. Can you picture a modern company recruiting staff in this way? These men were being called to an amazing new life. They were to see miracles, to hear teaching, to be put in danger and fear. They were to see Jesus transfigured on the mountain, and crucified on the hill. They were to face death themselves because on that morning by the lake they “immediately left their nets and followed him”.

Matthew was writing to people who knew the Jewish scriptures. His readers would be familiar with phrases like: “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” — but he begins to explain to them that a new light has dawned, and its beginnings are at the Sea of Galilee. Peter and John — whom the Sanhedrin would later on call “ignorant laymen” (Acts 4:13) — with James and Andrew, are the first of the chosen twelve. Their acceptance of Jesus’ call meant a complete change in their lives. They were to be taught new concepts, to witness enthusiastic crowds and growing hostility. They were to realise that this man who had called them was the Messiah. They were to be among the first to realise that although he had been crucified and killed, he conquered death and was alive again.

The Gospels tell us of this transformation in their lives. They went through many times of doubt and misunderstanding in their belief. They argued about who was greatest, they struggled when Jesus spoke of turning the other cheek, of regarding possessions as of no importance, or when he deliberately touched people with leprosy, or spent time with a Gentile woman, and, finally, when Jesus went to Jerusalem and to death. These were things that they were to share in this new life spent with him who was ‘the Christ, the Son of God’.

Of course not all those who were called to follow Jesus, did so. Some found the teaching too hard to take. John tells us how many of his disciples withdrew and no longer went about with him (John 6:66) after Jesus had spoken of himself as the bread of life. One of the chosen twelve betrayed Jesus. The religious leaders of the day for the most part rejected Jesus’ call to change their lives, their worship and their concept of God.

It must be obvious from the Gospel, that to follow Jesus faithfully has never been an easy option. Many people today say quite easily that they are Christians, and we would be wrong to deny that claim. We claim to be Christians ourselves, yet how would we have responded to Jesus? Would we have had the courage to go with him to Jerusalem to face hostility, rejection and death?

If we accept that Jesus still calls people to be his disciples — that he calls each one of us — to follow him then we need to understand what the cost will be. Perhaps Peter, Andrew, James and John left their father and their nets without fully understanding what their acceptance of Jesus’ call would mean. But they stayed, and they learned, and they put their faith in Jesus, so that in a few years these unlikely first followers of Jesus were responsible for the growth and the life of the Christian Church. That Church, like the Church today, was not easy to lead. There were arguments about change. About who could become a Christian. About the same things that people get excited about now — mission, sex, gender, unity. In all these circumstances they must have looked back to that first call — as we should too — the call from Jesus himself to follow him. So the call to us today is to follow, and to lead others to discover the truth of Jesus, who says to us all today: “Follow me.”

Lorna C. Smith

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.

CHRISTMAS AT ST JUDE'S
The Crib Festival was well visited and will certainly be repeated next year.

The 4.00pm Service in St Jude’s on Christmas Eve was the best attended service of Christmas. It was wonderful to see so many children and parents (and buggies!). Perhaps congregations are now hesitating before coming out for the Midnight Mass service at 11.30pm. If you have any views on this, please email us at: services@stjudeschurch.info

The cash collections at the Christmas services (not envelopes) has been sent to the Bible Lands Society in this their 150th anniversary year.

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
Diamond Marriage Blessing:
(18th December) Norman and Betty Bartlett.

Funerals:
(30th December) Colin Morris.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

CHURCH ACTIVITIES
Coffee Mornings (and Afternoon Teas) at Church take a break now for a while. The next one is likely to be in April.

Meanwhile, knitting blankets/Teddies for Tragedies continues both at home and in Church on Saturday afternoons. If you knit, please do join in. If you don’t, then contributions towards the cost of the wool, needles etc would be very gratefully received.

UNICEF GIFTS AND CARDS
Many thanks to all those who bought Unicef gifts and cards this year.

CALENDAR FOR JANUARY 2005