Hello everyone,
Welcome to the latest issue of our church newsletter. A huge thank you to everyone who attended our anniversary celebrations last weekend – it was wonderful to see so many people joining us for the various events taking part over the weekend. We’d love to hear your thoughts about the anniversary weekend, so please do feel free to share them for a future issue of the newsletter.
Our newsletter is sent out regularly to share reflections from services, Bible readings and church news to our church family. You can find previous issues on our church website here. We would love to hear from you and are always 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 our opening prayer:
God of power,
give us your Spirit of love and self-discipline,
that we may live relying on your power
and responding to your calling.
Give us grace to make choices
that will increase our faith
and strengthen our obedience to Jesus Christ,
who is our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
(Taken from Roots)
Reflection from 25 September – Covenant Q&A
Readings: Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Romans 2:28-29
Q1) What is the covenant?
An agreement which brings about a relationship of commitment between God and his people.
Q2) What were the contents of the covenant?
“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5-6)
Q3) Did they keep the covenant?
No. They broke it. They tried very hard but failed. Listen to our God’s sad voice.
“They broke my covenant.“ (Jeremiah 31:32)
Q4) Why couldn’t they keep the covenant?
They tried to keep it with their power but couldn’t do it with their own abilities.
A Story
A boy came in from the outside with dog mess on his shoe. It smelled so bad so he wanted to remove it and went around trying to find it. What will happen to the carpet in this case? Yes. It’s going to be even more messy. How can he help to keep the carpet from getting dirty? He must take his shoes off immediately.
This is totally the same for keeping God’s law. If we try to keep the law with our dirty mind and heart, the more efforts will make the worse result.
Q5) What was the result from their breaking of the covenant?
“I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters and difficulties will come upon them.” (Deuteronomy 31:17)
Q6) Is there no more chance?
Here is good news that we heard from Jeremiah:
“The days are coming, when I will make a new covenant” (Jeremiah 31:31)
Q7) What is the difference from the new and old covenant?
“It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors… I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.” (Jeremiah 31:33)
Q8) When the new covenant was made, should we abandon the old covenant?
No! because the law itself given by God was perfect and flawless. The main problem is that our mind and heart is not righteous enough to fulfil it.
Q9) What is the key point of the New Covenant?
It gives us the way that we can fully achieve the law. Listen to Jeremiah again:
“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.” (Jeremiah 31:33)
Q10) How then can we have this heart?
It is simple. Just believe Jesus our Lord.
If we truly trust in him, as promised, the Holy Spirit comes in us and transforms our minds and hearts into Jesus’s mind. When we have his mind and heart, the law will be second nature to us, and we will follow it with delight.
Today, we are here to make a new covenant with God. We are already dead in our sins and trespasses. So, it is impossible for us to fulfil God’s law.
Do not say “Do this, and you will live.” There is only one way to obey fully God’s covenant. That is, “believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31).
This is the new covenant that we have to make today.
Now, at this instant, in the present moment, and in our present state, sinner as we are, just as we are, believe the Gospel; and we will be the children of God as his covenant promised.
Amen.
Revd Dr Donghwan Kim
Readings for 2 October
Luke 17:5-10 (NIV)
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
6 He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
7 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Further readings from the lectionary this week are as follows:
- Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4
- Psalm 37:1-9
- 2 Timothy 1:1-14
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. Our service this week will be led by Christ Church member, Joanne Mackin. 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
2 October – Christ Church worship group
9 October – Graham Hinton (URC lay preacher and member of Christ Church) – parade and enrolment service
16 October – Sue Lloyd (Methodist local preacher)
23 October – Christ Church worship group
Church charity news
Operation Christmas Child
Flat-packed shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child are now available in the vestibule. These will be collected in mid-November to send to children overseas.
Table-top games afternoon – save the date
There will be a table-top games afternoon after the service on 13th November as a fundraiser for HALO Children’s Foundation.
You can find more details about HALO Children’s Foundation, our church charity for 2022 at:
www.christchurchuxbridge.org.uk/activities/churchcharity2022To make a donation to our church charity online visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/christ-church-halo2022
Christ Church 50th Anniversary
Our anniversary weekend was certainly a packed one with all the events going on. The celebrations began with our anniversary fete, opened by our oldest member, Cecil.
It was lovely to see so many people coming into the church to browse the exhibition and stalls, watch the displays taking place and enjoy a cuppa and some cake served by the Girls’ Brigade, or later in the morning, a burger or sausage from the BBQ being manned by our Boys’ Brigade captain, Paul.
There was plenty to keep the younger members of our church family amused as well, with the tombola, hook-a-duck and various games on offer in the car park.
On Saturday afternoon, we gathered for a service of thanksgiving which included a welcome message from another of our oldest members, Vida, prayers and a hymn from the original service of dedication, a video message from our previous minister, Revd Nick Skelding and a reflection from Ken Pearce about the history of the church. We also welcomed the Mayor of Hillingdon, Cllr Becky Haggar and her Escort, Polly Haggar to the service of thanksgiving. After the service, the Mayor cut the anniversary cake, a recreation of Christ Church itself in sponge and icing, beautifully crafted by Tracey (and it tasted delicious too!)
The quiz supper later that evening was very well attended, with 16 teams taking part and the fish and chips were enjoyed by those attending.
On Sunday morning, we welcomed Revd Dr Dong Hwan Kim to lead our covenant service which was followed by a shared lunch.
Our drama/musical celebration ‘Hopes and Dreams: Moving Forward’, conducted by Jean G, was the finale of our weekend of celebrations. The first half featured songs, sketches, readings and prayers from ‘Hopes and Dreams’ which Jean had previously directed when it was performed at Christ Church in 1999. The second half focused on looking forward, with songs of hope along with some wonderful performances from members of the Boys’ and Girls’ Brigade.
A huge thank you to Denise for coordinating the anniversary weekend events and to everyone who was involved with putting together the various events, and to all those who attended and made our anniversary weekend such a special one.
We have one more anniversary event planned to help put together the community wall hanging:
Saturday 8th October, 10am – 12noon
Sewing bee for the community anniversary commemorative wall hanging. Please contact Joanne for more details.
Anniversary souvenirs
If you would like to purchase a mug or tote bag (or both!) as a souvenir of our 50th anniversary, you can do so through the church office. Mugs cost £6.50 each and tote bags £3.50 each (£10 for both). Payment can be made by cash or via bank transfer.
CTU Bible study and prayer group
Churches Together in Uxbridge
Bible study and prayer group
October-November 2022
All Welcome!
Where: Uxbridge Quaker Meeting House, York Rd, Uxbridge, UB8 1QW
When: 1.15 pm – 2.15pm, on the following Tuesdays:
- 11th October
- 25th October
- 1st November
- 22nd November
What:
An opportunity to pray and study together during a weekday with members of other churches in Uxbridge. This programme is a pilot series of four sessions concentrating on one small book of the Bible.
No homework or special knowledge is required for the Friendly Bible Study method. We’ll dwell prayerfully over a text together, addressing some set queries between us as to how we experience it, before finishing with time for some prayer together. The sessions will last no longer than an hour.
You don’t need to bring anything. Be prepared to hear some unfamiliar English translations of the Bible, as this is integral to the Friendly Bible Study method. If you have time,
you can stay for some chat and refreshments.
Mike Beranek, CTU Chair
URC LAG Service
There will be a joint LAG service to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the URC on Sunday 16th October, 3pm at Trinity, Harrow. All are welcome to attend.
Children’s Corner
Praying for other churches
This week we hold the following churches in our prayers:
- Kenton Methodist
- Brentford Free Church (URC/Baptist)
Closing prayer
Help us, Lord, to make the most of whatever you have given us.
Thank you that our faith has grown during our life’s journey,
and we can look back on all the ways you have helped us.
Show us how our faith can continue to grow,
and help us to do whatever is necessary for that to happen,
in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
(Taken from Roots)
