It’s
almost upon us … and it seems so long in the planning.
It
must be three years and more since we had a Deacons day over in Warden
Hill. We dreamed dreams and shared
visions for the life of our church.
One
of the many visions we shared was to build up a team ministry to help lead the
life of the church here at Highbury.
It
was the start of a process that resulted in us a year ago re-shaping the life
of the church here at Highbury. We
moved to a smaller Diaconate and introduced a shared Ministry Leadership Team.
The
idea was that we would let that Ministry Leadership team bed in with a new way
of doing things and then arrange for Felicity and me to have a sabbatical.
Now,
the moment has arrived.
From
1st May Felicity and I will be on sabbatical.
That means that we won’t be on call as we usually are, and we won’t be
taking part in the day to day life of the church from now through until 1st
September. We have a number of projects
we are planning to pursue which we will share on our return.
Now
is the moment when our new Ministry Leadership team comes into its own.
The
Deacons arranged for me to have what they called an ‘exit interview’ – it was
great to share that on Wednesday evening.
I expressed my hopes and fears for the sabbatical on a personal level …
and my hopes and fears for the church.
Let’s
make these four months a really purposeful time in the life of the church. Things will be happening from the lunches to
the community café, from the film club to Sunday Specials – it’s really
important to support them! Explore is
going to do a new course put together by Philip Yancey, an inspiring
author. It goes to the heart of the
Christian faith – What’s so amazing about grace? Well worth coming … but also the kind of
thing that we can invite others too.
In
our Sunday services we are looking forward to welcoming people who we hope will
get us thinking about the life of our church and the faith we share.
One
of the priorities we have set ourselves as a church is to grow in our mis-sion
and outreach. As this sabbatical period
begins that’s what we are going to focus on.
Shirley has invited those who are joining us for our Sunday services to
share with us on what it takes to be a mission-focused church – I am going to
share a little more about that next Sunday.
In
July and August we are asking those who take our services on a Sunday to share
with us stories from the Bible, from history and from their own lives that have
been an inspiration to them. So let
Helen Roberts have any stories you might have of people who have inspired you
so that we can tell them on the Notice sheet!
And Sue more stories for Highbury News!
We
start by welcoming back Mark and Denise Evans.
It’s five years since a crowd of us shared in their wedding. Mark was one of our youth leaders at Hy-Tec
and served the church as a Deacon before going on to train for the ministry at
Mansfield College, Oxford. Having now
been in Newport, Isle of Wight for three years Mark and Denise will be sharing
the stories of people who have been an inspiration to them. Vince Carrington has been Minister of our
church in Taunton for many years where he has also played a big role in
Christian mission in the town, not least through Street Pastors. Janet Wootton is the Congregational
Federation’s Director of Studies and has a passion for her faith which is
infectious. Robert Pestell is a good
friend of Highbury’s and now works as chaplain at the Sue Ryder Home in
Leckhampton. Dee Brierley Jones will
also be joining us this month too.
In
August once again we have invited those joining us to share their stories of
people who have inspired them. Jason
Boyd is Minister of our Witney church: he has recently completed a PhD focusing
on preaching and the impact it has on the local church. Graham Adams is also joining us for the day
at the end of the month. After a
ministry at Lees Street in Manchester Graham has moved on to become lecturer at
Northern College, the college we have links with in Manchester. As we welcome Graham and Sheryl we will be
thinking of Graham’s parents, Diana and Dick.
As
we prepare for the Autumn and its new challenges Karen Haden will be inviting
us to grow in our faith and discipleship as she shares with Shirley
Fiddimore. We will be welcoming our own
Martin Evans and Dee Brierley Jones and also extending a welcome to Andrew Cox
from the Hester’s Way Baptist church.
Judi Holloway from Witney will also be joining us at the end of the
month when we shall also be extending a warm welcome to Michael Garland, vicar
of St Mary’s church, Charlton Kings.
Michael is very involved along with our own Janet Wootton in the Hymn
Society.
With
all sorts of things going on through the summer, my hope and prayer is that it
can be a time when as a church family we can go from strength to strength.
If
you need help or have to contact someone from church at any time, then please
contact one of our Ministry leadership team, one of the Deacons or one of our
Church officers - they will be pleased to be able to help.
For
this Sunday and next I felt I wanted to share two passages: next Sunday one
that underpins my vision for a mission focused church and today one that is my
inspiration.
The
first passage is the 23rd Psalm.
I
make no bones about it – the 23rd Psalm in the Authorised version –
I think it’s one of those wonderful passages – it’s one to commit to memory.
I
think of the gentleness and the grandeur of God, for the Lord God almighty is
my shepherd
I
think of Jesus the good shepherd who seeks the lost and who knows every one of
his flock
The
Lord Jesus Christ is my shepherd.
The
LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He
maketh me to lie down
in green pastures:
he
leadeth me beside the still waters.
He
restoreth my soul:
he
leadeth me
in the paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
There’s
the gentleness of Jesus as he cares for us in those green pastures. There’s the wisdom of Jesus as he leads u in
the paths of righteousness, the paths of justice. And it is so very personal – The Lord is my
shepherd, he maketh me, he leadeth me, he restoeth my soul, he leadeth me.
There
is something so very wonderful and personal in the faith that is ours.
I
love the words of this translation for there is the rhythm of the heart beat
that is the very essence of the English
language in these words – it’s captured brilliantly. The Authorised Version influenced by Tyndale
and Shakespeare weigh words and give them weight.
So may
single syllable words – and the longer words have additional weight. We move towards them.
Yea,
though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I
will fear no evil:
for
thou art with me;
thy
rod and thy staff they comfort me.
That
goes to the heart of my faith – it’s not about escaping the difficult things,
the pain, the sadness, it’s discovering in God’s presence, in the presence of
Chrsit with us strength for the journey through the valley.
Thou
preparest a table before me
in
the presence of mine enemies:
thou
anointest my head with oil;
my
cup runneth over.
Surely
goodness and mercy
shall follow me
all
the days of my life
and I will dwell
in
the house of the LORD for ever.
Do
you notice something there?
IT
breaks the rules of grammar.
I
shall, you will – is the normal rule.
But
the best writers know when to break the rule.
And
this is one of those moments
When
you say he shall – it’s particularly emphatic.
He shall do that means he really, really will do it! No doubts!
When
you say I will – that’s particularly emphatic. I really, really, shall do that – no
doubts.
Surely
goodness and mercy
shall follow me
all
the days of my life
and I will dwell
in
the house of the LORD for ever
Let’s
read the words of the Psalm together – one of the lovely things Angela Ashwin
does in her prayer book Woven into Prayer is to add at the end of the Psalm
that is read a prayer based on the Psalm.
We will read her prayer for this Easter season after the Psalm.
Hymn 729 – The
Lord’s my shepherd
There’s
a hidden strand in this Psalm that also means the world to me.
In
the Old Testament when there is talk of shepherds the thought is of the king
and the ruler. So much so that when
everything collapses and the people of Israel are carted off into exile Ezekiel
the prophet pores over all that has happened in the history of the people’s
kings and he comes to the conclusion they have been bad shepherds.
Mortal, prophesy against the shepherds of
Israel: prophesy, and say to them—to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord God: Ah,
you shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds
feed the sheep? 3You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you
slaughter the fatlings; but you do not feed the sheep. 4You have not
strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the
injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost,
but with force and harshness you have ruled them.
What
an indictment – Ezekiel has a vision of God as the Good Shepherd
Ezekiel 34:11-16
For thus says the Lord God: I myself will
search for my sheep, and will seek them out. 12As shepherds seek out their
flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep.
I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a
day of clouds and thick darkness. 13I will bring them out from the peoples and
gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I
will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the
inhabited parts of the land. 14I will feed them with good pasture, and the
mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in
good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of
Israel. 15I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie
down, says the Lord God. 16I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the
strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but
the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.
This
is what finds its fulfilment in Jesus the Good Shepherd
He
seeks the lost, brings back the strayed, binds up the injured, strengthens the
weak – he is stern in his woes to the rich, the fat and the strong.
He
feeds his people with justice.
That’s
there in this psalm too.
The
23rd Psalm
The
LORD is my shepherd king
he
leadeth me
in the paths of righteousness and justice
for his name's sake.
Yea,
though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I
will fear no evil:
for
thou art with me;
thy
rod and thy staff they comfort me.
That
valley is not just the valley of sad bereavement – it’s also the valley of
awfulness that happens in the face of those who are hell bent to destroy faith,
not least Christian faith.
There
is a real sense of defiance in the words
Thou
preparest a table before me
in
the presence of mine enemies:
thou
anointest my head with oil;
my
cup runneth over.
Jesus
has brought in the kingdom of God, we face the powers of darkness – but sure in
the knowledge that God’s victory is assured.
Our
task is also to seek the lost, and I
back the strayed, and bind up the injured, and strengthen the weak, - maybe to
speak truth to power against those who abuse power. Above all our commitment is to feed them with
justice. What was it the Samaritan
showed to the man who fell among thieves … but mercy.
Surely
goodness and mercy
shall follow me
all
the days of my life
and I will dwell
in
the house of the LORD for ever.
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