“Farewell”letter
Dear Friends
As you know I shall be retiring at the end of June and Pat and I will be moving house to Attenborough. This will be followed by an interregnum, which is a strange word used to describe the period in time in between vicars. We all hope that this will be short and the Bishop will soon appoint someone to take over where have left off. Not that we need to worry because responsibility for the Parish will be in the very capable hands
of our two Churchwardens, Michael Taylor and Freda Crampton, able assisted by our clergy, Revd Pat Edwards and Revd Kath Batte.
Please give them your full support and remember them in your prayers every day.
Past experience shows that an interregnum is a time of significant growth when the Church family discovers that it will not disintegrate but, on the contrary,
finds that it is quite capable of worshipping God and proclaiming His Kingdom without the help of a vicar. Recently, someone said anxiously that this will be only the second interregnum in the past 50 years. Perish the thought that I should give advice about what to do during the interregnum but I hope that you will enjoy it and make the most of it. There should be a sense of freedom as you look forward to a new chapter in the life of the church; a chapter that you will take an active part in. I would like to refer you to Acts 2:42 and to the early days of the church,after Jesus had ascended into heaven, when the believers “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread (i.e. Holy Communion) and to prayer.”The Church then was just beginning a new chapter of its history. God blessed them with his Holy Spirit and took them into fresh areas of service. God hasn’t changed and the same challenges and opportunities lay before us.
Our last Sunday in Edwalton will be on the 25th June.
It will be very hard for us to say “Farewell” but I hope that you join us to give Pat and I the opportunity to thank you for all you have done for us during theses past twenty years .
May God Bless You
Yours sincerely!
Revd David Bignell, Vicar
“Discernment…”
What kind of a word is this to start a letter,
‘discernment’!
Is it just about decision-making –
What to have for breakfast – Where to go on holiday?
No, it’s a much bigger word than that.
It’s about the big picture and the big questions.
It’s about where to find a husband or wife, someone I can love and cherish all my days.
It’s about getting the right job,...
or shall I look for a move, or is this or that person the best person to be a partner in my business.
Discernment is even a deeper word than that.
It is about vocation and the will of God.
Some people seem to have a natural gift of discernment; but the rest of us struggle to find it.
Therefore, ..
I need a simple start, and easy way forward.
I was very taken with last Sunday’s collect (the second Sunday before Lent),
which says;
“Almighty God,
you have created the heavens and the earth
and made us in your own image:
Teach us to discern you
in all your works and your likeness in all your children …”
The writer of this prayer turns us firstly to God,
who is the creator of everything and has made us in his own image.
Then, because discernment is God’s gift we ask him to help us to look around at the beauty of the natural world,
an easy thing to do at this time of year,
and to every neighbour we meet who is potentially a child of God.
For discernment then, we need to pray, and to read our Bibles.
Notice that when Jesus needed discernment
in choosing his disciples,
or in choosing the way of the cross on the night before his death,
he prayed.
His disciples learnt this lesson and prayed whenever they were faced with some major decision.
We should do the same.
As we begin another Lent, a new and unique Lent, let’s pray for discernment for ourselves,
for our families and friends, for our church,
share with a friend what you think God is saying to you.
There are no hot lines to God.
Discernment normally comes through talking things through with a friend.
This is ‘big stuff’, but then..
so is God.
Have a Good Lent!!
Yours sincerely!
God Bless you.
David Bignell
“Do unto others ………”
Are your New Year’s resolutions still in tact?
Some of mine are; but then I did have a longish list to begin with.
I am inclined to believe that if a resolution is worth making, we shouldn’t give up at the first few hurdles,
but we must try and try again.
Resolutions are too important to let drop.
In his New Year message Bishop George said
that the beginning of another New Year gives us an opportunity to renew our commitment
to Christian values and Christian living.
A resolution such as this mustn’t be lost.
It needs renewing daily.
Why?
Because the world is in a mess and we all need to something about it!
If there is ever going to be peace in the world,
if there is any hope for justice,
freedom and a fair share of the world’s resources for all,
then we have to work and pray for it,
all of us.
Not only people of faith,
but also people of none, or who are not sure,
but people of goodwill nevertheless.
So, if you are a Christian, live like one.
Jesus gave us a ‘Golden Rule.’
You will find it at the end of the Sermon on the Mount in St. Matthews Gospel (7:12).
It says;
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
This is simple enough, but not easy.
We need to practice every day;
and God the Father,
in his wisdom, gives us plenty of neighbours to practise on.
So, light a candle,
say a prayer and start practising.
Failure today is no excuse for not practising tomorrow.
I’ll give it a go if you will!
Yours sincerely!
God Bless you.
David Bignell
PRAY TOGETHER: A NEW YEAR CHALLENGE TO US ALL
Praying and working for Peace must be at the top of our agenda for 2004.
We do this individually but it is very important that we
pray together with others.
We should remember that Jesus said;
“When you pray, say Our Father,” not “my Father”.
January gives us a wonderful opportunity to pray together with Christians
of other traditions as we begin the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Our Churches Together in West Bridgford have prepared a programme and invites us all to take part.
We are invited to the Methodist Church in West Bridgford
for their Annual Covenant Service, on January 18th.
One of the joys of ecumenism is to discover the treasures of other Christian traditions,
and the Annual Covenant Service is one of the treasures of Methodism.
At the end of the week, on January 25th there will be
invitations to St. Paul’s Church, West Bridgford
for their Patronal Festival;
and to Friary United Reform Church, West Bridgford
for a special service focussed on ‘Homelessness’.
This is a challenge to each one of us
to take the opportunity to visit a different church and to pray together.
Yours sincerely!
God Bless you
I am the vine, you are the branches
Last Tuesday I went to the QMC for a treadmill test,
which turned out to be a very interesting experience.
I had to be there for 8.30 am.
This was the first challenge, battling through the rush-hour traffic and pouring rain.
After parking the car, I walked as quickly as I could, so that I wouldn't arrive too late or too wet.
I arrived at reception puffing and blowing.
Now would be a good time to attach me to the ECG machine I thought to myself.
However, after a short wait, two young ladies took charge of me, I was stripped to the waist
and they stuck numerous sensors to my upper body.
Then, after being wired up to the ECG computer, I was told to stand on the treadmill.
The technician in charge explained that they would now attempt to wear me out, but not to worry,
they would keep an eye on me; and, even marathon runners found the test taxing.
Feeling slightly alarmed, I looked out of the window onto a panoramic view of the city
as the floor of the treadmill began to move.
"Walk quicker, lengthen your stride", said one of the young ladies.
music pic
I tried to imagine that I was out for a pleasant walk in the country;
but the pace speeded up and the floor tilted upwards, simulating a hill.
"Any chest pain?" said the young lady.
"No", I puffed.
The floor moves faster and tilts more steeply.
"Any chest pain?"
"No", I gasped.
Just before I collapse, the machine slows and settles back down to the horizontal.
"That's fine," says the young lady as I slump into a chair,
"Are you OK?"
Breathless, I am unable to reply.
Chest pain I may not have, but sound in wind and limb, I am definitely not.
My reward was a cup of cold water, for which I was very grateful.
Somewhat recovered I made my way back to my car, reflecting on the experience.
Last Sundays Gospel was from John 15,
'I am the vine, you are the branches... abide in me'.
Similarly, I thought Jesus is the ECG computer, we are wired up to him,
He tests our heart; not to see how well it does under physical stress; but to see if it is true.
That's why we pray:
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
Just as the sap flows in the vine, so do the electrical impulses move through the wires.
Jesus soon lets us know whether or not our hearts are true.
By his Grace, we are brought to repentance and forgiveness.
His Holy Spirit encourages us on.
The important thing is to keep connected so that the current flows;
'abide in me'.
It's amazing how much more He wants to teach us.
One thing I've discovered; I'm not very fit
God Bless you.
Yours sincerely,
David Bignell
From our Easter activities"
one of our young ladies in the Junior Church wrote the following poem.
It followed on from our thinking at the Good Friday service
for young people held in the Church Garden.
We hope that you will find its message as powerful as we all did.
JESUS' WORDS
As I gave the wine and broke the bread,
I knew that soon I would be dead.
I was the Chosen One
Thus me, God's Holy Son,
I gave my life upon a cross
To enter the kingdom of our Boss.
I ask you now that I am dead
Who put the crown of thorns upon my head?
Who am I to ask these questions of the Lord?
The answer lies upon a sword
Of truth.
Look inside your heart, and find the proof.
Rebecca Teece
(aged 11)
God bless you.
Yours sincerely
David Bignell
PRAY WITHOUT CEASING
Saint Paul
says that we should
'pray without ceasing'.
He didn't mean that we should spend every moment of every day on our knees,
he meant that we should always be aware of God the Father
and be ready to let our thoughts and prayers turn to Him at any moment.
For example, when we look out of the window in the morning;
seeing the snowdrops, the daffodils in bud, and hearing the birds singing
our hearts automatically turn to the Father in praise and thanksgiving;
and as we give thanks for our many blessings
our hearts turn to pray for all the very many we are aware of who are less fortunate than we are.
Not least today we should be praying for peace.
As we pick up the newspaper or switch on the tv or radio news,
we should keep our hearts open to the Father and let our minds turn to prayer.
This month is Lent, and Lent is a good time to 'pray without ceasing'.
Strange to say, we could do no better than to start each day with the Evening Collect:
Lighten our darkness; we beseech thee O Lord;
And by they great mercies defend us from all perils and dangers of this night;
For the Love of thy only Son, our Saviour,
Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Our world is seriously threatened by a dark night of sin:
war, hatred, violence, fear, and bitter divisions.
All this darkness begins in the heart of man and spreads like a cancer.
So 'pray without ceasing' this Lent.
· Come to Church.
· Light a candle for peace.
· Offer your prayers knowing they are heard.
· Repent of your sins and the sin of the world, which spreads the darkness.
Only the Light of Christ can penetrate it and banish it from us.
Know that, as our sins are forgiven, we become bearers of the light of Christ,
carrying forgiveness and reconciliation with us to all we meet; it's God's gift.
Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, gave his life for it, for you, for me out of love
for a world plunged into darkness.
Jesus commands us to,
"Love one another as I have loved you".
We can do this if we 'pray without ceasing!
God bless you.
Yours sincerely
David Bignell
HOLY WEEK
As I write this letter we are at war.
The diplomacy has failed, the decision has been made.
What will be the repercussions of this?
We do not know,
but it is all very worrying.
We do not need Lent to remind us that we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Perhaps we do need to be reminded of the Prayer Books 'comfortable words' from Saint Paul:
"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;"
or, as Saint John put it in his first letter:
"God's love for us was revealed when he sent his Son to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away."
These are the things we shall be thinking about as we focus on the war in our prayers.
As we prepare to celebrate the Easter feast once more this year,
there is much that God would have us learn.
As the Lent preface to the Eucharistic prayer says:
"For in these forty days you lead us into a desert of repentance
that through a pilgrimage of prayer and discipline we may grow in grace
and learn to be your people once again.
" The Lentern journey takes from the barren dangers of the desert to the waters of life;
from darkness to light;
from death to life."
Holy week reminds us of the last week of our Lord's earthly life,
his terrible death and wonderful resurrection.
There are services in this Church and all other churches every day of Holy Week.
Please come and join in whenever and wherever you can,
especially
Maundy Thursday evening,
Good Friday
and, of course,
Easter Day.
The war is real and terrifying. Our salvation in Jesus Christ is real and glorious.
Alleluia, Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed, Alleluia.
May God bless us and restore our faith, hope and joy this Eastertide.
God bless you.
Yours sincerely
David Bignell
GOSPEL CHALLENGE
This time, the Vicar Writes message is from the Reverend Patricia Edwards.
She is a non stipendiary minister, and is our Assistant Clergy for our Church
and acts as the minister for other churches around the diocese.
As I write, the Church is celebrating the Feast of Epiphany.
It seems odd to be thinking two months forward to Lent.
By then, hopefully
the ice will have melted and concerns about driving will have faded
to the back of my mind - until the next icy morning!
Thoughts of wise men bringing gifts will have faded to the back of the mind, too.
Before they do, this seems to be a good time to consider
what gifts we could
offer to
Our Lord this coming Lent.
Many of us try to give something up for Lent and this is a good thing to do,
but it is also good to do something extra as well.
This coming Lent we're giving a challenge to everyone in our Church family,
plus as many other people as we can draw in.
The challenge is this:
"Will you make a commitment to read Luke's gospel this Lent?"
Please think and pray about this and watch the pew slip for more details.
Later this year the Bible Society is running a media campaign in this diocese to encourage people
with no particular church links to read the Bible.
Those of us who know Jesus Christ in our own lives will want to pray for those preparing the campaign;
we also want to take the opportunity of making sure that God's word is at the centre of our own lives.
God Bless you
Yours sincerely
Pat Edwards.
MORNING PRAYER
Lent means ‘lengthening days’;
lighter mornings and evenings. It’s good to be not taking the dogs out in semi-gloom in the mornings.
As you know, we have two Yorkshire terriers again now, after being without a dog for some years.
I find the early morning walks a great help in starting the day with prayer.
The psalms spring to mind
The heavens declare the Glory of God:
and the firmament sheweth his handy-work.
Psalm 19.
The beauty of the sunrise and the harsh winter landscapes turn the heart to pray
as much as turning the face away from the cold wind.
There is a tree I walk by most mornings; and last year when it still had leaves on,
if I hadn’t started to pray before I passed by, its fluttering leaves would shout,
“Praise the Lord”
and wake me from my dreaming.
I find that to read a passage from the Bible or to recall a verse of scripture
is to prime the pump of prayer.
It turns your thoughts to God and helps intercession to flow;
prayers for family, friends, neighbours, poorly ones, the sad and the lonely.
Also, I find the words of our liturgy helpful in putting me on the right path at the beginning of the day,
opening my soul to the possibilities of meeting God in the ordinary situations I shall find myself in.
O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now and shall be forever. Amen.
Morning prayer is a sure path to Easter Joy.
May God Bless You
Yours sincerely!
David Bignell
A few weeks ago ...
someone told me that it is possible to purchase a gun,
with ammunition - in Nottingham - for only £400 !
What a chilling thought!
In developing countries, guns are freely available as never before.
We are all becoming aware of and getting concerned about gun crime, rightly so.
In the UK we have always been a gun-free society but things are changing.
Guns are lethal weapons. They are used for killing people.
One of the underlying problems is that we are a nation that makes millions of pounds every year
out of arms sales to anyone who has the money to buy them –
" no questions asked".
How long should we go on tolerating this situation?
We must speak up whenever the opportunity presents itself and we must pray.
Prayer and action go together!
Two years ago I wrote about praying for peace and I quoted Mother Teresa.
Mother Teresa suggested a prayer.
It is adapted from the Hindu scriptures and is admirably suited to people of all faiths.
Lead me from death to life, from falsehood to truth.
Lead me from despair to hope, from fear to trust.
Lead me from hate to love, from war to peace.
Let peace fill our heart, our world, and our universe.
Peace. Peace. Peace.”
Mother Teresa also suggested that we should all pause at mid-day each day to say this prayer,
bringing to mind the news of the day and the suffering of the world
She was a Saint.
She knew that God hears our prayers and that He is continuously at work in this world
in ways that we are unaware of.
It seems to me that the time is right to take up this prayer again.
Peace is God's gift to us all.
It is that peace which passes all understanding. It is something to know and to share.
Let us pray and speak out for Peace on our streets, in Iraq, in Israel and Palestine, in the World.
Let’s start today!
God bless you!.
Yours sincerely!
God Bless you.
Yours sincerely,
David Bignell
Dear Friends,
There can be no other foundation beyond that which is already laid;
I mean Jesus Christ himself
As you know I am not only your vicar, but also the Diocesan Ecumenical Officer.
Bishop Michael Whinney brought me here in 1986, to a smaller (for me) parish,
so that I could spend half my time doing the ecumenical work; that was the theory anyway.
Because I live over the shop - so to speak - inevitably the parish gets the lion's share of me
and the diocese gets the leftovers.
I'm not complaining about that;
and, fortunately
the Bishop hasn't either!
As I write this letter we are in the middle of
the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Every year when this week comes round, I am filled with either hope or despair.
This year, I'm glad to say, I'm filled with hope.
Our local cluster of five churches (six, if we include St Paul's) has worked to a programme,
which has involved all four church buildings and all six congregations.
The meetings for prayer have been vibrant and have drawn us closer together as friends as well as Christians.
There is more to come as we look forward to
the Methodist Covenant Service,
the Prayer Walk
and
the Patronal Service at St Paul's.
This gives me hope for Lent, which is early this year.
For the past two years we have shared very happily in a Lent Course at the Holy Spirit church.
This year we will join with our Roman Catholic friends again;
only this year meeting at Holy Rood on Wednesdays at 8.0pm.
Also, we are hoping to share in an ecumenical 'Stations of the Cross' during Holy Week.
The verse at the top of my letter is from St Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians,
where he says that it doesn't matter what our denominational allegiances are,
the only thing that really unites us is our allegiance to Christ.
He is the only cornerstone of the Church and our Faith.
Let's keep our eyes on Him.
May God Bless You
Yours sincerely!
“Are you ready for Christmas?”
usually means,
“have you bought all the presents and ordered the turkey?”
But will we be ready to celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ,
the Saviour of the World;
or will we be exhausted?
ADVENT
is the season of preparation.
God gives it to enable us
‘to be ready!’
spiritually as well as materially.
Attend our Nativity Service on
Sunday 12th December,
or our
Parade Christingle Service on Sunday 19th December,
or join us with our families and the children at
the Blessing of the Crib
and
Carol Service
at either 4.30 or 6.30 pm on Christmas Eve.
Pray together and work together,
not for ourselves, but
for the Kingdom and the Glory of God.
Details of all our Advent and Christmas Services
are listed on the
Announcements Page.
A warm welcome awaits you at any of these services,
and especially at our Christmas Midnight Mass Service,
please join with us if you can, or use our Daily Prayer Link
to read the services that we will be using.
May God Bless You
Yours sincerely!
David Bignell
ST. HANNAH’S
There is plenty of news in the media from Iraq;
it’s all bad and it seems to get worse.
So, how about some good news!
Most of you know that we, as a parish, and many individuals in the parish support
St. Hannah’s orphanage
in Baghdad.
St. Hannah’s orphanage is run by Sister Anna,
who looks after 16-orphaned children and some older women who have no one to care for them.
Our latest information is that everyone at St. Hannah’s is safe, but life is far from easy.
The orphanage is in a relatively quiet part of Baghdad,
but Sister Anna has to be very careful about who she admits to the premises;
and the safety of the children as they go out to school each day is of great concern.
Our contact at St. Hannah’s is through a Muslim Aid Agency called Islamic Relief,
which is good to know. We can thank God that in this small way Muslims and Christians can work together
in a good cause. One of the Islamic Relief workers who visits St. Hannah’s is called Kaled.
Kaled lives in Jordan and visits Iraq regularly in his work for the agency.
Recently his life has been threatened.
However he is determined to continue his work.
In a recent letter he said:
“I will stay in Iraq; going and coming back for the sake of the needy people
and with the help of Almighty God I will do my best to do more to help.”
Sister Anna has sent a message asking for help
with the food bills, warm clothing and room heaters for the winter.
It has been possible to speak on the telephone to Father Bashar,
the priest of the parish that includes St. Hannah’s stating to him how bad we feel
that no one from West Bridgford has been able to visit them because of the danger.
His response was,
“ We are called to face the danger; you are called to support us
with your prayers, your friendship and your gifts.”
Let’s start today
to live up to this by praying for Sister Anna,
all those who live with her in the orphanage, Fr. Basher, and Kaled and his family.
Also, let’s give more to help them.
If you would like to contribute to this work,
please speak to me or to one of our Churchwardens!!.
God Bless you.
Yours sincerely!
David Bignell
We love the place, 0 God,
Wherein thine honour dwells;
The joy of thine abode
All earthly joy excels
Dear Friends,
You will all know by now that during my holiday in August,
some young people came into church one evening and badly misbehaved themselves;
amongst other things, discharging a fire extinguisher, causing a lot of mess
and even more distress for all those who are responsible for the security of our lovely church of the Holy Rood.
As a result and quite rightly, the church was kept locked until I returned from holiday.
I am delighted to tell you that the PCC, when it met,
agreed that our policy of keeping the church open during the day;
and encouraging everyone to
take advantage of this privilege by coming into church
more often to pray, to be quiet and just to be aware of the presence of God, was upheld.
I call this a privilege because, as you will be aware,
very many churches have to be kept locked these days because of continuous vandalism.
We are very fortunate in that we have had very little trouble in all the years I have been here.
This is thanks to everyone because we do love this place and want it to remain open for all to enjoy.
It is truly a place where 'prayer has been valid',
worship has been offered,
and people have brought their children for baptism,
for marriages and to bury their loved ones,
for more than 800 years.
We are also very fortunate in that nearly all of the young people who come into our church
know that it is a special place,
God's place,
a house of prayer,
a sanctuary,
a holy place,
a place to be treated with respect.
In his first letter to Timothy, St Paul writes:
"I urge you to make requests, prayers intercessions and thanksgivings for everyone -
for rulers and all those in authority,
that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness"
May I urge you, to
make a point of coming to church whenever you can, to
make a brief visit,
to pray for a moment and to
just rest in the presence of God.
God Bless you.
Yours sincerely!
David Bignell
EVANGELISM
It’s Summer!
The schools have broken up for the long summer holidays.
Many of us have holidays to look forward to; and I am thinking about ‘evangelism’.
I must be mad!
Why am I thinking about ‘evangelism’?
As I understand it, evangelism is not something we make an effort to do from time-to-time,
it is part of our everyday life as Christians.
When Jesus returned to the Father and told his followers to go and tell the Good News of the Kingdom of God,
it is not something to be done once or twice a year, it is something we do all the time.
In his gospel, Saint Luke tells us that it has pleased the Father to give us the Kingdom
also, that the Kingdom is within us.
Whenever we meet together, for worship or to plan the Summer Fête,
we proclaim the Kingdom.
What we are is what we do;
we are Christians, therefore we are evangelists.
Having said that, we should take every opportunity that’s given to us to tell the Good News of God’s love;
because it’s not just for us,
it’s for the World.
Our partner Church on Wellin Lane is planning two evangelistic events in the autumn
and have asked the other Churches in West Bridgford to join them.
They have invited two evangelists to lead the events.
They are
Graham Hepburn
and
Mark Ritchie.
Graham is a musician and entertainer,
Mark is a story teller;
they use their gifts to tell the Gospel
in a non-threatening,
user-friendly way.
We are invited to the Church on Wellin Lane
at 7.30 pm on Wednesday 29th September
to meet with Graham and Mark;
and to hear a taster of how they work.
If we are comfortable with this,
we shall be encouraged to take a friend (or two) along
to hear them at the Assembly Room in
County Hall, Nottingham
on Wednesday 20th October
and
Wednesday 1st December
(please pencil the dates in your diaries).
I shall be going to Wellin Lane Church on September 29th.
Why don’t you join me?
We have a gospel to proclaim.
We must use every opportunity to do so.
Have a good summer.
God Bless you.
Yours sincerely!
David Bignell
Panel Content...
NOT IN MY BACK YARD ?
You will be aware of the
Council’s plans to build 1,200 new houses in Edwalton
as reported in a recent edition of the local paper.
Now these plans have not yet been passed but there is every possibility that they will be.
Not everyone will be pleased about this.
However, like most other places, during the past 100 years,
Edwalton has been growing in size.
Edwalton people are well used to newcomers moving into the village.
Since the end of the last war there has been a steady growth in house building;
creeping along Melton Road and Alford Road and into Greenacre and Woodview;
eventually filling in all the spaces between Edwalton and West Bridgford.
When Bishop Michael Whinney sent me here in 1986 it was because
Edwalton was a small parish ..
and I would be able to spend half my time working as the Diocesan Ecumenical Officer.
In no time at all, 200 more houses were built;
and we are very glad of good friends and loyal supporters of the Church
from Melton Gardens, Edwalton Lodge Close, Hallfields and Birkdale Close.
If the plans go ahead, in time, the parish will double in size.
Do we see this as a problem or as a challenge?
My experience of God is summed up in St. John’s words in Revelation, where God says,
“Behold I make all things new”.
God is always positive and creative.
Renewal is at His heart; every springtime bears witness to this.
What should we do then?
We should pray for the Council and the property developers
for a proper balance of affordable starter homes and larger properties for growing families;
for the newcomers who will move in (just as we did);
and that the Church (you and I) will be welcoming and attractive;
and for God’s guidance in making contact with new neighbours
as the removal vans drive into the new estate.
God Bless you.
Yours sincerely!
David Bignell
.
EASTER JOY
Easter Joy is what we wish each other at this time of year.
It comes from:
- the experience of Good Friday and Easter Day;
- the Death and Resurrection of Jesus;
and the certain knowledge that
- Our Lord is with us in all our sufferings.
- He forgives us our sins and takes away the fear of death.
But how de we know this?
I have often said that my experience of ‘Easter Joy’ usually comes in the ordinary,
everyday things;
particularly in the relationships we share with the people that we live and work with,
however fleeting these might be.
You probably all know by now that on the Sunday night after Easter
I cut my finger quite badly; and after spending four hours in casualty
had four stitches put in it.
Easter Joy IS NOT:
cutting your finger,
or waiting for hours in a hospital casualty ward or
having a cut finger stitched.
Easter Joy IS:
the sure knowledge that
the casualty department is at the Queens Medical Centre Hospital when you need it;
and even if you do not have to wait,
eventually a doctor and a nurse will attend to you and put you right.
In my case the nurse who attended to me did so with utmost kindness and professionalism.
All the times she was with me she sang:
“Be still my soul …”
and called me “darling”!
Now that is
‘Easter Joy’.
Easter Joy is
feeling the warm spring sunshine,
hearing the birds singing their hearts out and
seeing the beauty of God’s creation all around.
Easter Joy is
being with your grandchildren or
walking the dog
when the experience is underlined by the knowledge that
"God loves each one of us so much that
His Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ died for us and rose from the dead.
Our great English saint, Julian of Norwich, truly said,
“Love was His meaning”.
My prayer is
that we may have grace to experience the Love of God more and more;
and to know that true
Easter Joy,
which He gives to us.
God Bless you.
Yours sincerely!
David Bignell
The Light of My Life
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine;
You make me happy when skies are grey."
So my father used to sing. He sang it to my mother, of course. We often use similar sentiments when we think of God; and rightly so.
We often sing the Taize chant:
The Lord is my light;
My light and my salvation.
In him I trust;
In him I trust.
The world seems to get darker. There is never any "Good news."
Problems become more complex; and chaos grows.
What was it Mother Teresa used to say? -
"It's better to light one small candle than to sit and curse the darkness."
candle
The nights are drawing in, and we press on towards the shortest day.
But this brings Christmas and the light of Christ, forever shining in a dark world.
A light, which Saint John reminds us, has not been overcome by darkness, and it never will.
Jesus said:
"I am the light of the world.
He who follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life."
Do you believe that?
Then say to our Lord Jesus;
"Drive the darkness out of this world's soul; and start with me."
Make Him 'the light of your life.'
God Bless you
Yours sincerely
David Bignell
.
The Five-Pound Coin
Dear Friends,
Let me tell you the parable of
the five-pound coin.
A man went into his post office to buy stamps. He gave the postmaster a ten-pound note, and in his change, he was given a five-pound coin. The
postmaster had just received a new batch of five-pound coins and was giving them to everyone who came into the post office, in their pensions and
in their change. The man looked at the five-pound coin and thought to himself, “I wish he would give me a five pound note. However, he knew that
the postmaster was a kind man, so he said nothing. When the postmaster saw the look on the man’s face, he said to him, “You should give it to one
of your grandchildren.” The man said, “I have eight grandchildren!” The postmaster did not say, “That’s terrible, this will cost you £40.00!” He
said, “How wonderful; what a lucky man you are!”
The man put the five-pound coin into his pocket and walked out of the post office. Then he had an idea. I know what to do, he thought, I will spend
the five-pound coin at the corner shop. So, the man went into the corner shop and asked for a loaf of bread and gave the shopkeeper the five-pound
coin. He told the shopkeeper about the postmaster and the five pound coin and she laughed.
“He gives everyone a five pound coin,” she said; and they bring them round to me and buy something with them. Then, at the end of the day, when
I do my banking, I bag them all up, and I take them back to the post office!”
So it is with Love of God. He gives us his Love to spend, to circulate, to use in loving our neighbours as ourselves, before it returns to him. Take
God’s love for you today and spend it. Spend it well. Spend it generously. God will bless you for it, and will keep it in circulation.
I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. - John
17:26
God bless you.
David Bignell
