Newsletter: May, 2007

Tough Decisions

That the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. (John 17:26)
As an off-duty policeman was idly turning the pages of the local newspaper, he came across a blurry surveillance photo of an armed robber holding up the staff in a bank raid. There was something sickeningly familiar about the photo and, with a feeling of utter dread, the policeman realised that the picture showed his own son.

That father was then faced with the most agonising decision of his life. Should he “shop” his own son or should he simply carry on turning the pages of the newspaper, leaving any justice to take its own natural course?

He chose the difficult path of arresting his own son. The youngster was in bed asleep when his father arrived with another detective. The father confronted his son, who admitted his guilt, apologised and burst into tears. He had been high on drugs at the time of the offence. Although his father had helped him to get off drugs some eight years previously, the boy had recently relapsed and the bank raid was the result. If that drug-addicted youngster was to have any chance of being healed and finding peace, he needed tough love, he had to face his wrongdoing. His father loved him enough to help him, even at the cost of great pain to both of them.

Jesus was so close to God that he was able to describe God as being “within” him. Throughout his ministry Jesus took time out to be alone with God, listening to God and responding to God. It was this closeness to God that made Jesus who he was. As the end of Jesus’ life approached, he again took time out to be with God. According to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, this was a time of anguished prayer for Jesus. But in the more reflective John’s Gospel, we are told that Jesus spent the time praying for his friends.

In St John’s Gospel Jesus also prayed for all of us, people who would never meet Jesus in the flesh but who would come to faith in him through the words of witnesses.

“May they be one,” Jesus prayed, “as we are one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, so also may they be in us.” And he adds, “So that the world may know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” Jesus ends the prayer by saying, “I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

But the love God expressed for Jesus was a very tough love indeed. God allowed Jesus to be arrested, tried, flogged and executed. On the surface, it does not seem much like love, and certainly does not seem like a particularly protective love. God did not keep Jesus physically safe. So what does this imply about God’s love for us?

Perhaps John is warning us that Christian faith is not an insurance policy. Following Jesus does not mean that we will never become ill or that awful things will never happen to us. God will not necessarily take suffering away from us, but God will give us the tools to deal with suffering. Whatever happens to us, God will never let us go.

Through his closeness to God and faith in God, Jesus was able to handle the worst imaginable torture, when it felt as though even God had deserted him. And because he was able to hang on in there to the very end without losing his integrity or his love for human beings, the result was an unexpected and glorious resurrection. Jesus’ love for God and God’s tough love for him were brought to an unforeseen fulfilment. Jesus promised the same for all of us: that we too are to receive the love of the Holy Spirit, the God within us, and that, whatever life throws at us, if we are able to hang on with integrity and compassion, then we too will know resurrection. We can experience this resurrection in our life on earth, but receive the completeness of eternal life after death.

God’s love is a tough love, which refuses to shy away from suffering, because God yearns for what is best for us. But God always cradles us in his arms as we face whatever has to be faced and that is our ultimate safety.

FROM THE VICAR
This month sees us voting in the local elections, which makes the run up an occasion when we can speak to candidates about our particular concerns. Some of these will be national issues like housing, parking and council tax. Others will be specific to the village. Top of the agenda at the moment is probably the new application to build on the cemetery. This raised strong feelings first time round and will do so again with the added concern that even if the new application is rejected will there be another and another and another...? Is there an end to this or is the outcome a foregone conclusion? Well, that is what elections about — finding the candidate who will represent your views.

It would be nice if the candidates acknowledged that St Jude's Church is one of the focal points of the village, both for regular members and for people who only visit for baptisms, weddings and funerals, in the same way that I have seen our MP at the Jurgens Centre. It is an unbroken thread of continuity in the life of the village that reminds us of our past and guides us in the future. It could have a more prominent place in the civic life of the village than it does at present.
Mark Ewbank

ANNUAL MEETINGS
At the first meeting held after the 9.30am service on Sunday 22nd April, Geoffrey Chew and Brian Hooker were returned unopposed for a further year as Churchwardens.

The second meeting gave us an opportunity to say thank to various people for all that they do for St Jude’s Church, to accept the Annual Report and Accounts and the new Electoral Roll and to receive reports on the Church fabric, the Deanery Synod and various Church organisations. The sidespersons were re-elected en bloc to serve for another year.

Jenny Chew and Karen Mullins were returned to the Church Council (having completed three years) and James McKee was elected. We are very grateful to all who serve the Church in this way.

BLOW THE WHISTLE SUNDAY
Just to refresh your memory, the eight Millennium Development Goals were set by the UN in 2000 with the purpose of halving poverty by 2015. This summer is half-time and many of the goals are seriously falling behind. The G8 summit from 6-8 June in Germany is the perfect opportunity for our leaders to get back on track.

On Sunday 20th May churches are asked to take up the 'Micah Challenge' — Act justly, love mercy, walk wisely with your God (Micah 6:8) — to think again about God's concern for the poor and pray for the G8 summit. Christians are invited to visit www.tearfund.org/micah to keep up to date with plans and resources, and to make the trip to Central London for Your Voice Against Poverty on June 2nd.

Poverty isn't history - yet.

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:
(1st April) Sophie Harris

Wedding: (14th April) James Ebere and Uchenna Adabia Nneamaka Nwachukwa

Funeral:
(17th April) Bernard Stone; (27th April) Enid May Pulsford

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

SUMMER CONCERT
There will be a Concert in the Chapel of Royal Holloway, University of London on Saturday 23rd June at 4.30pm. This will be given by the Voices Anon Choir and local musicians.The concert will feature organ music, light classics and popular songs including Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine and Haydn’s The Heavens are Telling. Tickets are £7 for adults and £4 for concessions and they include refreshments. They are limited in numbers and may be reserved by calling Guy on 01753 833551. The proceeds will go to St Jude’s Church.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
The Runnymede Amnesty International Group is holding an Open Evening at the United Church, High Street, Egham on Wednesday 9th May 2007, at 8.15pm. Why not come along and find out more? You can also contact the Chairman, David Matthews, on 01784 434862, BakehamCottage@aol.com or the Secretary, Emma Tredwell, on 01784 460308, emmatredwell@hotmail.com.

COFFEE MORNINGS
There will be a Coffee Morning on Saturday 7th April 10.00am–12noon in Englefield Green Methodist Church porch
All welcome

The first Coffee Morning of the year will be on Saturday 12th May from 10.00am outside St Jude’s Church (inside if wet).

CALENDAR FOR MAY 2007