Sunday 10th May 2020 All Saints Church, Childwall
READ: ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Light!’ – John 14v1-6
14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
REFLECT: Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem where He knows He will die. His disciples are fearful, both for Him and for themselves, and it is in this context that Jesus tells them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” Really? How can they not be troubled in such circumstances? Their friend, whom they believe to be the long awaited Messiah, is going to his death and leaving them to face the future alone! “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.”? To paraphrase John McEnroe, ‘Jesus, you cannot be serious!’ But Jesus is serious and later in John 14 [vv15/18] Jesus tells them that He is not leaving them ‘as orphans’ because He will be with them in the form of the Holy Spirit. In the present time of crisis and fear we need take Him at His word; we also are to believe/trust that Jesus is with us today, tomorrow and for eternity. Bible commentators tell us that the word Jesus uses for ‘troubled’ in this passage does NOT mean ‘don’t be sad or worried’, but rather don’t be overwhelmed. Jesus does not want His friends to be overwhelmed by what they are going through or what lies ahead and so He offers them words of comfort and hope about His own future – they should not worry about Him -because He is going to the Father, nor about their own ultimate destiny – because He is going to prepare a place for them, with the Father. In the meantime, they are to continue to follow Him, announcing and living out the Good News of God’s love, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Don’t you just love Thomas? He is the only disciple willing to admit that he can’t quite get his head around what Jesus is saying and elicits from Jesus one of the great ‘I am’ sayings, ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.’ Jesus wants Thomas [and us] to know that He is the Way to reach/find/know the Father, He is and teaches the Truth about the Father and He is the means by which we can experience the Life of the Father.
RESPOND: What are you fearful about, at present? Name those things before the Father now.
Is anything threatening to overwhelm you – fear for yourself or others, doubt, guilt, failure, finance? Bring whatever that may be before God now.
Read John 14:15/18. Ask your Heavenly Father that you may know His peace, more fully believe and trust in His promises and experience more of His presence and His power.
Perhaps read/listen to/sing a favourite hymn [e.g. Praise my soul the King of Heaven 560MP] or listen to a modern song of hope [e.g. ‘Sovereign over us’ by Aaron Keyes www.youtube.com/watch?v=B66DHRY1ITs].
PRAY: Easter 5 Post Communion Prayer – Eternal God, whose Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life: grant us to walk in his way, to rejoice in his truth, and to share his risen life; who is alive and reigns, now and for ever. Amen.
Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy. Sustain and support the anxious, be with those who care for the sick, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may find comfort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Heavenly Father we continue to pray for our families, for those leading our Government, for those researching the Corona virus, for all in the caring professions and for those who enable daily life to continue despite the present difficulties. Please bless those for whom we pray, in Jesus name. Amen.
Rev Bill Forster (Associate Minister at All Saints Church, Childwall)
Dear Friends,
I am delighted to be able to tell you that Helen Deegan our new Curate will still be joining us next month. She will be starting her ministry with us on Sunday 28th June. We are currently getting 80 Green Lane North ready for her arrival. She would have been ordained Deacon on 28thJune but will be licenced as a lay worker instead until her ordination can happen which has been rescheduled until 27th September. Please remember Helen in your prayers as she prepares to come and join us.
It is important that I share with you our current financial situation as a church. Our normally very busy church hall is currently closed except for our Playgroup which is open for keyworker’s children only. As a consequence all the rental income that we would usually receive from the many groups and organisations that use the hall has stopped. With our church buildings closed there is no possibility of a weekly collection for cash and therefore this has stopped. The monthly rental income that we have been receiving for 80 Green Lane North has also stopped as we need the house now for Helen our new curate.
As a church you will know that the majority of our income comes from the faithful giving of us its members, and it is right that as part of our Christian life we give from our own incomes to the life and ministry of the local church. We are very grateful to so many of you that give to All Saints by standing order and to those of you that have recently started.
Recently as you can imagine we have had to look very carefully at our finances, and as a PCC we have made some important decisions. We are not alone in this and our Diocese along with many other churches are facing major financial challenges.
When some of the old vicarage land was sold a few years ago the Diocese gave us the proceeds of that sale even though the land belonged to them. There was a clear condition that the money had to be used for the mission and ministry of All Saints with its redevelopment plans for the church hall. The agreement was that once our plans were complete we would pay them back 20% of the money. This is in effect a debt that we owe them which we have to budget for.
The financial decisions that we have made this last week as a PCC are as follows:1. To repay back the £80,000 debt to the Diocese immediately from the Development fund. This is to help them at this time of financial challenge but also to discharge this debt now and not to have this financial burden on the church in the future. 2. To use £30,000 from the Development fund to meet our current financial costs for the next few months including using £9000 to install a completely new heating system and bathroom and full decoration for 80 Green Lane North. (There have been no improvements for many years)
It is important to stress that this decision has not been made lightly but has been made after seeking professional advice and after full consultation with the Diocese and has their agreement and support.
The £30,000 that is being used is from the sale of the vicarage land and not from money that was given
by individuals or from fund-raising.
Depending on how long the lockdown lasts there will be further financial challenges ahead. It was important and right that we made an informed and timely decision now to safeguard the mission and ministry of our church here at All Saints Childwall.
Please will you prayerfully consider if you can give any further financial support to All Saints Church at this time. It may be a one-off gift or starting regular giving for the first time or changing your method of giving to standing order. If you want to respond in anyway please will you contact Ruth Scott our Church Administrator and please remember that if you are a UK tax payer the value of your gift will increase by 25% at no cost to you if you sign the form that Ruth can send you.
Ruth Scott Office Mob: 07550 080947 (working from home)email: office.allsaintschildwall@gmail.com
Please can I encourage you to continue to pause every day at 12noon to pray for our nation our community our health workers and all those that are working in key roles at this uncertain time. As we pray let us be encouraged that we are not alone we are praying as the church, the people of God not in our church building, but in our homes and in the community.
With my prayers for you all at this time. Andrew – Vicar of All Saints Childwall
All Saints Buddy Scheme
The aims of the scheme are to keep in touch with members of our church family and community who are isolated or vulnerable and to provide them with spiritual support and, if possible, practical support. If you are willing to be a ‘Buddy’ please text Mary Harrison on 07817 471857 with your name and phone number and she will give you further details. If you are self-isolating and would value some help or support or know someone else who would locally please also text or email Mary Harrison at mary.harrison32@virginmedia.comwith details.
“Daily Hope” was launched last week. You may already know of this and have used it, but if not I encourage you to do so, especially if you have no internet access. “It’s a free national phone-line aimed particularly at the over 75’s who don’t have access to the internet. Research indicates that some three million people – particularly those in this age group – have no, or very irregular, access to the internet.
The line will be available 24 hours a day on 0800 804 8044.
Callers will hear a special greeting from the Archbishop of Canterbury before being able to choose from a range of options, including Prayer During the Day and Night Prayer updated daily, from Common Worship, and a recording of the Church of England’s weekly national online service. A section called Hymn Line will also offer callers a small selection of hymns, updated daily. An option entitled ‘Hymns We Love’, provides a hymn and reflection and is based on an initiative by Connections, a group focused on this age group.
Christian Aid Week 10th to 16th May 2020
Coronavirus has impacted all of our lives. As this virus spreads across the world, generosity rises up in response. You’ve already shown incredible kindness to your neighbours. Now is the time to reach out to your neighbours both near and far. Show those in parts of the world your generosity this year by giving to Christian Aid. Help to protect them from storms, from drought, and now from coronavirus. Your generosity protects our global neighbours battling the spread of this illness. Your generosity protects. With soap, clean water and medical supplies. By supporting Christian Aid you can reach out and protect more of your neighbours today. For over 70 years, Christian Aid has been standing with the poorest of our neighbours, with people of all faiths and none, to stand up for dignity, equality and justice.
Let’s stand together with our neighbours near and far.
To give you can use the All Saints Childwall Christian Aid Week Just Giving link below and then we can track how much we have given as a church;
Or just give via the Christian Aid website, but if you are a UK tax payer don’t forget to Gift Aid it, that way they will get an extra 25% from the government. Unfortunately they aren’t receiving donations by post at the moment but you can donate by phoning: 020 7523 2269.
Please share all this information with other members of our church congregation and community.
All Saints Church, Childwall – Andrew Colmer – Vicar – Tel: 07305 842257
