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Church
Muslims and Christians in the UK - a way forward? Larger churches increasingly important Signs & Symbols - Weathervanes Church is good for your health Acts For Today - No. 9: Thessalonica New kneelers for the communion rail God's love can be glimpsed in the most practical of ways....
Muslims and Christians in the UK - a way forward?
In his Presidential Address to the General Synod this summer, the Archbishop of Canterbury spoke of Christian-Muslim relations in the UK following the London bombings. Here is an extract from his Address.
The horrifying news about the London bombings in July broke just as I was arriving at Batley in West Yorkshire for a day of visits to local Islamic institutions and meetings with clergy in the area who are involved in interfaith encounters.
It proved to be an extraordinary opportunity for saying things about the absolutely routine nature of friendly and lively relationships between Muslims and Christians in a good many parts of the UK - things which have informed our discussions here about ’Presence and Engagement', and which we shall all need to be heard saying quite a lot in days ahead, when the temptation to scapegoat our Muslim neighbours may be strong for some in our communities.
Routine friendship and co-operation remains the best hope we have in any conflict of finding ways forward; nothing really can substitute for face to face encounter, when even the sharpest differences of conviction (and no-one in Batley was out to deny these) can be held with respect. An over-used word, I know; but its origins, of course, have to do with looking carefully; to respect someone or some position is to pay it the compliment of real and lasting attention, the sort of attention we call 'loving' attention in other contexts.
But why not indeed think of respect as loving attention? To give time to following through why another believes and acts as they do, to treat this as a serious vocation, to assume that what is humanly significant for me is not going to feel completely different from what matters to my neighbour - this is a form of love, surely.
And as anyone who has been deeply involved with the encounter between faith communities will confirm, it is something quite different from compromise. The Latin Bible often uses the word that is at the root of 'respect' to describe God's attention to his creation; and there perhaps is our best clue to what it might really entail.
Statistic of the month – from Christian Research UK
Larger churches increasingly important
Did you ever wonder how many really 'large' churches there are in the Church of England? (If you haven't, visit the States, where some Protestant churches number 3,000, 4,000 and even 7,000 members. It's enough to make anyone pause for thought.)
Well, there are about 170 large churches in the Church of England. 'Large' by English standards is a church with a regular Sunday congregation of at least 350 people, adults as well as children.
These are about one per cent of the total number. In 1989 they collectively accounted for six per cent of the total Church of England congregations throughout England. By 2003, however, this had grown to 11%, and, if present trends continue, could reach 20% by 2020. A fifth of them have congregations in excess of 700, with 12 in four figures.
About 100 of these 170 churches have grown in the last seven years, a much higher percentage than elsewhere. Many people are attracted to these large churches because of the relevance of their teaching and preaching.
One reason for their popularity is their wide range of activities. They attract people from all walks of life, so that whatever life-stage a person may be in, generally they can find others for support and help.
Signs & Symbols - Weathervanes
The 'wind vane' is something that we often see on the top of church spires and towers as well as other buildings. Weather vanes respond solely to wind direction and should move freely as the wind blows against them.
The shape of the vane will determine whether it is pointing into the wind or with it; in other words, for example, some point to tell you the wind is blowing from the west while another will tell you it is blowing to the east. It all depends on the shape of the top figure. Ideally it is roughly equal weight so that it moves freely on its spindle, but will have an appreciably larger tail area to swing the smaller pointer steadily into the wind, though sometimes it's the other way round.
Like with all things that look simple, wind vanes have to be finely balanced to work well and there is more than one way of doing that. The two main methods are either to attach the motif to a tubular sleeve which drops over and rotates around a fixed spindle or rod, or the motif is attached to a solid spindle which drops into and rotates within a fixed tubular sleeve, the end usually resting on a glass marble or a steel ball. Easy, eh?
Weather vanes are not new. They were around before Christ, and they come in all shapes and sizes although the older and most common are the cockerel, because of it's natural shape, and the flag.
There are two things to note about weather vanes on churches.. Firstly, on a church they often do not have the compass points marked as they do on other buildings. This is because usually churches are built on the east-west line. And secondly, they only work when they are freely attached, not firmly fixed. This doesn't make them unattached, far from it; wherever the wind goes they go also. They are rigidly set to freely follow.
This month Have a look at some wind vanes in different places, and ask yourself what it is that you're attached to? What moves you? Who or what do you follow?
Church is good for your health
How often do you go to church? It seems that the more you go, the better it is for you. Certainly some recent research in the States has found that regular churchgoers live longer than non-believers.
A 12 year study tracking mortality rates of more than 550 adults over the age of 65 has found that those who attended services at least once a week were 35 per cent more likely to live longer than those who never attended church.
The research also found that going to church boosted an elderly person's immune system and made them less likely to suffer clogged arteries or high blood pressure.
Susan Lutgendorf, a psychology professor at the University of Iowa, carried out the study. She says: “There's something involved in the act of religious attendance - whether it's the group interaction, the world view or just the exercise to get out of the house - that seems to be beneficial.”
A Church of England spokesman said; “For some people, the fact that there is a greater power whom we are confident loves us and has our best interest at heart, must remove the daily stresses and worries of those who do not believe.”
Acts For Today: The Growing Church in the Acts of the Apostles
No. 9: Thessalonica
In reading Acts we are made aware of the impact that the first believers made upon their world. In Acts 17, where Paul planted a church in the tough, north country city of Thessalonica, the Christians are described as having 'turned the world upside down' (v6)! So what can we learn from their experience?
Paul and Silas went straight to the synagogue to proclaim Jesus as the Christ. After three weeks they were able to establish a church, with some Jews, a large number of God-fearing Greeks and women. Paul's preaching was 'not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction' (1 Thess. 1:5). Don't forget what God can do in a relatively short space of time.
Inevitably this brought opposition from the leaders of the synagogue in the city. As today, opposition arose from expected allies - i.e. those who were also trying to honour God. This can often be the underlying cause of conflict within growing churches. However, Paul and Silas didn't withdraw or compromise the message; they simply lived blamelessly (1 Thess. 2:1-4).
The new church quickly learnt to proclaim the gospel in culturally appropriate ways. The Jews charged them with troublemaking; a more accurate translation of 17:6. By speaking of Jesus as 'king' (7), they posed a political threat to the Emperor. Michael Green comments: 'I think this rare example of referring to the 'kingship' of Jesus shows why, as they launched out into the Greco-Roman world from their Jewish one, the apostles reinterpreted the 'kingdom of God' language of the gospels in terms of allegiance to or faith in Jesus himself.' How can we be faithful to the gospel, while expressing it a form that will not be misunderstood?
However, the challenge remains for us: in what ways will our church 'turn the world upside down'?
New kneelers for the communion rail
A few years ago a village church in Dorset had a problem: water-logged mouldy kneelers. They turned the problem in a project that brought the church and many more from the village together for a common purpose, great fun, exhibitions and a great number of social occasions.
It began when one member of the church, a lady who ran a soft-furnishings business, and who was a member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen, suggested that the church embark on a project to make a complete new set of kneelers for the Communion Rail Anyone who wanted to help would be welcome – and given the necessary training.
The project began with an advert in the church magazine, and in the local newspaper, inviting any women who were prepared to do the needlepoint involved. News and interest in the project spread rapidly, and soon 18 women throughout the village responded.
The New Kneeler Committee decided to use a common theme for the kneelers – various wild flowers of Dorset. These were transferred by chart and free-hand to the canvas. .
Monthly meetings in various homes for encouragement and a chance to share tips and techniques also gave time for firm friendships to grow. Rather than stitch their initials or names into the designs, the women each chose a small creature or insect such as a snail, a spider and a dragonfly to represent themselves.
An exhibition was held half-way through the project to show the village how the work was going. It was tremendously popular, and raised funds to kept the committee going! The project took two years to finally complete, and ended with a packed service of dedication in the church – and a lively party afterwards. The church was full of all those who had contributed to the kneelers in some way – needle-pointers, children, husbands and enthusiastic supporters. The project let talented, dedicated women give something valuable to the life of the church, even if they had not been involved before.
God's love can be glimpsed in the most practical of ways....
Many people in this country will pack shoe boxes this autumn for Operation Christmas Child. Here is an extract from a letter of one such shoe box packer, Mrs E M Waters
“Last autumn I was collecting and making up shoeboxes of gifts for children in Romania. All the boxes needed checking and I made a list of what was needed in respect of hats and mittens. That was at 2pm. At 4pm there was a knock at the door and my neighbour's home help gave me a parcel. Her mother had been knitting for the shoe boxes all summer. I thanked her and opened the parcel. It contained all that was on my list! – in exactly the right sizes and correct number of items.
“This reminded me of the Salvation Army story about an officer who several years ago was given a pair of boy's outgrown boots by a well-to-do family. He had no idea who to give them to, but on his way home went down a street where he did not usually go. He met a very dejected man sitting on a step. The Salvation Army officer stopped to see what the problem was. The man explained that his son had a hole in his boots and he could not afford new ones... Of course the donated boots were a perfect fit for his son.”
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