September 2024

I am sure that many of us have been horrified by the recent rioting in many cities around the country.

On one of the Sundays when the rioting was at its height, I preached the following words, which one of the people present at the service asked me to share.

Our former Bishop of Bradwell posted on his Facebook page that his daughter had phoned him from  abroad to say, ‘Dad, when you go out, remember you are Asian.’

What a sad indictment of the society in which we live.

As many of us know, Bishop John is now the Bishop of Liverpool, where there have been terrible racist riots. And this is just one of many places where these have been happening.

In contrast, in our Bible readings, we have had an extract from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, a book which can be divided into two main sections: The first part, Chapters 1 -3 are about Christ reconciling all creation to himself and to God. The second part, Chapters 4-6, stress the importance of living according to God’s will and challenge us to live in unity. And the following verses are key as to how to do that.

We are told in Verse 29. ‘Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice and be kind to one another… be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us.’

In contrast to the horrendous rioting, we have recently seen positive examples of people from around the world living together in unity both at the Olympics in Paris and, more locally, at the Essex Scout and Guide Jamboree near Chelmsford.

When I saw the scale of the rioting in the media, I said to my husband, Phil, ‘Where on earth have all these people come from?’

And, actually, it all started because of an angry and inaccurate post on social media. It made me think about how careful we need to be with our tongues whether that be with our spoken word or written word because one slanderous word of gossip can grow and have huge repercussions.

We are all called to be kind. To look for the good in one another whatever race, religion or sexuality. The list goes on.

I think I have shared before, the words on a postcard which I have up in my study. It says, ‘Love your neighbour, who doesn’t look like you, think like you, love like you, speak like you, pray like you, vote like you. Love your neighbour: No exceptions.’

It sound lovely doesn’t it, but the reality is that it is sometimes hard, because we gravitate towards people who are like us because that’s often where we feel most comfortable. It is a challenge for us as individuals, as a Parish and as the Church as a whole.

So, going back to the violence witnessed in our streets, where has Jesus been I wonder?

Well, I certainly don’t think he has been in the hearts of the rioters. They have clearly shut him out.

But I do think he has been in the hearts of those who, in the ‘Hope against Hate’ marches have stood bravely against the fascism and racism promoted at the riots.

Thankfully, most of us haven’t been involved in any of the public displays of aggression. But I think the rioting has highlighted what damage an ill thought word, email, or post on social media can cause.

We are all members of one another. And when we let our guard down and succumb to that nasty word, we are making room for the devil. Rather, we are called to use words to build each other up whether or not someone is like us, and to give grace to one another. And that also means walking away others say a nasty word.

Perhaps, before any of us loosen our tongues, let’s ask ourselves not just, ‘What would Jesus do? But, also, ‘What would Jesus say?’

Take care and God bless,

Sue

I am writing this the day after the final of the UEFA European Football Championships, when England was defeated by Spain, 2:1. I have to confess I didn’t watch it, but I understand that it was a good match, albeit tense at times.

And, of course, Wimbledon ended at around the same time as the football final, and Carlos Alcaraz from Spain won the men’s title.

So, a good season for Spain.

We all like to win but, as we know, not everyone can be the winner.

The results of our recent elections will have caused some people to be elated and others to be really disappointed.

But whether we win or lose, we are all valued equally by God.

In the Bible, in the apostle Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he says:

I have done my best in the race, I have run the full distance, and I have kept the faith.

Paul is speaking, not of sport, or politics, but of his Christian journey.

Paul’s Christian journey wasn’t always easy. In fact, at times it was very challenging, and it included being imprisoned for his faith and eventually being martyred. But he knew his goal was to be obedient to Christ, and in this he kept going.

God calls each of us to different things.

We may not be sporty or political, but God has a purpose for each one of us. In life, we sometimes win, and we sometimes lose. And when we lose, it can be tough. But God will never leave us or forsake us. And if we stay faithful to him, I believe he can use our tough times to help others on their faith journeys.

In an online talk I heard recently, the pastor of the church said ‘let your test be your testimony, and let your mess be your message.’ He wasn’t advocating seeking testing times and messes in our lives but was saying that even if we feel we have failed, or been let down, God can still use us.

Wimbledon 2024 and UEFA European Football Championships 2024 are over, and we have embarked upon a new phase in Government, whether we are celebrating or commiserating, God remains the same. He calls each one of us to run the race with him; to embark on a relationship that lasts a lifetime.  Are you running that race?

Take care and God bless,

Sue

People often ask for the hymn ‘All things bright and beautiful,’ at both wedding and funeral services. It is a popular hymn, probably because we all appreciate the beauty of the created world generously given to us by God.  And, of course, we are now in that time of year when everything is growing, and it is lovely to see flowers in our gardens.

We are also blessed with three lovely churchyards which are usually a haven of peace and tranquillity, enabling people to go and spend time with God and to remember loved ones who may have been buried there or have had their ashes interred there.

We have a very small band of volunteers who work tirelessly throughout the year to maintain the churchyards and keep them looking so good, and for all their hard work we are extremely grateful.

Of course, things occasionally go wrong. And, unfortunately, this is what has happened recently at two of our churchyards. At Horndon, the Tuesday Gardening Gang of 3 volunteers have been faced with repeated rain which has meant they have been unable to mow in the New Cemetery in Mill Lane. And, at Orsett, a broken lawnmower coupled with volunteer illness, has meant that the grass has also become very long.

The fact that this grass has grown so quickly over a short period of time has highlighted to me just how hard these volunteers work throughout the year to keep these churchyards looking so good. We are often quick to complain when things go wrong, but not so quick to express our gratitude for ongoing hard work.

Please be assured that we are all doing our best to rectify this, and thank you, so much, to the people who, recognising that there is a problem, have stepped up to help.

I would like to take this opportunity to give a big thank you to the gardening volunteers at all three churchyards who do a great job. And please can I ask for your patience, as these people work hard to rectify this problem at Horndon and Orsett. If you have a lawnmower or strimmer and would be willing to give an hour or two to help us to get this under control again, or to volunteer at any of the churches on a more regular basis, the churchwardens or I would love to hear from you. Finally, please can I also ask that you help us by  not depositing your household waste and dog poo in the church bins.

Take care and God bless,

Sue

Micah 6: 8 in the Bible says, ‘what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

And Jesus says, in Matthew 22:39, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ And this, of course, means our neighbours around the world.

In May it was Christian Aid Week. And, at the beginning of Christian Aid Week, we held a ‘Big Brekkie’ after the morning service at Bulphan. We were very grateful to those who organised this, Lynda, Lynda, Angie, Lesley and Janet and, of course, to those who came to support it.

Every year we celebrate Christian Aid Week and people give generously, but I wonder how many of us know just how diverse the work they do is.

Christian Aid work with local partners ‘to fight injustice, respond to humanitarian emergencies, campaign for change and help people claim the services and rights they are entitled to.’[i]

They work hard to end poverty and have four key areas on which they focus. These four areas are helping people to:

• claim their rights and access services such as healthcare and education.
• Ensure they are not discriminated against for any reason.
• Become more resilient to shocks and disasters such as drought, climate change and hurricanes.
• Make the most of opportunities, such as being able to sell their produce for a fair price.[ii]

They have been responding to humanitarian emergencies and disasters around the world since 1945, when their work began as a result of the need to respond to the effects of violence and conflict, providing immediate relief as well as long term support.

Since its conception in 1945, Christian Aid has worked in many conflict-affected countries and places, ‘often working directly on issues of violence and peace.’[iii]

Their brief also includes work relating to gender, power and inclusion on the basis that unequal distribution of power and unfair abuses of power are at the heart of poverty.

In addition, they have a significant focus on climate adaptation and resilience and they work with local partners and communities affected by climate crisis to help the most marginalised ‘to adapt, build resilience and reduce their vulnerability.’[iv]

Christian Aid do a great work and should you wish to make a donation towards this, there are envelopes available in church. Please could you ensure that your donation is returned by 9^th June.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Take care and God bless,

Sue

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[i] www.christianaid.org.uk

[ii] www.christianaid.org.uk

[iii] www.christianaid.org.uk

[iv] www.christianaid.org.uk