Newsletter: June, 2006

Trinity Sunday

“Nicodemus said to Jesus, ‘How can these things be?’” (John 3:9)

Alice was moving into her very first home, and working to a tight budget. Some things she acquired second-hand, but she had spotted a new wardrobe that was absolutely right for the bedroom. The catalogue picture was beautiful — hanging space, drawers, top cupboard — so she dug into her savings and ordered it.

When the delivery van pulled up, Alice rushed to the door. “One wardrobe to sign for,” said the man, but Alice’s face fell. All she saw being unloaded was a long, thin, flat box. “That’s my wardrobe?” she queried. “Aye, love — flat-packed. Nice and easy to put together, don’t you fret.” And with that he was gone.

Alice opened the box and slid out several flat pieces of wood. “How on earth can that be my lovely wardrobe?” she muttered. “I don’t believe it.”

The picture Alice had seen was of a wardrobe in all its three-dimensional splendour. No wonder she found it difficult to understand how the pile of flat pieces in front of her could ever be much use to her. It would take a lot of imagination, a giant leap of faith, to visualise it. And it probably didn’t help that the instructions seemed to be written in Japanese!

On Trinity Sunday especially, we try to make sense of how different aspects of God fit together, into an image we can use. We find it difficult to comprehend. When Jesus tried to explain the relationship between himself and God and those who were born of the Spirit, Nicodemus echoed something many of us feel about the Trinity: “How can these things be?”

Does reading the Bible’s instructions help us fit the pieces together? Jesus asked Nicodemus: “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?” He seems to imply that someone who had studied the history of God’s dealings with his people, someone who worshipped God faithfully and carried out his commandments, should be able to understand. Yet it certainly isn’t easy.

From his knowledge of the scriptures, Nicodemus would know about the Spirit of God having been active in Creation. But here was Jesus saying that ordinary people could be born of the Spirit in a new way. Nicodemus saw Jesus as a teacher, and was sure he had come from God, a prophet perhaps. But Jesus stunned him with the announcement that he was God’s only Son. Father, Son and Holy Spirit: the three persons of the Trinity.

But the word “Trinity” doesn’t appear in the Bible: it isn’t in our instructions. Later centuries of Christians invented the term to describe the idea of the three-dimensional God, the way in which Father, Son and Holy Spirit together show us who God is: not separate flat pieces, but an assembly of love.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. God created the world, created us, and loves us. Father, Son and Spirit are different dimensions of his love: creating us, rescuing us and strengthening us in faith.

Eternal life starts here, if only we suspend our disbelief, allow the Spirit to work in our lives, and accept that Jesus can save us. If only we trust that these things might be, even if we can’t quite see how.

Alice needs all parts of her wardrobe: without the sides, the top would fall down. To build these flat pieces into a wardrobe, she needs to have a good translation of the instructions, study them carefully and follow them. The same applies to our faith: a modern Bible translation with the benefit of the latest scholarship (just as Nicodemus had the benefit of Jesus’ own teaching, to supplement his knowledge of the scriptures) and some study notes.

Alice will probably call on friends to help: people who have put a wardrobe together before, or are good at visualising possibilities! The same applies to us: members of a study group or friends in the congregation with stories to tell of God’s love in their lives.

The wardrobe is for using. The Trinity is not just a theory. In Baptism, we are born of the Spirit; as a Christian community, sharing this Holy Communion, we are part of that loving, dynamic relationship, which is the Trinity. Let’s not keep God in a box, flat-packed, but share with others the height and depth and breadth of his love.

NEWS IN BRIEF
The musical Godspell will be performed at Staines Methodist Church from 12th to 15th July 2006. Anyone who is able to sing and read music who would like to be in the chorus should ring Ray Noble on 01784 459825 as soon as possible.

THE TOWER CLOCK
The Church bell should soon be ringing out again on the hour every hour as the final paperwork for the faculty application for the repairs to the tower clock has at last been submitted. This repair is a costly business and, although we had had one or two donations, more would be greatly appreciated. We have decided that the proceeds of the Summer Fair will help towards this repair so any way that you can support the Fair would help.

The Summer Fair is on the grass areas immediately around the Church on Saturday 8th July from 1.30 to 5.30pm. The Grand Draw tickets are now printed and can be obtained at the Coffee Morning on 10th June of in Church.

THE FOUR GOSPELS
Matthew was a Jewish tax collector who wrote his Gospel for the Jews. The Jews were awaiting their promised Messiah and so Matthew sets out to show that Jesus is their long awaited Messiah. Indeed he is the King of the Jews. Mark wrote his Gospel for the Romans who liked lots of action and not too much detail and yet he makes it very clean that Jesus did not come as a conquering hero but as the servant of all. Luke wrote for the Greeks (Gentiles) who were interested in how people thought and they wanted to know what made Jesus so special and so Luke includes more of Jesus’ miracles than the other Gospels. For Luke, Jesus is the sinless and perfect Saviour — the perfect man. John, however, approaches his Gospel from a completely different, almost a heavenly, perspective as he sets out to show that Jesus is truly the Son of Man. He includes 7 miracles and the 7 “I am” sayings (I am the way, the truth and the life, the true vine, the bread of life, the light of the world, the resurrection and the life, the good shepherd, the gate for the sheep). For John, Jesus is the perfect Son of God. Linda Ashford

CRUSADERS
By the time you read this, the Centenary of Crusaders will have been duly celebrated with great goings-on in Hyde Park and the Royal Albert Hall but there will be further excitement at Waverley Woods from 1st–4th June. About 150 people will be camping there including 6 young people from Englefield Green with two leaders. We hope they will have lots of fun and come back safely.

CHALLENGE
The person who has been delivering the Christian newspaper Challenge for the past five years, is about to move out of the area. If anyone would like some exercise and could deliver 50 papers around the village during the first ten days of each month, please contact Rita on 433560.

OUR NEW VICAR
Interviews were held for the post of Vicar of Englefield Green on Thursday 1st June with both the Bishop and Archdeacon of Dorking on the panel together with the two representatives from St Jude’s Church. A recommendation has been made to the Bishop of Guildford (who is Patron of the parish) but this Newsletter had to go to press before the final outcome is known. Further news will be available before the publication date of the July Newsletter and details will be posted on the website (www.stjudeschurch.info).

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 Baptism:
(28th May) Harry Hodgson.
Funeral:
(4th May) Margaret Woodward

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

COFFEE MORNINGS
There will be a Coffee morning in the Methodist Church porch on Saturday 3rd June from 10.00am.

The next Coffee mornings outside St Jude’s Church will be on Saturday 10th June from 10.00am to 12 noon. There will be cakes, biscuits, jam, preserves, marmalade and hand made cards on sale. Do come along — all welcome.

CALENDAR FOR JUNE 2006