Letters from the Vicarage
December - Christmas, the birth of our Lord, Jesus
This month we look forward to celebrating Christmas, the birth of our Lord, Jesus. It is a wonderful and exciting time. As Christians, how do we prepare for it?
Before Christmas we have the four weeks of the season called Advent. This is our time of preparation when we reflect on the first coming of Jesus Christ into our world as an infant and we look to the second coming when Christ will return as judge of both the living and the dead.
In our church services we listen to the story of the birth of Jesus and we wonder at the enormous love of God for the world.
Jesus taught us how to live and invites us to follow His example of serving each other in love. At Christmas the gifts we give and receive can serve as a reminder of God’s gift of love to us: 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 3:16).
As Christians we believe that Jesus will come into our world again, not as an infant but as Lord and Judge. How do we prepare for this second coming?
Jesus tells us to love God and to love each other. His examples are very practical. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ (Matthew 25:35).
All of us are able to do at least one of these practical tasks to show our love for others. Let us endeavour to amend our lives to become more Christ like and prepare for that day when we meet Him face to face.
In Church we make Advent special by using purple vestments, having an Advent wreath and not having flowers. At home we can use an Advent calendar and an Advent candle as part of our preparation.
Everyone is invited to come along to our Advent and Christmas Services, the details are in the magazine.
I take this opportunity to encourage you with your Advent preparations and to wish you all a happy and blessed Christmas. Ge
November - Peace
TV screens project into our homes with increasing regularity scenes of war, violence and unrest in our world. We see angry crowds demonstrating and bitter confrontations with the authorities. It indicates a high degree of frustration and anger. The economic difficulties in many nations exasperate the situation. As we are witnessing these scenes, we are holding our special services of remembrance for the fallen of the two World Wars and of the wars since then, remembering especially Afghanistan and the many lives lost. The peace which descended on the world in 1918 and 1945 came at a heavy price. Since then we have remembered with thanksgiving all those who gave their lives to bring about peace. In our remembrance services we pray for peace but looking around at the situation today we seriously ask how can we maintain that peace.
In Isaiah 9:6 it was prophesied that Jesus would be the “Prince of Peace” The Christian message is one of peace with one another and peace with God. But peace does not come without effort. The scriptures encourage us “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace” (Rom. 14: 19). In the dictionary peace is defined as “harmonious relationships between people, groups and nations” and “the absence of warring factions”.
Therefore as we hold our Remembrance Day services let us dedicate ourselves anew to seek peace and work towards harmonious relationships at all levels, within the family, workplace, groups and communities.
In the teachings of Jesus he spoke of forgiveness, turning the other cheek, not taking revenge, loving our neighbour, forgiving our enemy, laying down our life for another. The example of Jesus was one of serving, self denial and giving up one’s life for others. He pleaded with the disciples to follow his example. This is the challenge. If we have as our goal following the teachings and the example of Jesus then we may experience peace in our relationships and ultimately peace in the world for all people.
Jesus said “Love one another as I have loved you”.John 13: 34-35.
Geoff
This month we look forward to celebrating Christmas, the birth of our Lord, Jesus. It is a wonderful and exciting time. As Christians, how do we prepare for it?
Before Christmas we have the four weeks of the season called Advent. This is our time of preparation when we reflect on the first coming of Jesus Christ into our world as an infant and we look to the second coming when Christ will return as judge of both the living and the dead.
In our church services we listen to the story of the birth of Jesus and we wonder at the enormous love of God for the world.
Jesus taught us how to live and invites us to follow His example of serving each other in love. At Christmas the gifts we give and receive can serve as a reminder of God’s gift of love to us: 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 3:16).
As Christians we believe that Jesus will come into our world again, not as an infant but as Lord and Judge. How do we prepare for this second coming?
Jesus tells us to love God and to love each other. His examples are very practical. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ (Matthew 25:35).
All of us are able to do at least one of these practical tasks to show our love for others. Let us endeavour to amend our lives to become more Christ like and prepare for that day when we meet Him face to face.
In Church we make Advent special by using purple vestments, having an Advent wreath and not having flowers. At home we can use an Advent calendar and an Advent candle as part of our preparation.
Everyone is invited to come along to our Advent and Christmas Services, the details are in the magazine.
I take this opportunity to encourage you with your Advent preparations and to wish you all a happy and blessed Christmas. Ge
November - Peace
TV screens project into our homes with increasing regularity scenes of war, violence and unrest in our world. We see angry crowds demonstrating and bitter confrontations with the authorities. It indicates a high degree of frustration and anger. The economic difficulties in many nations exasperate the situation. As we are witnessing these scenes, we are holding our special services of remembrance for the fallen of the two World Wars and of the wars since then, remembering especially Afghanistan and the many lives lost. The peace which descended on the world in 1918 and 1945 came at a heavy price. Since then we have remembered with thanksgiving all those who gave their lives to bring about peace. In our remembrance services we pray for peace but looking around at the situation today we seriously ask how can we maintain that peace.
In Isaiah 9:6 it was prophesied that Jesus would be the “Prince of Peace” The Christian message is one of peace with one another and peace with God. But peace does not come without effort. The scriptures encourage us “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace” (Rom. 14: 19). In the dictionary peace is defined as “harmonious relationships between people, groups and nations” and “the absence of warring factions”.
Therefore as we hold our Remembrance Day services let us dedicate ourselves anew to seek peace and work towards harmonious relationships at all levels, within the family, workplace, groups and communities.
In the teachings of Jesus he spoke of forgiveness, turning the other cheek, not taking revenge, loving our neighbour, forgiving our enemy, laying down our life for another. The example of Jesus was one of serving, self denial and giving up one’s life for others. He pleaded with the disciples to follow his example. This is the challenge. If we have as our goal following the teachings and the example of Jesus then we may experience peace in our relationships and ultimately peace in the world for all people.
Jesus said “Love one another as I have loved you”.John 13: 34-35.
Geoff
October - Meet the Family
A popular programme on TV is Who Do You Think You Are? which is about people researching their family history. They meet up with long lost relatives, whom they have not seen for ages and meet relatives they never knew they had. They always express how delighted they are to meet the family.
Meeting our wider family is something we only do on occasions. Sadly it is often around funerals but also for happier celebrations too. During the summer many people have been to visit and stay with their relations in other parts of the country and abroad. In conversations they have told me how wonderful it was to meet their relatives again and to meet ones they hadn’t seen before.
The Church is often compared to a family and it is possible to see the similarity. In our Pocklington Group of Churches we have nine churches covering eleven communities. Each church is different, made up of its own congregation from the local community. The style of worship and the traditions vary. At All Saints’ in Pocklington there are four Sunday services each with its own congregation and different styles of worship. There are also other denominations in the town which are part of the wider Christian family.
In the same way that families meet up occasionally and share time together, it is important for the different churches, congregations and denominations to come together for worship and fellowship and get to know each other more as members of the same Christian family.
On Sunday 30th October we have an opportunity to meet our wider Church family at the Group Service at All Saints Pocklington at 10.45am. Everyone is invited to attend from our nine churches and the various congregations. In addition we also welcome the congregation from the Methodist church who traditionally join us for this particular Sunday service. This year we also look forward to welcoming Christians from the Lutheran Church in Germany who are coming to Pocklington for a few days. The guest preacher at the service will be the Revd Dr Horst Hoffman a clergyman from Witten in Germany. The service will provide an opportunity to meet with members of our church family who we may not see very often and also get to know new members. 1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. Geoff
A popular programme on TV is Who Do You Think You Are? which is about people researching their family history. They meet up with long lost relatives, whom they have not seen for ages and meet relatives they never knew they had. They always express how delighted they are to meet the family.
Meeting our wider family is something we only do on occasions. Sadly it is often around funerals but also for happier celebrations too. During the summer many people have been to visit and stay with their relations in other parts of the country and abroad. In conversations they have told me how wonderful it was to meet their relatives again and to meet ones they hadn’t seen before.
The Church is often compared to a family and it is possible to see the similarity. In our Pocklington Group of Churches we have nine churches covering eleven communities. Each church is different, made up of its own congregation from the local community. The style of worship and the traditions vary. At All Saints’ in Pocklington there are four Sunday services each with its own congregation and different styles of worship. There are also other denominations in the town which are part of the wider Christian family.
In the same way that families meet up occasionally and share time together, it is important for the different churches, congregations and denominations to come together for worship and fellowship and get to know each other more as members of the same Christian family.
On Sunday 30th October we have an opportunity to meet our wider Church family at the Group Service at All Saints Pocklington at 10.45am. Everyone is invited to attend from our nine churches and the various congregations. In addition we also welcome the congregation from the Methodist church who traditionally join us for this particular Sunday service. This year we also look forward to welcoming Christians from the Lutheran Church in Germany who are coming to Pocklington for a few days. The guest preacher at the service will be the Revd Dr Horst Hoffman a clergyman from Witten in Germany. The service will provide an opportunity to meet with members of our church family who we may not see very often and also get to know new members. 1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. Geoff
September - HARVEST
This month we celebrate harvest – and there is much to celebrate.
We are surrounded by God’s great provision for us. As we drive through the Yorkshire Wolds we see fields of golden crops ready for harvesting, in the gardens and allotments the fruit and vegetables are plentiful, the supermarkets and local shops offer an extensive array of every kind of food you could wish for, produced locally, nationally and in other countries. The earth is rich in resources, sufficient to supply all our needs, not only food but every kind of material for the manufacturing of all our goods.
Let us therefore celebrate and give thanks for all that God has so richly supplied in our world.
But food does not simply grow. There is a partnership between man and God, we are co workers. And so at harvest we express our gratitude not only to God but also to all the people who work so hard to produce our food and manufactured goods; their production, processing and delivery to our shops.
An essential part of our harvest must be the awareness that although the earth is rich in resources, they are not shared equally, but are squandered, hoarded, wasted and not distributed according to need. We see the heart rending scenes on our TVs of countless people experiencing famine, lacking daily food, clean water, shelter and medical equipment to protect them from treatable diseases. This awareness should lead us to give immediate relief by sharing our food and material goods through the charitable agencies and also to give financial aid to enable them to become self sufficient in the longer term, by the building of water supplies and supporting them to develop their food and manufacturing industries. The need is not only in other countries but in our own too. There is a variety of local and national charities working hard to meet the needs of the homeless and of the many families who are struggling. They would all appreciate your support.
This harvest, do come and celebrate with us in our church services and join with us in giving to the relief of others and in sending financial support to those in need.
In this way we express not only our love of God but also our love and practical support for our neighbour, fulfilling the command of Jesus.
Geoff.
This month we celebrate harvest – and there is much to celebrate.
We are surrounded by God’s great provision for us. As we drive through the Yorkshire Wolds we see fields of golden crops ready for harvesting, in the gardens and allotments the fruit and vegetables are plentiful, the supermarkets and local shops offer an extensive array of every kind of food you could wish for, produced locally, nationally and in other countries. The earth is rich in resources, sufficient to supply all our needs, not only food but every kind of material for the manufacturing of all our goods.
Let us therefore celebrate and give thanks for all that God has so richly supplied in our world.
But food does not simply grow. There is a partnership between man and God, we are co workers. And so at harvest we express our gratitude not only to God but also to all the people who work so hard to produce our food and manufactured goods; their production, processing and delivery to our shops.
An essential part of our harvest must be the awareness that although the earth is rich in resources, they are not shared equally, but are squandered, hoarded, wasted and not distributed according to need. We see the heart rending scenes on our TVs of countless people experiencing famine, lacking daily food, clean water, shelter and medical equipment to protect them from treatable diseases. This awareness should lead us to give immediate relief by sharing our food and material goods through the charitable agencies and also to give financial aid to enable them to become self sufficient in the longer term, by the building of water supplies and supporting them to develop their food and manufacturing industries. The need is not only in other countries but in our own too. There is a variety of local and national charities working hard to meet the needs of the homeless and of the many families who are struggling. They would all appreciate your support.
This harvest, do come and celebrate with us in our church services and join with us in giving to the relief of others and in sending financial support to those in need.
In this way we express not only our love of God but also our love and practical support for our neighbour, fulfilling the command of Jesus.
Geoff.
August - Get some rest!
Jesus sent out the 12 disciples two by two into the towns and villages and they shared his ministry, “preaching that people should repent, driving out demons, anointing with oil and healing the sick”. We are then told :
“They gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going they did not even have a chance to eat, and he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place”. (Mark 6:30).
We are told the disciples did not even get a chance to eat ! How often do people today miss out on breakfast because they are dashing off to work or skip lunch owing to morning meetings going on too long? Or how often do people arrive home late from work and their evening meal is interrupted by phone calls or having to go out? Jesus clearly saw the disciples were exhausted and needed a break. He gave them the instruction “Come with me”. He wanted to give them time out to just be with him, what we may call today quality time together.
“By yourselves” – not taking other people who may place demands on them. “to a quiet place”. Jesus often went off to a quiet place, devoting time to being with God the Father, resting in the stillness and being refreshed. The advantage of a quiet place is the absence of distraction from others so that you can absorb the silence and take in the surroundings. This reminds us of the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 6 when he says to look at the birds of the air and the flowers of the fields.
“and get some rest !” How do you rest? Do you read a book? Listen to music? Go for a walk? Sit and look at the scenery? Sleep a lot? Give attention to your hobbies?
At this time of year many people are either away on holiday or taking time off work and are at home, or visiting families or catching up on various hobbies or jobs. From this passage we can see what importance Jesus attached to having time away and getting rest from the demands of ministry.
A danger for congregations in our churches is that we can resemble the disciples in the above passage - - because so many people were coming and going they did not even have a chance to eat. The challenges now placed on congregations with all the ministry which is being done can lead to some feeling exhausted because they are so heavily committed. The words of Jesus should be taken to heart and followed.
This summer therefore do arrange to spend time with the Lord – by yourself – in a quiet place – and get some rest!
This is the word of the Lord! Thanks be to God!
Geoff
July - The Power of Faith and Hope
During 24 years as a clergyman I have experienced many forms of worship in different churches and settings. But last month I experienced something quite different. One Sunday morning I was worshiping on a riverbank, with 120,000 other Christians, with a brass band of 6000 and a choir of equal number.I was at a 5 day church conference in Germany - known as the Kirchentag - where the 120,000 people participated in a choice of over 2,000 events – concerts, bible studies, discussions, lectures and exhibitions. The local residents had opened their homes and their hearts to accommodate guests from across Europe, offering bed and breakfast as well as friendship.
The conference was in the city of Dresden, in East Germany, situated on the River Elbe, where the skyline is dominated by the Church of Our Lady – the magnificent, recently restored church known as the Frauenkirche.
The Church of Our Lady had stood in the heart of the city for 200 years until February 1945 when air raids destroyed it.
But hope to rebuild the church was never destroyed; like a burning ember the faith and hope lay dormant for 50 years until fanned into life by the winds of change in the 1990s. The pile of rubble, which had become a symbol of death, destruction and war, became instead a symbol of hope, healing and reconciliation as it was carefully restored to its original condition. The church was reopened in 2005. The original stones, blackened from the fire storm, were reused where possible and now give the impression of scars amidst the new stones. The guilded cross on the top of the dome was constructed by a man whose father was one of the aircrew in the raids. This indeed is a remarkable symbol of reconciliation.
On that Sunday there were numerous languages being spoken and each praying the Lord’s Prayer in their own tongue. It resembled that first Pentecost with the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit on the disciples. Everyone regardless of race was united in the Christian faith, being disciples of the same Lord, all parts of the Body of Christ, each ministering in their own land.The whole experience reminded me that faith and hope need never be extinguished, even in the darkness and despair of life and that patience and trust is required as God’s timing is not our timing.
Taking part in that service was an overwhelming testimony to the strength and the possibilities of hope and faith in God and the reality of healing and reconciliation.
Geoff
Jesus sent out the 12 disciples two by two into the towns and villages and they shared his ministry, “preaching that people should repent, driving out demons, anointing with oil and healing the sick”. We are then told :
“They gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going they did not even have a chance to eat, and he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place”. (Mark 6:30).
We are told the disciples did not even get a chance to eat ! How often do people today miss out on breakfast because they are dashing off to work or skip lunch owing to morning meetings going on too long? Or how often do people arrive home late from work and their evening meal is interrupted by phone calls or having to go out? Jesus clearly saw the disciples were exhausted and needed a break. He gave them the instruction “Come with me”. He wanted to give them time out to just be with him, what we may call today quality time together.
“By yourselves” – not taking other people who may place demands on them. “to a quiet place”. Jesus often went off to a quiet place, devoting time to being with God the Father, resting in the stillness and being refreshed. The advantage of a quiet place is the absence of distraction from others so that you can absorb the silence and take in the surroundings. This reminds us of the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 6 when he says to look at the birds of the air and the flowers of the fields.
“and get some rest !” How do you rest? Do you read a book? Listen to music? Go for a walk? Sit and look at the scenery? Sleep a lot? Give attention to your hobbies?
At this time of year many people are either away on holiday or taking time off work and are at home, or visiting families or catching up on various hobbies or jobs. From this passage we can see what importance Jesus attached to having time away and getting rest from the demands of ministry.
A danger for congregations in our churches is that we can resemble the disciples in the above passage - - because so many people were coming and going they did not even have a chance to eat. The challenges now placed on congregations with all the ministry which is being done can lead to some feeling exhausted because they are so heavily committed. The words of Jesus should be taken to heart and followed.
This summer therefore do arrange to spend time with the Lord – by yourself – in a quiet place – and get some rest!
This is the word of the Lord! Thanks be to God!
Geoff
July - The Power of Faith and Hope
During 24 years as a clergyman I have experienced many forms of worship in different churches and settings. But last month I experienced something quite different. One Sunday morning I was worshiping on a riverbank, with 120,000 other Christians, with a brass band of 6000 and a choir of equal number.I was at a 5 day church conference in Germany - known as the Kirchentag - where the 120,000 people participated in a choice of over 2,000 events – concerts, bible studies, discussions, lectures and exhibitions. The local residents had opened their homes and their hearts to accommodate guests from across Europe, offering bed and breakfast as well as friendship.
The conference was in the city of Dresden, in East Germany, situated on the River Elbe, where the skyline is dominated by the Church of Our Lady – the magnificent, recently restored church known as the Frauenkirche.
The Church of Our Lady had stood in the heart of the city for 200 years until February 1945 when air raids destroyed it.
But hope to rebuild the church was never destroyed; like a burning ember the faith and hope lay dormant for 50 years until fanned into life by the winds of change in the 1990s. The pile of rubble, which had become a symbol of death, destruction and war, became instead a symbol of hope, healing and reconciliation as it was carefully restored to its original condition. The church was reopened in 2005. The original stones, blackened from the fire storm, were reused where possible and now give the impression of scars amidst the new stones. The guilded cross on the top of the dome was constructed by a man whose father was one of the aircrew in the raids. This indeed is a remarkable symbol of reconciliation.
On that Sunday there were numerous languages being spoken and each praying the Lord’s Prayer in their own tongue. It resembled that first Pentecost with the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit on the disciples. Everyone regardless of race was united in the Christian faith, being disciples of the same Lord, all parts of the Body of Christ, each ministering in their own land.The whole experience reminded me that faith and hope need never be extinguished, even in the darkness and despair of life and that patience and trust is required as God’s timing is not our timing.
Taking part in that service was an overwhelming testimony to the strength and the possibilities of hope and faith in God and the reality of healing and reconciliation.
Geoff
