WITHAM URC CHURCH MAGAZINE JULY 2020
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WITHAM URC
CHURCH MAGAZINE
JULY 2020
1
PASTORAL LETTER
Dear Friends,
This year we’ve had so much sunshine that it would be a good summer for
having solar lamps in the garden. They absorb the sunshine and then, when
it’s dark, they shine brightly. Or at least, they shine in proportion to the sun
they have been exposed to. Just like us! We absorb and then radiate God’s
love in the proportion in which we have absorbed it.
This reminds me of some verses in John’s first letter:
“Dear friends, let’s love one another with the love God has given us. Those
who don’t love as God loved don’t know him. God has shown us what love
looks like by sending his only Son into our world to give us new life through
his death. So love doesn’t start with us but with God. He took the initiative,
sending Jesus to take our place on the cross and suffer the penalty for sin
which should have fallen on us. How can we not love one another when God
has set such an extraordinary example? When we love others as God loved
us, we make him visible – people look at us and say, ‘so that’s what God’s
love looks like!’ In this way God’s love achieves its full purpose in us.”
So if you’ve never thought of yourself as a lamp shining with love, God’s
love, then now is a good time to start doing so!
Having said that, it’s not easy, in fact it is incredibly difficult, if not
impossible, to love everyone unconditionally especially those we don’t know
and with whom we have no shared experiences. The challenge is not to love
our family and friends, which can be difficult enough at times, but to love
absolutely everyone.
When we love someone we care about their well-being. We don’t knowingly
allow them to be mistreated. This which is why so many of us have been
2
shocked to find our eyes opened to the enormity of the racial injustice that
goes on in our own country.
The Bible is really clear - not only that people should live in community but
also how that should work in practice. Hence laws evolved to ensure the
powerless and vulnerable were not oppressed but would be given justice
and cared for by the rest of the community.
One of the beatitudes is: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they will be filled.
Recently I read an excellent explanation of the meaning of the word
‘righteousness’: right-way-ness. Doing things the right way. Which explains
why righteousness is translated as justice in some versions: God blesses
those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.
When we emerge from this lockdown many of us will have made changes,
some significant, others minor, to our lives, our working life, our family life,
our leisure and so on.
Society will have changed around us as will our community and so we pray
that some changes will become the new normal, like the way so many are
actively helping not just their friends but those they don’t know. I pray that
heightened awareness of the Black Lives Matter campaign will also lead to
lasting change for good.
May God bless and empower us as we seek to do everything the right way,
with love and grace. May He bless us as we seek to be instruments of
change in our society until doing things the right way, doing the right thing
in the right way, becomes our new culture.
With love and prayers for you all,
Lorna
3
Background to Pastoral Letter - Lorna
As a result of lockdown I am currently reading daily Bible notes that are
dated 2012 simply because that was the year that had Easter in the same
week of April. I am convinced that this is an example of God’s amazing
timing because, although you may not instantly recall it, 2012 was the year
after the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King
James’ translation of the Bible. In the notes was a short article about the
huge impact that the Bible has had on British culture, literature, politics
and indeed every area of our life. It was very interesting and a pertinent
reminder of how the Bible has shaped our nation and culture.
Two principles struck me as relevant to contemporary society.
The first is that regardless of social status, power, wealth, education or
anything else, each and every person is subject to the law. This is the
principle established in Deuteronomy 17. This idea took root very early in
British history. Apparently, in the eighth century an Anglo-Saxon scholar
named Alcuin warned King Ethelred ‘you will have him [God] as a judge".
I think that to this day, when a British monarch is crowned, they are
presented with a Bible. The principle of being equal under the law extends
to politicians and wealthy business people and every single person living in
our country. We are all of us subject to the law and there should not be
anyone who considers themselves above the law. The news recently has
shown that perhaps this principle has been forgotten by some privileged
people.
The second principle that the Bible established actually follows on from the
first. Equality before the law leads on to the principle of equality itself. ‘All
human life is equal’ is actually a revolutionary statement as even a cursory
glance at history shows. When this was first asserted it was extremely
unpopular in certain quarters. However, in the fullness of time, the idea of
4
equality as found in the Bible and the gospels, led to the abolition of the
slave trade and then, in British dominions, of slavery itself. Clearly, the very
fact that slavery needed to be abolished in those Christian territories is a
salutary reminder of how far behind Christian standards Christians had
fallen. The fact that International Justice Mission (IJM) is still rescuing
children and adults from bonded labour (effectively slavery) and sex
trafficking shows that modern day slavery exists in a different guise and
that Christians have not yet overcome evil with good. Sadly we have to
acknowledge that slavery isn’t just part of our history - it’s part of
contemporary society - and that we are complicit in many ways especially
through our lifestyle and shopping choices which I mention simply because
they are areas over which we individuals do have some level of control.
In Britain it has been Christians at the forefront of change for the better
instituting improvements such as free education, health care and prison
reform for centuries. However, as recent events have shown and by the
example I cited earlier, there is still a lot more to do when it comes to
equality and justice, especially where race is concerned. Again, now in the
21st century, it needs to be those who have received and experienced the
undeserved love of God through Jesus who champion the cause of those
who are being oppressed.
5
The Wisdom of God- June Newsletter from Christiana in Kyiv,
Ukraine
Proverbs 1:7 ‘The
fear of the Lord is
the beginning of
knowledge, fools
despise wisdom
and instruction.’
What is wisdom?
Where can
knowledge be
found? Who is wise
among us? How do
I become wise?
It is arguable, due to current events, that the ‘wise’ in the world’s definition
are few to be found. Our governments are not wise enough to deal with this
global crisis. Police departments and authorities are not wise enough to
curb racism. We are not wise enough to protect ourselves from this virus.
We are not wise enough to respond in the ‘right’ way to the people around
us, or the events of the world.
We may conclude from this that true wisdom does not exist in the world we
live in. Last month I explored what the Bible had to say about wisdom. I
had the privilege of preparing and teaching my first lecture on ‘Wisdom
Literature'.
The word wisdom in Hebrew means Hokmah and is used in the context of
an applied skill. For example in Exodus 31:3, Bezalel is filled with the spirit
of God and Hokmah. This describes his ability to design and build the
tabernacle. So wisdom is not merely intellect, and refers to our ability to
6
complete an action with skill. Proverbs, Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes
from the genre of the Bible we come to know as 'wisdom literature'. These
books focus on wisdom applied to the ability to make godly decisions or
right choices in life. We see this explicitly in Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the
LORD is the beginning of wisdom.”
From the
Bible’s
definition of
wisdom-we
see that
wisdom is not
wisdom
unless it is
applied. It's
application is
in a life lived
in response to
the Fear of
God. I have
seen the
transformative power of the application of God's wisdom in the last 3
months. I have seen it firsthand in the lives of our students.
Here is the testimony of one of our students from her first 3 months of
study (in her words):
Rufina from Belarus:
“I could not expect I’ll love all books of the Bible same way because I started
to see the harmony of structure, importance for the people that first read it
in revealing different aspects of God’s character and aspects of people’s
lives. I could feel more of God’s heart of love, also attitude towards sin. I
could give many examples from Bible stories and truth with my friends and
7felt more equipped for it. For me the inductive method study has opened
deepness and endlessness of Bible, I felt like I’ve born again for Word of
God.”
“Every book was a challenge with different obstacles but God’s faithfulness
was unchangeable to help me...Holy Spirit gave time distribution ...when I
could do nothing I was praying ...and I thanked God for every page done.
Also great help to me was acceptance by leaders and assistance (moral and
praying ) by them and my friends. Now I see how to support other people.”
“Topic of discipline and self control has been started. I felt like it’s my
choice to do on time and be obedient to God...I wanted to escape on
internet but put in time to go deep into the Bible. Afterwards I wasn’t
satisfied from not healthy and social media and could filter bad and good
better…”
“My self esteem has risen and guiltiness has weakened because I read about
different characters with strong and weak features and realised its normal,
God was accepting different people and used them. God was always
teaching me not to worry (because of failure or success, but to be calm,
stable, not care and trust Him. I didn’t worry about things I worried about
before school....also I experienced how God can help me grow in different
spheres and talents.”
Praise the Lord who, by His
wisdom is transforming
each one of us! I have also
had to trust in His wisdom
more than I ever have these
past few months and have
seen His faithfulness!
8Praise Points!:
● I collected my residency permit yesterday so can now live here for
another year!
● Ukraine has opened its borders due to a lessening of restrictions. As
a result 3 more of our students have arrived from Belarus!
● Transformation of students and staff-this newsletter is only half of
it! God is good!
● My Russian has also improved from lessons-which I have seen God
use. I was able to talk with people when we distributed Bibles in a
village outside of Kyiv. It is wonderful to be able to bless our
Russian students by being able to communicate on a deeper level
with them.
● Our church has been able to meet again! It was strange to see people
in masks but a joyful reunion.
● We had a successful staff retreat! We made a 5 year plan for our
Bible teaching team.
● The fires and air pollution ended after a few days. We have been
able to enjoy 2 months of beautiful weather and clean air.
Prayer requests:
● COVID-19 cases are rising here due to a lessening of restrictions.
Although recovery rate is also rising :-) Pray for healing for the
nations, and the nation of Ukraine.
● We have 2 students still studying online in Armenia. Pray Armenia
would open its borders so they can come and join us soon.
● I am giving my first ‘book’ lecture in 2 weeks on the book of Joel.
Pray that God would use this book to really speak into my life, and
our students’ lives
● Ministry Opportunities- Pray for our women’s Bible study group to
develop as teachers. Also for God to transform the lives of many
through our Ukrainian Bible distribution.
9Thank you again for your wonderful support! None of this is possible
without you!
I continue to hold you in my thoughts and prayers.
God bless you
Бог благословил вас
10The mousetrap - A Story for you Anon
A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife
open a package. "What food might this contain?" the mouse wondered. He
was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap. Retreating to the farmyard,
the mouse proclaimed the warning: "There is a mousetrap in the house!
There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said "Mr. Mouse, I
can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I
cannot be bothered by it."
The mouse turned to the pig and told him "There is a mousetrap in the
house! " The pig sympathized, but said "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but
there is nothing I can do about it"
The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The cow said "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my
nose."
So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the
farmer's mousetrap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house - like the sound of
a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was
caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail
the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her
to the hospital and she returned home with a fever.
Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer
took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient. But his
wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbours came to sit with her
around the clock.
11To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig. The farmer's wife did not get
well; she died.
So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to
provide enough meat for all of them.
The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.
So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't
concern you, remember: when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.
We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for
one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another. Each of
us is a vital thread in another person's tapestry.
I have great family and friends that do this for me.
12The Pledge - Motivation Freedom through Mobility
Disability and COVID-19 in developing countries extracts from
Anna Reece
Before the COVID-19 pandemic reached their countries, disabled people in
India and East Africa already faced isolation and fear. But everyday
challenges- like discrimination, limited healthcare, lack of wheelchairs, few
opportunities for work -now have deadlier consequences than ever before.
Our usual services and programmes across India and Africa create
opportunities for disabled people to be included in their communities. But
the virus has forced us to pause some of our direct services. What does this
mean for the disabled people we support?
Loss of income
In many developing countries, disabled people are less able to work. They
and their families are reliant on income from informal jobs. They run small
local shops, repair bicycles, tend chickens, or sell produce at markets. With
communities in lockdown, they have lost their only source of income.
Limited access to food
During lockdown, many disabled people face stark choices. Do they go
outside and risk infection, or run out of food? During lockdown, when food
is scarce, prices soar, markets are closed and livelihoods have been lost, our
13beneficiaries fear that they will be at the back of the line for agencies who
are providing food.
Lack of vital healthcare
Another tough decision is whether to buy food, or vital healthcare
products? These items can be difficult to source in ordinary times,
especially for anyone living miles from a hospital. Right now, the decision
to visit a hospital or health centre means the risk of infection.
Spread of infection
Social distancing is just not possible for the families we support, many of
whom live in crowded communities. Wheelchair users will not find it
possible to keep distance from the caregivers who they rely upon.
How Motivation can help
We are finding ways to offer training and support remotely as much as we
can. And we’re are working to ensure that disabled people’s needs are not
forgotten in this crisis. Our teams are in touch with beneficiaries and
partners by phone and text messages to share advice on:
• access to partners and agencies for provision of healthcare items
• how to sanitise wheelchairs and assistive devices
• care for disabled children who are more vulnerable
• ways to stay mobile and exercise during lockdown
• importance of being isolated from the wider community wherever
possible
• good techniques for washing hands where resources are scarce.
14The Pledge - Embrace in the Middle East
Faith in Action: our vision and mission
Embrace the Middle East is a Christian charity with over 160 years'
experience helping people of all faiths and none to free themselves from a
life of poverty and injustice.
Together with local Christian communities we are bringing lasting change
to the Middle East through healthcare, education and community
development projects.
• Transform the lives of vulnerable and marginalised people across
the Middle East, enabling them to live life in all its fullness
• Strengthen and encourage Middle East Christians as they bring
about positive change in their communities
• Challenge injustice, poverty and exclusion in the Middle East
through targeted advocacy and campaigning.
15The Pledge - Fellowship Afloat extracts from their June Prayer
Necessities
Limbo … is perhaps one way of describing what it feels like at the moment,
we are waiting and preparing.
The Psalms of ascent were used on journeys to remind the people that God
was with them and that it was in Him they should trust. We are mindful of
Psalm 121… “ I look to the mountains… where does my help come from? It
comes from the Lord”. On that journey the mountains were the challenge
ahead, the difficult route to navigate. Exposed and possibly dangerous, the
travellers knew they needed to get to the other side, and to do that they
trusted God.
So like them we know that the coming months will be a challenge to
navigate, but we know the difference FACT makes to thousands of
youngsters every year, and we are determined to continue that adventure
and this journey and we look to God to guide, inspire and refresh us along
the way.
The continued uncertainty is really unhelpful for us and our guests, as
groups are unsure about whether or not they can come, and their
commitments to future bookings is a bigger step for them than usual, and
so the spiral of uncertainty continues and hope that the gradual easing of
restrictions will be successful and mean that we can get back to what we feel
16called to do – growing people through community and adventure at
Tollesbury.
Please pray for:
• Successful easing of lockdown allowing confidence to return
• For the liaison and support for all our guests and groups for 2020 &
2021
• The staff team, volunteers and friends at this time – the wonderful
FACT community.
• To give thanks for the recent financial support that has allowed us to
cover our costs again last month.
17Holdfast Supporters’ Literary Anagrams Quiz
Here are the answers to the Holdfast Supporters’ Literary Anagrams Quiz.
The answer in each case is the name of the author of a literary work.
However, the questions were each built round an anagram of the common
(sometimes shortened) English title of that work – excluding punctuation.
To help, after each question the number of words in the title of the relevant
work together with some general indication of the approximate date of first
publication of the work and also the genre to which (in the opinion of the
compiler of the quiz) the work belongs were given. After the answer the title
of the work forming the anagram is also given.
The author (not illustrator) of:
Mame? [1 word, 19th century classic]
Jane Austen (Emma)
Pent Pear? [2 words, early 20th century child-friendly play
J M Barrie (Peter Pan)
Wind Water Shop? [2 words, 20th century novel appreciated both by
children and adults]
Richard Adams (Watership Down)
Howl Fall? [2 words, 21st century historical novel
Hilary Mantel (Wolf Hall)
Baby Town Done? [2 words, 21st century complete scripts for TV drama
Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey)
Alarm If Man? [2 words, 20th century political satire]
George Orwell (Animal Farm)
18One on a Lord? [2 words, 19th century romance]
R D Blackmore (Lorna Doone)
Gull Starves Liver? [2 words, 18th century satire seen by some as a
children’s novel]
Jonathan Swift (Gulliver’s Travels)
Then I Tie Former Menai Chanter? [6 words, late 18th century epic poem]
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner)
Mind Childer Things? [2 words, 20th century Anglo-Indian allegorical
novel]
Salman Rushdie (Midnight’s Children)
Being Upside Throb? [4 words, 21st century historical novel]
Hilary Mantel (Bring Up The Bodies)
Mad Tail? [1 word, 20th century children’s novel]
Roald Dahl (Matilda)
Real Miss Ran?[2 words, 19th century novel]
George Eliot (Silas Marner)
Onion Curses Rob? [2 words, 19th century novel]
Daniel Defoe (Robinson Crusoe)
Nod Right Flag? [1word, 20th century science fiction/fantasy]
Anne McCaffrey (Dragonflight)
Themes To Noon? [2 words, 19th century contender for first detective novel]
Wilkie Collins (The Moonstone)
Tory Ire Spiked Iron Stall? [4 words, 20th century spy thriller
John Le Carre (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy)
19Arid Sea Plots? [2 words, 17th century epic poem]
John Milton (Paradise Lost)
The Tea Bus from Hell? [5 words, 20th century mythological novel]
Mary Renault (The Bull From The Sea)
Earth Fog Flu? [2 words. 1999 children’s book]
Julia Donaldson (The Gruffalo)
Handy Three Ply Thread Short A Tallow? [6 words, 21st century final
fantasy novel in a series]
J M Rowling (Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows)
Frogs Defy Fishy Tea? [4 words, 21st century erotic novel]
E L James (Fifty Shades Of Grey)
Torn Mosque Enchants [3 words, 20th century trilogy of plays]
Alan Ayckbourn (The Norman Conquests)
Goatee Itch To Wear Them? 6 words, 20th century children’s favourite
Judith Kerr (The Tiger Who Came To Tea)
Chic Four Goal Tome? [4 words, 20th century fantasy humour]
Terry Pratchett (The Colour Of Magic)
Team Ran Shot? [3 words (approx), 18th century Scottish poem]
Robert Burns (Tam O’Shanter)
Melt In Towel? [2 words, 19th century children’s classic]
Louisa May Alcott (Little Women)
20To Hide It? [2 words, 19th century Russian Novel]
Fyodor Dostoevsky (The Idiot)
No Dress On Slav? [3 words, 20th century controversial autobiographical
novel
D H Lawrence (Sons And Lovers)
Moon Jest? [2 words, 18th century English-Picaresque novel]
Henry Fielding (Tom Jones)
Raw Shore? [2 words, 20th century children’s novel]
Michael Morpurgo (War Horse)
Maths And The Ideal? [3 words, 20th century futuristic novel]
Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale)
I Pile Off? [3 words, 21st century Canadian philosophical novel]
Yann Martel (Life Of Pi)
Fay Latch Joke Death? [5 words, 20th century thriller]
Frederick Forsyth (The Day Of The Jackal)
She Hit By Red Stone? [5 words, 21st century children’s novel]
David Walliams (The Boy In The Dress)
Raven Drew Bowl? [3 words, 20th century futuristic novel]
Aldous Huxley (Brave New World)
Teeth Fame On Shore? [5 words, 20th century historical murder mystery]
Umberto Eco (The Name Of The Rose
21Mad Master? [1 word, 20th century prize-winning novel]
Ian McEwan (Amsterdam)
Violet Writs? [2 words, 19th century classic]
Charles Dickens (Oliver Twist)
Coops? [1 word, 20th century comic satire]
Evelyn Waugh (Scoop)
Than Fit On Some? [3 words, 17th century play]
William Shakespeare and/or Thomas Middleton (Timon Of
Athens)
Ming Role Or What? [3 words, 2019 prize winning novel]
Bernardine Evaristo (Girl, Woman, Other)
Join Santa? [2 words, 20th century historical play]
George Bernard Shaw (Saint Joan)
Throne Hacked Bunch of Team? [5 words, 19th century French gothic novel]
Victor Hugo (The Hunchback Of Notre Dame)
Gamers Stall Thing? [3 words, 21st century American novel about race and
prejudice]
Jodi Picoult (Small Great Things)
Far Tour Quest? [2 words, 20th century collected edition of four related
poems]
T S Eliot (Four Quartets)
Non Fire? [1 word, 14th century Italian epic poem]
Dante Alighieri(Inferno)
22Hermit F? [2 words, 20th century legal thriller]
John Grisham (The Firm)
Shrek Ate Tall Men? [3 words, 20th century popular historic novel]
Catherine Cookson (The Mallen Streak)
Surest Iran Deal? [2 words, 19th century adventure story]
Robert Louis Stevenson (Treasure Island)
Thanks to everyone who took part. Two totally correct entries were
returned by the end of May deadline and the winner seleccted at random
was Terry Willingham of Sudbury.
I am only one - Prayer
I am only one, but I am one.
I cannot do everything, but I can do something.
What I can do, I ought to do,
And what I ought to do, by the grace of God I will do.
- Anon
23Shopping List
June 2020
Thank ou for our continuing support during the Coronavirus crisis We are
ver thankful for an support ou can give Foodbanks within the Trussell
Trust network have seen an increase across our network B continuing
to support us with our donations ou are continuing to support those most
in need
We currently need:
Food Items: Other Essentials:
Tinned Tomatoes Toothbrushes
Tinned corned beef Shampoo
Tinned Ham Soap powder detergent
Tinned Spam
Please no baked beans, cereals and biscuits as we have very full stocks of
these items!
Please note: We often ask for small packs—Larger packs do not fit in our
boxes and make it difficult for our clients to carr home Also we are
unable for h giene reasons to split larger si es or catering packs
We are grateful for your donations to the Braintree Area foodbank.
However, we can only accept donations of freshly bought, unopened and
undamaged goods which are still well within their “use by date no less
than months . We cannot use items which do not meet these
requirements, and the donation is wasted.
Thank you.
24Future Forecourt Sale - Julie Harris
Dear all ,
I hope you are all keeping safe and well, the lockdown seems to have been
going on for a longtime and I am sure we are all eager to get back to Church
and normal life.
During lockdown, some of you may have used your time to have a sort out
of items ready to take to a charity shop or the tip.
Times have been hard and a lot of charities have probably been hit hard, I
would like to ask please if you could hold onto items ready for when we can
hold a forecourt sale, I will be very happy to organise this... I believe the
first charity to be supported first half of the year was Holdfast and the
second was Mercy Ships I believe.... I have no idea how the money from the
forecourt sale would be divided.. I will leave that to the fundraisers to
decide, but I am hopeful that maybe we can have a Forecourt sale later in
the year and thought I would put feelers out... I don’t want to steal anybody
else’s thunder and am only wanting to raise money , it us not for me to
designate where the funds will go .. perhaps discussions can be had... but
basically if you have items in reasonable condition could you perhaps hold
on to them
Many thanks
25Plants for sale in aid
of Christian Aid - Julie
Harris
I still have some tomato plants left to sell and I am setting myself a new
goal of £200. I would be so grateful if people could please network and put
out feelers to anybody who might want to buy some at £1 each and I am
happy to deliver.
Please contact: julie127@btinternet.com/01376 517623
The Church Magazine
We are intending to produce the monthly magazine during this unusual
period in electronic from. It would be great to have as many articles from
the fellowship as possible.
If you know of anybody who would like to receive a copy of the magazine
and church notices via email please contact our Church Secretary at
tony.deighton@hotmail.com who will be able to explain how this is done.
The deadline for the August magazine is
Friday, 24th July 2020
by email to: bjstibbards@gmail.com
26These boots are made for walking
Bob Stibbards
Soon after lockdown I started to go for longer walks and reached 100,000
steps in a week. I am lucky as we live with immediate access to the
countryside and have found some great walks. For whatever reason this
has become a weekly target and recently realised that I had done this for 10
weeks and hence one million steps about 450 miles and now stand at over
1.2 million steps: how sad I am !
I have also recently received a notification from Fitbit that I have now
walked 5,500 miles which is about the same distance from Witham to San
Francisco, since Jo purchased it as a Christmas present about three and a
half years ago and neither of us really thought I would take to it.
I tend to go on the walks later on in the day when it is slightly cooler and for
much of the time it seems to clear my head and I just enjoy the
countryside. Most people walking or cycling share a polite greeting ( at a
social distance) and it would good to continue after this strange time .
I am not sure that I feel much fitter but it has certainly kept the weight off
during lockdown!
As for Jo after a number of attempts, she has become quite successful at
making sour dough. It really is a labour of love.
If you have a story to tell it would be great to hear from you it,
will probably me more exciting than mine!
27The Spirit of Note | The Holy Spirit
Word for the Week Old Testament
New Testament
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was
formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the
Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Genesis 1:1-2
How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal
Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from
acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
Hebrews 9:14
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what
we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through
wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the
Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the
will of God.
Romans 8:26-27
I hadn’t really noticed many Ford C-Max cars before. Then I got one. And
now they’re everywhere. It’s amazing what you detect when you’re primed
to notice.
It would be an understatement to say not much happens without the Holy
Spirit’s involvement. Like the other persons of the Trinity, he too has a
rather exhaustive job description: ordering the cosmos; empowering the
people of God; unifying the church; convicting the world of sin,
righteousness, and judgement; delivering the spoils of Christ’s victory to
28sinners; confirming our identity as God’s children; making us holy; keeping
us on track. And the whole time, he’s interceding on our behalf. And you
thought you were busy!
The Spirit was central to the birth, life, mission, death, and resurrection of
Christ. In the New Testament, there are no less than 261 passages in which
the Spirit is mentioned. He’s not some bit-part player in the story of
Scripture, but central at every point. It’s important to notice that.
Today, in our hearts, in our churches, in our families, and on our frontlines,
he is 100% interested. 100% involved. Sometimes we just need someone to
remind us of his presence to give us that ‘oh yeah’ moment. Because when
we notice him, hope awakens, vision widens, and joy blossoms. We see the
hand of God working wonders around us. We remember there is so much
more; that life’s not just down to us.
If you’re already conscious of the Spirit’s ongoing work in your life,
awesome! Keep noticing. But if not, may this reflection act like a spiritual
MRI, revealing something of the hidden miracles taking place in your life
every day. That might mean being aware of your status as a son or daughter
of God when you feel the need to prove yourself. Or becoming more alive to
the mission of God, knowing that the Spirit who hovered over the waters,
and who rested upon the Lord Jesus, is calling you out into God’s world.
You might notice how God is shifting something in the heart of a neighbour,
a child, or that person you chat to at the shop. It might be noticing that
‘unnatural’ patience you showed with that customer, and in the delight you
experience in your work.
What will you notice this week?
Joe Warton
29Jonathan Clark's Newsletter May 2020 - Eve Murfitt
This family came to our church some years ago to get support through
George and Gwynn. I have seen their son grow from a young boy to a man
and is now training at Hillsong.
3031
07564 168342
Minister Revd Mark Ambrose admin@withamurc.org.uk
Associate Minister Revd Lorna Bantock 571757
07564 168342
Admin Assistant to Rev. Mark Ambrose Mrs Deborah Robinson
admin@withamurc.org.uk
Youth Pastor Mrs Viv Solis 500958
Assistant Youth Pastor Ms Tracey Eagling 500958
Centre Managers Mrs Rocio MacDonald 500958
Mrs Ana Martin 500958
Pastoral and Music Mrs Gerry Moscrop
Pastoral Mr Doug Sandles
Pastoral Ms Tracey Eageling
Pastoral Mrs Maureen Barry
Property Mr David Wellings
Outreach and Mission Mr Gavin McCall
Children and Youth Mr Keith Meredith
Prophetic Mr Keith Moscrop
Prayer Mrs Maria Anderson
Church Secretary Mr Tony Deighton 500958
Church Treasurer Mr Ian Hardie
Worship and Music Mrs Sarah Campbell
Worship Mr Tunde Biyi
Discipleship and Growth Mrs Sarah Biyi
Meeting Point Pastoral Co-ordinator Mrs Eve Murfitt
Prayer Chain
Mrs Rosemary Stinson
Co-ordinator 516602
Magazine Editors Jo and Bob Stibbards
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