Newsletter: October, 2007

Far More Serious

“They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” (Luke 16:29)

Mrs Harris, wife of a company chairman, is driving her top-of-the-range car in an unfamiliar suburb on the city’s edge. Drawing up at a traffic light, she notices a display in a furniture store on the opposite corner. There in the window is just the light-fitting she has been frantically searching for over recent weeks, to complete her splendid dining room makeover. Deciding to call in on the way home, she speeds off as the lights change, only to be flagged down a few hundred yards later by a policeman, who says she has broken the speed limit as indicated by a colleague’s speed gun. “But I don’t know the area and I didn’t see a speed limit sign,” says Mrs Harris. “Madam, this is obviously a built-up area; you have passed your driving test, and are familiar with the Highway Code, I am sure,” replies the constable. Argument is pointless: Mrs Harris is fined and her licence penalised.

This is one situation where ignorance of the law will provide no defence. Mrs Harris is in the wrong, just like the rich man in Jesus’ disturbing parable in St Luke’s Gospel. He has been untouched by the suffering of the poor beggar languishing at his very gates, cocooned by his comfortable lifestyle. No matter how extreme the problems of his fellow human being, he has not even noticed him, let alone offered assistance. After their deaths, the tables are turned: Lazarus is at peace and the rich man in fiery torment.

Not surprisingly the rich man seeks first some relief – asking for the very person he has wronged in life to supply it. Denied that scant comfort, he seeks to warn his nearest and dearest about what lies ahead if they live as he has done.

Abraham, who supplies the Godly perspective in the story, refuses to send Lazarus to the rich man’s brothers, saying that all the advice they need is already available in the words of the prophets – ironically adding that even someone returning from the dead is unlikely to make them change their ways, as Jesus himself will prove. All that they need to bear in mind are the two commandments by which Jesus summarised the Jewish law: that people must love God with every fibre of their being, and that they must love their neighbour as themselves.

The rich man has evidently failed: his lack of concern for the poor man on his doorstep reveals also his lack of real love for God, as love for God can only be practically expressed through genuine care for our fellow humans.

Mrs Harris, a stereotypically wealthy person, enjoying a leisurely and self-indulgent lifestyle, fails to receive clemency from the traffic police for her speeding offence. The law, in place for the good and safety of all, has been overlooked in her pursuit of one more “must have” item. She is certainly aware of the law she has broken, but has been careless of the potential penalties (they are probably easily affordable). At best she has been temporarily inattentive to what is required, distracted by her desire for material items which will not last. Speeding fines are relatively unimportant, but if Jesus’ parable is anything to go by, breaking God’s law of love is far more serious.

Like the society to whom the prophet Amos spoke, we are comparatively wealthy and therefore more inclined to be forgetful of God than during hard times. The divide between rich and poor is so great that our eyes are often shielded from the true degradation of extreme poverty. Forgetting our dependence upon our heavenly Father, we also disregard the life-threatening need of others. Seduced by materialistic self-indulgence, we are so busy “looking in shop windows” that we speed heedlessly past the plight of the homeless, destitute and starving.

Yet we do benefit from that extra reminder of a man raised from the dead, whose self-giving love for others, even for those who despised him, confirms our understanding of of the “Highway Code” of our Christian calling. Attentiveness is required in our daily living, for there are probably no spiritual equivalents for the traffic police and their speed traps, to pull us up and remind us of our errors and responsibilities. We must pay attention all the time, monitoring our attitude to our distracting wealth and challenging our attitudes to others’ needs. We must remember that when finally the reckoning comes there can be no excuse – even without anticipating the pains of hell, it is a sobering thought.

FROM THE VICAR
September saw a new development in a long-running project by St Jude’s. The Fabric Committee met to look at fresh plans for a hall on the site of the church. Our architect had a number of ideas.

The most straightforward was to build a freestanding hall on the piece of ground by the vestry.

An unexpected suggestion was to extend the north transept, presently the coffee area, to give us more room inside the main body of the church. While this would be more costly, it would make the new development an integral part of the existing building. The committee was quite taken with this idea and we are awaiting plans and, importantly, costings.

St Jude’s has a fund for this project, which could afford a modest hall, but an extension might require further fundraising. Whatever shape the extension finally takes, everyone in St Jude’s want it to be there for local use. And so from its inception to — deo volunte — its completion, we would like it to be a truly community project.

Mark Ewbank

NEWS IN BRIEF
The Tabletop Sale last month 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 if you want another one.

EXTRA CLEANING
Every so often, we ask members of the congregation to come along on a Saturday morning to help clean those parts of the Church which ordinary cleaning cannot reach. The next session is on Saturday 20th October from 9.00am. Coffee (and possibly bacon rolls) will be available as we attempt to get rid of cobwebs and dust which the usual cleaners can’t get to. Please come along and join in the fun!

FROM THE BISHOP
“I am shocked and very saddened at the new outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease, bringing with it emotional and economic anxiety to the Egham area and the exclusion zone around it. I want to ensure that those affected in any way know that they are supported in shared concern and prayer by me and, indeed, thousands of others in our diocese.

Having seen Foot and Mouth Disease at close hand in Staffordshire I am aware that its effects last long after the immediate crisis and we want to stand alongside those whose lives have been plunged suddenly into this deeply distressing situation.”

HARVEST THANKSGIVING
Please note that the Harvest celebrations will take place at the 9.30am service on Sunday 7th October. The Harvest Supper will be in the Church Hall at 7.00pm on Saturday 6th October. Tickets will be required for this.

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:
(2nd September) Zachary Elliott; (16th) Alexander Peter James Andrews; (23rd) Imogen Charlotte Gibson.

Holy Matrimony:
(1st September) Mark van Ree and Jennifer Whitaker.

Funeral:
(24th September) Maddison Ward.

Burial of Ashes
Phyllis Newbegin.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

COFFEE MORNING
There will be a Coffee Morning in the porch of the Methodist Church in Victoria Street on Saturday 6th October from 10.00am. Coffee mornings at St Jude’s 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 will take place on Wednesday 8th November at 8.00pm in St Jude’s Church.

RUNNYMEDE CHOIRS
Runnymede Choirs Association Festival Evensong 2007 will take place at St Paul’s Church, Addlestone on Saturday 20th October at 4.00pm. Many of the choirs in the Deanery take part in this and it would be so good to have a congregation. Please go along if you can.

CALENDAR FOR OCTOBER 2007

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