Hello everyone,
Welcome to the latest issue of our church newsletter. I hope you are keeping well and staying safe. Our church is open for Sunday services but we will continue to live-stream our services and send out our newsletter regularly for the foreseeable future.
You can find previous issues of the newsletter on our church website at www.christchurchuxbridge.org.uk We would love to hear from you and are looking for uplifting and encouraging content to share in future issues of this newsletter. If you have any ideas or content that we can share, please do email them to Louise (publicity@christchurchuxbridge.org.uk)
We start with a prayer for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This prayer is from the chairs of the London District of the Methodist Church:
We pray for the people of Ukraine and the people of Russia, for their countries and their leaders.
We pray for all those who are afraid; that your everlasting arms hold them in this time of great fear.
We pray for all those who have the power over life and death; that they will choose for all people life, and life in all its fullness.
We pray for those who choose war; that they will remember that you direct your people to turn swords into ploughshares, and to seek peace.
We pray for leaders on the world stage; that they are inspired by the wisdom and courage of Christ.
Above all, Lord, we today pray for peace in Ukraine.
And we ask this in the name of your blessed Son.
Lord have mercy.
Amen
Reflection from 27 February: Mountain-top moments
Reading: Luke 9:28-36a
When we read today’s passage about the transfiguration, it’s very tempting to go down the ‘mountain-top experience with God’ route and hope that everyone has had the experience of meeting God in a dramatic thunder-and-lightning way. Some Christians spend their whole time wishing for a dramatic experience of God and then get disappointed.
Dramatic encounters of God are rare though, even for saints such as Peter. So today I’m not going to use mountain-top experiences. I think the story of the transfiguration is there to reveal to us who Jesus is. If you’ve ever been to the theatre to see a play or a musical, you’ll know that when we get to the theatre and sit down, then the curtains open and the story unveils itself.
And I think today it feels like Jesus lets Peter, James and John peer behind the curtain to see the story unfold, but also to see who Jesus really is. So, let’s have a peer behind the curtain ourselves.
Jesus takes just Peter, James and John to pray with him. Incredibly they are heavy with sleep when they get to the top of the mountain. Can you think of another occasion where Jesus takes Peter, James and John to pray and they fall asleep? Straight away it made me think of the Garden of Gethsemane. I think this shows something of the disciple’s inability to comprehend Jesus. But on that mountain top the divinity of Christ is revealed to them. They’re woken up by the flashing light (the word used to describe Jesus’s dazzling experience is the same as is used to describe lightning). And the disciples are woken out of their ignorance, their sleeping, to see the light of Christ.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, the humanity of Christ was fully revealed to them. They are woken up by Jesus to see him going to his death. The fact that they are asleep on both occasions speaks to me of the difficulty of really comprehending just who Jesus is. Who God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is. The deep Trinitarian mystery at the heart of our faith.
During college, during church history lectures, we learn about the many strands of Christianity, including Orthodox Christianity. Now in the Orthodox Churches there is a screen, the iconostasis, which is put up in front of the altar. On certain occasions during the year, the screen is opened up for people to see through. This only happens at certain times such as Easter week. It made me think about how as Christians, we only see rare glimpses of God. Much of the time we are either asleep, like the disciples, or experiencing troubles, rather than seeing the glory of God on the mountain top.
I think if we were really to see God in all his glory, we would be perplexed and terrified just as Peter, James and John were. I’m not sure the experience they had was altogether comfortable. So, Peter, James and John are woken up from their sleep by this lightning flashing and somehow discern that Jesus is speaking to the two great figures in Judaism – Moses and Elijah.
These were men who were long dead. But what does this point to in the reality of resurrection? Peter’s response is to want to do something. (Don’t you just love Peter? I think if he were around today, he’d have tried to take a photograph of that moment to preserve the moment and talk about it later.) His rather strange response is to want to create tents for Jesus, Elijah and Moses but all the text tells us is that he didn’t know what he was saying. Perhaps he was trying to be religious, showing how he wanted to worship. What is interesting is that as soon as he suggests making these tents, the cloud descends with the voice of God.
The cloud and voice intervene just as Peter is trying to give equal importance to Moses, Elijah and Jesus. But we know that Jesus is the image of God. The firstborn over all creation. He is their God. He’s not equal to Moses or Elijah.
This scene takes us back to key turning points in Israel’s history. Moses led the people out of Egypt and spent 40 days on the mountain top with God. Elijah also encountered God on the same mountain top where Moses met him. Moses represents the law, and Elijah represents the prophets. The people of Israel would refer to God’s word as the law and the prophets when speaking of his collective revelation to his people. Their presence is a symbol of all God’s covenants and promises and wisdom. And here we see them stationed on each side of Jesus, the one they were pointing to all the time.
The disciples were in awe of Moses and Elijah. Moses and Elijah were in awe of Jesus. He is the Word, the completion and fulfilment of every word that has ever come before. The disciples will soon recognise that they have seen the glory of God revealed. What happened on that mountain is a visual representation of Jesus’s words in Matthew’s gospel:
‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish them, but to fulfil them.’
Peter, James and John are given a revelation of who Jesus really is. We see quite clearly that Jesus is on a level with God himself. He’s not just a good teacher, he is God incarnate.
So, just before this time where we go through the contemplative season of Lent, we are given a glimpse of who Jesus is resurrected, ascended, glorified. We must keep this reality in our minds as we journey towards Easter.
Have you ever had the chance to walk a prayer labyrinth or a prayer trail? A labyrinth is a circular path and appeared in medieval times. There is a famous one in Chartres Cathedral which was in the Da Vinci Code. These labyrinths were created so that if you couldn’t afford to go on a full pilgrimage to a foreign land, you could go on a mini pilgrimage a bit closer to home. Sometimes churches can be made into labyrinths. I’ve seen it done with wall-dividers and all sorts to make this sense of a path that you walk slowly and the path winds into a central space and back out again.
So, if you have done a prayer trail or you’ve done a prayer labyrinth, sometimes it feels that it represents your life with God. When you start, maybe for the first half, you’re desperate to get to the middle. The centre of the labyrinth represents the communion with God. You think about looking forward and thinking about what would happen as you get to the middle. Once you get to the middle though, perhaps it didn’t feel all that different. But actually, that’s the time that we might hear God say, ‘Did you not think I was already with you?’ Maybe it is at that time that you realise the presence of God is in the whole journey of our lives. It’s as if the presence of God is like a river running through that path. Perhaps it is deeper in the middle, but the water is a soothing presence throughout.
Perhaps as you leave the middle of the labyrinth to wind your way back to the beginning, you have a whole new perspective. Although there may be times when we feel particularly close to God, just like Peter, James and John experienced there, God is with us all the time. He is the paraclete, the Holy Spirit, the one who comes alongside us. As we go into Lent, the resurrected Christ is with us throughout our journey, so be encouraged. Whether we are in darkness, or whether we at the moment are on a mountain top, God journeys with us and is the only one that we should listen to.
So, I challenge you, during your Lent period, whether you give something up, take something on, join the Lent series – whatever you do, just remember that Lent may be a hard season to go through, but God is with you. Amen.
Rev’d Julie King
Readings for 6 March
Luke 4:1-13 (NIV)
Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendour; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”
9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
11 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
Further readings from the lectionary this week are as follows:
- Deuteronomy 26:1-11
- Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
- Romans 4:1-13
Our worship
We meet at 11am for our Sunday services, which are also live-streamed on our Facebook page. If you wish to view our services online, you can find them at www.facebook.com/christchurchuxbridge. You do not have to be a Facebook user to watch them – our services are publicly viewable. You can also view a recent service on our church website. This week’s service will be led by URC lay preacher. Alan Yates. You can find the order of service here.
If you are unable to join us in person or online for our Sunday services, but would like to receive a recording of them on a memory stick to watch at home, please let us know.
Forthcoming services
6 March – Mr Alan Yates (URC lay preacher)
13 March – Christ Church worship group – parade service
20 March – Christ Church worship group
27 March – Rev’d Dr Jonathan Hustler (Methodist minister) – communion service
World Day of Prayer
Christ Church will be hosting this year’s World Day of Prayer service, ‘I know the plans I have for you’ which has been put together by the WDP organisation for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This will be held on Friday 4th March at 2pm and will also be live-streamed on our Facebook page. Refreshments will be served after the service. All welcome to attend.
Lent Course – Growing Good
Our Lent Course this year will follow the ‘Growing Good’ course which helps churches explore the connection between social action, discipleship and growth. Through reflection, discussion, film and prayer we will explore how our churches can be faithful and fruitful in our local communities.
Our Lent course will run on Saturday mornings, 10am – 11.15am from 5 March until 9 April and will be followed by the weekly time of prayer. All are welcome.
Ukraine – how you can help
Collection
Our Lady of Lourdes has arranged for a collection to support the people of Ukraine. They are not able to take donations of any clothes or second-hand blankets/duvets. The following items are needed at present:
Medicines
Baby nappies
Wipes
Womens sanitary products
Toiletries
Head torches
Batteries
Thermal gloves
Hard hats
Pillows (already bagged new)
Duvets (already bagged new)
Children’s stationary for school, i.e. pencils, pens, school bags, note books (no reading books as many don’t speak or read English).
If you are able to donate any items on the above list, please bring to church this Sunday (6th March) and Cathy will pass the donations to Our Lady of Lourdes.
Ukraine appeal
We will be having a retiring collection after the service this Sunday for the Methodist Church and All We Can appeal for Ukraine.
The Disasters Emergency Committee has also launched an appeal for Ukraine with the UK Government agreeing to match donations from the public pound-for-pound up to £20 millions. To find out more about the DEC appeal and donate online, visit https://donation.dec.
What makes us Christian?
Some of you may have heard the essays on Radio 2 over recent years asking, “What makes us human?”. Various people spoke about aspects of our lives that make us human with famous and not so famous people sharing their thoughts on the question. So, for our locally arranged service on 20th March, we would like us to explore the question “What makes us Christian? from various viewpoints and backgrounds. We are not really targeting a text-book type definition but a sense and feeling of the characteristics, motivations and things we do because of our faith that we might not otherwise do. So, I’m looking for people who would produce a short essay, poem, video, artwork or something that would last for a couple of minutes that expresses what makes them Christian. You are encouraged to also select a hymn that comes from your thoughts or just one you like too. If you don’t want to be out front sharing it that’s fine, I will get someone to do that for you.
So, please let me know by 13th March if you have thoughts on what makes us Christian that you would like to share.
Joanne Mackin
Church charity news
Jean Wilson-Main has got off to a strong start on her challenge to walk 200 miles in March to raise money for Halo Children’s Foundation, having clocked up 17.709 miles on the first two days. If you’d like to support her in this challenge, you can find her JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jean-marie-wilson-main1
You can find more details about HALO Children’s Foundation, our church charity for 2022 at:
www.christchurchuxbridge.org.uk/activities/churchcharity2022/
To make a donation to our church charity online visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/christ-church-halo2022
Children’s Corner
Davy’s Toy Shop
It was a sad day for Uxbridge when Davy’s toy shop closed in January 1964. James Septimus Davy took over an existing stationery store at 18 High Street about 1870, and for nearly a century the firm was run by three generations of the Davy family.
To the children of this district the stationery side of the business was of no great interest. It was the toys that mattered. Even the shop window was enticing, with large display area frequently changed. There was often a prominent feature to grab one’s attention. I recall a large Meccano windmill whose sails rotated slowly. There was a large castle or fort with a turn-table below on which ranks of soldiers were circling. In October there was usually a “guy” at least three feet tall, and apparently made entirely of fireworks – in readiness for the annual bonfire night.
The ground floor of the store was given over to stationery and allied goods. You could find an array of pens, ink, writing-paper, brown paper and string (no Sellotape yet). There were Bibles and religious books, for the Davy family were members of the Free Church in Waterloo Road. There were leather goods, like purses, wallets and school satchels. Also postcards, diaries, account books, greetings cards and (in season) Christmas decorations. Walking-sticks and umbrellas were also there.
For us children, though, the wide wooden staircase leading to the toy department was what mattered. There was always a large model railway lay-out, with trains moving round. Items from the Hornby and Meccano catalogues were on display. There were toy soldiers made from lead (not plastic) in different uniforms. There were farm animals, and even a Noah’s Ark. There were toy cars, ships and aeroplanes, and some large yachts that could be sailed on a local pond or lake, and balsa-wood planes that would fly.
Add to that dolls in all shapes and sizes, and even a doll’s hospital. A lady wrote to me years ago, telling how she joined the shop aged 14, and was put in charge of the repairs. She wrote, “I could replace eyes, fit new heads and limbs, and there was a wonderful range of wigs of all colours and sizes.”
Then there were table games, like cards, chess, draughts, and snakes and ladders. A whole area of the shop was given over to sports equipment. You could buy roller-skates, marbles, skipping-ropes, face masks, itching powder, jigsaws, cap-guns – and many other things that I have doubtless forgotten.
We could not afford very much, but we enjoyed looking and dreaming, but in January 1964 those dreams came to an end. Davy’s toy shop closed, and a child’s wonderland disappeared for ever.
Ken Pearce
Praying for other churches
This week we hold the following churches in our prayers:
- Ruislip Manor Methodist
- Holy Trinity, Perivale (URC/CofE)
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus,
may we see you more clearly,
love you more dearly
and follow you more nearly
day by day. Amen.
(Taken from Roots)