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)
Opening Prayer
Lord, our God, let us see your glory.
Help us to lift our eyes to you,
open our ears to hear your voice.
You gave your message to prophets throughout history;
you give us your Holy Spirit for the present.
And you have given us Jesus, your Son,
to lead us into eternity with you.
Lord, we see, we hear, we believe, and we worship you.
Amen.
(Adapted from Roots)
Reflection from 12 February
Reading: Matthew 5: 21-24, 33-37
I don’t know whether Jesus would have used #choosekindness (video: https://youtu.be/h8ru4oXySD0 ) but it would be a good message, wouldn’t it? One of his helpful phrases. And I just remembered because I’m an old chap and have been in Boys’ Brigade for a long time, there used to be an expression ‘TOTOF’ which was ‘Think of the other fellow’ and that was a similar thing. Jesus showed love and kindness in everything he did. And we are asked to do the same. Show love and kindness to everyone, no matter what their age, because it’s not just about little people at school, there’s a lot of adult stuff goes on that’s not very nice too. In fact, in between those two readings that we just had there is a bit about divorce and adultery, but I decided not to dwell on that this morning.
So, what should we do if we think we’ve treated someone badly? Jesus says we should make peace and we should say sorry, and we should put it right. And only then are we right with him and with God. So it’s an important message from Jesus that we love one another and we act fairly and kindly with each other, and we don’t cause anybody distress.
Then we have the second part of the reading, which was about promises. Can anyone tell me what a promise is? Something that you make and you should not break. Yes, a promise. Have you ever made promises? Have you had promises made to you? Have any promises ever been broken?
Jesus is talking about promises here. Jesus says we should keep our promises. We should keep our word. Sometimes you hear people say our word should be our bond. That’s an expression we use, isn’t it? And Jesus says that our word is enough. It doesn’t need anything else. No ‘cross my heart and hope to die’. What a terrible thing that is. Or you even hear ‘on my mother’s life’, don’t you, which is horrible. All you need is ‘yes’, in which case, we have to do it or ‘no’, a clear ‘no’ if we’re not going to.
Promises are really important and we need to keep them to the best of our ability. Now I found a video about this (https://youtu.be/tI-rZ_FuAyA ) which comes from the Old Testament and it’s about King David and a promise he had made and how he kept it, and went to quite some length to keep it. There’s King David really extending that promise and making sure he will keep it even though his friend Jonathan has died, David still wants to keep his promise to the family. That’s an example of someone really extending their promise.
So, let’s take the messages from our Bible this morning of following Jesus by being kind as he was, by thinking about others before ourselves and making sure that when we make a promise to God, or to others, that we will keep it. Amen.
Graham Hinton
Readings for 19 February
Matthew 17: 1-9 (NIV)
The Transfiguration
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
Further readings from the lectionary this week are as follows:
- Exodus 24: 12-18
- Psalm 2
- 2 Peter 1: 16-21
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
19 February – Christ Church worship group
26 February – Revd Dr Elizabeth Welch (URC minister) – Holy Communion
5 March – Revd Dr Dong Hwan Kim (Methodist minister)
12 March – Christ Church worship group – parade service
Lent reflections
We will be holding five Lent reflection sessions on Tuesdays, 12.30pm – 1.30pm in the chapel, starting on Tuesday 28 February and running until Tuesday 28 March. All are welcome. The sessions will also be available to join via Zoom using the following details:
Meeting ID: 975 3521 4949
Passcode: cclent
Earthquake Appeal
It is good that retiring collections will be taken after two Sunday morning services. However, let us individually carefully consider the most we can afford (and then add a bit!) and remit to whatever charity most appeals or to the Disasters Emergency Committee. This can be done in whatever way the Appeals suggest.
The suffering of the Turkish, Kurdish and Syrian Arab people is difficult for us to comprehend. Even those who have got to the region have reported that they were dumbfounded by the devastation and the despair. I hope that the money sent by Christ Church members will be the most that we can stretch to.
Howard Cooper
World Day of Prayer service
Friday 3 March, 2pm
Our Lady of Lourdes & St Michael, Osborn Road, Uxbridge
This year’s theme is ‘I Have Heard About Your Faith’, based on Ephesians 1:15-19 and the service this year has been put together by women in Taiwan. All are welcome.
The Drowsy Chaperone – a musical within a comedy
22 – 25 February at the Winston Churchill Theatre
WOS Productions is delighted to present ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’, a playful and heartfelt parody of a 1920s musical comedy.
The Man in Chair is feeling a little blue and wonders if he can share the record of his favourite vintage Broadway musical with you to cheer himself up. No sooner has the needle touched the record than the show magically blooms to life around him. This show-within-a-show is crammed full of every cliché, gag and gimmick from the golden age of musicals. Ruses are played, hi-jinks occur. Such are the antics of The Drowsy Chaperone. There are also a few surprises in store to remind you you’re listening to the musical on an old LP!
The ensuing plot incorporates mistaken identities, dream sequences, spit takes, an unflappable English butler, an absent-minded dowager, a ditzy chorine, a harried best man, and Janet’s “Drowsy” (i.e. “Tipsy”) Chaperone, played by a blowzy Grande Dame of the Stage, specialising in “rousing anthems” and not above upstaging the occasional co-star.
Louise George and Lawrence Hoskins are both performing in this production which will be on at the Winston Churchill Theatre in Ruislip from 22 – 25 February. Tickets are available from http://wos-productions.weebly.com/ at £16 for standard tickets and £14 for concessions.
Other church events
CTU Friendly Bible study series
Tuesdays, 1.15 – 2.15 pm. Quaker Meeting House, York Road.
Until 21st February 2023
Currently focusing on the book of Judith. All welcome.
URC 50th Anniversary Service
Saturday 15th April at Methodist Central Hall
For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/urc50
Part-time clerical assistant vacancy
We currently have a job vacancy for a part-time clerical assistant. The main duties will involve:
- Assisting in co-ordinating the day-to-day running of the church
- Keeping the church diary up to date with room bookings and exploring avenues for increasing income through room bookings and creative use of the church premises.
- Responding to enquiries and visitors to the church office
- Assisting with providing admin support to the Church Administrator, minister (when in post) and elders, including producing publicity materials and papers for meetings.
Applicants are sought with relevant experience, computer literacy and sympathy with the aims of the Church.
The post is for 15 hours a week (worked Monday – Friday)
Proposed start date: April 2023
Salary £9,350 – £10,300 per annum depending on experience
An application pack is available from the Resources coordinator (resources@christchurchuxbridge.org.uk)
Closing date for applications: 5pm on Friday 3 March 2023.
Children’s Corner
Praying for other churches
This week we hold the following churches in our prayers:
- Pinner Methodist
- Ickenham URC
Closing prayer
Awesome God,
your glory shines all around us.
Help us to use all our senses to know how close you are.
Give us words to tell everyone that you are there for them too. Amen.
(Taken from Roots)
