Monthly Letter - March 2010
- Something New
- Poundstretchers. The new shop on the High Street is going to be called "Stretchmarks"! Does the word "new" make you feel optimistic or pessimistic? You see, depending upon its context, "new" can mean "refreshing" or it can mean "inexperienced". New potatoes are bliss, but new fangled fads are empty.
The Bible is full of the new. God’s people are to be called by a new name (Isaiah 62). They will sing a new song (Ps 98) and they will have a new heart (Ezekiel 18). Jesus gave them a new commandment (John 13) and a new promise (Luke 22). God’s compassion is new every morning (Lamentations 3) and promises to be so until this world gives way to a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21).
Jesus was certainly immersed in His Jewish tradition, and yet time and time again, Jesus promotes a new way. New wine for new wineskins. The New Religious Movement of Christianity (now 2000 year old), requires continual renewal today. The old passes and the new comes. Inviting Jesus into your heart and asking Him to forgive you, frees us to be born anew. Each new day with Jesus, experiencing the love of God, brings joy through the renewing power of the Holy Spirit.
How do you mend a cracked bell? Apparently by one of two methods: The first is to repair the bell by wrapping metal bands around it. This isn’t ideal as you can easily hear the crack of the bell in the sound. The only really effective way is to re-melt the bell, recast it, and make it new. Then the bell will ring clear, and its tone will be flawless.
In the same way, the best way to mend us as broken human beings, is not to be surrounded with the steel hoops of outward laws, regulations and man-made religion, but to allow the Maker to re-melt, recast and remould. In Christ, there is a new beginning for every person, no matter what we have been through.
A brand new Vicar came out to his first parish. In his first four weeks, he was run off his feet with funerals, visiting and getting settled in. Consequently, he did not have time to write his regular Sunday Sermons. So he used the same sermon four Sundays in a row. The Church Council went to the Bishop complaining that this new Vicar had used the same sermon four times in a row. The Bishop asked what the sermon was about. They scratched their heads, but nobody could remember. The Bishop said, "Let him use it one more time."
We can hear the same message over and over again, but then one day, we REALLY hear the message as though we had never heard it before. It’s new.
A little girl asked to be left alone with her new baby brother. The parents weren’t too happy because they thought she might be a little jealous of the new arrival. Reluctantly, they left the room, but ensured the door was left ajar. The little girl was overheard to say to say this, "Baby, tell me what God feels like, I’m starting to forget."
Perhaps we need to share that same sense of wanting to return to God. To return to that first love. It’s never too late. At any stage of our life, we can return to God and become a New Creation in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5)
It’s been said that, to realise the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who has failed his final exam. To realise the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby. To realise the value of ONE WEEK, ask an editor of a Sunday newspaper. To realise the value of ONE DAY, ask somebody on the minimum wage with four children to feed. To realise the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet. To realise the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who has missed the train. To realise the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who has survived an accident.
The life we have, is the time we have and the way we use our time has eternal significance. Don’t delay. Be made new and continually be renewed.
Rev Philip Bromiley
On Good Friday 2nd April everyone is welcome to join us for the Good Friday Devotion which will be led by Rev’d Bill Franklin at 1pm followed by the Procession of the cross from St James Cherhill at 2pm we have a new and lighter cross this year and hot cross buns will be waiting for you at the top of the monument.
Monthly Letter - January/February 2010
- Our True Identity
- A young polar bear cub approached his mother one day and asked, "Mum, am I a polar bear?" "Of course you are," she replied with a smile. "Dad, am I a polar bear?" "Sure you are, son!" said his dad. The next day, the cub asked the question again and again. "Are you and mum polar bears? You are? Well, then, does that make me a polar bear? Pure, 100% polar bear?" Finally, his parents couldn't stand it any longer. “Why do you keep asking?" The cub looked up and confessed, "Cause I'm FREEZING!"
What is our true identity? Do we know who we really are? In the Bible, we learn that John the Baptist had a great sense of identity. He knew he wasn’t the Messiah and went on to describe Himself as a “voice crying out in the wilderness” How do we define ourselves? A mother, dad, gran, wife, taxi driver, office worker, teacher, unemployed, black, white, Asian, Irish, agnostic, Church of England, single, divorced... What ‘label’ do you carry? Is it one you put on yourself?
John the Baptist’s identity was wholly dependent on Jesus’ identity. He was more than a ‘label’. It was Jesus who made sense of John’s life. Without Jesus, John wouldn’t have anything to cry out for. Without Jesus, John’s hopes could never have been fulfilled. Without Jesus, John’s life would have been utterly meaningless and simply futile.
There’s a story about a woman finding herself alone in a lift with Robert Redford. As the lift moved up the floors, the woman, found herself uncontrollably staring at the movie star. Finally, in her excitement and nervousness, she blurted out: "Are you the real Robert Redford?" To which Redford responded, "I’m the real Robert Redford, only when I'm alone."
When we’re alone with God, there’s no hiding. God searches us and knows us through and through (Psalm 139).
Kelly Holmes, the double Olympic gold medalist, retired after the Olympics, not because of her achievements, but because a conversation with a friend over lunch. The friend had been diagnosed with advanced stomach cancer, and had only four weeks to live. It was a jolt, a wake up call. Kelly reassessed her life and decided to go in a different direction.
John gave his listeners a jolt - to turn back to God’s ways. David Livingston said, “I will go anywhere as long as it is forward”. Our identity must be to go onwards and upwards in Christ. It is said that “The endemic sickness of humanity is that we are homesick for Heaven”. Our identity is found in being made in the image of God, and as such, being designed to live in eternity. Even though the blueprint of heaven is within us, when we are honest, we know that our identity is marred by the inner conflict of sin and selfishness. We will never win that battle ourselves, it is a victory belonging to Jesus alone. Being forgiven by Jesus enables us to be the people God created us to be.
I remember picking up dad from Heathrow airport. His plane had landed and I was waiting by the barriers at the Arrivals gate to see him emerge with his bags. It was a fabulous place to wait. So many different people came out, most struggling with baggage. Hundreds of nationalities, some with disabilities being pushed in wheelchairs, some looking tired, others looking like businessmen ready to do a deal. But you know something, when they came through the door, all of these very different people did the same thing: They were looking around for someone to recognise them.
Some were full of hope only to be disappointed. There was no familiar face. Others, had their hopes fulfilled. I saw countless people embracing, mothers re-untied with daughters, tears of joy, long lost friends lost for words. I got quite caught up in the emotion of it all. For me, it was a powerful picture of Heaven. People being embraced by the one who truly recognised them.
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Cor . 13)
Rev Philip Bromiley
Monthly Letter - December 2009
- The Peace Of Christmas
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.
The American Priest, Phillips Brooks of Philadelphia, wrote these words in 1868, following a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. They were words I found myself singing, last year, as I stood on a Hilltop overlooking Bethlehem. Lying some 6 miles south of Jerusalem, within the West Bank, Bethlehem is not so little. It now has a population of nearly 200,000 people. Bethlehem is part of Israel, but administered by the Palestinian Authority.
Dominating Bethlehem today is a 12 ft high wall around its perimeter. For those on one side, the wall is a ‘security barrier’, representing an 80% fall in suicide bombings in Jerusalem. For those on the other side, including the 40% of the population that are Christian, the wall is a ‘wall of oppression’, preventing Palestinians seeing family, friends and finding work.
The Wall is a graphic illustration of a timeless truth: sin leads to Separation. It always has done. Bad choices separate us from God and bad choices distance us also from other people. Do we sense a barrier between ourselves and God? Do we know of relationships in need of reconciliation? Jesus came to break barriers down.
God wasn’t prepared to allow the separation that exists between us and God to remain. When it was impossible for us to reach out to Him, He reached out to us. Jesus came to our world to bring forgiveness of sin. As we accept Jesus’ forgiveness, we are reconciled to God and the barrier between us and God is broken down. I bet you didn’t know the cute cuddly baby, wrapped up warm, lying in manger, surrounded by animals and shepherds, was God’s very own demolition expert. This baby was called by John, to be the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.
Do you remember Fred Dibnah? He was a Lancastrian Steeple Jack who demolished chimneys. His technique was never to use dynamite, as it was too unpredictable, instead he used traditional methods of destabilising chimneys by setting fire to wooden blocks, propped up next to the one side of the structure. His catch phrase, as the chimney would come crashing down yards away from him, was “Do yer like that?”
Often we pray that God will break barriers in our relationships down instantly - but it may be that we need the gentle, steady warmth of carefully directed prayer to destabilise hostility towards us. As we forgive those who have hurt us, so the warmth of the Holy Spirit melts the hardness of others. Even if the prayer is only on one side of the wall, it can still have a real impact. Jesus is able to break any barrier down. Scripture says, “Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus”. (“Do yer like that?”)
There’s a story that comes from missionaries in Indonesia. The missionary tried his best to explain how God showed Himself to all peoples in Jesus. They yawned and grew restless. However, when he told them about the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, they leaned forward and became interested, the problem was, that their appreciation was for JUDAS, not Jesus - in their culture, clever betrayal was something to be admired.
The missionaries persuaded three tribes that were natural enemies to move fairly close together so that he might give them tools and medicine. No matter what the missionary tried, the tribes couldn’t get on. The missionary called a meeting of the chiefs. After a period of initial squabbling, a warrior grabbed his nursing child from his anxious wife, ran to a former enemy and handed him the baby. The mother was distraught. Then, a warrior from the other side did the same thing. Confused, the missionary asked what was happening. The tribes were exchanging a "peace child." As long as the children were unhurt, the tribes would live in peace and without fear.
At last, the missionary finally had an analogy for God's love. He told the warriors that Jesus was God's "Peace Child!" God did not want to give up His Son to hostile people, but because of His love, He sent a peace child to live among them. They now understood that because Jesus was a Peace Child, it was wrong to betray Him.
The Peace Child given to us 2000 year ago still has the power to break down walls and bring people together. Let Him forgive you and seek to forgive others this Christmas time.
Philip Bromiley
Monthly Letter November 2009
- Lee Abbey 2009
- On Sunday afternoon, as we assembled for the group picture all were in agreement, that we’d had such a blessed weekend. The sun never stopped shining, enabling us all to venture outdoors and enjoy the 240 acre estate with it’s own woodland and beach. Some clambered over rocks, others went diving in the sea, others went bird watching, others frequented the little tea-shop over looking the sea, and others paddled in the stream.
Arriving on Friday evening, was perhaps the most traumatic part of the weekend away. The traffic and road works on the M5 seemed to conspire against us. Despite this hiccup, most arrived in time for evening meal, and our speaker, Martin Cavender introduced the weekend with a powerful talk, challenging us to meet with Jesus in an extravagant and unembarrassed way, as Mary poured perfume over the feet of Jesus and wiped it with her hair.
Martin continued his talks the next day, and the children joined age-appropriate groups for their own Christian input. Lots of arty crafty pieces were created by the children and it was great for the Secondary school children in our midst to see young, trendy, Christian youth workers with a passion for Jesus.
Sunday morning saw the final act of worship: Holy Communion, followed by anointing and prayer ministry. Sunday lunch, then consisted of a Lamb Roast farmed at the Abbey – delicious.
The weekend away fostered new friendships, open conversations, free time and spiritual refreshment. Many have asked about the next one! Because it has to be done so far in advance – I will be booking a date in 2011, to re-create the experience. If you didn’t join us this year but are interested in a couple of years time, I would urge you to ring-fence the dates and begin saving.
One person's comment to me, having never experienced Lee Abbey before, was this: "When you experience a time like this, it makes normal holidays look pointless." A Big Thank you to all who came along to Lee Abbey and made the weekend so moving and really good fun. Thanks especially to Shan Cawley for all of her hard work and co-ordinating the bookings.
We are going to do the whole thing again. I have booked the weather and the venue for two years time: September 9th-11th, 2011. This will give people enough time to save up and ring-fence the date in our diaries. If you are interested in booking a place please ring Penelope Kilby on 01249 760776.
Rev’d Philip Bromiley
Monthly Letter - October 2009
- Harvest For The World
- Christian Aid are appealing to people this Harvest to look at the global food crisis. Chandramma Moligeri was born a ‘weeder’. As a dalit woman, she worked for most of her life in others’ fields, in exchange for grain or small amounts of money. Struggling to feed her family and with little chance of escaping the legacy of the Indian caste system, she lived unnoticed on the margins of society. But out of the most severe poverty came an incredible story of rich generosity…
Chandramma’s life was turned around when she joined a local women’s group, or sangham, supported by Christian Aid partner the Deccan Development Society (DDS). These women cleared an area of drought-prone wasteland and farmed it, using traditional methods learned from DDS. Slowly, they restored life to their land – and then brought the celebration of an enormous harvest to their whole community.
In sanghams across the Medak district in Andhra Pradesh, DDS now works with 5,000 women. These women have decided to do something amazing. From their excess harvest, they have helped to feed 50,000 of the poorest people in their communities. And the women are now passing on their knowledge. DDS is training them to use film and radio to raise awareness and campaign on issues such as climate change. Now their skills and passion are helping communities throughout Andhra Pradesh to share in the joy of harvest.
As for Chandramma, she is no longer reliant on others for handouts. Instead, she has become a landowner herself.
Paul says, “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” 2 Corinthians 8:2.There is no doubt that comparatively small sums of money for us do a huge work for others across the world.
I heard an Angling joke the other day: "Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and get rid of him for the day!" Christian Aid, and other International Aid agencies are advocating a vision for targeting money and resources towards people and training. Enabling people stand up on their own two feet and help themselves. I’m sure most of us would say, “Amen” to that, but the world’s poor cannot be self supporting unless they are helped.
I know we are in a credit crunch, and yes things are tight in recession, but it’s all very relative. We don’t have to walk five miles to get clean water. We don’t need to sift through rubbish tips to find things to eat and sell. We don’t have a life expectancy of 36 years, as some of the poorest countries do.
Two years ago our five PCC’s in the Benefice, Cherhill school and a few individuals agreed to sponsor a number of children through Compassion UK. It’s been a joy to get regular feedback in our services from those children. They act as our conscience. They remind us not to forget the plight of the poor and to support wider organizations like Christian Aid to bring people out of poverty.
American Indians were attacked by a hostile group of settlers. They found themselves with their backs against the river. They were greatly outnumbered and their only chance for escape was to cross the rushing river. They huddled together and those who were strong picked up the weak and put them on their shoulders; the little children, the sick, the old and the infirm, those who were ill or wounded were carried on the backs of those who were strongest. They waded out into the river, and to their surprise they discovered that the weight on their shoulders, carrying the least and the lowest, helped them to keep their footing and to make it safely across the river. If we want to walk on secure ground in this world it helps to carry someone with us.
A prayer for harvest 2009 from Christian Aid:
Generous God, where there is wasteland, help us to hope for harvest;
where there is poverty, help us to bring justice.
In today’s troubled times, may our generosity well up
in the light of Your rich gifts to us.
Give us the vision to see Your world the way it could be,
the wisdom to shape our actions and the will to see change through.
And may Your transforming joy rise up within us,
overflowing into the lives of others across Your world.
Amen.
Rev’d Philip Bromiley
Monthly Letter - September 2009
- Whats New?
- Three little boys were bragging about how tough they were. "I'm so tough", said the first boy, "that I can wear out a pair of shoes in a week". "Well", said the second little boy, "I'm so tough, I can wear out a pair of jeans in a day". "That's nothing", said the third boy. "When my parents take me to see my grandma and grandad, I can wear them out in just one hour."
How tough are you? When I was a curate in Blackpool, it was a common sight to see groups of young people hanging around street corners, showing the world how tough they were. It was the days before the “hoody”, but base ball caps seemed to do the trick. A couple of years ago. the Archbishop of York preached a sermon in a “hoody” - he was illustrating how most teenagers he knew were wearing the “hoody” as a uniform to blend in with peers, rather than in preparation to mug somebody for their mobile phone. Under the surface of many young people, often lies vulnerability, and even insecurity.
Thankfully, God looks into the heart and not at the exterior. With God there is no need for pretence. We might as well be as honest as we can be. Some people manufacture a veneer of toughness just to show others that they cannot be hurt or that they can cope very well on their own. That “facade” can seep into our own relationship with God. We say, “I’m all right God. Don’t worry about me. You must have more important things to be doing”. In reality, we are not being entirely honest. All of us carry real challenges and issues that need to be brought regularly to God’s heart and prayed over. None of us want to be accused of “Driving without due prayer and attention” when it comes to steering the journey of our own lives. Prayer involves both love and truth. A desire to involve God, and also a desire to be completely honest with Him.
Sodium is an extremely active element found naturally only in combined form; it always links itself to another element. Chlorine, on the other hand, is the poisonous gas that gives bleach its offensive odour. When sodium and chlorine are combined, the result is sodium chloride, commonly known as Salt. Plain old table salt.
Love and truth can be like sodium and chlorine. Love without truth is flighty, sometimes blind, willing to combine with any doctrine or idea that comes along. On the other hand, truth by itself can be offensive, sometimes even poisonous. Spoken without love, it can turn people away from Jesus. When truth and love are combined in an individual or a church, however, then we become what Jesus called, "the salt of the earth," (Matthew 5 v 13) - we add flavour and act as a preservative and purifier in our community. The “facade” becomes unimportant and we discover how crucial it is to be real with God and others.
All who own the name of Christian are to stay faithful to their calling to be distinctive and full of flavour. St. Paul said in His letter to the Colossians, “let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.” (Col. 4 v 6) Wouldn’t it be great if we had the wisdom to always give the right answer and to speak in love and truth? Maybe our speech would convince others that the “facade” of toughness isn’t necessary. Jesus died to show us that the real battle lies within. Accepting the power of the cross results in forgiveness of sin and a reassurance that we are loved and cherished by God. Jesus took my sin on the Cross and now I can live in the light of a new heart that can change the world around me.
Perhaps you find the world a tough place to live in? Add a little salt.
Rev’d Philip Bromiley
Monthly Letter - August 2009
- What's New?
- I rarely come across people who are “anti-church”, in fact, for many, the Church is a re-assuring presence in our Villages. That said, I still suspect the Church isn’t very good at marketing itself. If the Church speaks of itself confidently, and looks to bring new people in, then it can seem arrogant and even pushy. If, on the other hand, the Church is reticent at presenting its message to the wider community, it can seem aloof and perhaps cliquey. At the risk of blowing our own trumpet, let me share some of our recent Good News stories from around the Benefice:
There are some very promising signs of growth in our churches at the moment. Our Family Service is a joy and draws in many children and adults. Often, we have activities for the children or get them fully involved in various aspects of our Worship. There is a Family Service every week in one of our five churches.
This year, the Alpha Course, run by the Benefice, at Cherhill School, saw nineteen guests, form three groups and involved over twenty volunteers cooking, helping and leading groups. Some of the participants have really enjoyed the opportunity to explore some of the big questions in life. We hope to do the same again next year.
Do you know of a child who likes to sing? We are launching a Benefice Children’s choir to sing at our monthly Benefice Services (usually the first Sunday). This is open to all children (aged 7-16) who would like to benefit from the Musical expertise of Mr. Alan Boulton, who has kindly agreed to teach us. Details of the group are on the Notice Board page.
Congratulations go to Mrs. Pam Evans, member of Compton Bassett PCC, and one of our LPA’s, who has recently been selected to train for Licensed Lay Ministry in our Benefice. Pam is most certainly an answer to prayer.
2009 has seen eleven people (children and adults) from our Benefice be Confirmed and Receive their first Communion. Children from year 6 upwards are invited to be prepared for Confirmation. See Philip for further details.
This year, we have nineteen weddings in our churches and many couples are exploring the possibility of being married in church, and participating in its life prior to the ceremony.
In September, we are arranging a Weekend away to Lee Abbey. It will be an amazing time away. Do book if you haven’t already.
Perhaps you feel you could manage a monthly Service or a Service once in while. That’s fine, you will be made to feel most welcome. There are a variety of Services of differing types to suit all needs, styles and personalities.
Rev’d Philip Bromiley
Monthly Letter July 2009
- Just Checking In Today
- A minister passing through his church in the middle of the day, decided to pause by the altar and see who had come to pray. Just then the back door opened, a man came down the aisle, the minister frowned as he saw the man hadn't shaved in a while. His shirt was kinda shabby and his coat was worn and frayed, the man knelt, he bowed his head, then rose and walked away.
In the days that followed, each noon time came this chap, each time he knelt just for a moment, a lunch pail in his lap. Well, the minister's suspicions grew, with robbery a main fear, He decided to stop the man and ask him, "What are you doing here?"
The old man said, he worked down the road. Lunch was half an hour. Lunchtime was his prayer time, for finding strength and power. "I stay only moments, see, because the factory is so far away; as I kneel here talking to the Lord, this is kinda what I say:
"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY. SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM CHECKING IN TODAY."
The minister feeling foolish, told Jim that was fine. He told the man he was welcome to come and pray just anytime. Time to go, Jim smiled, said "Thanks." He hurried to the door. The minister knelt at the altar; he'd never done it before. His cold heart melted, warmed with love, and met with Jesus there. As the tears flowed, in his heart, he repeated old Jim's prayer:
"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY. SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKING IN TODAY."
Past noon one day, the minister noticed that old Jim hadn't come. As more days passed without Jim, he began to worry some. At the factory, he asked about him, learning he was ill. The hospital staff was worried, But he'd given them a thrill. The week that Jim was with them, Brought changes in the ward. His smiles, a joy contagious. Changed people, were his reward. The head nurse couldn't understand why Jim was so glad, when no flowers, calls or cards came, not a visitor he had.
The minister stayed by his bed, He voiced the nurse's concern: No friends came to show they cared. He had nowhere to turn. Looking surprised, old Jim spoke up and with a winsome smile; "the nurse is wrong, she couldn't know, that in here all the while everyday at noon He's here, a dear friend of mine, you see, He sits right down, takes my hand, Leans over and says to me:
"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM, HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP, AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN. ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY, I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY, AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS CHECKING IN TODAY."
May God hold you in the palm of His hand and Angels watch over.
(Article passed on to me from one of our parishioners)
Monthly Letter - June 2009
- The Meaning Of Life
- “Life Jim, but not as we know it.” - words as spoken on Star Trek - and they seem appropriate in our world today. Surely, there’s so much more to life than the daily grind and the hope of a good weekend or holiday. Surely, there’s more to discover than what we think we know. When was the last time you thought about the meaning of your life? Why are you enjoying this precious gift of life today?
Did you hear about the teacher who was helping one of her nursery school children put on his boots? He asked for help and she could see why. With her pulling and him pushing, the boots still didn't want to go on. When the second boot was on, she had worked up a sweat. She almost whimpered when the little boy said, "Teacher, they're on the wrong feet." She looked and sure enough, they were. It wasn't any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on. She managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on - this time on the right feet. He then announced, "These aren't my boots." She bit her tongue rather than get right in his face and scream, "Why didn't you say so?" like she wanted to. Once again she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off. He then said, "They're my brother's boots. My mum made me wear them." She didn't know if she should laugh or cry. She mustered up the grace and courage she had left to wrestle the boots on his feet again. She said, "Now, where are your mittens?" He said, "I stuffed them in the toes of my boots..."
Life can be full of frustrations, some trivial, some more serious.... When I was a Curate in a parish in Lancashire, I remember receiving a phone-call, in the early hours. It was a man who was deeply depressed and threatening to take his own life. He had never met me but had found my name in the phone-book and (because it had a “Rev” in front of it) thought to make a phone-call. I was very bleary eyed, but managed to do as the counseling manuals suggest - listen to his story. It was a genuinely tragic one. After the man had spoken, there was a silence. What was he doing? I heard crying. I had to say something - but what? In the end, I shared with him something which helps me make sense of life: that God has a purpose for every person, loves us, sent Jesus to die for us and longs for us to have life in all of its fullness. I’ll never know what happened after that conversation - he never rang again, I just hope and pray that he began to value his own life and to understand that his life is of infinite worth to God.
When does life begin? That’s the central question in the moral debate over abortion. Some are lead to see “birth” as the starting point, others gauge “viability” (at a given number of weeks gestation) as the key and others sense the moment of “conception” as being the foundational spark of human life. My answer is this: according to the Bible, life begins before conception! God said to the prophet Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in womb, I knew you; before you were born I set you apart.” (Ch.1 v 5).
What a thought - that God had a plan and purpose for Jeremiah before he was born and in the same way, the Lord has a purpose for each one of us. Do you get the most out of life? It is said that adults are people who have stopped growing at the ends but have started to grow in the middle. I’m not very scientific, but I do know that living things grow - even when mature. A healthy life is one that leaves room for continuing personal development and a willingness to learn and discover new things.
Is there something more? If I’m working for the common good, then why? Perhaps you’ve been too busy to think about such questions. It is an old and ironic habit of human beings to run faster when we have lost our way. Stop, take a deep breath, relax and think about your life.
When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ball-point pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat this problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion developing a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 300C. The Russians used a pencil.
Sometimes the best answer is the simple answer. You were born because you are loved by God and you live in order to love Him in return.
Rev’d Philip Bromiley
Monthly Letter - May 2009
- Dare I Ask For A Miracle?
- There’s a joke about a Rabbi having trouble with his congregation. It seemed they couldn’t agree on anything and every meeting was filled with controversy. The president of the congregation organised a meeting of 10 elders and the Rabbi. They met in the conference room of the synagogue and it became more and more apparent that the Rabbi was a lonely voice in the wilderness. The president said, "Come, Rabbi, enough of this. Let us vote and allow the majority to rule." He passed out the slips of paper, and each man made his mark. The slips were collected and the president said, "You may examine them, Rabbi. It is 11 to one against you. We have the majority." Whereupon the rabbi rose to his feet, "So", he said, "You now think because of the vote that you are right and I am wrong. Well, I stand here - and he raised his arms impressively - and call upon the Holy One of Israel to give us a sign that I am right and you are wrong." Suddenly, there came a frightful crack of thunder and a brilliant flash of lightning that struck their table and cracked it in two. The room was filled with smoke and the president and the elders were hurled to the floor and the rabbi was untouched. Slowly, the president lifted himself above what was left of the table. His hair was singed, his glasses were hanging from one ear, and his clothing was in disarray. He said, "All right, 11 to two. We still have the majority."
What would God have to do to get your attention? Can you see God at work around you? Sometimes I guess we wish He’d be a little clearer. Then again, even if He was, would it really make a difference? I know a number of people who have experienced God in powerful ways - even with miracles - and yet now, they have relegated their belief and commitment to history. Like an unmoored boat, they seem in danger of drifting away on the tide of the world’s concerns, rather than staying close to God.
Walt Whitman (1810-1892) said, “As for me I believe in nothing but miracles.” Miracles are signposts to the reality of God’s presence and sovereignty around us. When they happen - and I have a witnessed a few in my time - it’s wonderful. I have seen a friend healed from Ovarian cysts. I have known of folk cured from terminal cancer. Others have discovered the miracle of emotional healing and freedom from depression and anxiety. There is no doubt that the God of the Bible is a God of the miraculous and yet it seems that these “signs” all too rare. Can we not have some more please Lord?
Perhaps that’s it - are we asking God to show us the miraculous? Maybe we need to be bolder in our praying? Let’s ask for more signposts to lead us to God’s Kingdom, God’s power and God’s glory. Some funny signposts for you: On the Door of a plastic surgeons office: "Hello, can we help you pick your nose?" - In a Non-smoking Area " If we see smoking we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action." - On Maternity Room Door "Push, Push, Push." - On a fence "Salesman Welcome, Dog food is expensive." - On the side of the road "Keep your eyes on the road and stop reading these signs."
St. Augustine once said, "Miracles are not a contradiction of nature. They are only in contradiction to what we know of nature." I suspect that the most of us have lowered the bar of expectation when it comes to asking for the miraculous as we pray. If we want a situation to change beyond all recognition, why not ask for it? It’s surely correct to say that, in our prayers, we need to find Jesus’ heart and pray as He would wish us to, but I can guarantee that by asking for a miracle, you will be being more honest and open in your relationship with God and that is never a bad thing.
Growing old is mandatory, growing wise is optional. Real wisdom is learning how to pray. A young boy saw a packet of cigarettes on the ground and decided to try them. He went to a field near his home and, after several fumbling attempts, got one to light up. It didn't taste good; indeed, it burned his throat and made him cough. But it made him feel very grown up. Then he saw his father coming. Quickly he put the cigarette behind his back and tried to be casual. Desperate to divert his father's attention. The young Boy pointed to a nearby billboard advertising the circus. "Can we go, Dad? Please, let's go when it comes to town." The father quietly but firmly replied, "Son, never make a petition while at the same time trying to hide a smouldering disobedience."
Before you ask for a miracle, my advice is this - get right with God. Be honest with Him. If anything is getting in the way of your conversation at the moment - know that it can be dealt with: Jesus offers to take away guilt, wrongdoing or a sense of unworthiness, so that we can communicate with our Heavenly Father who longs to hear the concerns of our heart. If a few of us do this, I can’t wait to see more miracles.
Rev Philip Bromiley
Monthly Letter - April 2009
- The Easter Lamb
- A Boy swallowed a penny by mistake. He was absolutely distraught - not because he’d lost the penny, but because He thought He was going to die. In a bid to make His Son feel better, the father took out another coin and pretended to take it from behind his ear and said don’t worry - it was there all along. The boy greatly relieved took the penny, swallowed it and said “do it again daddy”.
It didn’t cost much to make the little boy feel better. How much does it cost, to make us feel better? I want to make use of our updated Villages magazine and illustrate the cost of securing our salvation. There’s a painting by the Spanish artist, Francisco de Zurbaran, completed in the late 1630’s. I first saw it in the Millennium exhibition “Seeing Salvation” at the National Gallery - it was there with other wonderful works such as Holman Hunt’s “Jesus the Light of the World”, and Dali’s “Christ of St. John of the Cross”.
It’s called “The Bound Lamb” and the naturalistic skill of the artist, depicting a young lamb in amazing detail, is plain to see. But Zurbaran was keen to show us more than His artistic skill. He was concerned to illustrate theological truth. The Lamb is helpless, all four legs are tied together. It seems almost resigned to its fate - what is that fate? Well, the lamb is lying on a stone slab. It is ready for the butchers knife. The starkness of the white fleece against the dark background emphasises the purity of the lamb, that it is unblemished, without spot or stain. The rope and passive posture emphasise the helplessness of the lamb, and the contrast of the stone slab and soft fluffy, fleece seem to stress, all the more, the sheer costly sacrifice being laid out before us.
For Zurbaran, this is Jesus - the one who paid the ultimate price, in order to set us free. It portrays something of the personal cost to Jesus of our salvation. John the Baptist called out to Jesus, prophetically, “Look, here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” In that one phrase, all manner of Old Testament theological strands are brought together: the promise of the Passover Lamb in Exodus (Ch. 12), the two lambs slaughtered daily as part of the ritual offerings in the Temple (Exodus 29), the provision of a ram caught in the thickets to replace Isaac. (Gen 22 v 13), the Lamb of Isaiah (Ch. 53) willingly sacrificed without opening His mouth, the scapegoat in Leviticus (Ch. 16)- sent out into the wilderness with the sins of the People pressed into it.
The description of Jesus as the Lamb of God, belongs to the language of sacrifice, and this language isn’t easy for us to cope with, because it’s no longer common currency. The Scriptural notion of Sacrifice is about necessity. The guilt that we call sin can only be removed by the payment of a penalty. It’s not a pretty solution to sin. Animal after animal killed for human sin, but only the shedding of blood expresses the gravity of sin. The mother of John Wesley, Susannah Wesley, defined sin in this way: “Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, and takes the relish of spiritual things, that to you is sin.”
Ultimately, it is that sin which threatens to separate us from God forever and that’s serious. Imagine being unable to experience love? But God couldn’t leave it that way. Through sheer love, He sent Jesus to restore that relationship between us and God. He sent Jesus to set us free from the daily sacrifices of animal after animal. By the one perfect sacrifice of the only one good enough to pay the price of the sin of the whole world, Jesus, humanity is redeemed and we find forgiveness. Nothing can separate us from God in Christ Jesus. That’s Good News. “Look, here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” Innocent for us, Silent for us, without blemish for us, Obedient for us, willing to bleed to death for us.
In the 4th Century AD, a man from Korea had two sons, One became a judge, the other a bandit. The day came for the Bandit to come to be tried in front of his brother. The brother couldn’t let His brother off and had to sentence him to death. On the day of his execution, the elder brother offered to change places with the younger bother. The bandit agreed, thinking that they would realize that the judge was in his place and abandon the execution. To the younger brother’s great surprise, the execution went ahead. Filled with remorse, the younger brother went to hand himself in. The authorities said, “You are free to go, there is no sentence outstanding on anyone with that name.”
Rev Philip Bromiley
Monthly Letter - March 2009
- God and Global Warming
- A man was talking to a scruffy boy in a Manchester High Street, "Hey kid, I'm here visiting from California for a week and it's been raining every single day. When is the rain going to stop?" The boy says, "I don't know, I'm only six."
Despite the freezing temperatures of the last few weeks, it seems that every time we open the newspaper or reach for the remote, we encounter another scary bunch of statistics about the future for our planet. The BBC weather website tells us that global temperatures have risen by over 0.7C in the last 300 years and 0.5C of this warming occurred during the 20th century. Four out of five of the warmest years ever recorded were in the 1990's. The 1990's was the warmest decade of the last millennium with 1998 being the warmest year globally since records began in 1861. Is it too late? Supposedly not, as long as we and others do something quickly. Perhaps we ought to re-establish the Sabbath, rest on a Sunday and then all the shops and offices could turn their lights off? Might be a start.
What did Jesus say about the environment? The Rt Rev James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool, is one of the Church’s leading thinkers on this subject. Bishop James suspects that people would like the Church to address the problems facing our planet. He is attempting to remind our country that Jesus is the Saviour not only of humanity, but also the Saviour of the planet and of the whole cosmos, which came into being through him and for him. In Jones’ words, “to desecrate the earth is not just a crime against the earth and future generations, which it is. To desecrate the earth is a blasphemy. It is to defile Christ's own gifts.”
You see, God so loved the world that He sent His Son Jesus. As well as the individual human soul in need of forgiveness, the whole of creation is in itself in need of redemption. We live in a broken world that is struggling at present to cope with broken people messing it up. Yes, perhaps everybody could get their act together and change their behaviour, but what honestly is the likelihood of that happening? All too often people are consumed by selfishness. If behaviour is ever to change, then it must come through hearts changing. It’s about people catching the vision and pulling together through love. Campaigning is fine, but it’s only God’s grace that can change a heart from evil to good.
Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father.” (Matt.10 v 29) God is concerned for our world. In the beginning, when God performed the ultimate miracle and created our world, it was good. Human beings were given the responsibility of stewarding the earth and it’s flora and fauna. It’s no coincidence that when Jesus died on a cross, the earth quaked (Matt. 27 v 54). It’s as though the whole of creation shuddered to see love being tortured. It’s no coincidence that when Jesus rose from the dead, the earth quaked again: “suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.” (Matt. 28 v 2). This time, it’s as though creation breathes a huge sigh of relief. Thank God! The earth is redeemed, hope is restored and one day there will be a new heaven and a new earth and all will be perfected.
The astronaut Russell Schweikert flew on Apollo XI and wrote these words as he returned to earth “.....the contrast between that bright blue and white Christmas tree ornament and the black sky, that infinite universe, really comes through.... It is so small and fragile and such a precious little spot in that universe that you can block it out with your thumb, and you realise that on that small spot, that little blue and white thing, is everything that means anything to you - all of history, and music and poetry and art and death and birth and love, all the tears, joy, games, all of it on that little spot out there that you can cover with your thumb.” I believe God cares for our little Christmas tree decoration. He has given us a responsibility to look after it and God’s love of creation points also to His love for us.
“God created out of nothing - wonderful you say: yes to be sure, but he does what is still more wonderful: he makes saints out of sinners.” --Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855). Perhaps a world full of saints would be the way to save it.
Rev Philip Bromiley
Monthly Letter - February 2009
- God Doesn't Give Up On Us
- Tenacity is a curious word. For me, it’s a positive word speaking of drive, persistence and determination, rather than obstinacy. It’s so easy to begin a project but then not carry it through. Can you imagine Magnus Magnusson saying "I’ve started, so I’ll struggle on, get stuck and then probably give up"? No! Finishing the job and being tenacious enough to complete the task is a real quality to strive for.
I have a funny story that I tell to friends. It’s a memory from school days. Every time we began a German lesson, each pupil would speak out a German number, in turn, as we sat at our desks. "Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier, Funf....." We always sat in the same rows, in alphabetical order. When we got to eleven ("Elf") it was always the same boy who had to shout it out. He was the smallest chap in the class...... For weeks the class never got to twelve. We were too busy picking ourselves up from the floor in hysterics. We started but rarely finished.
It’s with more than a hint of regret that I studied German for only a year. I can direct anyone to a Town Hall in Deutsche, but that’s about it. I could know so much more, but I found it too difficult. There are other things I wish I had persevered with: Learning the guitar, juggling with four balls and not just three, reading "the History of Christianity in England" (and numerous other books) through to completion. I gave up the guitar when my fingers found it too painful, juggling stopped due to sheer frustration and books still tend to fall by the wayside when boredom sets in.
.For many, faith is the same. We too easily give up on things when we find faith too painful, frustrating or not nearly as exciting as it used to be. The soft option for us is to not see our faith through to completion. Winston Churchill famously gave speech to Eton College after the war. He stood up and proclaimed in a loud voice, "Never give up. Never give up. Never give up." and sat down. It was a speech not to be forgotten.
Jesus said, "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it?" (Luke 14:28). Before taking the choice of believing in Jesus seriously, it’s good to take some time and count the potential cost of the long journey ahead. Jesus doesn’t guarantee a tailwind. There are many challenges available to prevent us doing God’s will. Nevertheless, the grace of God is such, that even if we start our journey and then give up, or stumble, or get frustrated, or become disappointed, the door always remains open for us to return to Him. God doesn't give up on us.
The French poet and essayist, Charles Peguy said, "When you love somebody you love him as he is." The love of God is so amazing that even though the Lord knows our weaknesses, He still loves us. God’s love never gives up on us, even if we give up on God. Jesus demonstrated God’s love for us, in that while we still sinners, Jesus died for us on a cross. In His death, Jesus took the sins of the whole world on to Himself. That means, your sin and my sin was placed upon Jesus. Jesus died with our sin. Today, we can make a choice. We can hand over our sin, through faith, to Jesus. Or, we can hold on to it. Before we make that choice remember this: Jesus taking away our sin assures us of Heaven! Heaven is full of forgiven sinners.
Our forgiveness was costly to Jesus, but it is free for us. Kneeling in the shadow of the cross and asking Jesus to take our sin, is utterly liberating. Jesus came not to condemn the world but to save it. In Him we can live life to the full, having changed our direction to live God’s way, rather than our own way. A new beginning, with a clean slate, has moved millions of people over the years to own the name of Christian and strive to bring their faith to completion.
Whether we call ourselves a Christian or not, our tenacious God will not give up on us. God will keep inviting us to love Him and live for Him.
Rev Philip Bromiley
Monthly Letter - January 2009
- Happy New Year!
- “Behold I make all things new” (Rev 21 v 5). After much discussion and sorting, we are finally proud to present the new format of the Villages magazine. Initially, the content will be much the same as it always has been although now there is a greater scope to add the odd photo. I’m told that the Villages is around 30 years old. Is this correct? Has anybody out there got a copy of the very first one? It would be fascinating to see one.
A young lady, who had just moved into her first proper home, was puzzled recently by the odd messages she kept getting on her answer phone. Day after day, all she'd hear, from friends, family, and customers alike, would be their message and then they'd ALL say, "BEEP." She did some research and discovered the solution to the BEEP riddle. Her message said, "I'm not available right now, so, please leave a beep after the message."
What’s the message you carry? What messages does your life proclaim? The word ‘Pro-claim’ literally means, ‘putting claims forward’. Proclamation is a crucial part of the Christian faith because the Christian owns a set of unique claims that deserve to be put forward. It’s not so Christians can be arrogant and impose themselves over and above others, but rather, that the message being carried isn’t for personal use only. The message is for everyone. To fail to pass the message on, or to obscure it, would be a tragedy.
Luiqi Tarisio was found dead one morning with hardly any creature comforts in his home, except the presence of 246 exquisite violins. He had been collecting them all his life. They were all stored in the attic, the best in the bottom drawer of an old rickety desk. In his very devotion to the violin, the world had been deprived of all that music. Much of that collection was owned by others before him who had done the same.
So that when the greatest of his collection, a Stradivarius, was first played it had had 147 speechless years.
How many people who have a faith in Jesus are like old Tarisio? We keep the faith we have to ourselves and in so doing, we fail to give the glad tidings to the world. The Good News, that Jesus brings forgiveness of sin and an assurance of Heaven, needs not just to be cherished, but to be told.
Sometimes of course we get mixed messages. An usher at a Wedding was carrying out our tradition of escorting parishioners to their seats before the service began. He greeted two strangers and asked where they would like to sit. Looking confused, the young man smiled and said, "Nonsmoking, please." It’s easy to get wires crossed, especially when it comes to understanding the Christian message.
It’s a great shame that the Christian message rejected by some is often a pale imitation of the real Christian message. What has been discarded, is not the truly humbling, incredibly exciting, utterly astonishing, surprisingly compassionate, vulnerable and yet powerful Jesus, but rather a misunderstanding or a misrepresentation of who Jesus is.
In the year ahead, take time to get to understand the Christian message more and let’s not be afraid to talk about it.
Rev’d Philip Bromiley.
Monthly Letter - December 2008
- Oh I wish it could be Christmas every day.
- Every year our family does the same thing. We buy a real potted Christmas tree in the vague hope that it will last the year out and be used once again. Every year though, it’s the same old story: dead branches, brown needles and a rather tired posture. There’s something pretty sobering about seeing all the fun of last year, withered away. So much of Christmas is temporary. I want something that lasts longer than that. Imagine if every day was Christmas day! I know there’s a limit to how much Brandy butter one family can eat, but at least we’d have plenty of Christmas Cracker jokes to keep us moaning. Talking of which.... “What do you call a grenade thrown into a kitchen in France?” - obvious really - “Linoleum Blownapart”.
I wonder if you know the story of the three trees. It’s one of my favourites. Three trees all had wonderful dreams about what they might become. The first tree hoped to be a treasure chest and to carry the riches of Kings within it. The second tree wanted to be used in a boat to sail with rulers from country to country. The third tree wished to become the tallest tree in all the world for people to look up to. Time went by and just as the first tree hoped, the carpenter collected it and began working on it. The second tree was thrilled to discover that it was being taken to the shipyard. But sadly the third tree was cut up in pieces, put in a pile and forgotten about.
The first tree’s hopes were dashed. The Carpenter made it into an animal feeding trough. What a disappointment! That was until one day came and a couple gave birth to a child in a stable and the boy slept in it. It was the best treasure anyone had ever laid eyes on.
The second was very disappointed to learn that it had been turned into a small common old fishing boat! That was until one day, it got stranded in a storm. A man, asleep in the stern woke up, and commanded the wind and the waves to be still - and they did as they were told. That little boat had been carrying the Lord of Creation.
The bits of wood from the third tree were picked up and a man was made to carry it on his shoulders whilst people cursed him through the streets. His wrists were nailed to the tree and it was set up on a hill. A Roman Centurion nearby said, “surely this is the Son of God” and the tree realized that its dream had been fulfilled. It now was truly a tree that all could look up to.
I heard an interview on the radio about a concern that our society is losing the real meaning of Christmas. The concern was that important Christmas symbols are being lost. In this case, it was about the Christmas tree which is put in the center of most towns and cities. One chap was interviewed and instinctively made the comment. “It’s vital that we keep Christmas trees, it will make sure that we don’t lose the real meaning of Christmas”. When asked what the real meaning of Christmas was, the reply came. “The real meaning of Christmas is family, friends and fun.” I want to suggest to you that it is probably a little bit more than that.
Jesus is the first and the last, the alpha and the omega. The Lord of the past and the Lord of the future. Two thousand years ago, with the birth of Jesus in that stable, born of a woman, the eternal God, who cannot be contained by time or space, chose to break into the history of the world in a unique way. God chose to live our life. What’s the real meaning of Christmas? That God chose to share our humanity, to live a life that embodied the perfect relationship between ourselves and our Father in heaven.
The story of the three trees brings together the crib and the cross. Jesus’ life on earth began in vulnerability as a baby and it ended in vulnerability on a cross. If that were the whole story - then it would mean that last year’s withered old Christmas tree would be quite apt. Our world would be devoid of hope and true joy. Thankfully, God’s loves for us is evergreen. It doesn’t end. Jesus rose from death to prove that love always wins. Look up to the tree on the hill and believe. If you do, it will be Christmas every day.
Do you remember the traveling Posada knitted nativities from last year? They will be making another appearance. If one lands on your door step don’t forget to pass it on. It would be good if they can get to folk who have previously missed out.
Monthly Letter November 2008
- Changes for the The Villages Magazine.
- After the absence of the September issue, due to the failure of our faithful, but slightly ailing risograph, we have decided to ask a publisher to print the Villages from January, 2009.
You will notice a significant improvement and it will mean that the odd photograph might also go in. The text and the contributions from our advertisers will be far clearer also.
The Villages is a church-run magazine to serve the whole community. It is a superb way of finding out the latest news and happenings in our local Villages. If you know of a person who would like to subscribe to it, do let Philip or a Church Warden know.
To cover the costs of printing, the price of the Villages will need to be £5 a year, when subscriptions are renewed in January. You’ll definitely think it is worth it when the final product is delivered to you.
- Living a good life
- A teenager lost a contact lens while playing basketball in his driveway. After a fruitless search, he went inside and told his mother the lens was nowhere to be found. Undaunted, his mum went outside and in a few minutes, returned with the lens in her hand. "How did you manage to find it, Mum?" the teenager asked. "We weren't looking for the same thing," she replied. “You were looking for a small piece of plastic. I was looking for £100.”
It’s amazing what we can achieve when we are motivated. But that leads me to a question: what inspires and motivates us? What gives us the necessary impetus to get out of our beds in the morning? For some, it’s a desire to succeed: to seize the day. Do you get up in the morning and say “Good morning, Lord” or do you say, “Good Lord, it’s morning”?
Many of our role models in today's media driven world are very successful. The Steven Gerrard (s), Richard Branson (s) and Kate Moss (s) of this world present an image of success that few of us can ever hope to emulate. When the early rounds of X Factor comes on the telly, my heart goes out to those who can’t sing and yet feel they are destined for stardom. In the later rounds, I feel sorry for the many who are talented and yet fail to win the prize. Jesus’ motivation for living a good life was this, “if anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last”. Not a good motto for the Premier league. Jesus’ call to humility was and is counter-cultural. Our world can’t quite cope with this. We are conditioned to look out for ourselves and put ourselves first in order to protect ourselves. “Get them before they get you”, but this isn’t the Jesus way.
The Jesus way is selflessness. Don’t get me wrong, we are still called to love ourselves. After all, we are made in the image of God and Jesus told us to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. Selflessness is not self hatred or disregard. Selflessness involves battling against pride and the desire to assert ourselves over and against others. Jesus illustrated his point by taking a little child in his arms, and saying, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me.” A child was the ultimate symbol of powerlessness.
We get quite mushy about children, but in Jesus day, children had no rights - they were burdensome until they were old enough to work. They were physically, educationally, socially, and economically disadvantaged. Jesus identified Himself with the poorest and most powerless in His culture. The Lord of creation, the King of Kings, equated Himself with a toddler. I occasionally play in clergy golf matches against local Seniors teams. The opposition usually joke that we get extra help from above. As one of my colleagues pointed out, the truth is, being a Christian is probably a disadvantage when playing golf, for we are taught to pray for our enemies!
Do you remember Eric “the Eel” Moussambani? A swimmer from Equatorial Guinea, who won his heat in the 100 metres freestyle. He won mainly because his two fellow competitors were both disqualified before the race began for false starts. Eric set off at something like world record pace, then the commentator noticed that Eric’s swimming stroke was rather unusual from most, because he kept trying to keep his head out of the water. After 20 metres, Eric slowed up considerably. At the half-way point, the qualifying time for that distance had already passed. Eric tried to tumble in his turn to start the second leg and almost ended up in the wrong lane. By this stage the crowd were getting interested, would he make the distance? Eric looked as though he was treading water, his arms flailing in the air. The crowd continued to roar and were now on their feet. Eric was going so slowly he was almost going backwards. The last ten metres: The life guards were getting ready to fish him out, but the crowd still kept yelling. Eric was virtually pulling himself along the lane dividers. Every last ounce of energy and he made it. His time was 1 min. 52.72 secs., 30 secs. slower than that of Hungary’s Arnold Guttman, who won the first 100m final at Athens in 1896 in open water.
It’s not surprising that he struggled. Eric had been swimming for four months and had never swum that distance before. He was also used to practising in a river that had crocodiles in it. I’d have thought that would have made him faster! At the interview on telly, Eric said, “The gold medal is not everything in the Olympic Games. To me what happened was worth more than gold.”
Eric persevered and managed to finish the task in hand. Jesus says, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last”. Inviting the Holy Spirit into my day, as I get up in the morning, helps me persevere and finish the task in hand which is to live a life that pleases Jesus. I don’t have to be a success as the world sees it. I just have to be a success as Jesus sees it.
Monthly Letter October 2008
- Reflections on My Ministry
- The journey of life, which we all take, is not along a single path, but generally along several parallel routes. In my case I have travelled along two important paths: spiritual & mathematical. As life progresses we continually move between our chosen paths. The key knowledge that we seek is: are they compatible, do they integrate to present a complete & satisfactory explanation of our existence? In the world in which we live sometimes the views of science & religion appear to be in conflict. However, they also can present a harmonised view of the reason of our existence & future relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
When I was a choirboy attending Sunday school, a clear & consistent picture of our existence was given to me. Education presented me with the three great pillars of mathematical knowledge: geometry, algebra & integral calculus. With these tools, could I see the fingerprints of God on the universe? Visits to the Natural History Museum confirmed for me that God was a wonderful designer & demonstrated perfect symmetry in his creation. They also provided me with evidence of many: destructive invention. In a box I saw the bones & remains’ of the Great Auk, a bird which man had sent to extinction. I was filled with tremendous sorrow, that God's wonderful works could be so wantonly destroyed!
The greatest incompatibility between science and religion occurred from 1948 to 1965. There were two theories for of the origin of the 'Universe: the Steady State, that the universe had always existed & the Big Bang. In 1965 two Nobel scientists discovered the radiation left after cooling of the expanding 'Universe. This proved that the 'Universe had sprung into singularity at some finite time, supporting the Big Bang theory. Science and religion thus became compatible, as did my parallel paths forming a solid, resolute road.
When I met Mollie, she was attending her Church and so we were compatible in the paths of life we had chosen. When we came to Wiltshire in 1968, listening to the sermon one Sunday I felt the desire to share my thoughts and opinions, so in 1972 I decided to become a Lay Reader. This took 3 years in those days although I was allowed ‘To Practice' during this time. In 1975 I became licensed first to Bromham, then Della Hill which later became Derry Hill and The Oldbury Group and then The Oldbury Group as it is today and has been for the last 24 years or so. All this time I was in full time employment in the mathematical and scientific world. I found it very rewarding working within each of the parishes, all different and unique in many ways but all with one aim to promote and to nurture the word of God.
I would like to thank everyone who has travelled this part of the journey with me. Your unfailing support, encouragement and kindness have been a comfort and an inspiration. Al1 the Parishes have been a unique congregation to worship and pray with.
May God Bless us all,
Yours in Christ
Tony.
Monthly Letter - August 2008
Monthly Letter - July 2008
- Looking to the future
- Please click below to read Philips July letter to the villages.
Holy Land 2008
- Following In The Footsteps Of Jesus
- Click to read Philips thoughts about his recent trip to the Holy Land.
Monthly Letter May 2008
Monthly Letter April 2008
Monthly Letter March 2008
Monthly Letter February 2008
Monthly Letter - January 2008
- January 2008
- Please click below to read January's message from Philip.
Monthly Letter December 2007
- December 2007
- Joy To The World!
What do we associate with Christmas? Turkey, Prezzies, Tinsel, Stockings, Brussel Sprouts, Satsumas, Mulled Wine, Brandy Butter .....the list is endless. All these trimmings. I guess most of us know that Christmas is far too commercialised - and it's the church’s job (well my job) to try and encourage people to put Jesus back into Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be seen as being too negative (Bah Humbug!). Christmas can be a great time - especially for children - family, fun and some very good behaviour to get into Santa's good books.
On one level, Christmas can and does bring a few days of real joy to our lives. It's a special time for us, but, in the words of Jimmy Cricket, "there's more...." - far more in fact. On a deeper level, away from the trappings, Christmas helps us understand who God is and how we can find a joy that will last far beyond the New Year. The Christmas message applied to our lives, brings immeasurable joy.
So what is the real meaning of Christmas? It's that God, in the form of Jesus, has entered human history. The Hebrew Scriptures have promised a Messiah and here he is: Messiah literally means 'chosen one' - and here he is - in stable, as a baby. This is a boy who will grow and show us how to live in the way that God wants us to live. This little baby is the means through which humanity can overcome the sin that threatens to separate us from our eternal destiny.
In many ways, Jesus' birth was a very ordinary birth and a real human experience. I can't help being filled with admiration for this young couple, Mary and Joseph. No maternity unit with a birthing pool, no anaesthetics, no sterile environment. Mary gave birth in an overcrowded inn that was most probably a dirty, smelly and extremely painful experience. It was risky, untidy and the dawn of a new era.
I warmly invite you to come along to any of our Christmas Services. When you come though, remember to root your Christmas experience in reality and then the joy you’ll experience will also be rooted in reality. God in flesh did not have an easy ride. God in flesh experienced pain and was immensely vulnerable. God in flesh has been where we are. Knowing that God has lived a human life tells me that I can talk to a God who understands us. God isn't far away. He has been where we are and that truth fills me with joy!
May you all find a wonderful joy this Christmas and New Year and may you experience the joy that Jesus brings throughout the coming year.
Philip Bromiley
Monthly Letter - November 2007
- November 2007
- Please click below to read Philips Halloween, All Saints & All Souls letter to the villages.
Monthly Letter - October 2007
- October 2007
- Please click below for Philips Harvest For The World message
Monthly Letter - September 2007
- September 2007
- Please click below to read Philips September letter to the villages.
Monthly Letter - August 2007
- August 2007
- Please click below to read Tony's August article for the Villages entitled "FAITH AND THE LARGE HADRON COLLIDER (LHC)"
Monthly Letter - June 2007
- June 2007
- Please click on the link below to read Philips June Letter To The Villages.
Monthly Letter April 2007
- April 2007
- Looking forward to Pentecost
Numbers are everywhere! My phone number when I first came to Wiltshire was just four digits and now it has increased to eleven digits. When l go shopping l have a PIN number of four digits for each card and depending on how many cards you use then generally the number of PIN numbers increase and you have to remember them or no purchases are possible! When, someone with the flu sneezes, 100,000 viruses are spread over a distance of 9 meters, the length of a London bus. The sneeze travels at more than 160kilometric (100 miles) per hour, so it covers 10meters in a quarter of a second.
Numbers such as 1, 3, 10,12 40 and 50 are important in the Bible. Forty appears many times, for example: 1) Gen 7,4: “l will cause it to rain upon the Earth Forty days and Forty nights” 2) Ex 24,18: “And Moses stayed on the mountain for Forty days and Forty nights” 3) Mt 4,2: “After fasting for forty days and forty nights he was hungry.”
Likewise Fifty: Num 8,25: “but at the age of fifty they must retire from their regular service and work no longer.”
After the great Easter Events, we are looking forward to two more:
a) THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST
The Crucifixion of Jesus happened immediately before the Passover. According to the Jewish Law : Jesus must be dead and laid to rest at sunset on the same day before the onset of the Passover. In St John's Gospel the Passover was on the Sabbath. The Resurrection took place on the day after the Passover. The Ascension of Christ into heaven, which was witnessed by the Apostles: Acts 1,3. Ascension Day is kept on the 40th day, which is the 6 Thursday after Easter. Ultimately, Christ now ascended will prepare a place for us in Heaven.
b) PENTECOST
lt is the Greek name for Jewish Feast of Weeks, which falls on the 50th day after the Passover also Whit Sunday; because it celebrated fifty days after the feast of the Passover, traditionally marked the conclusion of the barley feast and the beginning of wheat feast and also for Jews the celebration of the Revelation of the Law given to Moses on Mount Sinai. Great multitudes of the faithful from all over the known world came to Jerusalem.
On the day of Pentecost the disciples were gathered together in obedience to the command of Christ to receive the baptism of the Spirit no other event was to overshadow it. The awful hours of Calvary, their own defection, the dark days when Christ lay in the tomb, the surprised joy of Resurrection, had been fulfilled, they were now in a position of strength and anticipation. They also now had absolute faith Acts 2,1: “And suddenly from heaven there came a sound as of a mightily rushing wind and there appeared cloven tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit.” This experience marked the moment when the Spirit was first given to the church. From this moment onwards the Holy Spirit of God is now given freely to all believers and the divine fire is ready to enlighten our minds and purify our hearts.
Then, let us all take this great and wonderful opportunity at Whitsunday, (new converts were baptised in white garments on this Sunday) just as the scales fell from St Paul's eyes, when he was filled with the Holy Ghost Acts 9,18, so also may we be blessed and see fully our path to eternal life, integrated within Christ.
Come Thou Holy Spirit! our souls inspire, and lighten with celestial fire, thou the anointing Spirit art.
Tony Milsom
Monthly Letter - March 2007
- March 2007
- Please click on the link below to read Philips March Letter To The Villages.
Monthly Letter - February 2007
- February 2007
- Please click below to read Philips February letter to the villages.
Monthly Letter January 2007
- January 2007
- Click link to read letter from Rev'd Philip Bromiley