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Golders Green Parish Church – Newsletter

07 October 2020
 

Greetings from Tony

Could I say a big thank you to all those who came to our first full service on Sunday with our Archdeacon. I was overcome with emotion and joy. I had not realised how much I
would be affected by this day. But I want to give thanks to Our Lord for keeping us and bringing thus far. It was so good to see you all.

The Services on future Sundays will be taken by the following clergy:
 

11th October    - The Archdeacon of Hampstead, the Ven John Hawkins

18th October    - The Bishop of Edmonton, the Rt Revd Rob Wickham

25th October    - Revd Petrica Bistram - Petrica is a priest, children/family worker, & artist from

St Peters, Belsize Square, NW3. He is also an artist.

1st November   - Revd Claire Wilson - Claire served with Donald Barnes at St Peters

Belsize Park for 8 years and was then vicar of All Saints Church,

Chingford Essex for 10 years. She is now retired and living in Hampstead

8th November    - Archdeacon of Hampstead.

The service will include the swearing in of the new churchwardens

15th November  - Revd Mavis Crispin – Mavis is Non-stipendiary Minister(NSM) St Paul’s Finchley

22nd November - Revd Charlotte Bradley - Charlotte is Chaplain and Interfaith Advisor to University College London

29th November  - Revd Charlotte.Bradley

 

Questionnaire

Could I ask you to respond to the Parish Questionnaire that was attached to a previous newsletter. If you would like a copy, please call the office on 020 8455 1873 or email Churchwardens@gg-pc.co.uk. Thank You.

 

Reminder of the APCM

APCM and Vestry Meetings 19 October 2020 at 7:30pm
This is a further reminder that our APCM and Vestry meetings are being held on Monday 19 October. The meeting will be by Zoom, but will have a phone in facility. The Church Reports and Accounts are on their way to you by post. Thank you to Jennifer for getting it all printed and sent out.

At the Vestry Meeting, which is open to the whole of Golders Green, your two church wardens will be elected. At the APCM those on the electoral roll will be asked to vote for up to five new PCC members and to receive the Annual report. Currently 2 PCC members are being nominated for the role of Church Wardens. They will become ex-officio PCC members. They along with 3 'retiring' PCC members should be replaced and or re-elected to the PCC. So if you are interested in being a PCC member, please let Sally , Pamela or Simon know, via the Church Office (on 020 8455 1873) or via email - Churchwardens@gg-pcc.co.uk. We already have 2 members of our congregation putting themselves forward for the PCC. Please come to this very important meeting.

 

Further Thoughts on St Paul from Tony : The New Family of Believers

This week I want to take a look at what sort of society Paul was trying to bring about: what did Paul understand the new kingdom family was all about? How were we to relate to one another? I will only be scratching the surface here because time and space does not permit a more in depth article. Furthermore, I think it fair to say that books have been written about this, and I know I have not read them all! So forgive me if this is not as well thought through. I want rather to start a discussion amongst us.

Before I go further, I would like to encourage you to re-read various parts of Paul's letters, the parts that are not preached on as much as others are in my experience. These are Romans 12 to 16, Galatians 5 & 6, Ephesians 4 to 6, all of Philippians, Colossians 2:16 to 4:18. I would also suggest re-visiting the Sermon on the Mount in both Matthew and Luke's gospels.

If we believe that Jesus is our Lord and Saviour, the Messiah of God, the Lord Almighty then may I suggest that the community we are part of is one that seeks to know Him. John records that Jesus said eternal life is to know the only true God and Jesus whom God had sent (John 17:3). In its present state this community of God's people, both in our church, in London, the UK and the world, is not a perfect one, which means it is always learning, it is always striving to be more like Jesus and it is always encouraging each other onwards towards perfection, even though this is only achieved in the new heaven and earth. This is critical. But it does not mean that we do not seek to be and become more like Our Lord and Master, perfect and holy as He is. We should always remember that we are not perfect.

So first, we must have hearts willing to be like children, willing to trust and to learn from our Teacher. Being childlike is important but also being mature. Maturity comes with learning from the Master, learning what it means to act justly, love mercy and to walk humbly with Our Lord (Micah 6:7). Maturity comes from not boasting about our own wisdom, boasting in our strength or abilities, boasting about our riches but that we have the desire to know God, that He exercises kindness, justice and righteousness, for in these things He delights in
(Jeremiah 9:22-24). Maturity comes from walking in worship and prayer every day. It involves spending time in His Word, getting to grips with it but also letting the Word get into our very core to challenge us to walk with Him.

Second, as I have hinted before, I think, it involves our relationships. This is the relationships at home, work and church and our relationship with Our Heavenly Father. I found this explanation of Galatians 5:22-23 very helpful: "The way I define love is by using the fruit of the Spirit, which starts with love. I believe that joy is love rejoicing, peace is love at rest, patience is love waiting, kindness is love interacting, goodness is love initiating, faithfulness is love keeping its word, gentleness is love empathising, and self-control is love resisting temptation." (M Timmis in a letter to Rev. N Gumbel and quoted in Bible in One year 20 September.) It seems to me that this is gives us some insight into how we should be. You may wish to meditate on 1 Corinthians 13, which reads into all the passages I suggested we read and study above. I struggle with 1 Cor 13 because I know all those qualities are not fully in control, integrated in my life, guiding me: so the quote from Mr Timmis should also help us see that with Jesus' help we can show the fruit of the Spirit. If the fruit is growing in our individual and corporate lives, then our lives together - at home, in the work place and in Church - will change and be attractive to those who do not believe but whom God has called, or may lead to rejection because darkness rejects the light.

So this leads me to the society: Paul lived in a time when people were oppressed, many were slaves or indentured servants. The rich did not mix with the poor. Society was very stratified. People worshipped whoever they wanted. It was not untypical for sexual immorality, murder, theft, rampart corruption and so on to be the norm. Therefore, for Paul those who came to accept that their hearts and minds needed cleansing and renewal had now to live differently. If Jesus' love for us meant that He gave Himself for us, then we are enjoined to give our lives for each other. It was this that motivated our forefathers and mothers in the faith to care for the down and outs, the sick, those suffering from the plague - they set up the forerunners of hospitals and schools.

It is this that makes me think: one of the purposes of schools, of learning to read, write, how understand literature and so forth was to help us understand, get to grips with the Bible. Paul's communities, when you read the letters, and understand what he says in 1 Cor 14 about when we meet together is all about getting what we call head knowledge which should lead to heart knowledge.

This excites me because no matter how old or young we we are always learning. I wish we can spend time together growing in our faith and lives because Jesus excites us. But also we cared about and for our neighbours, no matter if they were from our clan, tribe or not. This is revolutionary. It is not normal. Hence Paul says there is no Jew or gentile, male or female, slave or free: they come together to worship, serve each other and the society they live in even though they, we now have a higher allegiance. Our community is one based on love mutual respect and care for one another.

Thank you Tony


Daily Hope - The Church of England Phone line church service - is available 24 hours a day on 0800 804 8044 – has been set up particularly with those unable to join online church services during the period of restrictions in mind.

Please continue to pray for those who have asked us as a community to pray for them Okey Jnr, Margaret, Yvone, Anna, Jason, Ian, Eva, Juliette, Ivor, Myfanwy, Tim, Dorothy, Sheila and Simi.

We at Golders Green Church will continue to offer a number of ways we can and will keep in contact though emailing and phoning each other, the use of Facebook and the website, sending out updates by supporting those who need shopping, prescriptions fetched, letters posted and anything else you may need if you are isolated at home, whether you are in the over 70-year-old age group, or, have underlying health conditions.
The important thing is, PLEASE LET US KNOW. We are drawing up a list of volunteers we can call on to help. If anyone wants to add their names to this, please email Churchwardens@gg-pcc.co.uk .


Radio, Television and Online Worship

You may wish to join in worship during this time through television and radio.
Check online, in the Radio Times and elsewhere for details:
Songs of Praise BBC 1, Sunday afternoon, variable times
Sunday Worship BBC Radio 4, Sunday, 8.10am Choral Evensong BBC
Radio 3, Wednesday Daily Service
BBC Radio 4 (Longwave only), weekdays, 9.45am
Big Sunday Service Premier Christian Radio, Sunday, 7am, 8am, 10am Easter Sunday Eucharist A service is usually broadcast on the BBC on Easter morning
Free 24 hour telephone church service 0800 804 8044
Online resources Church of England Daily Prayer https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-service-dailyprayer
https://mailchi.mp/b9d86a4acdc7/coming-up-from-st-pauls-cathedral-1274047?e=377e26b1db St Paul’s Cathedral have a number of resources available for us to use.
Church of England Online Resources during this time https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronaviruscovid-19-liturgy-and-prayer-resources
Go On-line to " ps://www.achurchnearyou.com", put in Area or post code and find a local church that broadcasts Worship.
Prayers from Christian Aid https://www.christianaid.org.uk/pray/churches/coronavirus-prayers
https://pray-as-you-go.org/ Pray as you Go (a short service each day in the Jesuit Tradition)
LICC have some great resources on their website https://www.licc.org.uk/
Especially on Covid-19 https://www.licc.org.uk/ourresources/prayer-journeys/presence-pressure-purpose/