Remembrance

Nov 10, 2024

This morning, Garry spoke from Ephesians 1:15-16, Paul’s prayer which says ‘I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.’
Paul founded the Ephesian church (see Acts 19) and this letter is a great encouragement to the church. In Eph 1:3-14, Paul lists the spiritual blessings that come from being in Christ Jesus – being chosen, adopted to sonship, redemption and forgiveness of sins. He remembers how they came to faith and what has gone before, just as on Remembrance Sunday we remember those who have sacrificed their lives in wars. For Paul, being thankful and remembering are two sides of the same coin.
Remembering what God has done is a key part of Biblical exhortation. As we remember the desperate situations we have faced and how God has delivered us, our faith is encouraged and we are strengthened. We can be especially thankful for the things God chooses not to remember (Is 43;25), chiefly our sins, meaning that we can have a fresh start and ongoing clean slate with Him.
Paul does not stop at being thankful for the Ephesians; he goes on to pray for them. This includes practical help (see James 2:15-16), as we try to do with supporting the Salvation Army and things like Operation Christmas Child. We need to understand, however, the benefits of praying for others, asking God to help and bless. As we remember, let us also pray.

Coming soon…

Nov 3, 2024

Now that half-term is over, our sights are firmly set on Christmas! We have a number of special events coming up.

Christmas Market (Saturday 30 November, 12-5 p.m.), Goldthorpe Town Square ‘

 

We will be having a ‘Churches Together’ table offering free Christmas crafts and will also be carol singing. Bring your lanterns as the tree lights are switched on at 4.45 p.m. and join us in singing Christmas carols.

Christmas Family Service (Sunday 1 December, 6 p.m.), GPCC

Our Little Big Church service will continue our exploration of the theme of llight.

Christmas Coffee Morning & Fayre (Saturday 14 December, 10 a.m. -12 p.m.), GPCC

We will be selling bacon or sausage butties as well as homemade baking and will also have craft stalls selling homemade pickles and chutneys, Christmas cards and handmade crafts

Christmas Carol Service (‘Hey, Ewe!’) on Sunday 22 December, 6 p.m., GPCC

Come along to sing carols and watch the children perform their Nativity – ‘Hey Ewe!’

Christmas Day Service on Wednesday 25 December at 10.30 a.m., GPCC

Join us as we explore the raw ingredients of Christmas and what’s really necessary to have a good Christmas!

Spiritual Combustion

Nov 3, 2024

On Friday I attended a spectacular science show at Cast Theatre, Doncaster, with my grandchildren. It was a show looking at different sources of energy through experiments and ended by considering the fire triangle with a series of controlled explosions.
The fire triangle tells us that for fire to occur, three ingredients are required: heat, fuel and oxygen. Fire is extinguished when one of those elements is removed.
We are approaching Bonfire Night in England, and last night fireworks were set off in remembrance of Guy Fawkes’ attempt to blow up Parliament in 1605 using gunpowder. Fireworks contain gunpowder, an explosive consisting of a powdered mixture of saltpetre, sulphur and charcoal, and often look spectacular as their ‘mini fires’ light the sky, complete with loud bangs.
Gunpowder used to be transported in ‘powder kegs’, barrels used to move the gunpowder from place to place. The volatility of gunpowder made this a dangerous task, as any spark (heat source) could set off the gunpowder en route!
The three ingredients (fire, heat, oxygen) needed for fire have a spiritual parallel when considering the fire of God, that holy fire associated with God’s power and glory. We need God’s word to ignite faith in us (Rom 10:17) and we need God’s Spirit to fan that flame into a fire that burns and does not go out. (2 Tim 1:6)
I’ve always seen the fire triangle drawn as an equilateral triangle, for the three ingredients are all equally necessary. But I think spiritual fire is more like an isosceles triangle. God provides the two key elements – word and Spirit. Yet our faith is still needed, for any potential energy inherent in His word and Spirit still needs our faith (itself a gift of God) to ignite that into spiritual action and energy which can fuel our service.
We need God to set our hearts ablaze. We need the fire of God’s Spirit to rest on us as on the Day of Pentecost so that we hear the words of God and have the faith to believe what He says. The powder keg of faith needs God’s words and God’s Spirit to turn faith from something inert into something vibrant and living. When we hear God speak and the Spirit lights up that word, faith is ignited in our hearts and then we are set ablaze, bringing light and hope and fire to a world desperately in need of these things.
Other countries have fireworks’ displays in summer (think of the USA and France celebrating Independence Day and Bastille Day in July.) It seems fitting for us in England to use fireworks predominantly in November and for New Year’s Day. Fire provides both heat and light. We need the comfort of both, and God’s Spirit and word shine brightest in the darkness. May our faith be ignited so that holy fire burns within us, fuelling us through the dark days of winter ahead.

The Influencers

Nov 1, 2024

When we watch a film, it’s usually the actors who get our attention, and possibly the producer and director whose names are known. But if we persevere to the ‘credits’ on a film, we are amazed at the sheer number of people it takes to make a film. The diversity of people and jobs associated with cinematography is astonishing.

The same is true of life. Every person meets many others who are important to them, some more so than others. Part of assessing a person’s life is knowing these influences and people, who may range from family, friends, neighbours and work colleagues to those in positions of power and authority to those who have already died but whose influence remains (often through works of art, literature or music.)

In 1 Chronicles 11 and 1 Chronicles 25-27, we see lists of names of people who helped David. These had different roles (some were his ‘mighty men’, his warriors; some were administrative helpers; others were singers and musicians; others were priests. Some looked after his property; others were appointed leaders of the tribes of Israel.) Many are often not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible; these are apparently the insignificant ones. Yet there are no insignificant people, for God records their names in these lists and we begin to grasp the enormity of the truth that no man is an island. All of us need other people in our lives. All of us are helped and blessed by others.

Perhaps it’s time we made our own list of people whose views and help have shaped and moulded our lives. Perhaps it’s time to pause and thank them (they may not even realise they have made such an impact on us!) It’s certainly time to thank God for all who are there, helping us along life’s way. Without such people, we simply could not do the things we do. We salute these unsung heroes as David did and are grateful that we do not stand alone.

 

Summarising The Story

Nov 1, 2024

2 Samuel 8 is a summary of David’s achievements as king to this point. It reads a little bit like a CV, when we have to list our academic and work achievements in a summarised form so that many years of work and experience can be condensed into 1 or 2 sheets of A4 paper. When we first write a CV, it can be difficult to find accomplishments or achievements to include in it, for we may not have many qualifications or have much experience. As we get older, hopefully the list gets longer, and it can then be quite difficult to summarise effectively because there is so much to include!

 

Summaries can be difficult as we consider what to put in and what to omit; when I write a funding application, this is a real challenge, as there is often a word count (or even a character count, counting the letters rather than words!) It can be hard to summarise or précis years of work or overflowing ideas, a skill I first learned at 6th form and could never see the point of then but use every day now! We may find chapters like this one less interesting than the tales of battle or personal interactions, but this chapter contains a whistlestop tour through David’s battles and some of the things a king has to do, and as such it gives us a useful overview. There are principles to be learned here: doing what God has commanded, following through on His orders, the role of other people in helping us to achieve what God has planned for our lives. Don’t be daunted by the unfamiliar names, but realise that all Scripture is God-breathed and can shape us for effective service. (2 Tim 3:16-17)

Celebrating Light

Oct 30, 2024

This week we have been involved in two community events celebrating light. At this dark time of year, it’s good to remind ourselves that Jesus is the Light of the world and that no darkness can overcome God’s light. We have been making a variety of lanterns at the Autumn Fayre at Goldthorpe Railway Embankment and at the ‘Churches Together’ family fun day during half-term, and have also painted tea light holders and jars with LED lights and decorate candle biscuits as well as dancing to disco lights and playing with balloons and bubbles!

Here are some photos from the Autumn Fayre:

Here are some photos from today’s fun day,attended by 116 people.We were grateful to have the help of Lesley Embleton from the Forest School, adding a ‘natural’ touch to our lanterns.