Newsletter: January, 2006

Name this child

"After eight days had passed it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.”

The combined baptism and confirmation services in Guildford Cathedrals can be wonderful, faith-energising occasions. The candidates make their journey of faith from the nave, through the waters of baptism at the font, and on to their confirmation at the altar. It is a journey from death to life; rich with the symbolism of water for cleansing, oil for anointing and the encompassing and guiding light of Christ. It is a journey undertaken both individually and in community. There is a genuine sense of the fellowship as everyone moves around the cathedral, and the ceremony becomes a powerful and moving experience in which all participate.

One of the most powerful parts of ceremony comes with the naming of each person as they receive the waters of baptism, followed by the anointing and laying on of hands in confirmation. In a short time of silence, the candidates are each invited to reflect on the wonder of God’s love for them, individually and uniquely; that he calls them by name, and that they belong to him.

Since the time of God’s calling of Abraham and long before the time of baptism, circumcision had been the physical sign of the covenant between God and his chosen people, the Jews. It appears that the Jews were not alone in practising circumcision, but with them it took on a particular religious significance. In circumcising Jesus at eight days, Mary and Joseph were doing as any Jewish family would have done in order to fulfil the requirements of the law. Without circumcision, there was no membership of God’s chosen people.

At the time of his circumcision, Jesus was also formally given his name. The Jews believed that the name was of profound significance, being far more than simply a means of identification; it carried also the inner significance of a person — their function, character and essential being. The name Jesus was particularly significant in the light of later history. It is the Greek form of the name Joshua (“Yahweh is our salvation”), and as well as being a personal name, it also indicated the function later ascribed to Jesus in the title “Saviour”.

The brief reference to this double ritual of circumcising and naming is intriguing. On the surface all is normal, routine, and exactly what we would expect in the context of this family. Look a little closer, however, and there are one or two significant differences. Firstly, the normal practice in Old Testament times was to name the child immediately after the birth. In the case of Jesus (see also John the Baptist), the naming happens with the circumcision. Secondly, it was generally the mother or the father who named the child, but with Jesus the name is given by an angel of the Lord. The difference in detail seems to point up the fact that, while all births are special, this birth carries particular significance.

The double need to be known individually by name and yet also to belong to others is as deeply felt as it ever was. We see the expression of this need wherever we look in society, whether in the membership of the teenage gangs on the streets, or of the local music society or golf club. We have all been born into this world as part of a family — separate personalities within a given network of interlinked blood ties and loyalties. We know that family belonging brings a bittersweet mixture of joys and sorrows, laughter and tears; but if something happens to disturb or break that sense of belonging, the experience of loss and isolation can be intense.

As the earliest disciples embraced Christianity and the fledgling Christian faith grew out from its Jewish roots into the Gentile world, baptism took over from circumcision as the mark of belonging in the faith community, and it continues to be so today.

The feast of the Naming and Circumcision of Jesus is a reminder that we are named and loved by God as unique individuals, and as unique individuals he gives us to one another in a fellowship of mutual love and service.

JANUARY
January is a month of the beginning of great things! As well as the naming of the Son of God, we celebrate the conversion of the greatest ever apostle of the Christian faith.

Paul was a Jew, born as ‘Saul’ at Tarsus, and brought up by the Rabbi Gamaliel as a Pharisee. A devout, fanatical Jew, Saul persecuted the Christians and watched with satisfaction the first Christian martyrdom, the stoning of Stephen. Then on his way to Damascus, Saul had a vision that stopped him, literally, in his tracks. He realised that this Jesus whom he was persecuting was, in fact, the Messiah for whom he had longed.

Saul changed overnight. He took a new name, Paul, and became an evangelist for the cause of Christ. He became a leader in the early Church, and his special calling was as an apostle to the Gentiles. He wrote many epistles to the young churches he had founded — and thus, inadvertently, wrote a great part of the New Testament.

Life as the greatest apostle was hardly full of perks: he was stoned, beaten, mobbed, homeless, hated, imprisoned, and finally martyred. Tradition has it that he was beheaded in Rome during Nero’s persecution in AD 64, and buried where the basilica of St Paul ‘outside the walls’ now stands. His mighty faith in Christ has kindled similar belief in many millions of people down the centuries.
from Forum

LOOKING FORWARD
There was always the Feast of Lights. Our forefathers, we believe, had stouter hearts than we have. But they did fear the eeriness of mid-winter darkness. And so they lit great bonfires on the hills at night to encourage the Sun God. They could not live without the Light of the World. They reached out to him and received the reassurance they longed for.

And so Christmas is still the Feast of Lights. So many of them. Once it was the yule-log, the burning brandy on the Christmas pudding. Then it was candles on the Christmas tree. Then all the candles became electric and rather garish. But it does not matter, for whatever they are, they continue to be reflections from the Light that at the beginning of all things moved upon the face of the waters, that in the fullness of all things moved upon the face of the waters and was born to be the glory of Israel and a light to lighten the Gentiles that in the ending of the days will shine out upon whatever chaos we have brought upon ourselves. “Thou shalt light me a candle,” said the psalmist, “Thou shalt turn my darkness into light.”

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM THE BISHOP
This message became available after the December Newsletter was published.

I hope nobody will propose that we rename Christmas crackers "winter crackers" or such like. I like crackers, not so much for the funny hats — I have one of those in any case. It's called a Bishop's Mitre. There is of course a little gift inside and also a joke or aphorism; but the most exciting thing for me is pulling the cracker with someone else and, of course, its sudden detonation — the crack.

I hope we keep calling them Christmas crackers because in a jokey way they do tell us something about Christmas itself.

First, there is the partnership of the cracker: you need two to pull it. God comes into partnership with us at Christmas, God and humankind come together. Second, this partnership is not without difficulty and struggle; the cracker has to be pulled apart. Think of the whole bible story, the story of human rebellion and God's continuing faithfulness resolved only in the cross. But after the pulling apart comes the secret gift and a word. Only at Christmas God's silent gift was himself, the Word of God made flesh in Jesus.

Oh yes! The party hat, a crown for everyone. We are being made kings and queens – all of us – by God's Christmas cracker, the birth of Jesus. Thank God for this, this Christmas. Thank God in Church and when you pull your Christmas cracker.
Bishop Christopher

THE CHURCH CLOCK
You may have noticed that St Jude’s Church clock chimed just for a few days recently. This is because we made it do so for 11.00am on Remembrance Sunday and it struggled on for about a week. We have now obtained approval from the Diocesan Advisory Committee for the work needed to overhaul the whole mechanism including the automatic winding gear. We now need to apply for the official Faculty and then can go ahead with the work which will cost about £1400. One or two people have kindly donated some money towards this and we would be very grateful if anyone else felt able to help with this bill. Donations may be sent to the Churchwardens c/o 11 Willson Road, Englefield Green, Egham, Surrey TW20 0QB.

THREE WISE WOMEN
What would have happened if there had been Three Wise Women, rather than Men? They would have asked directions, arrived on time, helped to deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, brought practical gifts and there would be Peace on Earth.

Share this thought with the wise women in your life! from Forum

WANTED — A GOOD HOME
We have a pair of wrought iron gates each measuring 131cm wide x 89cm high. Anyone interested should contact the parish office on 434254 (evenings) — a donation to the Parish Centre Appeal would be welcomed.

RESOLUTIONS
Some of us make resolutions like one man, named George, I heard about recently. He said to a friend: “There's nothing like getting up at six in the morning, going for a run around the park, and taking a brisk shower before breakfast.”

His friend Bob asked, “How long have you been doing this?”

George said: “I start tomorrow.”

SATURDAY AFTERNOONS
As you may know, we keep St Jude’s Church open for visitors each Saturday afternoon between 2.00 and 4.00pm. To do this safely and adequately requires at least 3 people at all times. To keep this running, we must have a rota of people who would take a turn — obviously the more offers we have, the less often each one would have to do. If you can help with this, say, once every two months, please contact the Churchwardens (telephone numbers are shown above) or by email to saturdays@stjudeschurch.info. Your help would be appreciated.

FROM THE REGISTERS
Holy Matrimony
(29th December) Russell Seth Warren and Lisa Alison Stapley.

Funerals:
(16th December) Richard Allen; (28th) George Clifford.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity runs from 18th to 25th January ending on the date commemorating the Conversion of St Paul. There will be lunch time services at the United Church of Egham at 12.30pm every day during the week except on the Sunday. These will be led by members of Churches in the Egham district.

COFFEE MORNINGS
Coffee Mornings and Afternoon Teas at St Jude’s Church are being given a rest for a while particularly in view of the cold weather. The next one is likely to be in April 2006. We will almost certainly have Table Top Sales as well. More details will be in later editions of the Newsletter (probably March’s copy).

Coffee is served in the Porch of the Methodist Church building in Victoria Street at 10.00am on the first Saturday of the month.

CALENDAR FOR JANUARY 2006