Newsletter: November, 2007

Christ the King

“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42)

“The children will not leave unless I do, I shall not leave unless their father does, and the king will not leave the country in any circumstances whatever.” Those were the words of Queen Elizabeth when it was suggested that she and her two daughters, the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, should flee from London to safety in North America during the 1940s Blitz. The King, George VI, wanted to remain with his people, to share with them the hardships and danger of war. Queen Elizabeth, too, felt it was her duty to visit parts of London that had been bombed. Once Buckingham Palace had taken several direct hits, the Queen said she felt closer to her people and could now identify with them more and “look the East End in the face”.

Reports from that time and the memories of people who were there suggest that by her actions she earned the respect and love of men and women who had perhaps only seen the King and Queen as distant royal figures, enclosed in great houses and surrounded by the privileges of wealth and status.

Leaders of nations, whatever their constitutional status, have choices to make about the way they relate to those they govern. Those who are governed also have choices to make about the way they respond to those who have power over them. Today we see the choices made by men with power over Jesus and by men who, like Jesus, are now helpless victims of the powerful.

In St Luke’s Gospel, Chapter 23 we see Jesus, Son of Man, in the most humiliating, painful and hopeless of situations. He is nailed to the cross with criminals on either side. He is naked, horribly injured and close to death. The religious leaders, the Roman soldiers and even one of the criminals taunt him with the truth. He is the Messiah of God, the chosen one; he is the King of the Jews and, had he chosen to do so, he could have saved himself from death. He is in a nightmare of horror with words of truth being thrown at him in mockery and cruelty.

The other criminal, though, catches some glimpse of the majesty and authority of Jesus. Perhaps he heard and took notice of what Jesus said earlier: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” He can’t now go back in time to put right the things he has done or the harm he has caused. It’s too late to change what’s past, but somehow he grasps the hope that forgiveness is still possible and utters the prayer, which perhaps echoes in our hearts: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

The suffering Son of Man is also the Son of God, loving and forgiving right to the end, and Christ the King, Lord of all creation, whose kingdom is not of this world but is open to all who call on Jesus in faith.

Paul tells us that Jesus is “the image of the invisible God”, and so in him we can see what God is like and the sort of relationship with him he offers us.

Jesus is the Son of Man. He has lived among us and knows what it’s like to be human in an uncertain world. He has experienced the many shades of emotions that colour our days, sometimes all at once. As our friend and brother he may not be able to save us from suffering but he can and does walk alongside us with compassionate understanding so that we are never entirely alone.

Jesus is the Son of God. He is the Son of a living and loving creator who wants only to be reconciled with his children whatever the cost to himself. He has the power to forgive sins and to remain true to himself in the face of hatred and cruelty.

Jesus is Christ the King. He has the first place in everything and his reign is absolute and eternal. Perhaps that is the greatest certainty we can have and it will hold all things together until the kingdom of Christ is fully realised. On the last Sunday of the Church’s year, to step back and look at Christ the King, to see in him our human selves living in this world and our spiritual selves, living in this world, but centred on the kingdom of God, where we are always remembered and loved.

FROM THE VICAR
November brings us again to the remembrance of servicemen who died in the two World Wars, and the sacrifices they made. The British Legion is using this year to appeal for more support for servicemen coming back from the Middle East because they are receiving an increasing number of calls for help, which is a vivid reminder to us of the sacrifices made by many servicemen since the last war. They have fought and died all over the world. The fallen have now been honoured with a memorial in Stafford, filling a void in many families’ lives, and we are called to remember them too.

A recently unveiled statue also cast a new light on how we remember servicemen. Call the ‘Dead Prince Harry’, it was intended to depict how Harry felt when he was told he could not serve in Iraq, and, by extension, all those who have been willing to serve over the years but have been prevented by circumstances. They were willing but not able, so the statue could be called a tribute to the greatness of the human spirit. So this year, there is much to remember, of the past and of the present.

Mark Ewbank

NEWS IN BRIEF
The Tabletop Sale in September raised £125 for St Jude’s Church. We are very grateful to those who took stalls and to those who came along and bought goods. Let us know on sale@stjudeschurch.info if you would like us organise another one.

UNICEF CARDS
Joan Wintour will be selling UNICEF cards in church on Sunday 11th November and Sunday 2nd December after the 9.30am service.

CARDS FOR GOOD CAUSES
These are available obtained from Cordes Hall in Sunninghill up to 18th December (Monday – Saturday 10.00am–4.00pm).

HARVEST THANKSGIVING
Many thanks to all those who decorated St Jude’s Church for Harvest and to those who came along to the Harvest Supper. After the expenses of the food and drink consumed on the night, we are left with a surplus of £155.76 which is being sent to WaterAid, the charity which provides relatively small amounts of money for projects in remote parts of the world to provide pumps and training to improve water supplies.

STUDY GROUPS
Did you know that there is one study group which meets regularly throughout the year and not just during Lent? It starts up again after its summer break on Sunday 2nd September.

This is run by Geoff and Jenny Chew and it meets on the first and third Sunday evening each month. It is normally at The Mount, Malt Hill, Egham (almost opposite Middle Hill where it joins the A30). Please telephone Jenny on 435664 for more details.

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:
(7th October) Theo Sampson, Jasmine Aroha Auton-Lewthwaite; (21st October) Isabelle Beer

Funeral:
(27th September) Alex Pat Redding, (24th) Jack Caul

Interment of Ashes
Ted Burrough.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

COFFEE MORNINGS
There will be a Coffee Morning in the porch of the Methodist Church in Victoria Street on Saturday 3rd November from 10.00am. This will be in aid of TEAR fund.

Coffee mornings at St Jude’s Church will take a break now probably until the Spring of 2008. Hopefully the weather next year will persuade us to have more of them.

CHURCH COUNCIL
The next meeting of the Church Council has been changed from Thursday 8th November to Friday 9th November at 8.00pm in St Jude’s Church.

BISHOPSGATE W.I.
Bishopsgate W.I. is holding a Coffee Morning on Thursday 8th November at the Jurgens Centre in Harvest Road from 10.00–11.30am. Stalls will include cakes, bric-a-brac, handicrafts and a raffle.

IN AID OF ROYAL MARSDEN There will be a concert in aid of Royal Marsden in United Church, Egham on Saturday 24th November at 7.30pm. More information from Janice Ketley on 01784 434601.

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