Last October was a milestone for me; I reached my seventieth birthday. Now seventy is the age that those in ministry in the Church of England are called upon to retire. There is the opportunity to carry on in a limited capacity but I decided not to take it. I was originally licensed as a Reader in 1981 and have spent the last twenty-four at St. David’s. However, prior to re-joining the Church of England I was already active having preached my first sermon in 1967 at twenty. So fifty years seemed a good innings, hence retirement.

Of course, in those fifty years I have seen big changes in both the Church and society. In the Church perhaps the biggest change is that we now have women in the ministry, some reaching the dizzy height of Bishop. We have made great strides on the issues surrounding human sexuality but not as far as I would have liked. There have been countless other changes, too many to mention.

Society has changed too, some say for the good, but I am not too sure. What is sure is that religion features less in peoples’ thinking. More than half of the British public (53 per cent) say they are not at all religious – a figure that has increased by five percent since 2015 and by 19 percent since 1983, when just three in 10 people deemed themselves non-religious. Is it all doom and gloom then; have I and my fellow ministers wasted our time? Well it is all down to what people perceive religion to be. Most see it as an adherence to a particular faith, belonging to its organisation and following its rules and teachings. They think of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism etc. But what if we come at this from a different angle? What if religion is more to do with how we live and act, particularly how we act towards our fellow beings?

It may be a great surprise but Jesus never came to start a new religion. In the Gospels he deals with all sorts of people. A Roman soldier asks him ‘What should he do?’. Jesus does not ask if he follows any of the religions of Rome rather he simply says ‘Don’t use the power you have to persecute others’. He dealt with Samaritans who were seen as heretics by the Jerusalem Jews, did he ask them to change religion? No. Jesus summed his teaching up as loving God and loving our fellow humans. Now these are not two separate things. If we say we love God and do nothing to help those made in His image then we do not really love God. If we help those who need us, then we also love God even if we do not realise it.

I witnessed many selfless acts of giving over Christmas but this one brought tears to my eyes. I have a friend who is Vicar of a Church on the South-East Coast. They do a number of things to help the poor and the homeless. One day one of the homeless came into the church and gave my friend a Pound Coin. Knowing his situation he tried to give it back. ‘Father’, said the man, ‘keep it, there are those out there worse off than me.’ Surely a modern-day equivalent of the ‘Widow’s Mite’ found in Mark 12 verses 41-44.

The Apostle James wrote: “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” If you care for others while ignoring the voices that cry out ‘me and mine are the only ones that matter’ or ‘the poor have only themselves to blame’ – that is genuine religion in God’s sight.

Thankfully, I have met literally hundreds of people who unwittingly practise ‘pure and genuine religion’ without realising and know of thousands more. I hope and pray you are part of that army because there are plenty of people who need you.

So as I retire am I worried on surveys regarding religion? Not one bit.

(This article by Dave Chambers was originally published as part of St David’s Messenger in February 2018)

I wonder if, like me, you are often startled by the speed of everything in our world today? Some of it is good, like a good internet connection for example, but much of it is so negative. I’m sat here typing this in my study and as I do so I can see the madness outside of my window; cars careering down Rocky Lane at stupidly high speeds, often on the wrong side of the road, just to end up sitting at a red light like everyone else! What is the point I ask!?

Life seems to inflict this urgency upon us and unwittingly we often accept it and even comply. But as always, there is good news. We are approaching my favourite time of the year. Advent, Christmas and Epiphany have always been very special to me, just as well I suppose me being a vicar & everything!

The good news I speak of is the season of Advent, God has provided us an opportunity to slow down and reflect on the true meaning of life in these four weeks preceding Christmas. We should remember that Advent is four weeks for a very good reason; we are blessed by four weeks of rest & reflection. Yes, it is a busy time, preparations for Christmas can be hectic, but only if we allow them to be. Parents and Grandparents are under particular pressure to get things right for their children and families because they want the very best for them. Quite right too but it doesn’t help anyone if you are burning yourself out in the process.

Patience seems to be in short supply right now. Just yesterday I witnessed an episode of road rage that was outrageously dangerous and totally unnecessary where a man was hurling abuse at a lady with a car full of kids as well as driving his car at her. Again what is the point? Patience can be re-learned. The Bible offers us several models of patience; in the story of creation God the Holy Trinity creates the world in six days but He does so patiently, completing each task calmly before moving onto the next and on the seventh day God takes time out to rest. (Genesis 1&2)

Mary the Mother of Jesus is a beacon of patience, she learns she is expecting her first child, Jesus. Mary knows this will take nine months and so she takes herself off to visit her cousin Elizabeth who was also pregnant; the two women had three months of quality time together as they patiently awaited their respective sons’ arrival. (Luke 1: 26-56) God, our Father who wants the best for us His children, shows utmost patience with us. It is 2017 years since God sent His Son to be among us and to experience first-hand what it is to be fully human, we know that Jesus will come back among us and that will bring about the unification of a new heaven and earth. (Matthew 24:27) (Revelation 21:1-8) It may seem that God is taking His time before the second coming, to us humans 2017 years is a heck of a long time yet St Peter tells us that for God a thousand years are like one day. (2 Peter 3:8)

God is being patient with us, He is allowing us ample time to listen to Him, to respond and to take action to ensure our future in His coming Kingdom. He gives us Advent to reflect on His great gift to humanity, that of His Son on that first Christmas day. He gives us faith that whatever this world may throw in our way He has made us a promise. All we need to do is take time out and listen to that promise.

And so what can we do to help ourselves slow down & reflect? Well St David’s has plenty going on over the coming weeks, much of which is listed over-leaf. Why not make time in your busy-ness to come along, to enjoy and to prepare for the great Christmas feast?

I take this opportunity as your vicar to give you every blessing for a peaceful, reflective and God-filled Advent. For a Happy & Holy Christmas. For an Epiphany filled with the revelation of the great love of God, and of course for an extremely happy 2018.

Peter the vicar.

(This article was originally published as part of St David’s Messenger in December 2017)

Some may remember a favourite poem of mine. ‘Leisure‘ is a poem by Welsh poet W. H. Davies, where he writes…

“What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.”

and finishes with the words…

“A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.”

When we look around us I’m sure that you, like me, see and feel the effects of life lived at a very fast pace with little time to just relax and be ourselves. Technology is a wonderful thing and where in the world would we be without it? It is especially valuable for those who rely on it to make their special needs easier to live with; and yet there is a downside. People seem to find it more and more difficult to live in the moment.

I have become more conscious that instead of just enjoying a walk, playing with children, looking at a beautiful garden, out comes the phone or camera to take a picture, send a message, tweet or post it on Facebook. Perhaps that is why I enjoy going to the cinema or a music concert because I can sit back and enjoy the film or appreciate the music with gadgets switched off.

We all need time to be ourselves, time to think and reflect and enjoy moments that strengthen and feed our inner being. This can’t happen if there is always a screen to claim our attention. For years I have kept some words written by a monk and I found them recently when I was clearing out my study. I think they can give us all food for thought.

He says…
“If I had to live over again, I’d try to make more mistakes next time.
I would relax, I would limber up, I would be sillier than I have been this trip.
I would take more holidays. I would be crazier.
I would climb mountains, swim more rivers, and watch more sunsets.
I would do more walking and looking.
I would eat more ice cream and less beans.
I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary ones.
You see, I am one of those people who lives life sensibly hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I’ve had my moments and if I had to do it over again I’d have more of them.
In fact, I’d try to have nothing else, just moments, one after the other, instead of living so many years ahead each day. I’ve been one of those people who never go anywhere without a thermometer, a hot-water bottle, a gargle, a raincoat, aspirin and a parachute.
If I had to do it over again I would go places, do things and travel lighter than I have.
If I had my Life to live over I would start barefooted earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the autumn.”

(Anonymous. A friar in a Nebraska monastery.)

Somewhere in those words is truth for us and our world. Maybe next time you reach for your phone, stop, look, enjoy the moment and let it feed your soul.

 

(This article by Rev’d. Jenny was originally published as part of St David’s Messenger in November 2017)