Newsletter: July, 2005

Words and Actions

In St Matthew Gospel 13:1-9,18-23 Jesus tells the parable of the sower to a crowd of people and explains its meaning to his disciples. We learn that God’s word, although heard by many, can only take root and flourish in soil that is well prepared to receive and nourish it.

An author was being interviewed following the success of her first novel that had become a best seller in record time. She was asked how it felt to be so successful so early in her writing career. The author replied: “When I’d finished that book it felt like I’d given birth to a child. It was hard work and painful but once it was completed I had a huge sense of achievement. Then I felt a huge anxiety as I sent my ‘child’ out into the world. I couldn’t protect it, or me, from criticism or rejection. I could only send it out and hope and trust that some people would like it and value it. Now it’s done so well I feel proud and happy but I also feel a sense of wonder that I could produce such a piece of work.”

We live our lives in a public arena and we influence people, often in ways we cannot imagine. As the author felt vulnerable when her book was published so we, too, may be aware of our inability to control the way others react to us. Sometimes, though, we may feel that there is a force much greater than ourselves working in our lives and communicating with the people around us.

Our words and actions, like the seed of the parable, scatter around our homes, work places, churches and neighbourhoods. What happens when our words and actions are centred on making the word of God known in our communities? Perhaps when Jesus is talking in the parable about the word of God he is also talking about himself as the living word — the Word that was in the beginning with God and which became human and lived among us. The seed in the parable might also represent the life of the Spirit, which, Jesus lived on earth — a life of loving, giving and caring and a joyful trusting in God’s promises.

People responded to Jesus in different ways. Some took no notice of him at all. Some, among them the Pharisees, were hostile to him like the rocky ground where the seed just could not take root. Some came eagerly to hear him speak and gladly accepted his healing but were not prepared to take things any further, to allow him fully into their lives to transform them. But some did watch, listen, learn and love and in their turn they lived out the life of the Word of God. Their lives witnessed to the grace and beauty of the Word made flesh and drew many others to that Word, that Life of Love that succeeded in the task that he was sent to accomplish. We are called to follow Jesus and to live the life of God’s Spirit as he did.

When we watch Jesus teaching and healing we see that he lives his life in much the same way as the sower sows the seed. He does not select the best people to talk to, the intelligent ones who are most likely to understand what he says; he does not only heal those who are likely to be of use to him in the future; he does not just spend time with people who can give him influence, power and status. He lives and loves indiscriminately, some say irresponsibly, mixing with disreputable, ungrateful and shallow people because he knows that in doing so he will also be loving the people who will respond with their love and offer their lives to be healed and transformed.

Our calling is to live our lives with the same sort of reckless love. Like Jesus we may face rejection, scorn or ridicule. Like Jesus, we may be accepted at a very shallow level and then discarded when things get difficult, we may find it hard to make ourselves heard above the noise and distraction that can drown out our music.

We cannot control or demand specific responses about the message we pass on. All we can do is act out of loving-kindness to everyone and trust God to fulfil his purpose. We may never know the long-term effect we have on people through our words and actions but we can trust that God will continue to work after we’ve moved on. We can prepare the ground and sow the seed, but it is God who ultimately causes seeds to take root, to grow, to flourish and to bear abundant fruit.

Lorna C. Smith

VICAR ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT
On a hot July day some years ago, The Hon. Betty Boothroyd, Speaker of the House of Commons announced her retirement. There was uproar in the House and she took several minutes to restore order – I will never forget her saying, “Be happy for me, boys”. I was privileged to be present for Prime Minister’s Question Time at the end of which she read her statement.

The time has come for me to announce my retirement from the Parish of Englefield Green. It is with great sadness, because my health is no longer good enough for the strenuous lifestyle needed for the job. I have enjoyed the challenges this community has presented and give thanks for all the many people that I have met over the past eight and a half years. Please be happy for me in my retirement, which will begin on All Saints’ Day, 1st November 2005.

ARCHDEACONS APPOINTED
Bishop Christopher has announced that Canon Julian Henderson, Vicar of Holy Trinity, Claygate, has agreed to be the next Archdeacon of Dorking and Canon Stuart Beake, of Coventry, the next Archdeacon of Surrey.

NEWS IN BRIEF
The Crusaders leaders report a wonderful time at camp at Waverley Woods at the beginning of June — the children are looking forward to next year already.

PRAYER SAFARI
The ten Churches of the Methodist Circuit from Feltham to Virginia Water are hosting a Prayer Safari on Saturday 2nd July. Each church will be involving as many other congregations as possible to pray for the needs of the community, the world and the Church. The whole journey is 16 miles and involves 10 stopping points with suitable refreshments as well as prayer. You can travel how you will and come to as many of the stopping points as you choose. It starts at Feltham at 8.00am and reaches St Jude’s Church by about 3.00pm where refreshments will be available outside until after the wedding and then inside. The day ends with a picnic, games, festivities and a celebration service at Staines Riverside beginning at 5.15pm.

FROM THE REGISTERS
Holy Baptism:
(3rd April) Donald Keith Goldsmith; Luke John Burson; Simon John Willis; Keeley Jane Pashley; Emma Catherine Windle; Zara Clare Matthews; (17th) Jacob Stuart Scott; Victoria Louise Pearce.

Funerals:
(4th April) Marian Whitten; (5th) Tony Wakeling; (11th) Reginald George Ernest Furlonger.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

COFFEE MORNING
There will be a Coffee Morning in the Porch of the Methodist Church in Victoria Street on Saturday 2nd July from 10.00am to 12 noon. This will be in aid of the Make Poverty History campaign. There will be cakes, books and Traidcraft (Fair Trade) goods.

There will be no Coffee Morning at St Jude’s Church in July as it is the day of our Summer Fair (more details are shown elsewhere in this Newsletter).

ST JUDE’S SCHOOL LEAVERS
We are pleased that the Leavers (Year 6) from St Jude’s School will be attending the Leavers’ service in Guildford Cathedral on Thursday 14th July. We wish them well in their new schools and hope that they take with them fond memories of both Church and School.

WILLOW GRANGE
The Open Afternoon at Willow Grange (the Bishop’s residence) will be on Sunday 3rd July from 2.00pm ending at 5.30pm with a “Songs of Praise” service. Directions to get there (Woking Road, Guildford) can be obtained from the Vicar.

CALENDAR FOR JULY 2005