June 2008

Principles of Living| Congratulations | Coffee Morning | The Revd James Rattue | Thursdays

Christians and Muslims | Summer Fair | From the Registers | Calendar

Principles of Living

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who builds his house on rock.” (Matthew 7:24)

Global warming, with the help of media news from around the world, has become a very real issue for everyone - natural disasters no longer happen in just the poorer, undeveloped countries of the world; it is not just the homes and lives of the marginalised which are at risk any more, not just the weak whose futures are at stake.

During these last few years, many have begun to see the need for radical, far-reaching life changes, greater stewardship of the environment, and greater awareness of justice issues. Many who never really recognised the plight of the poorest are now involved in actually taking steps to end poverty; many who had no reason or means of really seeing injustice began actually trying to understand life from the under-side up. Many people from developed countries, who would never before have noticed the true cost of their national pride and independence, are beginning to see and act upon a new understanding of global interdependence. Where before many of us never even heard the informed voices of warning, now we are actually trying to do whatever is needed to avert disaster.

Practical action is now as important as hearing words of warning, understanding our relationships as necessary as recognising our responsibilities. Ideas of who we are and what we therefore do are vitally connected.

Matthew's Gospel has been called the Gospel for church leaders - not necessarily leaders of "church" in the sense of a developed ecclesiastical structure, but in the sense of a Christian community aware of its distinctive existence and role. Matthew is keen to teach a right ethical use of Old Testament Law. For him, that right use is found through the overwhelming authority of Jesus Christ, in whom the writer of the Gospel sees the affirmation and fulfilment of all the hopes, predictions, history, ethics and religion of Old Testament Israel.

Everything is now related to Jesus Christ. The age of preparation for the Messiah has now given way to the age of fulfilment, and nothing will ever be the same again. The Law is now transformed by the teaching and life of Jesus, with love, mercy and righteousness as principles of living, not the pharisaic legalism that the Law had become, in the eyes of the Gospel writer.

With the parable of the wise and foolish builders, Jesus concludes his teachings on the nature of discipleship, key to the nature of the kingdom, in his "Sermon on the Mount". Here, he speaks to those who are self-deceived and unaware that their discipleship does not match up to Jesus' criterion of judgment for kingdom life, which involves practical obedience and personal relationship to Jesus.

In the comparison of the two builders, we recognise the vital importance of the hearer's response: the hearing must be followed by the doing. Otherwise superficial discipleship will, like the house built on sand, collapse under pressure. However many religious things people hear, they will not keep their house up without acting on what they have heard. Nothing, however religious or pious it might seem, is a substitute for obedience and personal relationship with Jesus. Jesus provides us with the foundation for being and living out the distinct discipleship to which he calls us, and for which we pray with the words "Your kingdom come."

The Gospel provides us with a clear warning, not of God's rejection and punishment should we make a mistake or do something wrong, but of our responsibilities to live out our discipleship with distinctive foundational principles. They are given to us by the one who died to bring us back, justified and redeemed, into relationship with God and with one another.

Discipleship is a question of being and doing, speaking and acting, integrating God's life as seen in Jesus into our daily lives and relationships. When principles of that life are guided by love, righteousness, faithfulness and mercy, so must our lives be. For all ethical decisions and actions, our Christian discipleship will be revealed in what we choose to do, the importance we give to living in serious obedience to God and God's Word, the principles others will see reflected in our lives.

It is never too late nor untimely for us or our world, however mature or immature we may consider ourselves to be as Christians and as Church, to be reminded that Jesus' criteria for our discipleship are in our practical obedience, and in our personal relationships with him.

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CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to the Revd Canon C. John Fowles on his fiftieth anniversary of being ordained deacon in 1958. After being here at St Jude's as Assistant Curate from 1958 to 1963, he moved to be Assistant Curate at St Mary the Virgin, Worplesdon where he stayed until 1969 when he was given the post of Incumbent at Chessington. John stayed at Chessington for 8 years after which he moved to Horsell where he remained until he retired in 1995. During this period he was Rural Dean of Woking for two years. He was made Hon Canon of Guildford Cathedral in 1994.

Congratulation also to Barry and Joan Wintour on the birth of a grand-child to Emma, their daughter. We are told that mother and baby (and the grandparents) are all doing well.

COFFEE MORNING
There will be a Coffee Morning in the porch of the Methodist Church in Victoria Street on Saturday 7th June from 10.00am.

THURSDAY COFFEE MORNINGS
Apologies to anyone who came to the Methodist Hall for a Thursday coffee morning, only to find it was shut. Unfortunately, the lady who has been running it fell and broke her hip after this Newsletter had gone to press at the beginning of May. Please wait for further information.

THE REVD JAMES RATTUE
At the 9.30am service on Sunday 8th June, the Venerable Julian Archdeacon will license the Revd James Rattue to work in this parish until into 2009. Although he will continue to live in Weybridge, he will work here in this parish for a lot of the week but does retain a few commitments in Weybridge.

We look forward to welcoming him and working with him during the coming months.

SUMMER FAIR Saturday 12th July
In addition to all the usual items at the Fair, there will be three new items.

Table Top Sale
If you have items to sell and would like to make some money, why not take part in our tabletop sale. £10 a pitch, but please bring your own table. If you would like to reserve a pitch, please call 01753 833551.

Photography Competition
Entries for this must consist of two photographs based on two of the following categories: weather, portrait, nature, scenery. Photos should be up to 7 x 5 size and mounted, with the name and address of the entrant on the back. There will be two categories for judges to consider: young people (up to the age of 13) and adults (14 and above).The fee for entering is £3. Please bring entries to St Jude's Church either at a service or during Saturday Opening (2-4pm). Entries may also be given to Guy Bunce on the day.

Batty Hat Competition
Prizes for the silliest hats. Two age groups: under 7 and 7-11. The competition will be held on the day at 3pm. Dancing Display We are also hoping that there will be a dancing display by the Heidi Rhodes School - this is the dancing school now using our Church Hall for classes.

CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS Towards Mutual Understanding
This is an event to be presented on Saturday 14th June at Christ Church, Virginia Water, GU25 4PT. The speaker will be Chawkat Moucarry. Registration is at 9.30am. There is no charge for participation in the conference but we do ask you to RSVP Lesley Dumbleton, Christ Church Administrator at office@cc-vw.org if you wish to attend. There will be a retiring collection to defray Chawkat's expenses.

Chawkat Moucarry was born in Syria and has lived in both Muslim and Christian communities. He earned his doctorate in Islamic studies from the University of Sorbonne (Paris) and is now a tutor and lecturer in Islamic studies at All Nations Christian College in England. Moucarry is also the author of Islam and Christianity at the Crossroads, the Search for Forgiveness and Faith to Faith.

FROM THE REGISTERS

Baptisms:
(11th May) Maisie Grace Carr; (18th) Oliver James Dickason; (25th) Kate Russell.

Wedding:
(24th May) David Showell and Hanna Dartnall.

Funerals:
(2nd May) Arthur Jones; (12th) Christine Dorothy Turner; (13th) George Webb; (20th) Henry Gregory.

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CALENDAR FOR JUNE 2008

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