Articles in the Littlehampton Gazette
by Leaders of Littlehampton Churches
Edited by Mike Webber
December 2020: Where to find comfort and joy this Christmas
by Mark Rodger, Curate at All Saints, Wick
Where do you find comfort and joy?
We were asking some locals this question recently for some short videos we’ve been making for social media.
“Children, grandchildren, music, flowers and the sunrise” said one local.
“What brings me comfort?” someone joked. “Alcohol!”. We all laughed.
But beyond the banter, we long for comfort and joy. Right?
This year has been tough for all of us in different ways. We’ve faced uncertainty. We’ve felt pressure in our relationships, jobs, health, finances and, to be honest, in everything. Perhaps, that’s why we’ve been putting up our Christmas trees in mid-November – to reach out to get some comfort and joy into our hearts.
But what if our desire for comfort and joy is telling us something – that we were made for a comfort and joy beyond anything we’ve ever experienced… yet.
I say “yet” because even the good things – family, friends, good food or TV and the best of Christmas – don’t last. Could it be that this desire for comfort and joy was never meant to be fulfilled in these people, things and holidays, but somewhere else?
In the Christmas story the angels interrupt some shepherds. “Don’t be afraid” the angels say. “I’ve got good news that will bring great joy for everyone! A powerful saviour has been born.”
“That’s crazy”, you say. “A baby? A powerful saviour? Unlikely! How’s that good news of joy?”
It seems unlikely, but the Christmas story makes the claim that the baby Jesus is going to rescue the world, not just from all the bad stuff that happens to us, but from the bad stuff within us which damages us and others. Not only that, but He’ll provide the vaccine that won’t just deal with COVID-19, but death itself.
The Christmas story is a key chapter where the creator God Himself enters the stage. Scandalously he arrives as a baby, vulnerable, soon becoming a refugee who will later die on a cross. This God knows what it’s like to endure suffering. But amazingly He chose this, in order to provide the vaccine to defeat death, restore our hearts to love Him and others perfectly and in the final chapter bring us into a restored world, with Him ruling it perfectly.
That’s what gives me comfort and joy.
Find out more at allsaintswick.org.uk/comfortandjoy or your local church
We were asking some locals this question recently for some short videos we’ve been making for social media.
“Children, grandchildren, music, flowers and the sunrise” said one local.
“What brings me comfort?” someone joked. “Alcohol!”. We all laughed.
But beyond the banter, we long for comfort and joy. Right?
This year has been tough for all of us in different ways. We’ve faced uncertainty. We’ve felt pressure in our relationships, jobs, health, finances and, to be honest, in everything. Perhaps, that’s why we’ve been putting up our Christmas trees in mid-November – to reach out to get some comfort and joy into our hearts.
But what if our desire for comfort and joy is telling us something – that we were made for a comfort and joy beyond anything we’ve ever experienced… yet.
I say “yet” because even the good things – family, friends, good food or TV and the best of Christmas – don’t last. Could it be that this desire for comfort and joy was never meant to be fulfilled in these people, things and holidays, but somewhere else?
In the Christmas story the angels interrupt some shepherds. “Don’t be afraid” the angels say. “I’ve got good news that will bring great joy for everyone! A powerful saviour has been born.”
“That’s crazy”, you say. “A baby? A powerful saviour? Unlikely! How’s that good news of joy?”
It seems unlikely, but the Christmas story makes the claim that the baby Jesus is going to rescue the world, not just from all the bad stuff that happens to us, but from the bad stuff within us which damages us and others. Not only that, but He’ll provide the vaccine that won’t just deal with COVID-19, but death itself.
The Christmas story is a key chapter where the creator God Himself enters the stage. Scandalously he arrives as a baby, vulnerable, soon becoming a refugee who will later die on a cross. This God knows what it’s like to endure suffering. But amazingly He chose this, in order to provide the vaccine to defeat death, restore our hearts to love Him and others perfectly and in the final chapter bring us into a restored world, with Him ruling it perfectly.
That’s what gives me comfort and joy.
Find out more at allsaintswick.org.uk/comfortandjoy or your local church
November 2020: Why do leaves change colour in Autumn?
by Rev. Rory McClure. Parkside Evangelical Church
Every autumn we enjoy the final, glorious burst of colour in the trees. The richness and diversity of these colours never fails to impress us, but why don’t all leaves on all trees just turn brown instead? As you know, leaves use green chlorophyll to turn sunlight into energy to help the tree grow. As the days shorten and grow colder, the leaves become less and less useful to the trees. Then, as the chlorophyll stops working, it starts to break down revealing other pigments that the green often masks. In this way the yellow carotenoids and flavonoids and the orange carotenoids become more and more obvious, producing those delightful autumn displays. But why do leaves turn red in autumn? The chemistry is well understood; in autumn sugars start to concentrate in the leaves and a new pigment called anthocyanin is created. However, the mystery is why would the tree waste energy in such an extravagant way? Trees need all the energy they can conserve to keep themselves going throughout winter, so they can produce new leaves in summer. But why would some trees throw away valuable energy resources when they need them most?
Where does this wasteful extravagance come from? And why do we find the fiery colours of autumn leaves so intensely beautiful? After all, colourful leaves aren’t exactly useful for our survival, are they? Scientists will freely admit that they don’t have the answers for everything, but mysteries like this are often what drives scientists to do more research.
Christians are used to living in the face of mystery. We don't pretend to fully understand the Trinity or why God tolerates evil, but the fact we don't understand everything doesn't mean we don't understand anything. St. Paul tells us “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen...” (Romans 1:20) So our intuitive delight in the beauty of autumn is yet another confirmation that we were created in God's image to enjoy the beauty He designed into nature. We see His love of beauty, His delightful sense of colour and His astonishing creativity on display every autumn? And the extravagant wastefulness of red autumn leaves? That leads us to marvel all the more in the extravagant wastefulness of God's love for us in Jesus Christ.
Where does this wasteful extravagance come from? And why do we find the fiery colours of autumn leaves so intensely beautiful? After all, colourful leaves aren’t exactly useful for our survival, are they? Scientists will freely admit that they don’t have the answers for everything, but mysteries like this are often what drives scientists to do more research.
Christians are used to living in the face of mystery. We don't pretend to fully understand the Trinity or why God tolerates evil, but the fact we don't understand everything doesn't mean we don't understand anything. St. Paul tells us “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen...” (Romans 1:20) So our intuitive delight in the beauty of autumn is yet another confirmation that we were created in God's image to enjoy the beauty He designed into nature. We see His love of beauty, His delightful sense of colour and His astonishing creativity on display every autumn? And the extravagant wastefulness of red autumn leaves? That leads us to marvel all the more in the extravagant wastefulness of God's love for us in Jesus Christ.
September 2020: Pain by the Pool
by Paul Sanderson MBE, Chaplain at The Littlehampton Academy
The holiday was booked way back in October so when we arrived at the accommodation, one warm Greek night, the welcome I received caught me off guard.
“Hello, my name is Russ, what’s yours?” said a holidaying Brit putting out his hand as I tried to find my room. “Paul from Littlehampton, hello” was my tired reply.
The next day it was clear Russ was the happy regular known by all, as he had been coming for 18 years. That evening I introduced him to my family.
The next day returning from my early morning walk, I could tell something was wrong. It wasn’t just the ambulance parked at a funny angle; you could feel a sombreness in the air. I found the boss and I could see tears in his eyes. “It’s Russ”, he mumbled. “He died of a heart attack in his bathroom this morning”. We paused together to let the reality sink in.
I explained my job, a chaplain, and if I could help, please ask. I can listen, I can sit with people, I can pray. So, the day unfolded with no music around the pool and quiet whispers amongst the adults while the children splashed away. Word got out and people came over and talked to me about Russ. The stories, the laughter, the loss.
I had my own moments too. I started to think about what I took for granted. These moments we have been given; this gift called life. Russ was in my life for 24 hours, but I will never forget him, and the hand shake we had and the brief chats around the pool.
One of the lessons of Covid is that every interaction is special. Many missed times with family and friends, laughter, hugs, handshakes. And some still do. Do we make the most of every interaction with another person? Are we too busy for a hello? Do we have time to listen to the answer to a ‘How are you?” There is a quote from a children’s film that goes something like this: “Yesterday is history and tomorrow is a mystery but today is a gift. That’s is why it’s called the present”. I made the most of my moments with Russ. Will I do the same today with all whom I come across? Will you?
“Hello, my name is Russ, what’s yours?” said a holidaying Brit putting out his hand as I tried to find my room. “Paul from Littlehampton, hello” was my tired reply.
The next day it was clear Russ was the happy regular known by all, as he had been coming for 18 years. That evening I introduced him to my family.
The next day returning from my early morning walk, I could tell something was wrong. It wasn’t just the ambulance parked at a funny angle; you could feel a sombreness in the air. I found the boss and I could see tears in his eyes. “It’s Russ”, he mumbled. “He died of a heart attack in his bathroom this morning”. We paused together to let the reality sink in.
I explained my job, a chaplain, and if I could help, please ask. I can listen, I can sit with people, I can pray. So, the day unfolded with no music around the pool and quiet whispers amongst the adults while the children splashed away. Word got out and people came over and talked to me about Russ. The stories, the laughter, the loss.
I had my own moments too. I started to think about what I took for granted. These moments we have been given; this gift called life. Russ was in my life for 24 hours, but I will never forget him, and the hand shake we had and the brief chats around the pool.
One of the lessons of Covid is that every interaction is special. Many missed times with family and friends, laughter, hugs, handshakes. And some still do. Do we make the most of every interaction with another person? Are we too busy for a hello? Do we have time to listen to the answer to a ‘How are you?” There is a quote from a children’s film that goes something like this: “Yesterday is history and tomorrow is a mystery but today is a gift. That’s is why it’s called the present”. I made the most of my moments with Russ. Will I do the same today with all whom I come across? Will you?
August 2020: The Bigger Picture
by The Reverend Mark Williams, Vicar of Littlehampton, St Mary & St. James
I’ve been wearing glasses since my earliest days in school. My specs are the first thing on in the morning and last things off at night. Without them the old adage `can’t see further than the end of my nose` is very real. I still remember vividly, even now, my experience as a youngster of receiving a new pair of glasses which had much stronger lenses and walking down the streets of my home town with my parents, pointing out to them signs on shops and other everyday things as if they had suddenly appeared from nowhere. All of a sudden – a new perspective.
The arrival on the seafront of the Littlehampton Giant Wheel in recent weeks has given many the opportunity to gain a new perspective on our own locality. With so much fine weather, we have been blessed with views from the wheel that have been far reaching. It`s given a rare opportunity to see new vistas, a bigger picture. And what a difference seeing the bigger picture can make when so often we are caught up in living life in our own short-sighted bubble.
The Gospels in recording the life of Jesus relate for us how He – despite all that was going on around Him, and often at times when He could have been forgiven for having other priorities – was able to see the bigger picture. Meeting the needs of those in society who were vulnerable, marginalised or otherwise shunned; of many who otherwise would have been left out or ignored. His compassion for them, often in the face of protestations from those around Him, changing lives, bringing new hope, bringing a new perspective.
Amidst the difficulties and challenges that so many have experienced in recent months and indeed continue to face because of Covid-19, it has been so refreshing and encouraging to learn of the so many (often seemingly insignificant) acts of kindness that have been offered – in many cases by relative strangers to those in need. Compassionate acts that have gone beyond words to so many; deeds that have made a real impact, both for those who receive and those too who give.
Someone once said: “We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done.” As 2020 continues – with all the uncertainties that persist and play such a significant part in our lives – may our eyes be constantly open to the bigger picture, so that we may see and respond to the needs of those less fortunate than ourselves.
The arrival on the seafront of the Littlehampton Giant Wheel in recent weeks has given many the opportunity to gain a new perspective on our own locality. With so much fine weather, we have been blessed with views from the wheel that have been far reaching. It`s given a rare opportunity to see new vistas, a bigger picture. And what a difference seeing the bigger picture can make when so often we are caught up in living life in our own short-sighted bubble.
The Gospels in recording the life of Jesus relate for us how He – despite all that was going on around Him, and often at times when He could have been forgiven for having other priorities – was able to see the bigger picture. Meeting the needs of those in society who were vulnerable, marginalised or otherwise shunned; of many who otherwise would have been left out or ignored. His compassion for them, often in the face of protestations from those around Him, changing lives, bringing new hope, bringing a new perspective.
Amidst the difficulties and challenges that so many have experienced in recent months and indeed continue to face because of Covid-19, it has been so refreshing and encouraging to learn of the so many (often seemingly insignificant) acts of kindness that have been offered – in many cases by relative strangers to those in need. Compassionate acts that have gone beyond words to so many; deeds that have made a real impact, both for those who receive and those too who give.
Someone once said: “We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done.” As 2020 continues – with all the uncertainties that persist and play such a significant part in our lives – may our eyes be constantly open to the bigger picture, so that we may see and respond to the needs of those less fortunate than ourselves.
July 2020: Worrying Times? Stay Positive!
by Steph Fuller, Arun Church
I think we are now all very familiar with a particular set of words and phrases we never expected to be hearing quite so frequently: pandemic, unprecedented, lockdown, new normal, shielding, isolation. It’s a given that during this strange and unpredictable season, many of us will be experiencing feelings of anxiety, confusion, loneliness and worry, and it’s tough when we can’t have the comfort of being together.
The other day, whilst catching up with an episode of The Sewing Bee on iPlayer, I heard one of the contestants comment: ‘some people will say the future is bleak, but in fact the future is what we make it’. This really resonated with me; we can have hope and remain positive, no matter what situation we find ourselves in. The Bible is full of characters who’ve chosen faith and hope over worry and despair. Think of Joseph, who was left for dead by his brothers, sold as a slave and unfairly imprisoned. What about Job, who was dealt the roughest cards ever as a result of Satan’s outrageous challenge to God that without his privileges and blessings, he wouldn’t be a loyal God-fearing man? And then there’s Esther, who showed unwavering faith when she risked her own life to protect her people from annihilation.
But perhaps the most relevant just now is Paul, who spent much of his later life in his own private lockdown; captured and imprisoned in Jerusalem under constant guard, unable to have contact with those whom he loved. Paul makes the most of his time in isolation, writing letters of encouragement to the Church which have given incredible comfort to Christians around the globe.
There is a lot to worry about right now. But worrying doesn’t lead to anything good; it’s anti-productive. Worry doesn’t change your situation; it merely aggravates your sense of unease and powerlessness. Here’s what Paul had to say on the matter: ‘Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down…’ (Philippians 4:6-7)
Right now, it has never been easier to explore Christianity and Church; you can do it from the safety of your own home. Why not check out how your local church is meeting online and try it for yourself? And if you’re interested in finding out more about this Jesus chap, try an Alpha course online too.
The other day, whilst catching up with an episode of The Sewing Bee on iPlayer, I heard one of the contestants comment: ‘some people will say the future is bleak, but in fact the future is what we make it’. This really resonated with me; we can have hope and remain positive, no matter what situation we find ourselves in. The Bible is full of characters who’ve chosen faith and hope over worry and despair. Think of Joseph, who was left for dead by his brothers, sold as a slave and unfairly imprisoned. What about Job, who was dealt the roughest cards ever as a result of Satan’s outrageous challenge to God that without his privileges and blessings, he wouldn’t be a loyal God-fearing man? And then there’s Esther, who showed unwavering faith when she risked her own life to protect her people from annihilation.
But perhaps the most relevant just now is Paul, who spent much of his later life in his own private lockdown; captured and imprisoned in Jerusalem under constant guard, unable to have contact with those whom he loved. Paul makes the most of his time in isolation, writing letters of encouragement to the Church which have given incredible comfort to Christians around the globe.
There is a lot to worry about right now. But worrying doesn’t lead to anything good; it’s anti-productive. Worry doesn’t change your situation; it merely aggravates your sense of unease and powerlessness. Here’s what Paul had to say on the matter: ‘Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down…’ (Philippians 4:6-7)
Right now, it has never been easier to explore Christianity and Church; you can do it from the safety of your own home. Why not check out how your local church is meeting online and try it for yourself? And if you’re interested in finding out more about this Jesus chap, try an Alpha course online too.
June 2020: Who is My Neighbour?
by Tom Robson, Vicar of All Saints Wick and Lyminster Churches
During lockdown, no doubt we all will have shared and heard a lot of stories - from Disney+ to newspapers, to catching up with friends and family online. When you think about it, we’re very often telling and listening to stories.
About 2,000 years ago, Jesus told a story that you probably know. It’s fairly simple, it only has a few characters, and it can be retold in just a few minutes. It’s known as the story of the Good Samaritan.
You can tell how influential that story has been by the way that the phrase ‘Good Samaritan’ has entered our language. What was originally the name of someone from Samaria, in what we call the Middle East, has become associated with acts of kindness and with the charity that bears its name.
And yet, at the time Jesus told the story, the phrase ‘Good Samaritan’ was itself controversial. I don’t have time to go into the history, but there was real antagonism between many of Jesus' fellow Jews and their neighbours, the Samaritans.
So, for Jesus to tell the story of a man - attacked, beaten and mugged - ignored twice by religious people from his own nation, only to be rescued by a Samaritan, was shocking. This Samaritan bandaged him up, carried him on his donkey and paid for his respite at a local inn. It’s a story that we often re-tell. The message ‘be kind’ is as relevant today as it has ever been.
But, as you read it in Luke’s Gospel, you see that Jesus is using it to answer a question - ‘Who is my neighbour?’ Then, having told the story, Jesus fires a question back: ‘Who was a neighbour to this man?’
The power of the story is not just the instruction to be kind. It is a radical and difficult call to love those whom we find it hardest to love. To reach out across divisions and heal the wounds. To look beyond ethnic, political or other differences and see people made in the image of God. It is, as Jesus explained, to love your neighbour as yourself and to see everyone as your neighbour.
It is also a picture of God’s love. At his cost he came to love people like us - people who, if we’re honest, aren’t always that loveable. For the times we’ve walked by, perhaps even the times we’ve contributed to the pain, he did not pass by. He chose the cross. And he invites us to turn and put our trust in him.
About 2,000 years ago, Jesus told a story that you probably know. It’s fairly simple, it only has a few characters, and it can be retold in just a few minutes. It’s known as the story of the Good Samaritan.
You can tell how influential that story has been by the way that the phrase ‘Good Samaritan’ has entered our language. What was originally the name of someone from Samaria, in what we call the Middle East, has become associated with acts of kindness and with the charity that bears its name.
And yet, at the time Jesus told the story, the phrase ‘Good Samaritan’ was itself controversial. I don’t have time to go into the history, but there was real antagonism between many of Jesus' fellow Jews and their neighbours, the Samaritans.
So, for Jesus to tell the story of a man - attacked, beaten and mugged - ignored twice by religious people from his own nation, only to be rescued by a Samaritan, was shocking. This Samaritan bandaged him up, carried him on his donkey and paid for his respite at a local inn. It’s a story that we often re-tell. The message ‘be kind’ is as relevant today as it has ever been.
But, as you read it in Luke’s Gospel, you see that Jesus is using it to answer a question - ‘Who is my neighbour?’ Then, having told the story, Jesus fires a question back: ‘Who was a neighbour to this man?’
The power of the story is not just the instruction to be kind. It is a radical and difficult call to love those whom we find it hardest to love. To reach out across divisions and heal the wounds. To look beyond ethnic, political or other differences and see people made in the image of God. It is, as Jesus explained, to love your neighbour as yourself and to see everyone as your neighbour.
It is also a picture of God’s love. At his cost he came to love people like us - people who, if we’re honest, aren’t always that loveable. For the times we’ve walked by, perhaps even the times we’ve contributed to the pain, he did not pass by. He chose the cross. And he invites us to turn and put our trust in him.
May 2020: Power for the asking
by Roger Purdom, Retired Church Pastor
An Anglican bishop was booked to visit a Church of England primary school. One of the teachers thought he would get the children in his class to learn the Creed and recite it to the Bishop when he visited their classroom. Each child was given a section to learn and all the practices went very well. The day for the Bishop’s visit arrived and he eventually came to their classroom. The children stood in a row and off they went. “I believe in God…”; “I believe in Jesus Christ…”
Everything was going well but then there was silence and the teacher tried to encourage the next child in the line to speak, without realising there was a gap in the line. Suddenly a voice said, “the boy who believes in the Holy Spirit isn’t here today.”
For many people, Pentecost will come and go – whether we are in lockdown or not – and not much thought will be given to it. Yet, for the Christian, it is a very important day which is celebrated every year, 50 days after Jesus came back to life on Easter Sunday. Following His resurrection, He spent time with His disciples, preparing them for the day when He would go back to heaven and send His Holy Spirit to help them live the Christian life. For the church and for each Christian the day of Pentecost is an important day, although we cannot celebrate it together this year as we would normally. However, that won’t stop us celebrating the day, this Sunday.
The disciples were all together in an upper room, waiting for something to happen which Jesus had promised them. Then, suddenly, there was a noise like a violent wind blowing and they saw what seemed like tongues of fire coming on them. Then they started to speak in different languages and their lives were changed forever.
This Day of Pentecost is the birthday of the Christian Church when the disciples and other believers started to tell the world about Jesus and how He can change lives.
The Christian Church today has a message of forgiveness, reconciliation and lasting hope because our lives have been changed by Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit living inside us. This hope is offered to anyone who invites Jesus to be part of their life - we all need some real hope today.
Everything was going well but then there was silence and the teacher tried to encourage the next child in the line to speak, without realising there was a gap in the line. Suddenly a voice said, “the boy who believes in the Holy Spirit isn’t here today.”
For many people, Pentecost will come and go – whether we are in lockdown or not – and not much thought will be given to it. Yet, for the Christian, it is a very important day which is celebrated every year, 50 days after Jesus came back to life on Easter Sunday. Following His resurrection, He spent time with His disciples, preparing them for the day when He would go back to heaven and send His Holy Spirit to help them live the Christian life. For the church and for each Christian the day of Pentecost is an important day, although we cannot celebrate it together this year as we would normally. However, that won’t stop us celebrating the day, this Sunday.
The disciples were all together in an upper room, waiting for something to happen which Jesus had promised them. Then, suddenly, there was a noise like a violent wind blowing and they saw what seemed like tongues of fire coming on them. Then they started to speak in different languages and their lives were changed forever.
This Day of Pentecost is the birthday of the Christian Church when the disciples and other believers started to tell the world about Jesus and how He can change lives.
The Christian Church today has a message of forgiveness, reconciliation and lasting hope because our lives have been changed by Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit living inside us. This hope is offered to anyone who invites Jesus to be part of their life - we all need some real hope today.
April 2020: To ‘wash one’s hands” of a matter
by Rev Martin Seymour, Littlehampton Baptist Church
An exasperated parent might be frustrated and shout at their child, ‘I’m fed up with telling you. I won’t tell you again. I wash my hands of it all’. The expression ‘to wash your hands of the matter’ originates from the trial of the Lord Jesus Christ. At this Easter time, as we are all encouraged to wash our hands and take responsibility for our actions, we are reminded of this recorded moment in history when the washing of hands meant the exact opposite: to take no responsibility.
In the bible we witness Pilate’s weakness. Pilate did not wish to see Jesus crucified, as he knew he was guilty of no crime. But Pilate caved into popular demand. Wishing to exonerate himself, the bible records, ‘when Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying “I am innocent of this man’s blood”... “It is your responsibility” he said …. Then … Pilate delivered him to be crucified.’
Pilate appears somewhat cowardly, lacking the courage of his convictions. He ‘washed his hands’ of Jesus, symbolically demonstrating that he was innocent of his murder. He could have prevented Jesus’ crucifixion, but he didn’t. If the Jews had rioted, the Roman Emperor might have removed him from office for failing to keep order. So Pilate looked after ‘number one’ and succumbed to popular demand for Jesus’ crucifixion. In so doing, he kept in with both the Jews and the Emperor, and gained an infamous place in world history as a coward.
Are there any spiritual lessons to be gained from Pilate’s famous ‘washing of his hands’? Yes, there are. Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor in Judea from AD 26-37. The evidence for this is contained both within and outside the Bible. Pilate was a contemporary of Jesus, the Son of God, and held office during this time of world history.
This meeting between Christ and Pilate reminds us of the historical reality of the Christian faith. Washing our hands is very important for us as we live through this Coronavirus pandemic. It should concentrate the mind about the saving acts of God in Christ. The Christian faith is no mere artistic invention but a matter of truth. Christianity is based on historical facts, not mythological fables. History records Pilate not listening to his own conscience and being recorded as weak.
I have never known a time such as the one we are all living through right now. We all have our own personal story. Are we weak? Are we making the right or wrong decision? Are we washing our own hands of the Christian truth of Jesus Christ?
Have a Blessed and Happy Easter.
In the bible we witness Pilate’s weakness. Pilate did not wish to see Jesus crucified, as he knew he was guilty of no crime. But Pilate caved into popular demand. Wishing to exonerate himself, the bible records, ‘when Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying “I am innocent of this man’s blood”... “It is your responsibility” he said …. Then … Pilate delivered him to be crucified.’
Pilate appears somewhat cowardly, lacking the courage of his convictions. He ‘washed his hands’ of Jesus, symbolically demonstrating that he was innocent of his murder. He could have prevented Jesus’ crucifixion, but he didn’t. If the Jews had rioted, the Roman Emperor might have removed him from office for failing to keep order. So Pilate looked after ‘number one’ and succumbed to popular demand for Jesus’ crucifixion. In so doing, he kept in with both the Jews and the Emperor, and gained an infamous place in world history as a coward.
Are there any spiritual lessons to be gained from Pilate’s famous ‘washing of his hands’? Yes, there are. Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor in Judea from AD 26-37. The evidence for this is contained both within and outside the Bible. Pilate was a contemporary of Jesus, the Son of God, and held office during this time of world history.
This meeting between Christ and Pilate reminds us of the historical reality of the Christian faith. Washing our hands is very important for us as we live through this Coronavirus pandemic. It should concentrate the mind about the saving acts of God in Christ. The Christian faith is no mere artistic invention but a matter of truth. Christianity is based on historical facts, not mythological fables. History records Pilate not listening to his own conscience and being recorded as weak.
I have never known a time such as the one we are all living through right now. We all have our own personal story. Are we weak? Are we making the right or wrong decision? Are we washing our own hands of the Christian truth of Jesus Christ?
Have a Blessed and Happy Easter.
March 2020: Do We Need to be so Dazed and Confused?
by The Reverend Vanessa Baron, St Mary Magdalene, Lyminster
There are daffodils, primroses and violets outside my window as I write, and I saw my first lambs yesterday. All of them heralds of Spring, my favourite season of the year. The green, earthy smell of primroses is the most exciting scent I know, promising warmth, sun and laughter. But instead, today, we are discovering what it means to live with new terms like ‘social distancing’ and ‘self-isolation’. Social life as we have known it has closed down. We are used to being able to control things, but now we cannot tell what the immediate future holds for us. Our security has gone and, understandably, many people feel alone and fearful.
At Lyminster church last Sunday we read Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd’. King David had been a shepherd as a young man and I’ve no doubt he was remembering some of his experiences as he wrote this song – searching for patches of grass for the sheep; pulling them back with his shepherd’s crook; trying to keep them safe.
The Psalm is a gentle reflection on the Lord God as a shepherd, but more than that, on God as MY shepherd. And what does this shepherd do? In the first place he cares for the sheep; he understands their needs and so leads them to ‘lie down in green pastures’ and by ‘still waters’. So David, despite all the practical difficulties of his life, can say ‘I shall not want.’
But more than that, this shepherd is a companion, who walks alongside his sheep ‘through the darkest valley’ or, as the old version says, ’the valley of the shadow of death.’ He doesn’t abandon them to their fate but stays by them. As we approach Good Friday, we remember that this shepherd Jesus faced that dark valley himself – he knows what it is to face the threat of death.
The Psalm ends on a note of hope, as the image changes from that of a shepherd to the host, preparing a feast for his guest, laying the table and pouring out the wine. ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me’ says David, but then he looks ahead: ‘And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ The good shepherd who has cared for us will not let us go. We may be fearful, but each one of us can make him MY shepherd, certain that he will never leave us or forsake us. ‘Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me.’
At Lyminster church last Sunday we read Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd’. King David had been a shepherd as a young man and I’ve no doubt he was remembering some of his experiences as he wrote this song – searching for patches of grass for the sheep; pulling them back with his shepherd’s crook; trying to keep them safe.
The Psalm is a gentle reflection on the Lord God as a shepherd, but more than that, on God as MY shepherd. And what does this shepherd do? In the first place he cares for the sheep; he understands their needs and so leads them to ‘lie down in green pastures’ and by ‘still waters’. So David, despite all the practical difficulties of his life, can say ‘I shall not want.’
But more than that, this shepherd is a companion, who walks alongside his sheep ‘through the darkest valley’ or, as the old version says, ’the valley of the shadow of death.’ He doesn’t abandon them to their fate but stays by them. As we approach Good Friday, we remember that this shepherd Jesus faced that dark valley himself – he knows what it is to face the threat of death.
The Psalm ends on a note of hope, as the image changes from that of a shepherd to the host, preparing a feast for his guest, laying the table and pouring out the wine. ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me’ says David, but then he looks ahead: ‘And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ The good shepherd who has cared for us will not let us go. We may be fearful, but each one of us can make him MY shepherd, certain that he will never leave us or forsake us. ‘Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me.’
February 2020: Living is about Loving
by Paul Sanderson MBE, Chaplain at The Littlehampton Academy
Have you ever thought why love equals pain? Why is something so amazing, like love, the cause of so much personal suffering and distress?
Recently, in my role as chaplain, I have listened to many stories of grief, spoken with teared-stained eyes. It’s not just death that causes grief. When we lose anything we love, it can hurt so much. When friendships end or parents split up or homes are moved from, the love we have is stretched, torn and sometimes broken.
I try and help people manage their grief by thinking about being in the sea with its waves and its calm. When emotion comes and you feel lost and tossed in the hurt and pain, it’s like a big wave crashing over you. Then you find the surface, catch your breath and experience the calm between the waves. Sometimes this peace can last a while, and then suddenly another wave comes and the emotions return. Both feelings are ok and part of the love / pain process. Sometimes the gaps get longer and the waves get smaller, but it’s very rare that you ever forget about it all.
You cannot get an x-ray for heartbreak; but something is happening somewhere and it hurts. Yet it’s at the heart of who we are: we cannot help but love. We learn that it might hurt, but we still do it anyway. Where does this ability to love and be loved come from? Why is it easier for some than others? Who teaches us to love? Big questions that humanity has wrestled with for centuries.
Many people of faith talk of an experience of unconditional love. A love that attaches no rules or regulations, but just loves because it is love. Many like me believe in a higher power or a God that loves, no matter what. A God that cannot love us any more or any less. Hard to take at first, but if we let it sink in, it can bring so much peace when, all around us, love is letting us down. As we approach Lent, a period of fasting and reflecting, it’s a great time to go without what we love and realise the loss this will cause us (But then go back to it in 40 days!) This might give us the tools we need to handle some of the bigger challenges life will throw at us. We will carry on learning that living is about loving, and all that love brings.
Recently, in my role as chaplain, I have listened to many stories of grief, spoken with teared-stained eyes. It’s not just death that causes grief. When we lose anything we love, it can hurt so much. When friendships end or parents split up or homes are moved from, the love we have is stretched, torn and sometimes broken.
I try and help people manage their grief by thinking about being in the sea with its waves and its calm. When emotion comes and you feel lost and tossed in the hurt and pain, it’s like a big wave crashing over you. Then you find the surface, catch your breath and experience the calm between the waves. Sometimes this peace can last a while, and then suddenly another wave comes and the emotions return. Both feelings are ok and part of the love / pain process. Sometimes the gaps get longer and the waves get smaller, but it’s very rare that you ever forget about it all.
You cannot get an x-ray for heartbreak; but something is happening somewhere and it hurts. Yet it’s at the heart of who we are: we cannot help but love. We learn that it might hurt, but we still do it anyway. Where does this ability to love and be loved come from? Why is it easier for some than others? Who teaches us to love? Big questions that humanity has wrestled with for centuries.
Many people of faith talk of an experience of unconditional love. A love that attaches no rules or regulations, but just loves because it is love. Many like me believe in a higher power or a God that loves, no matter what. A God that cannot love us any more or any less. Hard to take at first, but if we let it sink in, it can bring so much peace when, all around us, love is letting us down. As we approach Lent, a period of fasting and reflecting, it’s a great time to go without what we love and realise the loss this will cause us (But then go back to it in 40 days!) This might give us the tools we need to handle some of the bigger challenges life will throw at us. We will carry on learning that living is about loving, and all that love brings.
January 2020: Where does the time go?
by Roger Purdom, Retired Church Pastor
Not long ago we were having a break and thinking about Christmas. And then it was into the New Year and back to work, back to college or school and to many other things as well. The shops are now back to normal – whatever that might look like. The tree has gone. The decorations have been put into the box and stashed away somewhere. The cards have been recycled. The annual letters have been stored – maybe to be re-read at some later date. The annual letter from our Bank manager about our spending has arrived. The adverts are now about summer holidays. Life goes on.
For some people the Christmas period wasn’t particularly exciting or fulfilling. Maybe there were times of sadness. Maybe there were times when families didn’t get together as in previous years. Maybe there were periods of illness. Maybe there were periods of loneliness. Maybe there were times when people had to go to work as usual.
For people around the world there have been enormous pressures, whether the bush fires across Australia or the tensions with Iran or the issue of climate change – or numerous other concerns which never make the headlines. And at the end of this month the UK will no longer be a member of the European Union. So many changes. Is there anything that we can hold on to, in the ever-changing scenes of life? The answer is ‘Yes’.
That was the message of Christmas, which is not just for Christmas but for every day of our lives. ‘God with us’ was the message which rang out around the world because the baby born in the manger in Bethlehem was God being born in human skin. The verse of that well known carol says it so well – ‘He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all. And His shelter was a stable; and His cradle was a stall. With the poor and mean and lowly, lives on earth our Saviour holy.’
And although He was crucified when in his early thirties, we believe He came back to life again and has made this promise to all who commit their lives to Him and follow Him: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
‘God with us’. We can hold on to that, every day of our lives. Have a great year.
For some people the Christmas period wasn’t particularly exciting or fulfilling. Maybe there were times of sadness. Maybe there were times when families didn’t get together as in previous years. Maybe there were periods of illness. Maybe there were periods of loneliness. Maybe there were times when people had to go to work as usual.
For people around the world there have been enormous pressures, whether the bush fires across Australia or the tensions with Iran or the issue of climate change – or numerous other concerns which never make the headlines. And at the end of this month the UK will no longer be a member of the European Union. So many changes. Is there anything that we can hold on to, in the ever-changing scenes of life? The answer is ‘Yes’.
That was the message of Christmas, which is not just for Christmas but for every day of our lives. ‘God with us’ was the message which rang out around the world because the baby born in the manger in Bethlehem was God being born in human skin. The verse of that well known carol says it so well – ‘He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all. And His shelter was a stable; and His cradle was a stall. With the poor and mean and lowly, lives on earth our Saviour holy.’
And although He was crucified when in his early thirties, we believe He came back to life again and has made this promise to all who commit their lives to Him and follow Him: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
‘God with us’. We can hold on to that, every day of our lives. Have a great year.
December 2019: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
by The Reverend Mark Williams, Vicar of St Mary & St. James, Littlehampton
Whether watching a quiz show, listening to the news or even reading a magazine, we are constantly bombarded with surveys and their results. Although we may have an abundance of surveys today, they are nothing new. They`ve been in existence for one purpose or another down through the centuries. It was, after all, because of a survey – a census – that Joseph took the heavily pregnant Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and it was there that the infant Jesus was born.
One evergreen survey that never fails to appear at this time of the year is the listing of the most popular Christmas songs. We`ve probably got our own favourite songs, just as we may have favourite Carols. The list is almost endless of artists who have produced songs to mark the festive season. Most of these songs make little mention of the birth of Christ. But that doesn`t mean that the sentiments of the songs – and indeed their titles – can`t point towards the true `reason for the season`.
What we celebrate at Christmas is not just some Fairytale of New York set In The Bleak Midwinter. This is a story about the Power of Love. Mary and Joseph may not have been Driving Home for Christmas, or having to travel 2000 Miles. But having made their way on a Little Donkey, it was in the Little Town of Bethlehem that Love Came Down at Christmas. It`s unlikely that it was a White Christmas and, if the people of Bethlehem had been asked “Do They Know It`s Christmas?”, they may have thought it was Just A Winter`s Tale. There may not have been much in the way of Jingle Bells, or Mistletoe and Wine but, as the Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night (that Silent Night), Hark the Herald Angels sang that Mary`s Boy Child was born. It was the Saviour’s Day.
Stop the Cavalry. Don`t Be Lonely This Christmas. Your local church invites you to Step into Christmas and hear God`s message to you: All I Want For Christmas Is You. May this Christmas, perhaps more than Last Christmas, be the time when we truly receive the gift God wants to give us – His heart. So Come All Ye Faithful. Have a Wonderful Christmas Time. And may the message of Christmas bring Joy to the World.
One evergreen survey that never fails to appear at this time of the year is the listing of the most popular Christmas songs. We`ve probably got our own favourite songs, just as we may have favourite Carols. The list is almost endless of artists who have produced songs to mark the festive season. Most of these songs make little mention of the birth of Christ. But that doesn`t mean that the sentiments of the songs – and indeed their titles – can`t point towards the true `reason for the season`.
What we celebrate at Christmas is not just some Fairytale of New York set In The Bleak Midwinter. This is a story about the Power of Love. Mary and Joseph may not have been Driving Home for Christmas, or having to travel 2000 Miles. But having made their way on a Little Donkey, it was in the Little Town of Bethlehem that Love Came Down at Christmas. It`s unlikely that it was a White Christmas and, if the people of Bethlehem had been asked “Do They Know It`s Christmas?”, they may have thought it was Just A Winter`s Tale. There may not have been much in the way of Jingle Bells, or Mistletoe and Wine but, as the Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night (that Silent Night), Hark the Herald Angels sang that Mary`s Boy Child was born. It was the Saviour’s Day.
Stop the Cavalry. Don`t Be Lonely This Christmas. Your local church invites you to Step into Christmas and hear God`s message to you: All I Want For Christmas Is You. May this Christmas, perhaps more than Last Christmas, be the time when we truly receive the gift God wants to give us – His heart. So Come All Ye Faithful. Have a Wonderful Christmas Time. And may the message of Christmas bring Joy to the World.
November 2019: Oh No! Not another Election!
by Rev. Rory McClure, Parkside Evangelical Church
If you're fed up with the shenanigans in Westminster over the last few weeks... few months... few years... your heart probably sank at the thought of another election. If so, you're not alone. Thousands of years ago the psalmist wrote, “Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD.” (Psalm 2:1–2) This frustration with rulers is a surprisingly common theme in the Bible, so take heart. God has been dealing with our complaints about our leaders for a long time.
Perhaps this is why the psalmist warns us, “Do not put your trust in princes [or other political leaders], in mortal men, who cannot save.” (Psalm 146:3) Yet the Bible also tells us to “give thanks for all men” and to pray for “all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy. 2:1-2) Praying like this helps us not to fall into cynicism about our country because we have so much thank God for. Compared to most of history and most of the world, we can live peaceful and quiet lives if we want to. For all of England's faults, few of us would want to live anywhere else.
So rather than placing our hopes in political solutions that we have little influence over, we look to another King and another Kingdom – King Jesus and the Kingdom of God. What matters most to us are the things that we do have influence over – our marriages and children, our friends and neighbours and living in a clean and safe town. These are things that Westminster has the least influence over but they are also what King Jesus is most interested in. That's why church life is so important to Him. Simply attending church on a regular basis helps us to join with like-minded people so that our influence is combined with their influence and with God's influence. By supporting one another we can build stronger families and friendships and pool our resources and talents for the benefit of our community. So, on 12 December do go and vote according to your conscience, but also vote with your feet and get involved in your local church. I'll leave it for you to find out which will make the bigger difference in your life.
Perhaps this is why the psalmist warns us, “Do not put your trust in princes [or other political leaders], in mortal men, who cannot save.” (Psalm 146:3) Yet the Bible also tells us to “give thanks for all men” and to pray for “all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy. 2:1-2) Praying like this helps us not to fall into cynicism about our country because we have so much thank God for. Compared to most of history and most of the world, we can live peaceful and quiet lives if we want to. For all of England's faults, few of us would want to live anywhere else.
So rather than placing our hopes in political solutions that we have little influence over, we look to another King and another Kingdom – King Jesus and the Kingdom of God. What matters most to us are the things that we do have influence over – our marriages and children, our friends and neighbours and living in a clean and safe town. These are things that Westminster has the least influence over but they are also what King Jesus is most interested in. That's why church life is so important to Him. Simply attending church on a regular basis helps us to join with like-minded people so that our influence is combined with their influence and with God's influence. By supporting one another we can build stronger families and friendships and pool our resources and talents for the benefit of our community. So, on 12 December do go and vote according to your conscience, but also vote with your feet and get involved in your local church. I'll leave it for you to find out which will make the bigger difference in your life.
October 2019: The Real Meaning of Hallowe'en
by Fr Carl Davies, Parish Priest of St Catherine’s Littlehampton and St Joseph’s Rustington RC Churches
I have noticed that when the Brexit deadline of 31st October is mentioned on the news that
reference has sometimes been made to its being the date of Hallowe’en - as if this were a
bad omen that would spell inevitable disaster! This has made me wonder if those who have
noticed this coincidence know the real meaning of Hallowe’en.
The word Hallowe’en is a contraction of the words All Hallows Eve (or All Saints Eve) and is
the name given to the day before All Saints Day which occurs each year on 1st November.
On this day Roman Catholics all over the world, and many other Christians besides, attend
church to remember and honour our Christian ancestors - many of whom died for their
Christian faith - and who, we believe, live with God in Heaven.
This formal annual commemoration of All Saints is old and can be traced to the 4th century.
It became more firmly established when the Pantheon in Rome was consecrated as a Christian church in the early 7th century. From that time onwards there was an annual commemoration of All Saints, initially held on 13th May. It was Pope Gregory III, a century or so later, who moved this commemoration to 1st November, to tinge with the Christian hope of eternal life a pagan festival that fell each year on 31st October. This pagan festival marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter and became much associated with darkness, doom and gloom, and death. Bonfires were lit and costumes worn to ward off ghosts. It is these things, these remnants of that pagan festival, that today still much inform the popular imagination about Hallowe’en, and yet the pagan festival had nothing to do with Hallowe’en. The pagan festival would have had its own name and Hallowe’en is of Christian origin.
So in short then, Hallowe’en is not about ghosts and ghouls, doom and gloom, and death,
but about hope, the hope of eternal life in the world to come after a life lived here on earth,
as God has taught us.
reference has sometimes been made to its being the date of Hallowe’en - as if this were a
bad omen that would spell inevitable disaster! This has made me wonder if those who have
noticed this coincidence know the real meaning of Hallowe’en.
The word Hallowe’en is a contraction of the words All Hallows Eve (or All Saints Eve) and is
the name given to the day before All Saints Day which occurs each year on 1st November.
On this day Roman Catholics all over the world, and many other Christians besides, attend
church to remember and honour our Christian ancestors - many of whom died for their
Christian faith - and who, we believe, live with God in Heaven.
This formal annual commemoration of All Saints is old and can be traced to the 4th century.
It became more firmly established when the Pantheon in Rome was consecrated as a Christian church in the early 7th century. From that time onwards there was an annual commemoration of All Saints, initially held on 13th May. It was Pope Gregory III, a century or so later, who moved this commemoration to 1st November, to tinge with the Christian hope of eternal life a pagan festival that fell each year on 31st October. This pagan festival marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter and became much associated with darkness, doom and gloom, and death. Bonfires were lit and costumes worn to ward off ghosts. It is these things, these remnants of that pagan festival, that today still much inform the popular imagination about Hallowe’en, and yet the pagan festival had nothing to do with Hallowe’en. The pagan festival would have had its own name and Hallowe’en is of Christian origin.
So in short then, Hallowe’en is not about ghosts and ghouls, doom and gloom, and death,
but about hope, the hope of eternal life in the world to come after a life lived here on earth,
as God has taught us.
July 2019: A Picture-Perfect Paradise
by Tom Robson, Vicar of All Saints, Wick and Lyminster Churches
The other day I was asked to give a talk on paradise. It was quite a challenge. I wonder what your image of paradise would be. Golden sandy beaches? Panoramic mountain views? In Wembley to watch Brighton lift the FA Cup?
I'm often asked about heaven - ‘What’s it going to be like?’ ‘How can you believe in a place no-one's ever seen?’
In the Bible’s last book, Revelation, there’s an unfolding picture of what eternity will be like - at least, what Christians believe it will be like. Rather than the common image of fluffy clouds and golden-winged angels strumming harps, it actually describes a new heaven and a new earth. It’s a picture of the real world but free from any death, damage, and decay.
And yet the Bible’s focus isn’t really on what it will look like. The focus is on being with the God who, Christians believe, made us, died to bring us forgiveness, and who invites us to share in his eternal life.
And that makes sense to me. I could book a holiday to the most picture-perfect place on earth. But if I went without my family and friends, it would hardly feel like paradise. The moments in my life that have come closest to perfection haven’t been about where I am, they’ve been about who I’m with.
I believe that we were made to know our creator and to enjoy his perfect love forever. Even when we each decided we’d be better off without God, he didn’t leave us to discover how bad a choice we’d made. Instead he came to restore that relationship with him, at his cost. We can’t earn our way to paradise, but we do need to receive the offer of being reunited with him. When the thief crucified alongside Jesus turned and said to him ‘Remember me’, Jesus replied ‘Today you will be with me in paradise.’
Isn’t that such an amazing statement that it deserves a proper investigation? I know it’s not easy to believe, but when we trust who he is and all that he’s done, it becomes the greatest, most perfect gift.
I’ve spent nearly my whole life on the Sussex coast, and it is still my favourite place to be. It’s closest to paradise when I’m enjoying it with the people I love. And that is a taste of the joy I believe any of us can have when we trust Jesus for fullness of life now and eternal life with him.
I'm often asked about heaven - ‘What’s it going to be like?’ ‘How can you believe in a place no-one's ever seen?’
In the Bible’s last book, Revelation, there’s an unfolding picture of what eternity will be like - at least, what Christians believe it will be like. Rather than the common image of fluffy clouds and golden-winged angels strumming harps, it actually describes a new heaven and a new earth. It’s a picture of the real world but free from any death, damage, and decay.
And yet the Bible’s focus isn’t really on what it will look like. The focus is on being with the God who, Christians believe, made us, died to bring us forgiveness, and who invites us to share in his eternal life.
And that makes sense to me. I could book a holiday to the most picture-perfect place on earth. But if I went without my family and friends, it would hardly feel like paradise. The moments in my life that have come closest to perfection haven’t been about where I am, they’ve been about who I’m with.
I believe that we were made to know our creator and to enjoy his perfect love forever. Even when we each decided we’d be better off without God, he didn’t leave us to discover how bad a choice we’d made. Instead he came to restore that relationship with him, at his cost. We can’t earn our way to paradise, but we do need to receive the offer of being reunited with him. When the thief crucified alongside Jesus turned and said to him ‘Remember me’, Jesus replied ‘Today you will be with me in paradise.’
Isn’t that such an amazing statement that it deserves a proper investigation? I know it’s not easy to believe, but when we trust who he is and all that he’s done, it becomes the greatest, most perfect gift.
I’ve spent nearly my whole life on the Sussex coast, and it is still my favourite place to be. It’s closest to paradise when I’m enjoying it with the people I love. And that is a taste of the joy I believe any of us can have when we trust Jesus for fullness of life now and eternal life with him.
June 2019: You can walk a different path from the one our world presents
by Flix Gillett, Arun Church
Are you a citizen of the United Kingdom? Or would you say you’re a citizen of England? Or a citizen of Europe? Or a citizen of the world? Citizenship is so closely linked to our sense of identity. It informs our attitude, our behaviour, our view of the world we live in. It informs the principles with which we align ourselves.
Nearly two thousand years ago a man was writing about a different kind of citizenship that transcended countries and nations. He summed it up in the phrase ‘citizen of heaven’. Is this you? Are you a citizen of heaven? What does that even mean? Even further back in history another author wrote: ‘eternity is in the heart of mankind’.
When I consider these phrases, I start thinking about the temporary nature of our world, our society and the concerns that bombard us every day. Television, magazines, newspapers, advertising, politicians and social media are insistent on telling us what particular topics we must concern ourselves with: Brexit, gender fluidity, Trump, Love Island! It’s so easy for our culture to dictate our values and those subjects that we should either be championing wholeheartedly or conversely champing-at-the-bit about!
But isn’t there something in you that yearns for more than this world offers? Something that wants to smash the ceiling of mediocrity and the cyclic nature of being fed issue after issue of someone else’s agenda? Eternity is in your heart. You have a destiny that transcends the temporary and repetitive nature of our world. We were built for more than this!
Yes, we definitely need to consider and wrestle with the topics of our day, and not disengage with our community. But these issues are just that: ‘of our day’. Another well-known phrase is ‘this world (or country) is going to hell in a handcart’. If that is so, then let’s get out of the handcart!
Christ’s Kingdom has always prioritised those timeless and unfashionable principles of peace, integrity, hope, charity, love and justice. In those values there is no flaw, and the only agenda is to make our world whole again.
You may be a citizen of the United Kingdom, but if you’re a follower of Christ you’re also a citizen of something bigger and far more eternal than simply a green and pleasant land. You can walk a different path from the one our world presents. This isn’t religion, this is citizenship.
Nearly two thousand years ago a man was writing about a different kind of citizenship that transcended countries and nations. He summed it up in the phrase ‘citizen of heaven’. Is this you? Are you a citizen of heaven? What does that even mean? Even further back in history another author wrote: ‘eternity is in the heart of mankind’.
When I consider these phrases, I start thinking about the temporary nature of our world, our society and the concerns that bombard us every day. Television, magazines, newspapers, advertising, politicians and social media are insistent on telling us what particular topics we must concern ourselves with: Brexit, gender fluidity, Trump, Love Island! It’s so easy for our culture to dictate our values and those subjects that we should either be championing wholeheartedly or conversely champing-at-the-bit about!
But isn’t there something in you that yearns for more than this world offers? Something that wants to smash the ceiling of mediocrity and the cyclic nature of being fed issue after issue of someone else’s agenda? Eternity is in your heart. You have a destiny that transcends the temporary and repetitive nature of our world. We were built for more than this!
Yes, we definitely need to consider and wrestle with the topics of our day, and not disengage with our community. But these issues are just that: ‘of our day’. Another well-known phrase is ‘this world (or country) is going to hell in a handcart’. If that is so, then let’s get out of the handcart!
Christ’s Kingdom has always prioritised those timeless and unfashionable principles of peace, integrity, hope, charity, love and justice. In those values there is no flaw, and the only agenda is to make our world whole again.
You may be a citizen of the United Kingdom, but if you’re a follower of Christ you’re also a citizen of something bigger and far more eternal than simply a green and pleasant land. You can walk a different path from the one our world presents. This isn’t religion, this is citizenship.
May 2019: Up, Pup and Away!
by Rev Martin Seymour, Littlehampton Baptist Church
Our Dog Bayley is very protective of his air space over his garden. Seagulls, Pigeons Sparrows, Aeroplanes, all get the same treatment. They are barked at and chased! We are thinking of getting him a steel helmet and an anti-aircraft gun.
I don’t think Bayley understands the concept of flight, and why his chase of anything
airborne must stay as a ground-level endeavour. I have explained it to him many times, as he hits another wall on take-off! As Bayley and I walked recently, we noticed some trucks from Barnsley in the Banjo Road Car Park. They were full of homing pigeons. Bayley knew they were there. He could not believe he had found some humans who had the same ambition as he, to catch pigeons and drive them hundreds of miles away.
I asked the drivers when the pigeons would be released. I wanted Bayley to experience the skies filled with flight. I explained to Bayley they would not be hanging around, but finding their way home. He absorbed the information excitedly and celebrated the news by dropping his ball at my feet.
The moment came and the pigeons launched for freedom. Bayley did not know which way to chase; they flew this way and that. No matter how fast Bayley ran, he could not get lift- off. As the pigeons grouped creating swathes of artistic curves and waves in the skies above us, I joined Bayley in just watching the flying squadrons, all in harmony, first curving overhead towards the East Beach Café, then another swarming change of direction as they flew overhead and made a kind of question-mark shape over Fitzalan Rd. They had to head north – as if, as one, they knew the way home, and as one, they went. Pigeon Loft owners wait for their precious champions to get home, knowing the challenge for their pigeons, their determination to finish the race and the joy of welcoming them home.
We are all born into this life, and maybe we get blown off course, have some tough times, suffer some anguish and sorrow and joy, but eventually we hear those words on our spiritual Satnav: “I am the way the truth the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Then we know our way home and follow Jesus. God wants us all to come home to Him after our life’s journey, through all of our trials and adventures. God waits for you to turn to Him through His Son Jesus “so that none shall perish” (John 3: 16).
Hear all about it in a church near you.
I don’t think Bayley understands the concept of flight, and why his chase of anything
airborne must stay as a ground-level endeavour. I have explained it to him many times, as he hits another wall on take-off! As Bayley and I walked recently, we noticed some trucks from Barnsley in the Banjo Road Car Park. They were full of homing pigeons. Bayley knew they were there. He could not believe he had found some humans who had the same ambition as he, to catch pigeons and drive them hundreds of miles away.
I asked the drivers when the pigeons would be released. I wanted Bayley to experience the skies filled with flight. I explained to Bayley they would not be hanging around, but finding their way home. He absorbed the information excitedly and celebrated the news by dropping his ball at my feet.
The moment came and the pigeons launched for freedom. Bayley did not know which way to chase; they flew this way and that. No matter how fast Bayley ran, he could not get lift- off. As the pigeons grouped creating swathes of artistic curves and waves in the skies above us, I joined Bayley in just watching the flying squadrons, all in harmony, first curving overhead towards the East Beach Café, then another swarming change of direction as they flew overhead and made a kind of question-mark shape over Fitzalan Rd. They had to head north – as if, as one, they knew the way home, and as one, they went. Pigeon Loft owners wait for their precious champions to get home, knowing the challenge for their pigeons, their determination to finish the race and the joy of welcoming them home.
We are all born into this life, and maybe we get blown off course, have some tough times, suffer some anguish and sorrow and joy, but eventually we hear those words on our spiritual Satnav: “I am the way the truth the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Then we know our way home and follow Jesus. God wants us all to come home to Him after our life’s journey, through all of our trials and adventures. God waits for you to turn to Him through His Son Jesus “so that none shall perish” (John 3: 16).
Hear all about it in a church near you.
April 2019: The Easter Story by Rev Naison Hove
Pastor of Littlehampton United Church and St Andrew’s Rustington
For some it begins with Ash Wednesday, with Christian traditionalists burning last year’s palm crosses and making crosses on their foreheads with the remains as a sign of fasting and a prayer for penitence. For others the Easter Story starts with Holy Week, beginning with Maundy Thursday - the Last Supper and the Washing of Feet. This runs through to Easter Sunday when Jesus rose from the dead, with the women who were so close to him visiting the grave only to discover an empty tomb. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is risen! I want to pick up the story from this point.
What was really going on during the events that led to the last days of Jesus two thousand years ago in the Galilee region, in Jerusalem and within the Roman Empire? There is not a single answer to this question, but two ideals were involved: religion and politics. These ideals were at odds with each other. The political ideals of the day felt threatened by the religious ideals. The Jews felt that Jesus was a political threat to them and that His religion had come to destroy their political rule. The only way was to eliminate Him and bring an end to His movement. This led to His arrest after Judas Iscariot’s betrayal and His subsequent crucifixion.
What does this tell us then about the world of politics and the world of religion? Religion has got to challenge the politics of our time. The death of Jesus came about because of God’s plan. That plan was to redeem the Cosmos from sin. So without Easter there wouldn’t be any salvation. The Easter Story then reminds us of the redemptive act of God’s grace through the death and resurrection of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
Today the church worldwide is called to lead the celebration of Easter and point God’s people to love, peace and justice through the story of the Risen Christ. This is the religious ideal that Jesus Christ promoted during His ministry for three solid years. The church of today has to rise up to the challenge of the political and religious ideologies of our time.
Let me end by inviting the churches in Littlehampton to remain resolute to their calling in carrying out God’s Mission. God is calling the church, at Easter and always, to come and join Him where the people are and do his mission, by sharing His love, peace and justice, while feeding the hungry and offering shelter to the homeless.
What was really going on during the events that led to the last days of Jesus two thousand years ago in the Galilee region, in Jerusalem and within the Roman Empire? There is not a single answer to this question, but two ideals were involved: religion and politics. These ideals were at odds with each other. The political ideals of the day felt threatened by the religious ideals. The Jews felt that Jesus was a political threat to them and that His religion had come to destroy their political rule. The only way was to eliminate Him and bring an end to His movement. This led to His arrest after Judas Iscariot’s betrayal and His subsequent crucifixion.
What does this tell us then about the world of politics and the world of religion? Religion has got to challenge the politics of our time. The death of Jesus came about because of God’s plan. That plan was to redeem the Cosmos from sin. So without Easter there wouldn’t be any salvation. The Easter Story then reminds us of the redemptive act of God’s grace through the death and resurrection of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
Today the church worldwide is called to lead the celebration of Easter and point God’s people to love, peace and justice through the story of the Risen Christ. This is the religious ideal that Jesus Christ promoted during His ministry for three solid years. The church of today has to rise up to the challenge of the political and religious ideologies of our time.
Let me end by inviting the churches in Littlehampton to remain resolute to their calling in carrying out God’s Mission. God is calling the church, at Easter and always, to come and join Him where the people are and do his mission, by sharing His love, peace and justice, while feeding the hungry and offering shelter to the homeless.
March 2019: Introducing Myself to the Community of Littlehampton
by Martin Garratt, Leader of Trinity Church
This is my first opportunity to introduce myself to the community of Littlehampton. I recently moved here with my wife and family from Worthing with the sole purpose of starting a new church in the town. Trinity Church was launched in October 2018 with around 20 adults and we have been meeting for the past six months at River Beach Primary School at 10am each Sunday. It has been lovely to meet people from the town who have decided to join us each week. The welcome we have received has been wonderful and the other churches in the town have made us feel part of the wider Christian community. Our aim is to join them in sharing the love God has for the people of Littlehampton. As Trinity Church gets established in the town, we want to provide a place where people can gather to love and worship Jesus, grow to be more like Him and go out into the community to make Him known to others.
As with a new church, everything feels very fresh and exciting. As I write this article we are currently enjoying the hottest February ever, and flowers, birds and insects are starting to get ready for spring. Spring is such a wonderful time. We get to see new birth and renewal bursting out from what can often seem so dead, like blossom on what has been a barren tree for months. And at this time of year the church begins to prepare for the most significant celebration of the Christian calendar: Easter. We are reminded of the death and resurrection of Jesus, the ultimate example of new life bursting from what was dead. Having been crucified and buried in a sealed tomb, Jesus, on that first Easter Sunday, burst from the grave with resurrection power. He dramatically demonstrated that death no longer had a hold on Him.
This new life, found only in Jesus, is available to each one of us. Why not find out more about what faith in Jesus is all about this Easter by attending one of the church services planned across the town, or pop into the town centre on Good Friday, where you will be able to join us as we remember the events of that first Easter.
As the signs of spring become more and more visible, may each of us see signs of new life taking root in our own lives, as we take seriously the invitation Jesus gives each one of us - to be born again and to receive the gift of eternal life.
As with a new church, everything feels very fresh and exciting. As I write this article we are currently enjoying the hottest February ever, and flowers, birds and insects are starting to get ready for spring. Spring is such a wonderful time. We get to see new birth and renewal bursting out from what can often seem so dead, like blossom on what has been a barren tree for months. And at this time of year the church begins to prepare for the most significant celebration of the Christian calendar: Easter. We are reminded of the death and resurrection of Jesus, the ultimate example of new life bursting from what was dead. Having been crucified and buried in a sealed tomb, Jesus, on that first Easter Sunday, burst from the grave with resurrection power. He dramatically demonstrated that death no longer had a hold on Him.
This new life, found only in Jesus, is available to each one of us. Why not find out more about what faith in Jesus is all about this Easter by attending one of the church services planned across the town, or pop into the town centre on Good Friday, where you will be able to join us as we remember the events of that first Easter.
As the signs of spring become more and more visible, may each of us see signs of new life taking root in our own lives, as we take seriously the invitation Jesus gives each one of us - to be born again and to receive the gift of eternal life.
February 2019: Hope or wishful thinking?
by Rory McClure, Pastor of Parkside Evangelical Church
Would you be willing to go to jail because of something you hope in? Probably not, if you're hoping to win the lottery. Given that it is almost certain that you won't win the lottery, that would be absurd. Playing the lottery is more about wishful thinking than it is about hope. The sort of wishful thinking we engage in when we say, “I wish I was 25 again” or “I wish I could play for England.” Hope is very different. Pretending and wishful thinking ultimately end up in disappointment, but hope is based on something realistic. The more likely it is, the more people who have already seen that hope fulfilled, the more you and I can increase our hope.
St. Paul in the Bible was arrested because of the hope he had. In court he said, “I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead.” (Acts 23:6) This was no mere wishful thinking. Nobody would face trial and possible execution for something that was just “wouldn't it be nice if...” So what was the basis of Paul's hope? First and foremost, he met the Lord Jesus after He had been resurrected from the dead. Not only that, he knew that over 500 people had also met Jesus after He had risen from the dead. His hope was grounded in reality and that hope was so life- changing he was willing to risk imprisonment so that he could share that hope with others.
The Christian hope is not mere wishful thinking. It is based on the facts of history and on the eyewitness accounts of the people who lived through these things. That hope has repeatedly been challenged. Ironically, after 200 years of attack, doubt and criticism, Christians can be even more confident in our hope. Why? Because the facts have withstood the doubts. This Easter, Christians will be celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. On the Saturday after Easter (27 April, 6:30 pm), churches across Littlehampton will be inviting doubters and the curious to watch the Hollywood movie, The Case For Christ at Parkside Evangelical Church, St Flora's Road. The film tells the true story of a sceptical journalist trying to disprove Christ's resurrection and finding he can't. We'll even be inviting you to ask your questions after. Why? Because we want to share with you our hope and the comfort and strength it gives us. Now, isn't that better than just wishful thinking?
St. Paul in the Bible was arrested because of the hope he had. In court he said, “I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead.” (Acts 23:6) This was no mere wishful thinking. Nobody would face trial and possible execution for something that was just “wouldn't it be nice if...” So what was the basis of Paul's hope? First and foremost, he met the Lord Jesus after He had been resurrected from the dead. Not only that, he knew that over 500 people had also met Jesus after He had risen from the dead. His hope was grounded in reality and that hope was so life- changing he was willing to risk imprisonment so that he could share that hope with others.
The Christian hope is not mere wishful thinking. It is based on the facts of history and on the eyewitness accounts of the people who lived through these things. That hope has repeatedly been challenged. Ironically, after 200 years of attack, doubt and criticism, Christians can be even more confident in our hope. Why? Because the facts have withstood the doubts. This Easter, Christians will be celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. On the Saturday after Easter (27 April, 6:30 pm), churches across Littlehampton will be inviting doubters and the curious to watch the Hollywood movie, The Case For Christ at Parkside Evangelical Church, St Flora's Road. The film tells the true story of a sceptical journalist trying to disprove Christ's resurrection and finding he can't. We'll even be inviting you to ask your questions after. Why? Because we want to share with you our hope and the comfort and strength it gives us. Now, isn't that better than just wishful thinking?
January 2019: Prince Philip’s Great Aunt is an Orthodox Saint!
by Fr Carl Davies, Parish Priest of St Catherine’s Littlehampton and St Joseph’s Rustington RC Churches
I have just returned from a brief break in Jerusalem. It was my fourth visit to the city but the first time I had had the opportunity of visiting the shrine of the Grand Duchess Elisabeth of Russia. The Grand Duchess is a Martyr of the Russian Orthodox Church and her mortal remains are to be found in the chapel of the Convent of St Mary Magdalen on the Mount of Olives where they lie in a glass-topped sarcophagus.
The Grand Duchess was born Princess Elisabeth of Hesse in 1864. She was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, the elder sister of the last Czarina Alexandra and a great-aunt of our own Prince Philip. Like her sister she too had married into the Russian Imperial Family when she wed Grand Duke Sergei on the 15th June 1884 in the Winter Palace at St Petersburg. In 1891 she formally adopted the Russian Orthodox faith, having become increasingly absorbed in it since her marriage. Elisabeth also very quickly impressed the Russian people with her charitable works and her concern for the poor.
Sadly, in 1905 Grand Duke Sergei was assassinated when a revolutionary hurled a bomb into his carriage at the Kremlin. Somehow Elisabeth, and this is a measure of the sort of woman she was, was able to publicly forgive his assassin. Now a widow and with the marriage having been childless she was able to dedicate herself more fully to her charitable endeavours. To this end Elisabeth decided to leave the Imperial Court to become a Nun. She spoke of this as leaving one world for a “greater world”. She founded the Martha and Mary Home for the downtrodden in Moscow and having gathered around her a number of like-minded women, they were in due course consecrated as Sisters of Love and Mercy with Elisabeth as their Abbess. Their work of nursing and the relief of the poor continued.
The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 led to Elisabeth’s arrest and transportation to Alapaievsk in the Urals where on the 18th July 1918, with another from the Convent and a number of the Romanovs, she was put to death by being thrown down a mineshaft. There they died slowly. A local heard them singing psalms for some time. When after the fall of Communism the mineshaft was reopened, Elisabeth was found to have fallen onto a ledge some 50 feet down. It was clear from her remains that she had died clutching an icon of Jesus to her breast.
The Grand Duchess was born Princess Elisabeth of Hesse in 1864. She was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, the elder sister of the last Czarina Alexandra and a great-aunt of our own Prince Philip. Like her sister she too had married into the Russian Imperial Family when she wed Grand Duke Sergei on the 15th June 1884 in the Winter Palace at St Petersburg. In 1891 she formally adopted the Russian Orthodox faith, having become increasingly absorbed in it since her marriage. Elisabeth also very quickly impressed the Russian people with her charitable works and her concern for the poor.
Sadly, in 1905 Grand Duke Sergei was assassinated when a revolutionary hurled a bomb into his carriage at the Kremlin. Somehow Elisabeth, and this is a measure of the sort of woman she was, was able to publicly forgive his assassin. Now a widow and with the marriage having been childless she was able to dedicate herself more fully to her charitable endeavours. To this end Elisabeth decided to leave the Imperial Court to become a Nun. She spoke of this as leaving one world for a “greater world”. She founded the Martha and Mary Home for the downtrodden in Moscow and having gathered around her a number of like-minded women, they were in due course consecrated as Sisters of Love and Mercy with Elisabeth as their Abbess. Their work of nursing and the relief of the poor continued.
The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 led to Elisabeth’s arrest and transportation to Alapaievsk in the Urals where on the 18th July 1918, with another from the Convent and a number of the Romanovs, she was put to death by being thrown down a mineshaft. There they died slowly. A local heard them singing psalms for some time. When after the fall of Communism the mineshaft was reopened, Elisabeth was found to have fallen onto a ledge some 50 feet down. It was clear from her remains that she had died clutching an icon of Jesus to her breast.