Hello everyone,
Welcome to the latest issue of our church 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:
Let us pause and consider God’s point of view.
God is outside time and space, for God created both.
When we pray, God hears us;
when the time is right, God responds.
When we pray, God knows our needs;
when his time is right, God meets our needs.
Let us come to God in prayer now.
Lord, we bring our prayers to you.
Teach us to be patient as we wait for your response.
We know that you hear all our prayers,
however they are made and whoever we are.
Give us faith to trust your awesome love and care for us.
Amen.
(Adapted from Roots)
Reflection from 9 October
Reading: Luke 17:11-19
Well, for me, there are two main things that come from this reading. One is to ask ourselves, are we always like Jesus and help those who are around us? We help those who ask us, but do we help those who don’t ask us, when we see something we think someone might need help with. We might doubt if we can really help or it’s too much trouble, or it’ll stop us doing something we want to do, or they might just tell us to go away.
There there’s an advert on the television at the moment you may have seen where a boy on a bus with his packet of chocolate sees a young lady who’s obviously distressed and tearful and offers her one of his sweets or pieces of chocolate. He’s not at all sure what her reaction is going to be, but he sees her need and he tries to help.
Jesus always helped people, just as he helped these men with the leprosy. And he asks us each of us, however young or old, to do that also, and he asked us when we get together and make a church, to help others, as he did. To be there for people. To open doors to our hearts and to our church buildings and give friendship and companionship, helping and sharing.
You can do that whether you’re at school, whether you’re at college, whether you’re at work, or whether you are retired like me.
The other question for me that comes from this is do we always remember to say thank you when we receive useful or fun things? Who can remember the drudgery of having to write thank you cards at a Christmas and birthdays. Does anyone still do that? You’re saying thank you, but it’s a very important thing. Do we say thank you to our parents, to our friends, to our teachers, to our GB and BB staff? To Jesus? To God?
Jesus says we should. All the lepers were healed but it’s only the one who comes back and thanks him and recognises that it’s God’s spirit at work. Jesus then says your faith that has made you well. Now that’s a bit more than just being cured of leprosy. Only one out of the ten has been made completely whole and well.
In the United Reformed Church magazine this month, Reform, David Cornick, who was General Secretary of the URC for a while, says, “The Church of Jesus Christ is the community of tenth lepers.” We here today are the tenth lepers. We’re the ones who’ve come back to say thank you. We come each week to give thanks as well as to receive.
So just to repeat the two things that come to me from this lesson and I’d like you to think about as you go away from this service, all of you, whatever age:
Are we always like Jesus, helping where we see need?
And do we always remember to say thank you, including to God?
Graham Hinton
Readings for 16 October
Luke 18:1-8 (NIV)
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Further readings from the lectionary this week are as follows:
- Genesis 32:22-31
- Psalm 121
- 2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:5
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 Methodist local preacher, Richard Reid. 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
16 October – Richard Reid (Methodist local preacher)
23 October – Christ Church worship group
30 October – Revd Andrew McLuskey (URC minister) – communion service
7 November – Peter Knowles (URC lay preacher)
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
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:
- 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
From the Methodist Circuit Newsletter
From the URC LAG Newsletter
50th Anniversary Service for the URC
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.
Other events
Forecourt Sale, Ickenham URC
Saturday 15th October, 10am – 12noon
Free admission
Quality bric-a-brac
- Hundreds of books from 50p to £5
- Records
- DVDs etc.
- Maps
- Stamps
- Board games etc.
- Refreshments and home-made cakes
Proceeds to church and charities.
Charity Coffee Morning, URC Eastcote & Northwood Hills
Saturday 15th October 2022, 10.30am – 12noon
Charity coffee morning supporting Michael Sobell Hospice. Please join us for coffee, cake and chat.
Salvation Army Appeal
URGENT: The Salvation Army are being inundated with requests for winter clothing particularly from asylum seekers. We would gratefully receive winter clothing, particularly coats. Many thanks.
Major John Parry
Children’s Corner
Praying for other churches
This week we hold the following churches in our prayers:
- North Hillingdon Methodist
- Hounslow URC
Closing prayer
I go from this place refreshed and renewed,
I go from this moment with a fresh encounter with the Living God in my heart and mind,
I go to seek a better world where justice and peace reign,
Amen.
(Taken from The Vine)
