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 with 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)
During the school summer break, Look-In will be produced fortnightly. The next issue of Look-In will be on 2 August.
Opening Prayer
Lord, you are with us wherever we go.
Your presence constantly encourages us
to step out into new adventures.
Forgive us when we try to limit you.
Make us ready to respond to your voice,
and to seek the new things to which you call us.
Amen.
(Taken from Roots)
Reflection from 14 July
Readings – John 13: 1-17 and Isaiah 42: 1-7
The Broadway musical and movie Rent starts with the musical number titled ‘Seasons of Love’. The song highlights the fact that there are 525,600 minutes in a year. With unbelievable beauty in words and music, the song drives home the point that each of those minutes is an opportunity to fill our lives and our community with love. We can look back and reflect over a week, a month or a year and try to determine what we have accomplished or need to improve. But the song tells me that I should consider smaller time frames. I should seek to use every minute to exhibit love for others, and that means doing the right things for my family and for others. Every minute offers a new opportunity to make a difference – a new season of love.
More numbers for you:
- 24,999,840 minutes
- 416,664 Hours
- 17,3621 days
- 47 years and 6 months
These numbers reflect how long approximately Stephanie has been a leader in 1st Uxbridge and she has been Captain for around 45 years of that. There were 5 captains before her: Ruth Meggeson (1935-1944) who started the company at the then Methodist Central Hall in Uxbridge; Eileen Perry (1944-1956); Hilda Browne (1956-1967); Iris Racher (1967-1972); Jill Sparks (1972-1979) and Stephanie Marr (1979-2024).
Back in 1977, Stephanie felt the call to take become a Girls’ Brigade leader and then shortly after the Captain. She has been delivering love to the girls and their families ever since.
The Girls’ Brigade motto is “Seek, serve and follow Christ” and the aim is “to help girls become followers of the Lord Jesus Christ and through self-control, reverence and a sense of responsibility to find true enrichment of life.”
The Boys’ Brigade motto is “Sure & Steadfast” and the object of the Boys’ Brigade is “The advancement of Christ’s kingdom among boys and the promotion of habits of obedience, reverence, discipline, self-respect and all that tends towards a true Christian manliness.”
As we think about Stephanie today, we will see that the same sort of characteristics are also displayed by the Boys Brigade Captain and all the leaders in both our companies.
I don’t think I could even calculate how many girls and families Stephanie has had opportunity to demonstrate the values of Girls’ Brigade and of her faith to, but thousands I estimate. She has loved and served so many girls and families well, in those years, along with the leaders she has surrounded herself with. Personally the love and support she delivered to my family and to me when I had three children under 6 and later through an autism diagnosis in our youngest and the resulting mental health issues, Stephanie was steadfast in her support and still is. Thank you.
Back to our Bible readings today, the first one is about us being the servants of God and the second is about Jesus being a servant to the disciples. But thinking about Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, what was that all about? Think about the roads and paths in Israel in the time of Jesus and the footwear, and what sort of state the disciples’ feet would be in when they arrived for the Passover meal. Who usually got the job of washing all that muck off the feet? The lowest servant in the house.
At the end of most Church of England services the vicar often says the following blessing: “May the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, be with us all now and evermore: and may we go in peace to love and serve the Lord. In the name of Christ. Amen.”
We see time and time again the ideas within the Christian faith about it not being a passive state but an active, growing and serving faith. Speak to many Christians and you will hear them talk about the things God called them to do. Whether that was which church to attend or even to become a minister and many in between.
What sort of things did you feel the call of faith to do? And how do you hear that call?
I once heard the tale of a minister talking to an old lady confined to her bed and she was upset because she didn’t feel she could serve the church and that she was a burden to the church. The minister asked if she prayed (they knew she did already)? “Of course!” she said, vehemently, “Every day I pray for the church and its members and things in the world and when people need it many times a day which is often.” The minister replied, “This is your service at this time: to pray.” She had the time to pray, and the church was richer for it.
Some calls to service are big and life changing in a very real and life-changing ways, some are much smaller and may feel insignificant, but they are usually a vital part and appreciated. So many stretch and build our skills and some will play to what we are already good at. But if you are doing what God called you to do, no role is too small. You need to listen regularly to God to check you are still doing his call and serving the church, not just here at Christ Church, but in God’s worldwide church.
What Stephanie no doubt felt in 1977 and again in 1979, and no doubt many times since was the call to serve girls and young women through Girls’ Brigade. She will be a hard act to follow.
Joanne Mackin
Readings for 21 July
Mark 6: 30-24, 53-56
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognised them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognised Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
Further readings from the lectionary this week are as follows:
- Jeremiah 23: 1-6
- Psalm 23
- Ephesians 2: 11-22
Readings for 28 July
John 6: 1-21
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
6 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
Jesus Walks on the Water
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.
Further readings from the lectionary this week are as follows:
- 2 Kings 4: 42-44
- Psalm 145: 10-18
- Ephesians 3: 14-21
Our worship
We meet at 11am for our Sunday services, which are also live-streamed on our YouTube channel. If you wish to view our services online, you can find them at https://www.youtube.com/@christchurchuxbridge
You can also view a recent service on our church website. Our service this week will be led by Methodist local preacher, Catherine Wells. 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
21 July – Catherine Wells (Methodist local preacher)
28 July – Revd Margaret Dudley (Methodist minister) – Holy Communion
4 August – Christ Church worship group
11 August – Neil Mackin (Christ Church member and trainee URC lay preacher)
Save the date: Induction service for Revd Wilbert Sayimani
Saturday 21st September, 2.30pm at Christ Church
The induction service for Revd Wilbert Sayimani will take place at Christ Church on Saturday 21st September at 2.30pm. The service will be led by Revd James Fields and refreshments will be served following the service. More details to follow nearer the time.
The Dragon & The Virgin: Religion in Uxbridge book launch
St Margaret’s Church
Saturday 20th July, 4pm til 5pm
Published by Britain’s fastest growing producer of local history books, this book covers the sweep of religious history in Uxbridge. While primarily focused on the parish church of St Margaret, we are introduced to St Andrew’s church, the Roman Catholic community and the non-conformist movements which emerged in Uxbridge. The next chapter to emerge in the history of Uxbridge will be the growing diversity of faith communities in the Hillingdon Borough.
Speakers include Fr Nicholas Schofield, Uxbridge historian Ken Pearce and author of The Dragon and the Virgin Reverend Andy Thompson.
Copies of the book will be available at a discounted price and there will be book signing by the author.
Tea and cakes provided.
Children’s Corner
Dates for your diary
| 24 July | Welcome Wednesday |
| 4 September | Welcome Wednesday |
| 8 September | Congregational Meeting |
| 18 September | Welcome Wednesday |
| 21 September | Induction service for Revd Wilbert Sayimani |
| 24 November | Congregational Meeting |
Praying for other churches
w/c 21 July 2024
This week we hold in prayer all those who provide music for worship.
w/c 28 July 2024
This week we hold in prayer all those who contribute to weekly worship.
Closing prayer
God of all our days,
our beginning and our end,
help us to walk with you;
to trust you at every turning of the way;
to follow where you lead us;
and to go where you send us.
In all the ups and downs of life,
in times when we are certain about what we need to do
and in times when we doubt that you are with us,
open our ears to hear your voice;
open our eyes to see you at work,
and open our hearts to trust you in every step of our journey.
Amen.
(Taken from Roots)
