The Magazine of the Launceston Area Methodist Church March 2021 Edition 206 - Launceston Area Methodist Circuit
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The Magazine of the
Launceston Area
Methodist Church
March 2021
Edition 206
1
Dear Friends,
I am not sure now when I first realised that the way in which certain words were
understood on the Lizard peninsula, where I grew up, was not necessarily how
those same words were understood in the rest of the UK.
To me, fields were separated by hedges - which were, when built, stone faced
with earth filling (and the best in our parish were built by two brothers, Jimmy
and Dickie Vague). With the passage of time all sorts of vegetation establishes
itself on the top and sides of such a hedge. In areas where there was little depth
of soil, the fields might be divided instead by dry stone hedges or walls. In other
parts of the country, though, as a college friend of mine insisted, a hedge did not
involve any stone – instead, it consisted of a variety of growing things, such as
thorn or hazel or beech.
Soon after we were married, I went into a shop in Helston, and said that I wanted
to buy a plastic flasket. The manager of the shop, who had come to the area
from London, did not have the faintest idea what I was talking about! Any local,
though, would have known that a flasket is a clothes basket.
When I was a boy, wickerwork flaskets, hand-baskets and maunds (used on the
farm for carrying chopped turnips or mangolds to the cattle) were made locally
by Mr Tregunna, who was very skilled but totally blind.
Two other words from my childhood which can be misunderstood by others are
‘launder’ and ‘kennel’. I remember enquiring at a Property Committee in Cumbria
whether the chapel’s launders had been cleared of leaves – cue blank looks:
they called them gutters! And if anyone from the Lizard peninsula refers to the
kennels in Helston, this will have nothing to do with dogs, but will mean the
channels down the sides of the streets, down which water flows. (I cannot resist
sharing one of my grandfather’s stories about the man who, lacking any
sketches, made a dog’s kennel out of his head; and had enough wood left over
for a wheelbarrow! This was possibly the same man who found when he had
completed the dog kennel that it was too big for him to get it out of the shed
where he had made it!)
You may put all the above down to an empty head confronted by a blank sheet
of paper! On the other hand it may prompt you to reflect how easy it is for
misunderstandings to arise, when we assume that every word we use is
2
understood by everyone in the same way. And, of course, some words have
different meanings in different contexts.
The words ‘justification’ and ‘justified’, for instance, come into this category. In
relation to a piece of printed material these words simply refer to the way in
which the spaces between words are stretched or compressed in order to align
both the left and right hand ends of consecutive lines of text.
In other contexts, these same words may have to do with whether there are
good reasons for taking certain attitudes, or expressing certain views, or
engaging in certain actions, in our dealings with other people. Then again,
these same words may be used in connection with the relationship of human
beings to God. It is not my intention in this little letter to try to pin down the
meaning of these words – I simply want to say that misunderstandings are sure
to arise if we assume that other people understand words, and complex ideas,
in the same way that we do.
Sometimes the question we ought to ask about certain ‘technical’ words of our
faith is: where does our understanding of them come from? Have we simply
accepted what we were told long ago? Have our ideas been modified through
our reading of the Bible? Have we explored the subjects with other Christians?
Perhaps I am here being a little provocative, but I sometimes think that many
ideas about ‘sacrifice’ and ‘propitiation’ have their roots in pagan worship rather
than the pages of the Old Testament or the New!
As Christians we should not think of ourselves as people who have all the
answers, so much as people who have some inkling of the direction in which to
take our questions (in many areas of life the people who worry me most are
those who are so sure they are right that they are convinced everybody else
must be wrong). No matter how old we are, or how long we live, we need to
remain people who are seeking truth together. I have many fond memories of
little groups of people who accepted one another as children of God and
disciples of Jesus, while disagreeing with one another on a variety of subjects.
May the peace of God be yours through these difficult times.
Howard Curnow
3
Coads Green
Two Days in the Life of Mike Stephens
Here I am, sitting at the kitchen table, bemoaning the fact that as yet I haven't
heard anything about my Covid vaccination. It's Thursday 4th February and
the government has said that everyone in the country my age (over 70 years
of age) will have had their vaccine by the middle of February. Yeah fat
chance, I think.
Anyway, I hear the postman putting some mail through our letter box. I have a
look and guess what: there's a letter from the NHS advising me that I can ring
the number at the foot of the page to book an appointment for my jab. It also
told me that it might be advantageous to wait until late afternoon or the
evening as by then it would hopefully be less busy. I thought, OK, I'll wait until
the evening but my wife, the boss, said I might as well give it a go. 'Nothing
ventured, nothing gained', I thought, so here goes.
Expecting to have to wait a very long time, I was very surprised when, within a
couple of minutes, the phone was answered and after taking my details I was
asked to attend Home Park, Plymouth. Of course, I said yes please and was
told a slot of 1.20pm had been booked for me the next day. Yes, the next day!
So on Friday, Bec and I set off for Plymouth in good time for my appointment.
Nothing could have prepared me for the experience. From the helpers in the
car park and the stewards guiding us right through to the actual vaccination,
everything was so well organised. Nothing was too much trouble for anyone.
Everyone was so friendly and helpful. They made me feel very special, as
though they were there just for me. I feel quite emotional thinking about it,
even now after 24 hours. The stewards ranged in age from those who looked
like they should have been at school to others who should be at home with
their feet up.
Within 30 minutes of arriving, I was on my way back to the car ready to come
home.
Nothing I can say will convey my thanks or gratitude to every single person
involved. May God bless you all. What a difference a day can make!
4
Bridge
Since Christmas we have been taking some time during our live streamed
Sunday services to concentrate on prayer and worship. As we step slowly
closer to, hopefully, being able to meet again in person we wanted to take
some time to focus on waiting on God and sitting in his presence and it has
been a really inspiring and uplifting time. We are continuing to see our live
stream services grow in views and it’s exciting to think we are reaching and
connecting with people in the community who may not have walked into the
church building before.
As we enter into March we are turning our attention to Easter. Over Christmas
we put together a Christmas pack for children which included chocolates and
an AR booklet of the Nativity story. We delivered them to the local primary
schools and over 700 children received one. Our plan is to put together
something similar for Easter that can be given out to the children in the
community. We hope this small gift will bless them and their families during
what has been a difficult time of lockdown and remote learning.
Lucy Worth
5
THE BIBLE
ITS UNITY
The books of the Bible were written by 40 authors over a
period of 1500 years and were supervised by God until
they formed what is known as the CANON of scripture. All
the writings bound in one volume and known as THE
BIBLE have a harmony and a unity that is divinely appointed. It contains all
we need to know about God, faith and all mattes of practice relating to the
Christian life.
ITS ACCURACY
The Scriptures in their original form were entirely accurate and free from
error. Take for example the predictions in the Old Testament relating to the
person of Jesus of Nazareth. Over 300 prophecies relating to His birth, His
life, His miracles, His ministry, His death, His resurrection, His ascension
were accurately fulfilled all within the 33 years in which He lived. Someone
has computed that the chance of over 300 prophecies being fulfilled in the
life of one person within the short span of 33 years is 1 CHANCE IN 83
BILLION.
ITS INDESTRUCTABILITY
The Bible’s survival throughout history is the story of a perpetual miracle. No
book has been as attacked and ridiculed as this one, but it has survived the
test of the centuries. Apathy, worm, rot, fire, and even the command of the
Roman Emperor Diocletian in A.D.303 that all the Scriptures be destroyed by
FIRE, have not succeeded in restricting the power of the Word of God.
Voltaire, the infidel, predicted that 100 years after his death the Scriptures
would be replaced by his writings. Twenty-five years after his death, the
house in which he had written most of his works was occupied by a Christian
organisation, and it became the publishing house for the Geneva Publishing
Company.
© CWR 1985
6
Launceston Churches Together United Service –
“Abide in Christ” (John 15:1-17)
O
n Sunday 24th January, the Launceston Churches Together held an
online service based on the passage in John’s Gospel which tells of
Jesus explaining how he is the True Vine and those who abide in him
will bear much fruit. The Gateway Church hosted the event and there was
representation from the Methodist Church, the Anglican Church, The Roman
Catholic Church, the Salvation Army, Launceston Free Believers in Christ
Fellowship International, Launceston Community Church and the Gateway
Church.
Many people joined us and logged on to the service using either the online
platform or FaceBook. In addition to local representatives taking part the
service was interspersed with greetings from our brothers and sisters in Christ
from various parts of the world. Ingalill, Anders and friends spoke to us from
Hortlax in Sweden about what God has been doing there and how they have
grown from a church plant and are focussing on supporting refugees. Revd.
David Aziz spoke from Egypt, encouraging us to leave our comfort zones; our
buildings and share the love of God. Finally, Ronald and Caroline Ngala from
Kenya reminded us that the only place for the Church to be is in the Word of
God, and that by abiding in Christ Jesus we are able to bear fruit.
Revd Alison Hardy from the Launceston Parish Churches led us in a creative
activity where we considered how
being attached to God, Jesus and
the Holy Spirit enables us to bear
much fruit (see picture). Worship
was led by The Bridge Church and
Kevin Pickup, from the Gateway
Church concluded our service with
a short reflection, encouraging us
to be united in mind and thought,
cultivating a life in common. He
quoted Helen Keller who said
“alone we can do so little, but
together we can do so much.”
After the service people were
encouraged to share in fellowship and get to know one another in breakout
rooms on Zoom. If you would like to find out more about Launceston
Churches Together then please visit
https://www.facebook.com/launcestonareachurchestogether/.
The offertory at this service was for “Open Doors,” a charity which serves
persecuted Christians around the world. If you would still like to give then
please go to: www.opendoorsuk.org/act/response.
Jo Smart
7Thoughts on Lent
from the Local Preachers’ Secretary
I
was delighted to be asked to share with Spotlight some brief reflections
regarding Lent.
For many people lent is the time from Ash Wednesday to Easter for giving
something up.
Over the years when working with children and young people I have had to
keep this in mind: I remember the awkwardness of holding a ‘chocolate-
based’ youth event in late March only to discover on the day that 3 of the
young people had given up chocolate for lent! The idea of giving something
up reflects the 40 days Jesus fasted in the wilderness to enable him to work
out his priorities as he was tempted by the devil. It is no coincidence that
Wesley Cottage is hosting a Zoom study morning at the end of February on
‘Screwtape and the church today’, considering how the devil may still cause
problems today.
We, like Jesus himself, can use Lent as an opportunity to take time to reflect
on how to develop our relationship with God. Giving something up or fasting
can help make the space to do this but I like the recently developing idea of
‘giving something up to take something up’. Some people miss a meal and
give the money saved to charity, while for others missing a meal is not a
good idea but alternatives can be giving up playing a computer game or
other activity for a few weeks to create some space for something devotional.
The ways to help develop our relationship with God are numerous. Perhaps
spending 30 minutes a day reading the bible or a devotional book could be
helpful. Other ideas would be to join the Lenten Study group (don’t worry if
you have missed the first sessions!) or to come to the circuit prayer meeting
to help focus your prayer life.
A final thought for reflection is that Lent should be a positive experience for
our Christian faith is good news! We remember this as we know Lent lasts
for 40 days yet there are 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter
Sunday. Why the difference in the number of days? Because Christians
celebrate Easter every Sunday, so the six Sundays in Lent are feast days
where we rejoice in the abundant love of God we know in Jesus and pause
in our giving up.
Whether you decide to give something up or take something up I wish you a
peaceful and blessed Lent with space to encounter the living God whose
resurrection we will celebrate at Easter.
John Hogarth (Local Preachers’ Secretary)
8Womens World Day Of Prayer
Friday 5th March 2021
T
he North Hill Section have decided not to hold a service locally due to
the Covid restrictions which are unclear at present. Several services
within Cornwall are being held via Zoom and these can be found on the
WWDP website which is www.wdp.org.uk.
Falmouth & Penryn Churches Together have an On-Line service joining from
10.15am and starting 10.30am.
The link is: https://you.be/LAWaKsKCQ8U and Truro Methodist Church is
hosting a service On-Line at 2pm and their contact is Mrs M Edwards. Their
service is on Youtube and will remain there if you are unable to to join at
2pm.
Locally there is a service at Lifton Chapel TBC and a number throughout
Cornwall if you want to attend in person.
The service books are available and will be distributed to those not on-line
who want to follow the service prepared by the women of Vanuatu in the
South Pacific.
This is the opportunity for the women of the world to pray together, using the
same theme, over a 24 hour period - as one country goes to sleep another
wakes. This year there is not one country who does not need prayer.
Next year it is the responsibility for Great Britain to provide the service and
let us hope that we can meet together and also take forward the things we
have learnt from this year.
We have been asked to remember that this service is the only source of
income for WDP and donations would be gratefully received in order to
continue the support of various charities. Offertory can be given by:
1. Cheques made payable to World Day of Prayer and sent to WDP,
Commercial Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2RR
2. Donating on line through the website https://www.wwdp.org.uk
3. By text message: Text 2021WDP 5 to 70085 to donate £5, you can
donate up to £40.
Ann Foster
9Water
M
onday 22nd March 2021 is UN World Water Day. The first one was in
1993. If you are among the 7 out of 10 people on the planet who have
clean water available at your home around the clock, count yourself
lucky. Hundreds of millions of people are not so fortunate and their families
pay the price daily. Water-related diseases such as cholera sap their energy.
Carrying buckets of dirty water for hours prevents mothers from earning
money and children from attending school. They don’t have the water they
need to irrigate crops or water livestock. These are people who lack a basic
water service. This doesn’t mean water on tap around the clock. Instead, it’s
having water nearby, within a 30-minute round trip.
In the UK it’s easy to take pipes, tanks and treatment systems for granted - we
can turn on a tap and have instant access to clean water for drinking, cooking
and washing. It’s easy for us to forget how water services protect public health
especially at a time when washing our hands is more important than ever. The
aim of World Water Day is to celebrate water and raise awareness of the 2
billion people living without access to safe water.
Water means different things to different people. What does water mean to
you? Water is important to everyone’s home and family lives, their livelihoods,
their cultural practices, their wellbeing and local environment. By thinking
about and celebrating all the different ways water benefits our lives, we can
value water properly and safeguard it effectively for everyone.
In households, schools and workplaces, water means health, hygiene, dignity
and productivity; In natural spaces water signifies peace, harmony and
preservation; In cultural, religious and spiritual places water can mean a
connection with creation, community and oneself.
A world without water would be dry and dead. Water is essential for life. There
are many references in the Bible where water is used as symbolism for various
things such as salvation, cleansing, the Holy Spirit, and more. Here are some
examples -
• Isaiah 49:10 They will not hunger or thirst, nor will the scorching heat or
sun strike them down; For He who has compassion on them will lead
them and will guide them to springs of water.
• John 4:13-14 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be
thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never
thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of
water welling up to eternal life.” - The water that Jesus offers will
never leave you thirsty.
• John the Baptist baptizing Jesus - Matthew 3: 16-17 No sooner had
Jesus been baptized and come up out of the water than the heavens
were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove to
alight on him. And there came a voice from heaven saying, “This is my
beloved Son, in whom I take delight.”
10• John 13:5 Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash his
disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which he was
girded. - This was a display of Jesus’ humility and his servanthood.
Washing feet is symbolic of our role in the body of Christ.
• John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born
of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
• Psalm 23:1-2 The Lord is my shepherd; I lack for nothing. He makes
me lie down in green pastures, he leads me to water where I may rest.
Water is a gift from God that provides us with all our physical and spiritual
needs so let’s celebrate World Water Day.
Some information taken from
www.worldwaterday.org and
www.worldvision.org
What Is The Methodist Way Of Life?
A
Methodist Way of Life outlines what it means to be a Methodist. It puts
into words how we try to live our lives in response to God’s love made
known to us in Jesus. It is built on what Methodists have always done
since the time of John Wesley, as they tried to follow Jesus and live out the
Christian Faith. It is a way of living; an ‘invitation to live for the God who loves us
and to express the pattern of Jesus in our daily lives’. There are some aspects
that we will be comfortable with and others that we may find more challenging.
The Spotlight team would welcome your encouraging stories of prayer and
worship, examples of how we are learning from one another and caring for our
communities. Stories of how we are demonstrating God’s love to our
neighbours, challenging injustice and reaching out to others with the good news
as we grow together and support one another along the way and seek to ‘be a
blessing within and beyond God’s Church for the transformation of the world.’
11Knitted Easter Chick
(Chocolate Egg Cover)
A
s Easter approaches we look for ways to reach out to our communities
with the Good news of hope and love to be found in the resurrected
Jesus. With Covid restrictions continuing to limit what we can do in our
church buildings and where we can go outside of our homes we need to find
new ways of connecting with others, allowing God to use what we make
available to Him. If you enjoy knitting, maybe you would like to create some
of these simple knitted chicks, fill them with chocolate eggs and give them
away to lonely or housebound neighbours reminding them that they haven’t
been forgotten and sharing the good news that Jesus in Alive.
Materials
• Oddments of yellow or white DK yarn (or colour of choice) - 100g will
make approx 16 chicks.
• 3.25mm (No 10) or 3mm (No 11) knitting needles
• Small piece orange/yellow felt (for beaks)
• Small googly eyes (or black yarn/black bead)
• Narrow ribbon or similar (approx 25cm length to tie around neck)
• Small amount of stuffing for head (e.g. cotton wool ball)
• Needle for sewing up seam
Row 1 Cast on 26 stitches and K first row
Row 2 Increase in 1st stitch, K10, inc in next st. K2, inc in next st, K10, inc in
last st.
Row 3 Knit
Row 4 Inc in 1st st, K12, inc in next st, K2, inc in next st, K12, inc in last st.
Row 5 Knit
Row 6 Inc in 1st st, K14, Inc in next st, K2, inc in next st, K14, inc in last st.
Rows 7 – 14 Knit 8 rows on these 38 stitches
Row 15 Knit, inc. on 1st and last stitches
Row 16 Knit
Row 17 – 20 Repeat these last 2 rows twice more (44 stitches).
Row 21 Cast off 12 sts, K to end
Row 22 Cast off 12 sts, K to end
Rows 23 – 36 Knit 14 rows on remaining 20 stitches.
To finish off:
Thread wool through remaining 20 stitches. Pull up and fasten off. Sew head
and body seam. Stuff the head and gather round neck with a small length of
12yarn, pull up slightly and secure. Leave the bottom open for insertion of a
creme/chocolate egg. Sew on beak and eyes. Tie ribbon around neck. Fill
with chocolate egg.
Virtual Choir
W
ell, I don’t know about you but one of the things I miss the most
about not gathering together on a Sunday morning is the opportunity
to sing hymns and worship songs as a congregation. As we went
into lockdown for the third time, we thought we would try to bring back a
sense of togetherness while we sing by forming a virtual choir. Back in the
spring, the ‘UK Blessing’ was one of the first musical items we saw where
people were able to record themselves singing along to a soundtrack in their
own homes and then be incorporated into a film showing many people joining
together in the same song. We thought it was about time that we had a go
and we were glad that some other people were keen to have a go too.
Each week we send out an audio track for the song and all the singers record
themselves singing along to it in their own homes and send the video back to
us. Technology is not a particular strong point of mine but I am glad we have
Theo at home who understands these things and is keen to put the video
together. We have had a few teething troubles, as with any new project, but
we are learning along the way. I hope most of you saw the first song, Seek Ye
First, during the Zoom service on 31st January. As I write this we are
preparing the next song for February 14th and hopefully there will be a
contribution from our ‘Virtual Choir’ each week from then on until we are able
to return to services in our various churches and chapels.
If you are interested in joining in, please contact me on 01566 772537 or
nicolahosking@outlook.com and I will send you the details.
Nicola Hosking
13A Cornish Celtic Way
W
ay back in Spring 2019 I was looking for a challenge. Both Bridget
and I love walking especially as it’s something we can do together. I
also have a long-term aim to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
I was delighted to read an article reviewing a new pilgrimage route book
written by Rev. Nigel Marns who is a vicar in the Marazion area. The book was
entitled A Cornish Celtic Way which seemed to fit our needs, so I duly ordered
it.
The book is a combination of different genres. It is a pilgrimage and
guidebook with maps and directions for each section of the Cornish Celtic way
through Cornwall from the starting point at St Germans in South East Cornwall
all the way to St Michaels Mount. It contains some history of the Cornish Celtic
Saints and includes poems, songs, bible stories and reflections inspired by
encounters on the journey. Alongside the book we also purchased the
‘passport’ booklet as ink stamps are available to collect throughout the walk.
Most of these stamps we found in Churches often located beside the visitors’
book along the route. Apparently a fully stamped book gives the holder free
entry into the Church at the top of St Michaels Mount. The kid in me enjoyed
collecting these as we went.
In July 2019 we started on our pilgrimage with a plan to walk whenever we
could but mostly on Sunday afternoons in achievable 4-6 mile chunks, our
plan being to drive to the end point and hire a taxi to take us to the starting
point each time. The route takes footpaths and roads and took us via Parish
churches and Celtic crosses along the way. We soon found ourselves
walking along the beautiful South Cornwall coast path all the way to Fowey.
The route now heads north along the Saints Way. We thought this would be a
less interesting part of the pilgrimage but it proved to be every bit as
enjoyable as the coastal section. Finding the Treffry Viaduct in the woods near
Luxulyan and walking past Gunwen Chapel (home of William O’Bryan one of
the founders of the Bible Christian Movement) we reached Lanivet by October
2019 before winter closed in. On three days in early 2020 with glorious
sunny (but cold) weather we continued on. It was such a joy to walk over the
top of St Breock Downs and view the North Cornwall Coast. We carried on to
Padstow and then St Merryn. Then lockdown came. We did one Sunday walk
to St Mawgan in June but decided to stay away from the coast during the busy
summer and we resumed again in September. Unfortunately, restrictions
meant that some of the Churches were closed but a few were open such as at
Crantock and St Agnes which was lovely. The route took us via St Piran’s
Oratory and Cross at Perran Sands which was special.
By mid-October we had reached Portreath after walking through the dramatic
tin mining landscape on the coast. As the weather became more changeable,
we decided to skip a section (to compete later), and instead we walked the St
Michaels Way route from Carbis Bay to Ludgvan, which again was really good
with spectacular views on the top of Trencrom Hill. This particular route is
14said to have been used by pilgrims walking to Santiago de Compostela.
Since then either lockdowns or inclement winter weather have prevented
completion, but we are looking forward to standing on St Michaels Mount
sometime this Spring. One word of caution though is that occasionally the
directions are a bit vague and we were very glad to have our OS Maps with
us. Nonetheless we thoroughly recommend this walk and book.
David Pett
www.cornishcelticway.co.uk
What is a Mother
It takes a Mother's love It takes a Mother's wisdom
to make a house a home, to recognize our needs
A place to be remembered, And to give us reassurance
no matter where we roam by her loving words and deeds.
It takes a Mother's patience, It takes a Mother's endless faith,
to bring a child up right, her confidence and trust
And her courage and her cheerfulness To guide us through the pitfalls
to make a dark day bright. of selfishness and lust.
It takes a Mother's thoughtfulness And that is why in all this world
to mend the heart's deep "hurts," there could not be another
And her skill and her endurance Who could fulfil God's purpose
to mend little socks and shirts. as completely as a Mother!
It takes a Mother's kindness ~ Helen Steiner Rice
to forgive us when we err,
To sympathize in trouble
and bow her head in prayer.
15My Calling
I
f you ask any local preacher about their calling you will probably hear
something different each time. It may be that they saw a need or heard the
gospel message being explored in a new way, or a hymn or prayer felt as if it
was speaking directly to them. It might have been that someone saw in them the
potential gifts and graces of a preacher. It could even have been borne out of
frustration in worship and a sense that they could do better. (Called to Preach,
The Methodist Church).
Continuing the short series, looking at God's calling, we have asked Ann
Foster to share how God called her to share in the Church’s mission:
On being asked to write about my calling to preach set me thinking about the
journey. At school I was always the narrator in school plays and how I wanted to
be Mary or an angel. Instead I was stood at the side of the stage usually
dressed in a pages outfit-what that has to do with the Nativity I don't know! I did
a bit of drama at my Grammar school then fast forward to my mid teens. Away
on a young people’s (teenagers) weekend at Hildenborough Hall, Tonbridge,
Kent I had my first taste of public speaking. We did all the things these week-
ends bring and some that you shouldn't do but one thing we all had to do was to
speak to the whole group of about 40 teenagers, for 10 minutes. I realise that
these instances contributed to my calling to preach.
Moving to Trebullett I was interested in the Local Preachers and in awe at their
dedication. However, I had no interest in becoming embroiled in the hierarchy of
Methodism or any other church! I saw Local Preaching as being the thin end of
the wedge. Several people mentioned preaching to me but I felt not capable
enough. Then, I remember it clearly even now, Peter Coombe from the Mustard
Seed preached and afterwards I shared with him how I felt a warmth whilst he
was preaching. His reply was that maybe I was being called to preach! Not the
reply I was expecting. I couldn't get it out of my head so I found myself speaking
to Rev. Keith Roberts who rather than saying that I wasn't suitable said the
opposite and I found myself on the Plan! I then found out what it took to train to
be a preacher-discipline, study etc and that the two years in which I planned to
complete the training took four. I learnt that God likes us to learn something
properly and that takes time. During this time of training I received the Baptism
of the Holy Spirit after I realised through the studies that something was missing
-the Third piece of the jigsaw that makes up God. I also learnt about discipline,
the art of learning to say no-always difficult for me, and that John Wesley was a
man ahead of his time both in his practical outworking of his faith, his discipline
in his faith and his compassion for the poor and his advice on health issues,
diet, budgeting etc and that he started house groups before anyone in the 21st
century had thought of them. I had always thought of small groups as a modern
phenomena. All this fitted in with how I feel as a Christian and I believe all these
things have led me on my journey in being called to preach and preaching. It is
hard to choose a particular verse but Psalm 139:5-12 epitomises my calling and
Psalm 119:105 has always been a favourite. No harsh neon lights for God but
the gentle light of a lamp to guide in the right path.
Ann Foster
16THE LIGHT IS SHINING IN THE DARKNESS...
O
peration Mobilisation traces its roots to the prayers of an
American housewife. In the 1950s, Dorothea Clapp began
to pray faithfully for the students in her local high school.
She asked God to touch the world through the lives of the young
people. And God answered her prayers.
Mrs. Clapp's son gave the Gospel of John to one of the students, who later gave
his life to the Lord at a Billy Graham meeting. That young man was George
Verwer, the founder and former International Director of Operation Mobilisation.
Today in the OM family of ministries, there are 5000 workers representing over
113 nations in more than 110 countries and in world port communities, through
the ship, Logos Hope. But how have missions, like Operation Mobilisation,
managed to continue during a worldwide pandemic? The following letter from
the latest edition of the OM magazine, Global, gives some insight into how God
has been at work….
Dear Friends
People have often asked me over this last year what it is like leading a mission
organisation through the pandemic. I am reminded of the words of Charles
Dickens in a Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of
times...it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring
of hope, it was the winter of despair.”
The restrictions of the past year have had a huge impact on our work as OM in
the UK – bringing challenges and opportunity in equal measure. It is a difficult
time for churches to consider sending out cross-cultural mission workers and
we’ve seen a decline in British Christians going long and short-term to share
God’s love where He is not known. Workers already serving in least reached
countries have had to cope with complexities around travel, visas and insurance.
Financially, we have continued to experience the grace and provision of God
through the generosity of faithful partners, but we recognise that these are
difficult times. And yet, through it all we have seen God working and even
opening new doors of opportunity.
We have been encouraged to see the Lord work powerfully through evangelistic,
training and discipleship programmes online, as teams respond with innovative
creativity. Whilst we long to be able to return to face to face ministry, one of our
biggest problems in recent months, is the practicality of how to baptise large
numbers of new believers from least reached people groups who are now
coming to faith in their dozens. We praise God for this sort of problem!
In the midst of the ‘worst times’, as followers of Jesus, we have a certain hope.
The light is shining in the darkness, through the ‘winter of despair’ and our eyes
remain fixed upon the One who is seated on the throne.
Thank you for continuing to partner with us as we, together, lift our eyes and our
prayers to the Lord.
MATTHEW SKIRTON, UK Chief Executive, OM. www.uk.om.org
17A Letter From David Illand…………….
“O Boy, O Boy, O Boy! Thanks be to God that we don’t live in a high rise block
of flats in a large town somewhere and live in Cornwall with a nice garden and
lovely countryside all around us.” How many times have we heard these words
and many like them from customers at Illand Nurseries since the Spring of last
year. We had many more customers that normal taking an interest in their
garden because of Lockdown.
So what do we do in the garden in February? Plant trees and shrubs, winter
prune trees and shrubs if required, divide snowdrops, prune clematis, Autumn
raspberries, fruit bushes, spring peach trees, divide herbaceous plants if
needed, plant seeds in the greenhouse, plant broad beans.
So much to do and see - start projects? Do I want to make a pond or winter
garden? Perhaps a fruit cage? Everything will soon be bursting into life. Much
work to do.
God placed the first Adam in a garden and Adam was very happy. God the
Father visited Adam and they were in happy fellowship with each other. What
about the people living in a high rise block of flats or are too old to work in a
garden? Don’t worry, make a time during the day or night when you have
fellowship between you and Father God only. My prayer time starts at 3.30am ,
for one hour God visits my heart and the joy knows no bounds. I then sleep for
half an hour, then prayers of intercession, finally Bible study. The Old
Testament, near a chapter a day, the Psalms and two chapters of the New
Testament. I also have a ‘lucky dip’ every day which God blesses profoundly.
All those who come to Jesus are sons of Abraham and therefore heirs to his
promise. What is God’s promise to Abraham? “I am the Lord your God. Do not
be afraid, I am your shield, your very great reward”. God is light, God is fire.
Practice God’s word every day, pray at all times. If you live alone and are in a
high rise block of flats you also will be saying “O Boy, O Boy, O Boy, what
blessings. God sees me as His child, the blood of Jesus has cleansed me from
all sin, God sees me as He made me, totally righteous”.
Praise be to God alone.
David Illand
1819
If you would like to share on the circuit website something special that
happened at your church send details to David Rogerson
david@lamc.org.uk
Or post to Glebe House, Lezant, Launceston PL15 9PP (01579 370412).
Items need to be brief and a photo would be good giving a
snap shot of what is happening in your church.
Editorial Team:
Marion Allen, Pauline Daniel, Elaine Shillaber, Joanna Harley & Margaret Stephens
Collator: Richard Wright.
Production & Distribution Assistance: David & Joanna Harley,
Leighton Penhale, Sally Harvey and Philip Smith.
All articles for the April issue to spotlight@lamc.org.uk or by post/hand to the
Circuit Office no later than 15th March 2021.
Items submitted after this date may be withheld or used in a subsequent edition.
Please ensure items are clearly marked for Spotlight and include contact details.
Whilst every effort is made to print forwarded material, its inclusion cannot be
guaranteed. All items are printed at editorial team discretion.
Websites: www.lamc.org.uk www.central-methodist.org.uk
Launceston Area Methodist Circuit - Registered Charity no: 1138314
Contact Information:
Revd David Miller Tel: 01566 776603. Email: david.miller@lamc.org.uk
Revd Jo Smart Tel: 01566 782921 Email: jcsmart@me.com
Pioneer Mr Sam Beazley Tel: 07540 107655 Email: sam.beazley@bridgechurch.org
Circuit Office, Mr Richard Wright, Dingley Hall, Castle Street, Launceston, PL15 8BA.
Tel.: 01566 772797 Email: circuitoffice@lamc.org.uk Office open Tue.and Thur 9.30 am to 1pm
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