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The
 PARISH
MAGAZINE
of Kibworth, Smeeton Westerby and
Saddington
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Check
out the new Gartree North Mission Partnership Blog here |
Over the past few years we have
published series of articles on local customs, local history and interesting stories. Some
of these we have reproduced here online and we hope you find them both interesting and
stimulating. If you would like to correspond, contribute or advertise in our
magazine, please contact the Editor, Chris
Graves, via e-mail.
Last updated on Sunday, 30 March 2008 by the Webmaster
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From
the Rector:
(April 2008)
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One
of the privileges of a priest in the Church of England is that we are still
considered to be an important part of the community with many in the parish
still coming to us to have their babies baptised, get married and for
funerals.
One
of the disappointments for me, however, is that we priests have become the
keepers of traditions and of ancient buildings instead of encouraging a
living, breathing and growing church. Often,
especially in rural communities, there is a sense of ownership of the church
and we offend people from the wider parish when we begin to speak of change.
Many still desire the traditional liturgy, hymns, pews and everything
that makes a ‘church a church’
On
the other hand young people think church is boring and irrelevant to modern
life. Many have grown up without
any church involvement at all, and the old English language is totally alien
to them. The C of E introduced
the Anglican Service Book and more recently the ‘Common Worship’ series
of texts (using modern Bible translations) for prayers and services, to make
our faith more accessible to all.
In
many areas, a completely new concept of church has been introduced called
‘Fresh Expression’, where services of different modern styles are held
in cafés, pubs, clubs and shops, and it aims to change the understanding of
what church is. ‘Church is people,
not the building’. Here in Kibworth, Smeeton Westerby and Saddington
we try our best to provide different services and styles to meet the
different needs. We want to serve and be relevant to the whole community, to
meet the variety of needs in our parishes. For us to achieve the right
balance in this we will need your support, your prayers and understanding.
You are the church of today.
Yours
ever
Ludger
The
Interregnum is over (March, 2008
)
September
2007 -
Our new priest and family (Ludger Fremmer) - Licensing Service on 10th
September 2007
Who
is this new Priest coming to Kibworth with Smeeton Westerby and Saddington?
Those
of you who have met me will have noticed that I am German; I have an English
wife and two children. However, you may wish to know more about this person
coming to live at the Rectory, so here is the ‘low down’ on your new vicar.
I
came to
England
24 years ago, which is just under half my lifetime. I have had several careers:
being a police officer in the German police force; Hotel administration and
management (which led me to come to
England
), which eventually led to a working for Lufthansa German Airlines in
London
.
I
have always believed that God controls every detail of my life, if I allow Him,
and so I am totally convinced that I was meant to come to
England
. I loved my work as IT specialist at Lufthansa, but I had what I would call an
“itch that only God could scratch.”
| I
grew up as a Roman Catholic and do not remember a time when I did not
believe in God. As a teenager I prayed that one day God would lead me to
the right wife, the right job and the right place. When I first came to
England
I did not attend a church, in fact I think I moved quite far away from
God. But one day a leaflet about a Billy Graham Mission came into my
hands. I went to hear Billy speak and I knew that this was what I had been
looking for, and I had not even realised I was looking. I went forward,
re-committed my life to God, and was guided to a local church where I was
nurtured and discipled. I never looked back, and I knew from there on that
God had called me by name and made me his own.
In
that church in Hounslow,
West London
, I met Ruth. We both had a sense that one-day we would like to be in full
time Christian work (she always said she did not want to be a vicar’s
wife and I always said it wasn’t very likely!). When we finally decided
that it was time to explore the opportunities for a full-time ministry, we
were amazed that the Lord guided us so clearly (and rapidly) to
ordination. And so, after studying in
Cambridge
and a curacy in
Norfolk
, here we are. There is no journey that is more exciting and fulfilling
than a journey with God. Even if things get tough at times, and they do,
in the end ‘the joy of the Lord shall be our strength’.
We
have two wonderful sons (we are biased of course), aged 11and 14, both
football mad; with an interest in a ‘wide’ variety of music. In the
past few years our household has increased by one dog, several fish, stick
insects, a hermit crab and two gerbils. We left a garden full of rabbits
and a colony of crows and plans for a chicken house, in
Norfolk
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Ruth
too has recently changed her career. She took a leap of faith to change from
banking to teaching and has found her calling.
She qualified as a Primary teacher,
and completed a very successful first
year’s teaching, whilst in
Norfolk
. We hope that she will continue with
her new vocation in the
Leicester
area.
Living
in Leicestershire will be a big change for my family and I, and no doubt, it
will take us some time to ‘find our feet’. Our first priority will be to
make the Rectory our family home and for the boys to settle into their new
schools, find new friends, etc. We would also like to get to know you and
to listen to what the Lord has been doing in Kibworth, Smeeton Westerby and
Saddington over the past years.
My
initial aim is to strengthen and encourage that which is in place so that we can
then move on together into what the Lord has in store for us. I am passionate
about discerning and knowing God’s will for myself and the Church, because to
be in God’s will is always the best place.
Realistically I know that I will not be able to fulfil everybody’s
expectations, however we are all seeking to serve the same Lord and to
please Him and He is faithful to do more than we can ask or imagine.
I
believe that we are called to do the work of God’s kingdom, to call people to
true discipleship of our Lord Jesus Christ. I long to see the church grow in the
knowledge of God and His word, and to be released in the gifts of the Holy
Spirit. I believe that the Lord wants us to be holy and united as his
representatives, the body of Christ. I am hopeful and excited at the prospect of
us making this journey together over the coming years.
Ludger
Fremmer
Current
Affairs (December, 2007)
Selected
articles from recent Parish Magazines will be found here.
December
2007 - Sri Lanka June 2007 - Tab
Relief and Development
Firstly
I feel as though I should apologise for not placing an article in the Parish
Mag., on my trip to
Sri Lanka
sooner, the reasons for this should hopefully become clear as you read on.
After the usual doubt that set in my mind regarding all sorts of aspects of
the trip myself and Louis (my 17 year old apprentice) headed to the airport
to begin our journey on the 3rd June earlier this year. The 3
week trip was not without its adventures, from the beginning when we stood
waiting in the Airport in
Sri Lanka
for 30 Minutes wondering if our contact was going to turn up, right up to
the point Louis had to fly home on his own as I was laying ill in a hospital
bed in
Colombo
.
Our
original plan was to stay on site in a small village called Milleniya where
TAB Relief were constructing 10 houses for a small community of Christians
who had been forgotten from the government housing list. On arrival on site
Louis and I could not quite believe what we were seeing. By car it took at
least 30 minutes to get there so we were fairly remote, there was no water
supply other than from a well limited electricity and a small shop/ kiosk
that was classed as a bakery. The house on site that we were intending to
stay in had no doors or windows, no floors, just piles of bare soil and
block walls with corrugated roof. Above were huge fruit bats circling the
trees, the sound of monkeys in the distance and monitor lizards lurking in
the bushes. It was clear that it would be difficult for us to work let alone
live there, and so it was decided that we would stay at one of the offices
for TAB in Panadura which again as about a 30 min. journey by car.
On
our first full day, being a Monday, we joined the rest of the Tab team in
their office at Mirihana where for the first 2 hours of every Monday they
have morning devotions, which is very much like a small church service and a
home group rolled into one. I was amazed to see such similarities in the way
the morning continued. Heading back to the site for our first day’s work
Louis and I were both very keen to get started on the project ahead, which
was to build one of the ten houses from the foundations up. My first
impressions were that we would hit problems as there were no building blocks
for us to even start, but again we were amazed to see that by lunchtime that
day some of the local guys had made by hand enough blocks to keep us going,
and by the end of the day we had got the whole house up to over a meter
high.
Things
soon slowed down from there though. We were looking at temperatures of
around 34/36 degrees, which is great if you can just laze around, but poor
Louis had to carry each block by hand about fifty metres over very uneven
ground while I balanced on a few pieces of coconut timber, which was classed
as scaffolding. Our days were now made up of getting up at 6.30am to leave
for around 7am. At 7.30am we had
fruit for breakfast, then bread for lunch and back to accommodation for
around 7pm for hoppers and curry. Each day brought new challenges and
experiences, the materials used and methods of work, the lack of safety and
value on life with every worker bare foot and scaffold collapsing from time
to time, different animals making their way through our site (especially the
cobra after a spell of rain).
With
our first week completed we met up with Lalinda (TAB national coordinator)
who with all the information he was giving us, told a story of a family with
single parent Queenie and her young daughter who were living near to the
capital in appalling conditions. Their house had partial covering with
corrugated tin but no windows, just the hole and a curtain for a front door.
I asked if we could visit her and when we did Queenie’s daughter was doing
her homework by candlelight, the rain had been coming through the roof as
the place felt damp. I saw this to be a clear answer to prayer as I had been
struggling to see where the additional funds that had been raised could be
used and had only the night before prayed for a sign. It couldn’t be any
clearer. Within days Lalinda had come back to me with an estimate of what it
would cost to rebuild Queenie’s house from scratch, which was roughly the
same figure that I had to use, and so arrangements were made for Queenie to
have a new home. The second week on site and pressure to get finished was
mounting, as we had now arranged to begin work on Queenie’s house in our
third week. The routine was the same, and by late Friday the last block had
been laid and our original mission was complete. Tab relief had arranged
some time out for us over the coming weekend, as again the pressure would be
on when we knocked down Queenie’s house on the Monday of our final week.
During our quick tour of the south coast on Saturday I could feel that all
was not well with me, and was trying to put on a brave face to get through
the day, which involved visiting a turtle sanctuary and tours of Tabs
completed projects in Rathgama.
As
we made our way back to
Colombo
in the afternoon I was making the most of the car journey and getting some
rest, when all of a sudden there was a huge thud, and the sound of a body
hitting a car and yes our driver had collided with a cyclist. Fortunately
after a night in hospital he was discharged all well, but in the mean time
we had spent nearly 5 hours in a police station and had our vehicle
confiscated. By this time I had reached a temperature of 104 and was losing
my balance. I persevered through the Sunday but by Monday I visited a doctor
and was admitted straight into hospital with Dengue fever. I spent the next
eight days in hospital, missing my flight, sending Louis home alone and not
managing to work on Queenie’s house. My time in hospital was challenging
but knowing that prayers were being said and trusting my faith in God, I
knew that I was never alone.
For
several weeks after my return I struggled to understand the purpose of my
trip. On reflection there were already local people working on the houses we
went out to build, and then I fell ill and spent a third of my time away
from what I went out there to do. I had worried my family and friends more
than I could ever wish to, and when I didn’t return home when I as suppose
to, broke my children’s hearts. So I ask God WHY? As the weeks went on and
on still I asked God WHY? It was
not until I stopped asking why that I received my answer. A letter came
through my door via airmail, and when I opened it, it was from Queenie,
thanking us for her new home, giving her, as she put it, a safe place for
her and her daughter. A few days after that I received another letter from
one of the guys that we spent most of our time working with and then phone
calls, all reminding me that it was not just the physical work that had made
a difference.
Since
being back I have felt that more could be done mainly through education, and
so I have been looking into returning the gesture given to me by inviting
Amit (49) who was the builder we worked with, over here to work with me some
time next year. I believe this would hopefully show him some modern working
methods, which he could then take back and train others. I am also looking
to extend this invitation to Lalinda in order to give him the opportunity to
raise further awareness of the work that TAB Relief do, and to also give a
sermon on the persecuted church in
Sri Lanka
. More work is
still to be done in this world and this work can only be done if we help
each other, I feel honoured to have been given this opportunity and thank
everyone who supported me with funding and through prayer.
Jamie
Witcombe
June
2007 - This month we have an
article by Roger Whiteway about John Harris, the Methodist Minister for the
Market Harborough circuit, who is retiring soon
John
Harris describes himself as a Cradle Methodist. ‘I was brought up in
Mangotsfield in
Bristol
by devout Methodists parents. As a boy I joined the Scripture Union group in
our local church and I continued with bible study groups throughout
university. I took an active part in the Scripture Union Camps for fifty
years. I began preaching when I was fourteen – goodness knows what I
preached about, but I wrote it all out beforehand. I took services when I
was sixteen and as soon as I left university at twenty-two I became a
qualified preacher.’
John
has been Single Station Superintendent of the Market Harborough Circuit for
the last five years. ‘A circuit consists of a number of churches staffed
by as many ministers as it takes,’ he explained. ‘The first circuit I
joined in
Barnsley
consisted of thirty churches and was staffed by eight ministers. By contrast
my present patch comprises Market Harborough, Kibworth,
Naseby
and Husbands Bosworth. Hence there is only one of me and I am also the
Superintendent which explains my title.’
After leaving school, John
studied music at
Manchester
University
and took a teaching diploma at
Reading
. ‘I enjoyed teaching music for 29 years at
Salendine
Nook
High School
in
Huddersfield
. I also played a lot of cricket, ran a Christian music and drama group and
listened to the world-famous Choral Society. My wife, Audrey, read English
and Classics at
Manchester
and later taught Classics in
Huddersfield
.’
For
some years John could hear the Lord calling him to the ministry. ‘I tried
to resist,’ he said, ‘but God is very persistent as we all know and when
I was 50 I gave in.’ John trained at
Hartley
Victoria
College
in
Manchester
for two years along with Anglicans and Baptists. ‘Being ecumenical taught
us that there was more uniting than separating us’
After
ministering in
Barnsley
for six years John and Audrey came to their lovely house in Farndon View,
Market Harborough. Soon John will retire and they will go to live in
Leamington
near their son Andrew, his wife and two children. Their other son Paul will
not be too far away in
Milton Keynes
with his family including a very new grandson Robin.
What does ‘retire’ mean for
John? I wanted to know. ‘We are advised to let it mean just that for the
first six months,’ said John. ‘Many of us become Supernumeraries, as
retired ministers are known, but I don’t intend to rush it for we have
both had a very busy time here. Apart from conducting three services a week
in four churches there have been the weekly fellowship meetings, visiting
all the church members and working at Gartree Prison. One of the initiatives
I am proud to have supported is The Space. We hold an informal 40-minute
service in Kibworth at 5pm on Sundays followed by a buffet meal. This has
proved very popular because at that time of day it does not conflict with
other activities like boys’ football and families like to come along
together. I also lay on a Desert Island Discs from time to time. My last is
coming up soon and will consist of records I can’t think why I haven’t
played before like the
Huddersfield
’s Alleluia Chorus under Sir Malcolm Sargent.’
For exercise, John loves
walking. He and his group recently walked the 102-mile Leicestershire Round
in a week raising at least £3,000 for Rainbows. It also enables him to
enjoy his love of wild birds as he is a member of RSPB.
It is the stated aim of
Anglicans and Methodists to come closer together. I wanted John to tell me
what he considered our main differences to be. ‘You have a more
complicated hierarchical structure with your archbishops, bishops and
archdeacons. We are more decentralised, organised around ministers and
superintendents, one of which is President of the Conference for a year. We
admitted women to the ministry thirty years ago, before the Church of
England, and two of those women have been our Presidents.’
‘Your worship is highly
dependent on liturgy whereas preaching is central to ours – think of John
Wesley. Every minister is a qualified preacher and most of our churches use
Power Points to emphasise the message with screen visuals but we are careful
not to let technology take over.’
John praised the efforts of
the volunteers from both churches who look after the young people. ‘The
youngsters from our two churches mix very well’ he said ‘and will
cherish activities like their weekends at Rutland Water for the rest of
their lives.’
We at St Wilfrid’s wish John
and Audrey a very happy and active retirement.
May
2007 -
This month we have an article by Mark Wood following the church trip to the
Holy Land over Easter 2007.
St.
Wilfrid’s Church trip to
Israel
– Easter 2007
It
is difficult to write a report on our trip to
Israel
without being tempted to fill the whole magazine. Such a lot happened and so
many places were visited, that this article could easily run to several pages. I
will try to be brief therefore and relay the things that to me had the biggest
impact.
I
should point out that I am writing this article without reference to others on
the trip, and whilst I imagine that our experiences and thoughts were fairly
common, the opinions expressed and the highlights are personal to me.
We
stared our trip on Easter Saturday, travelling down to Heathrow. There were
around 22 of us as I recall from the many head counts that took place (not
always with everyone present it has to be said!). Mostly from St. Wilfrid’s,
but a few friends joined us from other churches and we soon bonded into a team.
After
a long and tiring flight that arrived in Tel Aviv at 5.30 in the morning, we
immediately transferred to our first hotel by the
Sea of Galilee
. After a whole two hours to rest, our first outing was a boat trip on the lake.
We then had a communion service on the lake before visiting a Kibbutz on the
other side, where the first of many “St. Peter’s fish” were devoured.
Of
all the various places visited around the
Sea of Galilee
, I found the most moving to be the site of Mensa Christi, or Peter’s Primacy,
where Jesus asked Peter to be the leader of his church. The setting was very
peaceful, by the side of the Sea, and you could almost imagine the fishermen
casting their nets. It would have looked exactly like it did at the time of
Jesus.
Some
of the other sites visited around Galilee were
Mount
Tabor
, Site of the Transfiguration,
Nazareth
, Cana, Tiberias,
Capernaum
, and The Mount of The Beatitudes. Each day we had prayer, and usually a service
of Communion. As well as feeding us spiritually, we were also fed extremely well
by a variety of convents/hostels etc, all of whom were equipped to serve food of
an extremely high standard – and of a quantity that now requires a trip or two
to the gym to attend to the consequences!
Our
guide Tony ensured no detail was left out and the information overload by the
end of the trip meant that details on which church or place of pilgrimage
related to which event all tended to blur without a great deal of concentration.
After
these few days at a relatively relaxed pace, we moved on to
Jerusalem
via Caesarea, a Roman built city, built by Herod the great and the town of
Pontius Pilate
.
After
the tranquillity of Galilee,
Jerusalem
was somewhat of a culture shock! A walled city split into four Quarters –
Jewish (containing the “Wailing Wall”), Christian, The Holy Sepulchre,
supposed burial place of Christ and scene of the crucifixion, Moslem, The Dome
of the Rock, and many, many shops and bazaars selling all manner of items –
and finally the Armenian quarter where apparently if the residents are not
within the separate walled part by 10 pm the gates are locked and they have to
stay outside!
This
apparently harmonious collection of faiths and peoples living side by side is
inspiring although hardly reflective of the position of
Israel
and
Palestine
in general.
The
Holy sites visited are truly memorable, although in all honesty that many
denominations and cultures have influenced the sites over the centuries with
differing interpretations that they can appear somewhat garish and jumbled in
appearance.
The
true thoughts and feelings that come from
Israel
are the empathies one feels for the Palestinian people. The occupied
territories are just that. Even those lands nominally Palestinian, have travel
restrictions placed upon the citizens so that even travelling across your own
land renders you liable to search and prosecution, punishment or beating. Ugly
settlements are built on land seized, and the “wall” which now encircles
Bethlehem
prevents law-abiding citizens from going about their daily business.
A
Palestinian working in Jerusalem for example has to be at the checkpoint for
5.30am in the morning to start at 9am, and daily has to endue questioning, rough
treatment, strip searching and humiliation.
Public
sector workers in Palestinian areas have not been paid for 10 months, roads go
unrepaired, services are withheld, and all the time the innocent, particularly
children, suffer. I could go on, but hopefully more information will be provided
and questions answered if you want to ask any of the people who went. We have
after all seen it with our own eyes.
One
of the highlights of the whole trip was a visit to the Jell El Amaal
children’s orphanage in
Bethany
. Two Christian Arabs who run the home are doing some truly inspiring work
there. Many of the children who come from the street go on to be well educated,
and many of them have become doctors, lawyers etc. The children are a delight
and a credit to the home, and a true reflection of the Holy Spirit working in
the
Holy Land
.
After
many days in and around
Jerusalem
, where we also walked the Palm Sunday route, visited the
Garden
of
Gethsemane
, the Holocaust museum,
Bethlehem
and the Via De La Rosa, the route that Jesus walked with his Cross, we then had
a visit to the
Dead Sea
, with the obligatory “floating” on the surface.
Returning
home shattered but strengthened 11 days later, it only remains to say a great
thanks to Anne Flower who organised the trip, and Myrtle and
Jane Wood
for their leadership in worship and meditation, which made the trip so special.
If you get the chance, and maybe St. Wilfrid’s would organise another trip
some time, do go – it is a trip you will never forget.
Finally,
if one of the congregation who went on the trip, sees you at church and tells
you they are visiting the “Smiley’s”, don’t be concerned, just ask them
to explain……
Mark
Wood
Group photograph by the Sea of Galilee |
The wall near Bethlehem (taken from bus) |
Children's orphanage in Bethany |
Garden Tomb in Jerusalem |
Photos taken by
Peter Wheatcroft and Mark Wood
April
2007 - This month we
have an article by Jamie Witcombe about his plans for travelling to Sri Lanka to
help re-build some of the houses destroyed by the Tsunami, and an update from
Steven Lee.
Re-building
houses in Sri Lanka
My
family have been going to St. Wilfrid’s Church in Kibworth regularly after we
attended an Alpha course 18 months
ago. Since this time have found that becoming a Christian, and being a part of
the church community, has changed our lives in so many ways, it is sometimes
hard for us to remember what we use to do before, even though not much has
changed (if that makes any sense!). Following the Alpha
course, Kay and I started the Lent Course, which was a study of the book by Rick
Warren called ‘The Purpose Driven Life’.
Among other things, this book highlights the fact that we are all given gifts in
life, weather they be physical spiritual or emotional, and that we should use
those gifts for the benefit of others “God has given each of you special
abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing onto others God’s
many kinds of blessings” 1 Peter 4:10.
While
reading this book every page seemed to speak out to me, to a point where it
became clear as to what one of my gifts is and how to use it.
One of the things that has changed within me is a desire to give
something back, not only to those close in the community, but further afield. I
am self-employed in the construction industry, and find myself being called to
use my skills to benefit others. I have been put in contact with Canon Dr.
Lakshman Peiris who lives in
Sri Lanka
, close to where some of the tsunami victims were affected, and am planning to
go to Sri Lanka
in June for three weeks to help re-build some houses for them. Being self
employed, taking time off always involves a loss of earnings, and the joint cost
of three weeks out of work, plus travel costs and expenses to Sri Lanka is quite
considerable. With this in mind, I intend to cover the cost of the loss of
earnings myself, but need to raise funds for the travel and expenses to Sri Lanka
.
One
of the ways I looked to do this was by arranging a meal at Raitha’s Indian
restaurant in Kibworth Harcourt on the 5th March with around 70
guests. The format of the evening was to have a guest speaker Pat Howard
(Leicester Tigers Rugby Coach), hold a silent auction for a framed signed Tigers
shirt, plus a raffle with gifts donated from local businesses.
As
I mentioned before, the church in Kibworth has had a huge effect on our lives as
a family, and the church itself is looking to raise funds to put in place a new
heating system, and to replace the seating within the church building. I thought
it right to share some of the proceeds with the church. Places for the meal were
sold at £15 per head, which included a buffet meal, and Ash, at Raitha’s,
generously agreed to give half the cost to my cause, and raffle tickets were
sold for £1 each. The total funds raised on the evening, including Gift Aid,
came to £997, with £315 going to the church-heating fund.
After further generosity from Pat Howard, the shirt has encouraged
someone to donate an additional £350 for the framed shirt.
Further
to this evening, I have been receiving private donations from people within our
parish and outside of it, which has been quite overwhelming, and something that
I had not expected. I have decided that any funds that I raise, or receive over
what I have budgeted for the trip, are going to be distributed to those in need
while I am out in Sri Lanka, and I will ensure that I bring back plenty of
photos if anyone would like to see where their kind gestures have gone.
I
would just like to thank everyone for their support, especially my wife Kay, who
has not only been extremely encouraging during the arrangements for the trip and
fund raising, but has been very reassuring that all will be well in our home
while I’m away.
Jamie
Witcombe
UPDATE
FROM STEVEN LEE
(April, 2007)
My
thoughts and prayers have been very much with you this last week as you have
interviewed for a new Rector. The editor asked me to give you an update on what
has been happening to your old one.
Home
After
4 months in temporary accommodation we moved into our house just before
Christmas. It is a College property and is next door to the Girls’ boarding
house! The house is nice, not quite so wonderful as Kibworth Rectory but
adequate for our purposes. There are 4 bedrooms, which is just as well as
Christopher is living with us, and commuting to Deal where he is a Year 5
Primary School Teacher. Nicola and Matthew are still continuing their studies so
we are pleasantly full during the university holidays.
Work
There
are so many adjustments that it is hard to know where to begin. Getting used to
being a relatively small cog in a large machine is one of the major changes. It
takes a long time to argue my case and then get things changed. I take teaching
classes regularly, and having to provide a chapel service six days a week has
also been a shock to the system. More pleasant changes have been the lack of
meetings, not being responsible for everything, working as a team and having
more evenings off.
I have managed to introduce a Prayer Diary, so that each
student and member of staff is prayed for once a term. I write to the people in
advance to ask them if they have any prayer requests. I sense that this has been
very much appreciated. I have also started planning some 24-hour retreats, to
try and get the Christian students away together to build up their confidence in
the faith.
One
particular pleasure for me is that I am running a table tennis activity. I am
really being put to the test on my ability to cope with some fancy side spin
serves. School life here is very intense with lessons going on until 5.00 p.m.
and Saturday schooling as well. In addition, there are so many sporting and
other activities during term time. I am still at the stage where I go under
during the first couple of days of term and only surface again at the next
holiday.
Church
We
have been able to get involved in the local church. I have preached once but am
basically keeping a low profile while I get to grips with my new job. Sally and
I have joined one of the home groups and feel we are really beginning to get to
know people. I must admit I quite
enjoy sitting in the pews on Sunday. It may well be that I will return to being
a Vicar in the future, and if I do I am sure this experience will be of great
benefit.
Sally
Sally
is applying for jobs as a teaching assistant in the area and will, I think, be
glad to get out of the house more. She has been able to get involved in the life
of the church here as well as doing a bit of voluntary work in the College.
Today, as I write this, she has gone to church early, as this is her first
Sunday on the coffee rota.
To
say that we (Christopher Nicola and Matthew included) miss you a lot doesn’t
even begin to scratch the surface. We are thankful for so many memories and
kindnesses. Our new home is bedecked with memories of our time with you, and we
have really appreciated all the various forms of contact we have received. I
know that an interregnum is hard work but keep up the good work. All of us pray
for God to bless and guide you richly in the future.
Steven Lee
Christian
of the Month
Facets of the Gospel 3: St Luke - Son of Man, Saviour
(April, 2008)
by
Canon Desmond V Treanor
If
you are interested, there is an archive of Desmond's articles on Apostles - click
here or Christians - click here or St Paul
- click here
Luke
was a doctor. He was a well-educated, cultivated man who, according to a
sixth-century tradition, was an artist who painted icons of the Virgin Mary. Unlike
all other contributors to the New Testament he was not a Jew.
Both
the Gospel which bears his name and the Acts of the Apostles which he also wrote
were penned for Gentiles. Together they form more than a quarter of the New
Testament and contain a very rich Greek vocabulary.
The
Gospel describes the work of Jesus, God’s incarnate Son, and the Acts reveals
something of the history of the early Church through which the risen Christ
continues to work through His Spirit.
The
great theme of all his writing is that the good news of Jesus Christ is
universal in its application. All mankind
will see God’s salvation (Luke 3.6) for God loves every single soul whom
He has created.
Luke
presents our Lord as ‘the Son of man’, the
compassionate Saviour of the world who cares deeply for the poor, for women, for
foreigners and those in society who have been marginalized.
In
many of the fifteen parables, which he alone relates, Luke shows Jesus to be the
friend of the friendless and emphasises the mercy and love of God. Such
well-known parables as those of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Lost Son
(Luke 15) well-illustrate Luke’s central theme.
This
evangelist traces the Christian story back to its Jewish origins and makes it
clear that the birth of Jesus and all that followed is to be understood as the
unfolding of a divine purpose and plan.
He
is at pains to point out Christ’s universal mission. Significantly, in
Luke’s Gospel the genealogy of Jesus is seen to begin with Adam, the father of
the whole human race. In Matthew’s it is simply taken back to Abraham father
of the Jewish nation.
The
opening chapters of Luke record visions of angels and prophecies which point to
the coming of a long-awaited Saviour and they record the sacred songs of Mary,
of Zechariah and of Simeon. The
birth of Jesus Christ is seen as the great turning point of human history.
He is both the promised Messiah of Israel and the bringer of Salvation
for all Gentiles who recognize themselves to be sinners and who put their trust
in Him.
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