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)
Opening Prayer
Father God,
as we begin this season of Advent,
a season of watching and waiting,
fill us with your hope
that we might be bearers of hope to others.
Amen.
(Taken from Roots)
Reflection from 24 November: Change is real and it will happen
Readings – Daniel 12: 1-3 and Mark 13: 1-8
In 1992 when I was preparing to go back to South Africa for my studies from Zimbabwe, my mother said to me, “Son, I’m afraid that you again are going away from me, but who knows you might come back to find me gone.” Gone where? Where did she want to go? It did not make good sense to me and I wondered what she was trying to communicate, then she went on and said, “Life is unpredictable, my son, and this can happen, and I know that when it happens, you will be troubled, but I don’t want this to take you away from your God.” Then I understood why she was saying this to me; she knew me better and she feared that when such things happen I could easily be swayed away from my God, and she wanted me to be strong.
That’s why she was saying this, because I had relied so much on her strength as she was around me, but she was looking ahead at a time when she was not going to be there for me, and she still wanted me to be strong, encouraging me to keep holding on to a faith that she had given me, but realising how hard it was going to be. A year later I came back to find my mother gone and already in the grave, and she must have been a prophetess to see this way before it happened, so I thought. I got angry with God for letting this happen, but my mother’s wise counsel got me back in line, and I’m standing here today still holding on to my faith, even though I face adversity and challenges in this life. I’m still holding on to my God, trusting that I’ll probably meet my mother one day when my time comes. I did not abandon my God, but those were winds that blew on me.
Today we read a book about a people in a place just like I was then: exiled, tortured and in a bad place, a place in which they could have cast aside their God because of what they were going through, but they did not and the wise counsel of prophets helped them to remain loyal and faithful to their God, in spite of what challenges they were facing. As I was reading this, I kept on thinking about myself and my friends here. What is it that is drifting us away from our God and from our faith? Could it be the challenges that that we are seeing in this life? Could it be the people around us? Some people are drifting away, but the people we are reading about here remain loyal and faithful to their God in spite of what they were facing.
Daniel and his friends that we are reading about here are now amongst those presented to us as heroes of their time because of their endurance and holding fast onto their God. Their situation was in a foreign land, but they remained faithful when they did not have that usual support that they had known from their homeland. They kept on holding on to their God, and indeed they experienced his love in the end, his protection and blessings, because they remained standing. Can we find that strength within ourselves to simply remain standing? As long as I’m standing before my God and true to my God. I don’t want to be shaken, I don’t want to be blown away by any wind that blows.
Their world was under siege, these people, with tremendous pressure and influence from foreign gods and kings. It was not easy, but these men still chose to remain loyal to their God, and I constantly see that is a big challenge for us especially when we are about to let go. I’m not sure of what’s going through our lives right now – pain, hurt and frustrations, and things that we cannot understand why they are happening around us, things that can easily take us away from our faith. These things can happen in life, but I urge you to be like these men remaining standing. They trusted that God would change their situation one day and usher in a new order, which I believe we are also praying for today.
We want God to change the world around us, it’s not pleasing us at all. A lot is happening in this world to which we do not have answers and our prayers as a people of God is for God to usher in a new order so this world can be what we want it to be. We are praying every day, but sadly even when we pray sometimes things don’t seem to change or it is taking so long for the world to be what we want it to be, making some of us even doubt if anything is ever going to change. The reality of our world looks very real and permanent, just as Israel’s trials and tribulations were at that time. Their pain and struggles were true; they never thought this would change, then they saw Jerusalem fall with their own eyes when King Nebuchadnezzar started doing his own thing, forgetting that even his power was going to end one day.
It’s never permanent, and the horror and the tragedy faced by Israel forced her to chronicle her faith with names of every Jew written in their Book of Life, maybe similar to what we did on Remembrance Sunday, and for them it’s only those in this book would a celestial being, the Archangel Michael, come to protect one day when that coin flips to the other side emphasising that it will still change and all their present suffering and anxiety would come to an end. Their endurance in these troubled times would eventually be vindicated. Israel managed to look beyond her suffering and trusted and believed that things were going to change.
What about us, my brothers and sisters? I want you to know that even our lives as we sit here today, maybe angry with God for things not changing around us, unhappy with what is happening around us, but I want you to know that that unhappiness, that state of affairs will not remain like that. Why can’t you wait expecting to see what God is about to usher in? So don’t be pulled back by today’s adversities.
In our New Testament reading, Mark brings back this apocalyptic flavour again assuring us that everything, even what we see today, is not going to remain there. The prognosis might sound gloomy and unrealistic, you might think nothing is going to change here, but for me there are still grounds for hope. God’s new world is waiting to be born, and I say this and keep repeating it, sometimes maybe because the truth about God is not easy to accept, especially in those blinding trappings of our time, of our present world, and I see them well Illustrated in Mark’s narrative here.
Jesus is leaving the Temple and one of his disciples says, “Look, Master, what massive stones and massive buildings. Isn’t this amazing, isn’t this wonderful?” They looked so beautiful, real, and permanent to this man, and to talk of a new arrangement would not make sense to him because this was very real. He never thought anything would change, but much to his surprise Jesus said, “Friend, do you see all these buildings including our church? Here is a beautiful city that you see around us, but not even one stone will be left on another, each one will be thrown down.” Listen to that, even now when you are looking at what is around us now, what is Jesus talking about? Is it possible? Can this church be destroyed? I can’t even conceive a day when it will, it’s so real and permanent to us, and what we do here is so real and permanent to us, how can you tell us of a new arrangement? I don’t think it will happen.
They had gotten used to this place and the Temple as it was. It had become an important part of their lives, going there every time to worship their God like we are doing now, and to think of this changing was far from being acceptable. Not many years after this, the temple in Jerusalem was completely destroyed and some of those who had heard Jesus say these things might still have been there to see this happening. What a shock might that have been to see what they had grown to respect, believe in, and rely on, now raised to ashes or a heap of rubble. They must have been shocked, and I know we also get shocked from time to time when the things that we have been holding on to are no longer there for us. We probably have all experienced that at one time or another.
Nothing here is permanent. Things are going to change, even those things that we have thought will not change: powerful governments, kingdoms, and monarchs, institutions that have probably influenced and controlled our actions that we do are going to change and it’s probably time for us now to also change, allow change to happen in us and prepare ourselves for the new world that God is ushering in. I know our troubles are true and real to sometimes make us doubt if any of these can change, but please believe me, it will change. Wars were fought and are still being fought today, people die and homes and cities are destroyed, and the memories we had on Remembrance Sunday tells this story when we were celebrating the end of war, which sadly has started again now with the same effects of death and destruction, making us doubt if truly things are going to change and I’m sure our heroes are turning in their graves now seeing how the world is refusing to change and turning back to war and violence instead of peace.
We look at this and are probably convinced that some things are just not going to change, but please hear me today as I conclude, I’m preaching and insisting that all is going to change and I wish I can be heard and believed. Jesus also said to his disciples, “Do not let anyone deceive you,” and that’s including the stubbornness of our world today. “Many are going to come claiming to be me, only to deceive you, they will speak with authority, pull out examples of what we are seeing today to tell you that this cannot change.” But I’m here still insisting and preaching about change because I know it is real, and it will happen, and Jesus said, “When you see these things happening, you must know that end is about to come; when you hear rumours of war, when you see people fighting, all these things that are happening, are probably signalling the end of time, and to tell us that our Lord is about to come, so let us just prepare ourselves today to be like these our heroes, Daniel and friends, so we can also be counted amongst the heroes of our time for remaining standing and holding on to our God.
Revd Wilbert Sayimani
Readings for 1 December
Luke 21: 25-36
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
29 He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
32 “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
Further readings from the lectionary this week are as follows:
- Jeremiah 33: 14-16
- Psalm 25: 1-10
- 1 Thessalonians 3: 9-13
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 Christ Church member, Jean George. 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
1 December – Christ Church worship group
8 December – Revd Wilbert Sayimani – parade and gift service
15 December – Christ Church worship group – carol service
22 December – Revd Wilbert Sayimani
Carol services
Christ Church – 15 December
Our carol service this year will be on 15 December. We would like to include carols, readings, poems etc. chosen by members of our congregation. If you have a carol, reading or poem that you would like us to consider including in this service, please speak to Louise or Joanne.
Carols and mince pies – 18 December
This year’s carols and mince pies will be on Wednesday 18 December, 12noon in the chapel.
Candlelight Carol Service, Ickenham URC – 22 December, 6.30pm
We have been invited to join in with Ickenham URC for their candlelight carol service on 22 December at 6.30pm. If you would be interested in singing in the choir for this service, please let Louise know. There will be a rehearsal for the choir at Ickenham URC at 5pm on 22 December.
From the Circuit
RAF Community Concert at Ruislip Methodist Church
Tuesday 10th December, 7.30pm
The RAF Central Band will be back at Ruislip Methodist Church performing a free community concert on Tuesday 10th December at 7:30pm. Refreshments will be available during the interval, and people are free to make charitable donations if they wish. There is free parking at the church car park. If you are a wheelchair user please contact Karen Macaulay (A1macaulay@aol.com) and Terry Dean (famdean@blueyonder.co.uk) to arrange accessible seating. All are welcome to come along and enjoy the performance.
From the URC
Online advent retreat: Love, joy, peace and hope
3 December 2024 to 7 December 2024
We’ll gather for a period of prayer in the morning, and sessions of readings, reflections, prayer and sharing at lunchtime and in the evening, following the advent themes of love, joy, peace and hope.
The retreat is designed for people to be able to dip into. Some will be able to attend everything, but, if the diary doesn’t make that practical, people are welcome to join in when they can. It can help to think of the retreat as the backdrop to their experiences of God in these days and the “drawing together” session on the Saturday evening will think about where we’ve encountered God during the week — in the sessions and in everything else we’ve been doing.
There are three sessions each day — 7.30-8.00am; 12.00–1.00pm and 7.00 – 8.00pm: – a period of prayer in the morning, and sessions at lunchtime and in the evening that will include reflections, time for prayer, and talking in the group.
Book online at https://urc-spirituality.org.uk/events-and-retreats/
Bookings will close at 21:00 on Monday 2 December: the zoom link will be sent to those who have booked later that evening.
Children’s Corner
Dates for your diary
| 2024 | |
| 11 December | Welcome Wednesday |
| 18 December | Carols and mince pies |
| 22 December | Carol service at Ickenham URC |
| 2025 | |
| 8 January | Welcome Wednesday |
| 22 January | Welcome Wednesday |
Praying for other churches
This week we hold the following churches in our prayers
- Trinity, Harrow (URC/Methodist)
- Kingsborough Church, Uxbridge
Closing prayer
May you go forth, in the name of the one who loves you,
By the grace of the one who came to live amongst us and makes himself known to us, even today,
And by the power of the Spirit – alive and in our midst today.
May you go forth, one of the Advent people.
Amen.
(Taken from The Vine)
