Looking at your church

Looking at your church and other Christians

Signs & Symbols: Church Boundaries

When you use your life for God’s glory…

Sing, choirs of angels…!

Remembrance Sunday – 12 November

Signs & Symbols: Church Boundaries

How do you know when you get to church?

It wasn’t until 1229 that it was proposed that churchyards should be enclosed by a wall, hedge or ditch. Forty years later and there were plans to stop the grazing of animals on consecrated land. It clearly didn’t work - as there are plenty of Victorian paintings with cattle in the churchyard.

Today there’s usually a clearly defined boundary to the grounds surrounding the church building, but not always. If you are responsible for the maintenance then you'd probably have a good idea, but even then not always. Back in the seventeenth century, when most churches were by then enclosed, people in the parish were personally responsible for the upkeep of lengths of the boundary. It is not clear how they decided how long each person was allotted, but presumably it related to wealth or their ability in terms of manpower to do the work.

In the country there's plenty of churches that have seemingly unused land next to them which is left untended, so you would be forgiven for not recognising them as being part of the church. In some places houses backing onto such land may quietly extent their gardens for a yard or two thinking that it either won’t be noticed or it doesn’t matter.

Sometimes, of course, it is just ‘plain’ land that’s next to the church and may be rented out to farmers or used as playing fields. Often when land for the church was originally given, bought or determined there was much open land around it and it was only in later years that boundaries were marked on the land.

But often the ground is actually set aside as an area for burials but not needed yet. This will normally mean that the ground will have been consecrated for that purpose.

Consecration, in general, is an act by which a thing is separated from ordinary use to a sacred use, or by which a person or thing is dedicated to the service and worship of God by prayers, rites, and ceremonies. The custom of consecrating persons to the divine service and things to serve in the worship of God may be traced to the remotest times and is found in nearly all religions and nations.

This month

Have a look around your own church or a church near you at the boundaries and what they enclose. What about your own life? Where are your boundaries? Are there parts of your life that are ‘plain’ or is every area consecrated?

When you use your life for God’s glory…

In the film Chariots of Fire, the following words are expressed by Eric Liddell as he wins his Olympic gold medal. ‘God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast and when I run, I feel his pleasure.’ For Eric running was a means of worshiping God as much as anything else.

In his bestseller, ‘The Purpose Driven Life’, Rich Warren helpfully points of that many Christians equate worship with singing. He goes on “Even worse, ‘worship’ is often used to refer to a particular style of music”.

Warren then gives the correct answer, “Worship is a lifestyle of enjoying God, loving him and giving ourselves to be used for his purposes. When you use your life for God’s glory, everything you do can become an act of worship” [‘The Purpose Driven Life’, Rick Warren pages 56 and 65].

If we see our whole life as an opportunity to worship God, then it transforms everything. Genesis 2:15 explains that the first way we are to please God is by using our talents to be at work in shaping his world for him. This is the work he has called us to do! If our sporting talents are a gift from God, then it follows that we are to use them to work for God’s pleasure as we take care of that part of the world called sport. Our talent in sport is for his pleasure, and Paul elaborates on this in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”, and in Colossians 3:23 where he writes “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men”.

South African Olympic swimming Gold medallist, Penny Heyns, firmly believes this: “Swimming has in some ways been my ‘classroom’ where God teaches me so much about his ability and [to have] faith in him. I love the sense of satisfaction that I get when I’ve done a swimming workout or race, and know that I gave my whole being and heart to God in every moment of the swim.

“It’s the best worship I can offer him. I remember once before an important race I was so tired that I just thought, ‘I am going to swim up and down and praise the Lord and worship him through my talents’, hoping that I could just produce a half decent time.”

Pleasing God is not judged by what anyone else says about our performance. Indeed, it is not even about the trophies we might win. It is doing the best we can with our talents that pleases God.

The Christian player who understands what it is to use their talents for God’s glory should, rather, be the most committed player in the club because they have the fundamental privilege of doing it for the Lord who gave them those talents.

As Christian sportspeople we must be people who give of our very best in all circumstances, win, lose or draw. I will not be a quitter and will always drive to get the very best out of my performance. This is what "taking care" of the world of sport for God actually requires of us.

By Stuart Weir

Sing, choirs of angels…!

With Christmas heading our way, why not spread the festive cheer and come Carol Singing in aid of The Children’s Society? Last year, the Society raised almost £100,000 thanks to hundreds of schools, choirs and churches bringing their communities together in this way. This money has helped to give many children the chance of a brighter future.

This winter, you can get involved by singing along with us on …. (details you’re your church will go out singing) to raise funds to help give even more children a better chance in life.

In 1881Edward Rudolf founded the Church of England Waifs and Strays’ Society after two children who used to attend his Sunday school were found begging for food on the street. He couldn’t bear to see children so impoverished and without hope, understanding and support.

125 years later the society he founded still feels the same way. The world may be a very different place now, and The Waifs and Strays’ Society is now the Church of England Children’s Society, but sadly many of the problems that existed all those years ago still affect children today. Nowadays the Children’s Society supports more than 50,000 children a year: children in trouble with the law, disabled children, children at risk on the streets and young refugees, as well as tackling abuse and drug and alcohol issues affecting children.

Remembrance Sunday – 12 November

High Streets everywhere will blossom with red poppies this month: everyone from toddlers in prams to grannies will be wearing one. By Remembrance Day more than 33 million are expected to be sold around the county by an army of many thousands of volunteers. The money raised will help our ex-Service people and their dependants. To achieve all that takes more than flower power.

We have recently completed the bloodiest century that the world has ever known. More people died in wars last century than ever before in the history of mankind. Many millions of those died fighting fascism or communism.

How many will die this coming year in our war with international terrorism?

The story behind the Poppy Appeal:

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, the First World War ended. Civilians wanted to remember the people who had given their lives for peace and freedom. An American War Secretary, Moina Michael, inspired by John McCrae's poem, began selling poppies to friends to raise money for the ex-Service community. And so the tradition began.

Raising money though poppies is an easy way to do your bit for those who have served and are currently serving in the British Armed Forces, and their dependants. The money you raise will go towards supporting those who have been prepared to make a personal sacrifice through serving in the British Armed Forces.

The Poppy Poem

In Flanders' fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place: and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders' fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe;

To you from failing hands we throw