Recognising the footprints of God
Both our churches have just had their annual meetings where the PCCs have represented their reports for the year 2007. If you have read either of these annual reports, you will, I’m sure, agree with me that 2007 was a very good year for the benefice. Both reports list the number of good things that are going on here; they witness to the fact that there is a great deal of life and vitality among us, and with the church extension going up fast in Bradfield we are on the brink of an exciting new chapter in the life of this benefice.
It is so important to recognise God’s goodness and provision for us. We must be thankful and remember to count all our blessings - not only because it would be rude not to, but also because our faith in God, both in the present moment and in the future, will not grow if we fail to recognise where God has been with us in the past. We need to look for the footprints of God in our lives and when we see signs of God’s activity then we should celebrate it, tell each other about it and thank Him for it. Reflecting like this will help to build up our confidence and trust that God is here with us now. Without confidence that God is with us now and that He is leading us we will be anxious and weak because we will think that we are effectively alone, that everything depends on us and our own meagre resources. We won’t have the faith to meet the times of trial that inevitably lie ahead.
I believe that three things are needful at this time: (i) that we recognise where God has been at work, (ii) that we remember to thank God for his goodness, and (iii) that we meet the challenges ahead with renewed faith that God goes with us. That will mean stepping out beyond our own limits and trusting that we will receive from God whatever is lacking.
Andy
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Monday, 25 February 2008
We have been experimenting with new forms of worship on Sunday evenings at Bradfield Church. Our traditional Anglican worship, whilst it is very beautiful, can seem very wordy at times (especially for the worship leader), so the Bradfield PCC have given their consent to a little bit of experimentation - within the requirements of the canon laws of the Church of England, of course! Our aim is to provide, once a month, a quieter and more reflective service for the end of the day. We aim at developing a service that may well be an easier way into church for those who have previously had little experience of it or may in the past have been put off by it.
So, on the third Sunday of the month we have been paring down the words as much as possible and including space for self examination and times for quiet reflection. We are also taking the opportunity to experiment with different forms of music, both recorded and congregationally sung. The musical items are chosen to create a peaceful and prayerful atmosphere for the close of the day. To give a focus to each service we have chosen a different theme for each night. Initially these were ‘peace’, ‘gratitude’ and ‘incarnation’; of late we have begun to focus on the different qualities found in St. Paul’s words to the Colossians: Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Col. 3.12). In February our speaker for the evening, the Revd. Francis Mason, our Deanery Missioner, led us in a very thoughtful study of the nature of ‘kindness’.
So far all our services have been by candlelight, although this will no doubt change when the lighter evenings are upon us. Each evening closes with a simple communion for those who wish to share in it. So far attendance has been good, with people coming from across the benefice and wider a field too. We are certainly learning as we go along and no doubt we have much more to learn - we are continuing to experiment.
Our next service is on Palm Sunday evening (16 March at 6.30pm) and this will include an exploration of the theme of ‘humility’. If you haven’t been along yet, why not consider coming to join us on Palm Sunday? (Transport can no doubt be arranged if needed.)
May I take this opportunity to wish all of you a happy Easter.
So, on the third Sunday of the month we have been paring down the words as much as possible and including space for self examination and times for quiet reflection. We are also taking the opportunity to experiment with different forms of music, both recorded and congregationally sung. The musical items are chosen to create a peaceful and prayerful atmosphere for the close of the day. To give a focus to each service we have chosen a different theme for each night. Initially these were ‘peace’, ‘gratitude’ and ‘incarnation’; of late we have begun to focus on the different qualities found in St. Paul’s words to the Colossians: Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Col. 3.12). In February our speaker for the evening, the Revd. Francis Mason, our Deanery Missioner, led us in a very thoughtful study of the nature of ‘kindness’.
So far all our services have been by candlelight, although this will no doubt change when the lighter evenings are upon us. Each evening closes with a simple communion for those who wish to share in it. So far attendance has been good, with people coming from across the benefice and wider a field too. We are certainly learning as we go along and no doubt we have much more to learn - we are continuing to experiment.
Our next service is on Palm Sunday evening (16 March at 6.30pm) and this will include an exploration of the theme of ‘humility’. If you haven’t been along yet, why not consider coming to join us on Palm Sunday? (Transport can no doubt be arranged if needed.)
May I take this opportunity to wish all of you a happy Easter.
Tuesday, 8 January 2008
I’ve just finished reading A Little History of the English Country Church by Sir Roy Strong, the historian and one time director of the National Portrait Gallery and the V & A. He has written an absorbing account of the ups and downs in the fortunes of the myriad English parish churches that have been at the centre of our villages for anything up to a thousand years. He describes how these buildings, and the people who have used them, have coped with and adapted to the huge changes imposed by reformation and restoration, by monarchs and Civil War, and by changing religious fashion. It is a fascinating read, especially if one has been led to believe that the church has kept the same traditions for hundreds if not thousands of years. Many practices are surprisingly Victorian!
Perhaps the most interesting and challenging part of the book is the closing chapter where the author looks to the future of our village churches, especially in villages that have already lost their school, pub, post office and so on. Although Roy Strong has made a career in conservation and preservation, he makes a strong plea that these considerations should not hamper those who have the current responsibility for village churches from making necessary changes if they are to survive the huge upheaval now occurring in village life. His plea is for adaptation and not conservation.
Roy Strong claims that 10,000 of our rural churches can only survive if they are repossessed by the community. Many will find his solution controversial: rip out the pews (in many cases Victorian late additions) and replace them with chairs, then use the space during the week to run community centres, post offices and line dancing classes.
Each community will need to make its own plans for the future – not every church needs to become a community centre; village halls have been provided in most villages now, largely because villagers were locked out of their parish churches when pews were put in (those Victorians again!). We must support our village halls and encourage their use. But each community needs to have its own strategy for the next twenty years in the life of the parish church – how will it adapt?
It has been very interesting to read this book at a time when two of our local Methodist chapels have re-ordered by removing their pews, when Mistley Parish is re-ordering its west-end, and when Bradfield St. Lawrence is about to embark on a modest extension to its building – a new entrance and lobby, a kitchen and toilet and a cosy meeting room – all changes designed to enhance the use of these buildings. Clearly the churches of the Mistley, Manningtree and Bradfield area are not inactive, but energetically looking to the future and the survival of the church in the countryside.
Andy Colebrooke
Perhaps the most interesting and challenging part of the book is the closing chapter where the author looks to the future of our village churches, especially in villages that have already lost their school, pub, post office and so on. Although Roy Strong has made a career in conservation and preservation, he makes a strong plea that these considerations should not hamper those who have the current responsibility for village churches from making necessary changes if they are to survive the huge upheaval now occurring in village life. His plea is for adaptation and not conservation.
Roy Strong claims that 10,000 of our rural churches can only survive if they are repossessed by the community. Many will find his solution controversial: rip out the pews (in many cases Victorian late additions) and replace them with chairs, then use the space during the week to run community centres, post offices and line dancing classes.
Each community will need to make its own plans for the future – not every church needs to become a community centre; village halls have been provided in most villages now, largely because villagers were locked out of their parish churches when pews were put in (those Victorians again!). We must support our village halls and encourage their use. But each community needs to have its own strategy for the next twenty years in the life of the parish church – how will it adapt?
It has been very interesting to read this book at a time when two of our local Methodist chapels have re-ordered by removing their pews, when Mistley Parish is re-ordering its west-end, and when Bradfield St. Lawrence is about to embark on a modest extension to its building – a new entrance and lobby, a kitchen and toilet and a cosy meeting room – all changes designed to enhance the use of these buildings. Clearly the churches of the Mistley, Manningtree and Bradfield area are not inactive, but energetically looking to the future and the survival of the church in the countryside.
Andy Colebrooke