Messages from the Churches
Published Summer 2020
Message of Encouragement from Rev. Steve Lomas
I WISH to share a few words of encouragement from Psalm 46 to help us at the present time of testing. The Psalm opens in verse 1 with the words, ‘God is our refuge and strength and a very present help in trouble’. All around the world the spread of Coronavirus has caused trouble and sadly loss of life – we are all affected in many ways. So it is good to know that God is our strength and refuge and note this he is a very present help in trouble!
Not only can we find strength, refuge and rest in Jesus – we can also know that he is present with us today. We can bring the burdens of our hearts to Jesus now! Verse 2 says, ‘we should not fear though the earth should change’. Well friends the world has changed and is changing rapidly. The word of God encourages us to ‘Fear Not and put our trust in the Lord Jesus’. ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man’ Psalm 118:8.
Psalm 46:10 urges us to ‘be still and know that I am God’. We rush around so much in activity or in our thoughts; we get flustered and irritated yet the Lord says to us, be still before God; appreciate his presence and peace within and take some time of quiet to worship Him. The psalm ends reminding us that we worship the same God that the Patriarchs of old worshipped. Our God in Jesus Christ never changes, so put your faith and on-going trust in Jesus who died for sin, then rose from the dead and is alive today.
We worship a living God who is very present with us today and every believer in Christ has the certainty of one day being with Jesus in Heaven!
What a message of encouragement this is!
Prayer
Dearest Heavenly Father thank you that you are very present with by your Spirit in Jesus; help us to trust you and your peace in times of trial. Thank you that we can Be Still in your presence and come to know you better. In Jesus Name, Amen.
THE REVD STEVE LOMAS Pastor, Arundel Baptist Church
“IT was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” The opening words of Charles Dicken’s novel A Tale of Two Cities open the curtains on an epic drama of love and oppression, good and evil, hope and despair. For me, that rather sums up the current situation. For the oppression there’s the ‘lockdown’. Although I know some have rather enjoyed the social- distancing, for many others it has been oppressive. As for the evil and despair, there are the economic consequences of the lockdown and, of course, the virus itself. One only has to glance at the media, read the papers, or speak to people who’ve been personally affected by the virus to know that it can be utterly devastating.
So, there’s the negative, but what about the flip side? Is there one? Why, of course there is. Most obviously, there are those working on the frontline, who’ve rightly been the object of our weekly applause. Then there are those working to keep our many services going – food shops kept open, the post delivered, refuse bins collected etc. etc. And then there has been that largely hidden, and yet mightily effective army of local people who have put themselves forward to help their neighbours in this time of need.
A few weeks ago it became clear that the church building would probably have to close to the public at some stage. But although the building would have to close, not so the Church. We just had to work out how to do things a little differently.
As far as our regular services were concerned, they went online – a major learning curve for me! But as for the pastoral support we give, well the solution was as old as the hills – it was simply a case of getting people to love their neighbour. So I put out a request in church for volunteers to help with shopping etc. In no time several dozen people stepped forward. As for bringing together those who needed help with our battalion of volunteers, well, there was our parish office – and another unsung hero of this crisis, our Parish Administrator, Fiona Maxwell.
That was it. We were ready. But then, reinforcements arrived. Some email correspondence with Mark Philips led to us linking our initiative with the Town Council and the wider community. Mark put out a request for further volunteers on his popular Facebook page, and another wave of kind-hearted people stepped up to the plate. Now we had 177 volunteers ready and waiting.
Working closely with Mark and the Town Council, we then put out a joint leaflet to the households of Arundel. In no time the steady trickle of requests for help turned into a steady stream. Suddenly our volunteers were mobilised – shopping, collecting prescriptions, companionship over the phone, information given – and all done with a ready willingness to make a difference.
And my, what a difference people have made. To date hundreds – perhaps even as many as a thousand – errands have been run, and that’s before we count the many others in the community who are doing their bit. As one grateful email message put it: “Your service to the people of Arundel is wonderful. That so many are like kind Jenny is an inspiration.” I agree: an inspiration.
The worst of times, we cannot deny, but also in so many ways the best of times.
Finally, the underlying theme of Dicken’s novel is that of resurrection – of new life. That is always the hope that is set before us. This situation won’t last for ever. But, let’s pray that the good that has come out of it – that readiness to help our neighbour, of a community working together – may endure. God bless
FATHER DAVID TWINLEY St Nicholas Arundel
AS I look out on the garden here at Cathedral House, I see all the signs of Spring, new life everywhere and it is a great joy. A reminder of Easter and the new life that the resurrection of Jesus from the dead brings to us. However, I am also aware of how quiet it is, not many voices or cars. There is a stillness across the land, even at midday, which no one had planned for or expected. Like many churches at this time of year, there is usually a lot going on as we prepare to celebrate the highpoint of the Christian year. It is strange but maybe absence will make the heart grow fonder. When you read this the crisis will be have reached a stage that is unknown now, but whatever stage that is, we will have changed as individuals and as a society.
Ahead there will be issues to face. How to record our gratitude for all those whose jobs, both paid and voluntary, in some way put them on the ‘front-line’ of fighting this illness? How to deal with losses of many different kinds? How to rebuild in the months and years ahead? How to plan for future shocks of this or any other type? Holding the resurrection of Jesus before our eyes we know that there is a future which he is calling us towards. Perhaps the Christian churches can be a witness to a future that will come out of our experience of the virus but also the of the resurrection. It is an historical event but also a present one. Naturally, we will want to see what our experience of managing the virus has told us but can we also to bring into the picture Jesus, the way, the truth and the life?
One document of the Church talks about recognising the ‘signs of the times.’ It also talks about the people of the Church making their own ‘joy and hope, the sorrow and anxiety of the people of our time.’ One of the signs of these times is the way in which people have been willing to reach out and help one another. This happens in normal times but has been especially evident during the corona virus crisis. Being able to continue this willingness to help others, especially those most in need, will be key to help us all come through the losses we are bound to suffer. It will be one of the ways in which the Church can share in the ‘sorrow and anxiety of the people of our time.’ To help others to rebuild after this destructive moment could be the Church offering ‘joy and hope’.
These are thoughts to ponder and to think how we may be able to give life to them. As for the overcoming of
the virus and subsequent economic and social recovery, we have been told that we are in for a long haul and I am sure we are. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the sign to us that what he says is true “…and know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’ Through the Church we offer God’s grace, a relationship with him, through the risen Jesus. By this the Lord gives us the faith, hope and love to help us day by day with the business of Christian living, with one another, in whatever circumstances. Through this relationship may we be given insight also to find the solutions we need. So, my prayer is simply this; Lord, help us to live through this ‘hour’ with faith, hope and love. Amen.
CANON DAVID PARMITER Arundel Cathedral
Online Services from Arundel Churches
Arundel Baptist Church
Sermons, podcasts & messages of encouragement from Pastor Steve Lomas are available through the church website www.arundelbaptistchurch.org.uk. Click on the audio page.
Pastor Steve has also been streaming live services since 5th April at 10.15 every Sunday, on Facebook. Go to Facebook.com/stephen.lomas.37
Arundel Cathedral
Information on Live Streams, current, planned & completed is available on the Cathedral website, www.arundelcathedral.uk.
Streamed services are available at 11.15 each Sunday on the Arundel Cathedral Live YouTube channel
St. Nicholas Church
Members of the congregation receive a weekly newsletter online from Canon David Twinley with information about services, etc. Videos of Canon David’s celebration of the Eucharist at 10.00am each Sunday since 23rd March (including Easter) are available through the church’s website www.stnicholas-arundel.co.uk also a series of illustrated talks on Martin Luther and the first of a series on the Letters of St. Paul.