YES WE ARE RE-OPENING THE CHURCH………
We hope to be able to start opening the church for services on 4th October (legislation permitting). Our first service will be led by our own minister, Rev’d. Vicci Davidson, at 10.30am. There will be no Evening service.
Please note the following: It is essential that you:
• Book your place as space is limited. To book, please contact Alison on 01753 868320 or at alisonmount@aol.com
• Wear a face mask.
• Use the hand sanitisers provided.
• Observe the 2-metre rule at all times. You will not be able to enter the building until 10.15am and then only at the direction of the stewards; they will advise you on other procedures that have to be observed. There will be no Sunday School or creche yet but children are welcome to attend the service; they must stay in their seat at all times. Alison will give further details and answer any questions you may have when you book. For those unable to attend, the Circuit Zoom service will be available.
A Reflection: ‘Which is your best side?’ by Richard (Cracknell)
‘Recently I’ve been going through some old family photographs, trying to identify people from previous generations, and to write down who they were for the benefit of my descendants. A lot of these photographs are portraits taken in studios, as people didn’t have their own cameras in those days. Having your photograph taken back then was an event, and so you dressed up in your finest clothes and looked your best or even wore a uniform if you were in the forces. Therefore, in these photographs, my ancestors all look like fine ladies and gentlemen with well turned out children, or brave servicemen and women posing in their army or naval uniforms. They appear to be upstanding, successful, confident and fully in control of their lives. They must have had their faults, and worries and anxieties too, particularly in wartime, but none of this comes across in the photographs.
In these days of smartphones, many pictures are taken, and I have seen plenty of photos of myself looking scruffy, out of sorts, or downright miserable and definitely not the sort of image I would like to present to my descendants! But this is the way that God sees us, not turned out in our Sunday best, projecting success and confidence, but the real us, warts and all…
Psalm 139 1. You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.
2. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.
We often put on a front to the world where we like to appear decent, proud and confident whilst underneath we are far from perfect and have many concerns, but we try to hide these feelings and keep them to ourselves. But we can’t hide them from God, nor should we try to, God sees us as we really are with our insecurities, anxieties and our impure thoughts, yet still He accepts us, still He loves us, still He wants the best for us. It is only when we are honest with ourselves, and see ourselves as God sees us, that we can become more of the person He wants us to be...... and to present to the world an image, more like the one in whose image we are made.
In the meantime I’m off to the local studio in my best suit to get a picture taken which I hope will fool my descendants into thinking that I was upstanding, successful and confident!
Words of encouragement from the Bible with thanks to Alan:
Jesus teaches Nicodemus All great people have had their favourite texts, but this has been called ‘Everybody’s Text’. Here is the very essence of the gospel. “ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3 vv 16). Paul reminds of the gospel basics “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5 vv 8). These echo the words of the Lord as recorded by Isaiah, “Yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken’ says the Lord.” (Isaiah 54 vv 10).
Prayer: Sovereign God, You are our light and our salvation, to You be glory and praise for ever. We thank You for the Cross and the wonder of Christ’s love for us. Anoint us with Your Spirit as you call us into Your marvellous light. May our lives bear witness to Your truth and our lips proclaim Your praise. We pray for those who are ill and for those who are struggling financially or emotionally at this time. We pray for those who are grieving as we remember those who have died.
Some good advice…..
1. Pray.
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say, “no” to projects/activities that won’t fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and un-clutter your life.
7. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
8. Take one day at a time.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time, don’t lump the hard things altogether.
10. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you to do and let go of the anxiety. If you can’t do anything about a situation, forget it.
11. Live within your budget.
12. Have backups, an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps etc.
13. KMS (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
14. Get enough exercise.
15. Eat properly.
16. Get organised so everything has its place.
17. Write thoughts and inspirations down.
18. Every day find time to be alone.
19. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud.
20. Make friends with Godly people.
21. Keep a folder of favourite scriptures on hand.
22. Laugh. Then laugh some more.
23. Take your work seriously, but yourself not at all.
24. Develop a forgiving attitude.
25. Be kind to unkind people (they need it most).
26. Talk less: listen more.
27. Slow down.
28. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
29. Every night before bed, think of one thing you’re grateful for that you’ve never been grateful for before.