Saturday 24 December 2011

Happy Christmas

Let me start by wishing you a very happy Christmas.  I hope that you enjoy good company and an really blessed time.  I hope too that there will be space to reflect on the real meaning and purpose of Christmas.

A chest infection has effectively cancelled many aspects of Christmas for me.  I gave it to Doreen too which wasn't kind!  But we have looked after each other.  But it was a shame to have to apologise for being failing to be Father Christmas at a local school, and again for not taking the Seniors' Carol Service in the village, then not being present for our special Christmas warmer, and - worst of all - having to cancel our first possible Christmas day service at Yelvertoft chapel!!!!   Aaaargh!!

Church is about more than sermons
I did make it through last Sunday when we had a super special occasion at Yelvertoft Congregational Church.  Ann Lund is a regular part of the church there.  Her husband John is a good friend to us.  They wanted to celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary with family and friends at church, and asked me to arrange a service in which they could renew their wedding vows.  I wonder what members of their family, some of whom had come considerable distances, were expecting!

The Happy Couple
John and Ann entered the church arm in arm to rapturous applause.  We sang hymns they had sung at their wedding, reflected on the gift of love from God, and had elements much the same as you would find in a wedding service.  This was followed by speeches from their children and a fantastic meal.  The centre of the church was cleared, tables laid and soon groaning with good things.  We managed to seat everyone - just.  Members of the congregation had contributed to purchase a £50 (to match the anniversary) basket of goodies that was unwrapped to the surprise of John and Ann.  Everything was gold (see picture).

The warmth of the fellowship was palpable.  One of the visitors said that if church was always like that he would come every week!  Well, he lived quite a way from us, but all the love and fellowship that created this wonderful occasion was our normal experience.  There are some things you can do in a village church that are somehow of a quality that town churches find hard to match.

Before being finally overcome with the chest infection (sleeping has been especially difficult) I did manage to get into Lubenham School and take an assembly.  I included in this the carol "It's Christmas Day" that was written by a 13 year old.  It went down very well.  So, in closing this posting I would like to add some links.  You will need to have sound turned on.  Click here if you want to see and hear this lovely carol.  For those (like me) who are particular about biblical facts you have to imagine a full stop after the bit about the shepherds and let the words "Guided by..." be the first part of what follows!  I think it's a super song.

Then, for those who appreciate something more 'cool' and 'groovy', take a look at this presentation of the passage from Luke 2.  It gets 12 out of 10 from me.  Both of those links are worth passing on to others.  I intend to see if we can get the latter one performed next year at the schools I work in.

Finally it has been gratifying and humbling to have a lot of interest in the 'Angels' Tearoom' sketch I have written.  If you have a church that likes to use such things you are welcome to download it from the Rural Mission Solutions website.

We planned to take almost all of next week off but I have colleagues abroad wanting me to provide material to help advance the gospel in their rural areas so some time I will be writing.  Otherwise, as I have been learning, it is good to 'come apart' before you come apart.

Peace and joy to you this Christmas,

Barry


Saturday 17 December 2011

The plans of mice and men...

You will recall that in the last Praise & Prayer News I mentioned that I had developed a cold and had to cancel a trip to Winchester on Monday.  Over the next few days things got worse.  I cancelled my weekly visit to Gartree Prison, then cancelled a Christmas Dinner, then apologised that I could not take the annual Christmas Carol Service for the older folk in the village, then yet another special Christmas event was cancelled.  At this point Doreen started to develop the same symptoms and I changed from being patient to nurse.  It is a particularly unpleasant virus with an unproductive irritating cough that robs one of sleep and leaves one feeling pretty exhausted.  Even the task of sending Christmas cards suffered as I kept dropping asleep until the next coughing fit awoke me.

So nothing of real interest to share with you!  On the plus side it was good to see how folk rallied round and things went on perfectly well without me.  I ought also to state that quite a lot of people have downloaded the simple Christmas drama, The Angel's Tearoom, and we had lots of appreciative comments.  It is still available at www.ruralmissionsolutions.org.uk/resources

As things are now I anticipate that I will be fit enough to take the meeting in the morning which will include renewal of marriage vows for a couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this Christmas time.  I have planned a special service that will echo their original wedding.  After the services we are having a 'reception'.  Their relatives will be attending so I value your prayers that God's presence will be felt and that his word will produce a harvest.

Other diary engagements this week include...

Monday 19th School Assembly, Lubenham, Leicestershire

Tuesday 20th Final visit this year to Gartree Prison.  Christmas can be a very difficult time for men serving long sentences in prison.  Pray for wisdom and grace.

Wednesday 21st I should be back at Lubenham Primary School in full Father Christmas costume for the first two classes.  Despite the padding out with cushions and a disguised voice some of the children often recognise me, but it makes no difference as they just enjoy the fun.  Of course Father Christmas ensures that they remember whose birthday we are celebrating.

Friday 23rd I am expected at the annual round of carol singing in Theddingworth village.  It's a small village and we usually manage to do about 90% in an evening raising money for a children's hospice..

Christmas Day we have a simple but special service at Yelvertoft, Northants.

Doreen and I are then taking the rest of the week off and mostly resting at home, with one family gathering.  Most people reading this will have the usual hectic time with family activities over the holiday period.  However, if you are on your own, or if the mood takes you, we would really love to hear from you at some stage.  There are several ways in which we could enjoy a few moments of fellowship.
  • You could phone on either 01858 414930 or 07720 322213
  • If you use Skype, you can call me.  I am revbarry.
  • If you use Facebook, you can use chat.
We really are happy to have calls from friends.

Some of those receiving this will know that there is a super Christmas song written by a lad who was only 13 at the time.  Click this link as long as you have sound turned on on your computer/laptop/Ipad etc.  If you listen carefully you might spot something factually incorrect - though it depends where you put a semi-colon.

It only remains for me to thank you most sincerely for your friendship and fellowship through the year.  I pray that God will make this occasion very special for you, and will grant us a fruitful 2012in his service.

Barry

Sunday 11 December 2011

Important events

I am writing this in a brief moment before setting off for our Sunday morning meeting at Yelvertoft.  Despite the fact that there were not many engagements this week it has seemed very busy.  One of the tasks that I have been engaged upon has been writing letters to friends and relatives and sending them out with Christmas cards.  Last year we produced our own card combined with a letter; this year we have been supporting a charity that relies on card sales.  It isn't always easy to know what is the right way to mark this special time of the year without getting caught up with the commercialisation.  The man who runs my local sub post office told me that he has run out of the 10,000 special stamps he purchased!

The process has reminded me of just how rich Doreen and I are when it comes to family, friends and other relatives.  It has also provided the opportunity to look back over the year and record God's blessings.  We are truly thankful.

At this stage I had to break off and I am continuing writing on Monday morning.  Today I should have been going to Winchester for a supervision meeting at the University but I developed a cold over the weekend that has gone to my chest so I have requested a telephone conference instead to avoid risking incapacitating me for the next two weeks!

Yesterday morning instead of giving a talk as usual in the meeting at Yelvertoft I used the script of a four part drama entitled 'The Angel's Tearoom'.  This involves discussions between angels of the four occasions in which they were involved in the Christmas story.  It needs a little polishing but if anyone is interested in having a copy you can download it from this link.   We interspersed this with hymns and carols chosen by the congregation.

In the afternoon we had the Christmas Carol Service at Gartree Prison.  We were packed out.  The SA band and songsters from Kettering led everything musical and my choir sang 'Come now with awe' to Finlandia.  It went very well, as did the whole event.

I might have to give this week's Tuesday visit to prison a miss to save straining my lungs.  I have learned from previous years that working and singing through heavy chesty colds is far from wise.  It would just set me back for the other events coming up...

On Wednesday  I am leading the carol service for the village Seniors Circle in the afternoon.  Then on Thursday we have the Christmas Warmer at Yelvertoft.  This is the main Christmas event for our church and contrasts and complements what goes on from the Parish Church.  It is based around generous hospitality and is not a church service.  We sing favourite carols as chosen by those attending.  The message of Christmas is subtly interwoven with the carols.

Next Sunday 18th we have a special service in the morning at Yelvertoft that will incorporate the renewal of marriage vows by a couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.  I have designed a service that will echo much of their wedding, including their original hymns.  The couple will process in, and they have some new rings to exchange as well as promises.  Afterwards we are having a wedding meal in the church for congregation and members of their family.  I think making their vows in front of their adult children and grandchildren will be very special.  If the format is useful to anyone else please email or phone me.

During the next two weeks a number of key dates will be fixed in the diary creating a framework around which the research will be developed.  Please pray for wisdom as the 'jigsaw' comes together.

Thank you again for your friendship and support in prayer.

Barry

Saturday 3 December 2011

Just a normal week?

I find it difficult to explain what a 'normal week' is.  For the past 47 years my life has not had much obvious routine, though my pastoral responsibilities tend to create certain moments in each week that follow a clear pattern.  There is also a tendency when one is dependent to a certain extent on the interest, prayer and support of Christian friends to want to impress people with the fact that life is often busy.  So the more 'normal' week just passed gives an opportunity to focus on some of the things that bring me joy.

Take last Sunday, for example.  In the morning I felt that we should explore the subject of healing in our morning meeting at Yelvertoft.  However, a rather unbalanced attitude before our ministry began apparently led to hurt and division.  Dealing with such a weighty subject in the limited context of a Sunday service is also a challenge.  And yet, from my perspective, it proved a precious time in which we felt something of God's heart of compassion for those in need, an awareness of God's unchanging power to heal, balanced with an awareness of healing as a gift from God and our own inescapable mortality.

Our style of ministry is usually interactive, both at Yelvertoft and elsewhere.  The theme for the service at Theddingworth in the evening was 'divine guidance' and again it felt to me that it had been not only informative but a spiritual feast as we explored when, why and how God guides.  [You might like to read some reflection on guidance at barryosborne.blogspot.com]. Sometimes it is possible to open God's word and feed the mind, but at other times, like Sunday, the heart also feels warmed and the soul enriched.  In both services the hymns and songs were a blessing.  Just a normal Sunday but precious moments of fellowship with friends and with God.

On Monday I went to London for a meeting with others to look at the work of Rejesus.  This is one of the first evangelistic websites and is 'owned' by the Churches.  It sits alongside other evangelistic websites that have sprung up since Rejesus was started.  While it is far from being the cleanest and simplest of websites it has some amazing material on it.  Please take a look at www.rejesus.co.uk and explore the various areas.  You might like to look at two other evangelistic websites: www.christianity.org.uk run by the Christian Enquiry Agency, and www.lookingforgod.com which is run by United Christian Broadcasters.  Do you have links to these websites in your church magazines and website?  I hope so.

On Tuesday, after driving Doreen to her regular morning working for Torch Trust for the Blind I had a few moments for prayerful reflection on next year's school assemblies in Yelvertoft.  The thought of a series based on the adventures of the early Christians came to mind and five minutes with an open Bible produced sufficient topics from Acts for January to Easter.  My colleagues from two other churches warmed to these and in no time we had what looks like a neat and exciting series of assembly themes. It just felt that the Holy Spirit was helping us in this task.

The choir practice at Gartree Prison that afternoon focused on the carol the choir will sing at this year's Carol Service.  It is 98 in Mission Praise: 'Come now with awe'.  Towards the end of the practice I was able to sit with the men and talk through with them the truths behind Timothy Dudley Smith's profound poetry in this carol.  It was a little 'wow' moment.  Incidentally 'C' a prisoner who had been a problem in the past has been a real asset over recent weeks.  A real answer to prayer.

Thursday morning came and Doreen and I set off for the morning Bible Discussion Group at Yelvertoft.  We were ten people (two apologies) meeting to explore the first half of Philippians 2.  We are a diverse group and the discussion buzzed as we explored not only the fabulous verses from 5 to 11 but also the reason it is there as spelled out in the verses on either side.  This was the last time the group will meet this year but they are keen to start again in the first week of January.

So as near as possible this is a normal week and will not be that different from that of some reading this.  Of course, what makes it special is God's tangible presence and blessing.  I think it would have not had those special moments had it not been for your prayers.

The week ahead
Sunday - Yelvertoft Congregational Church
Tuesday - Choir practice at Gartree Prison (we expect a TV crew to film part of this)
Wednesday - evening Bible Discussion Group at Yelvertoft.
Saturday - preparing for some special events
Sunday - Yelvertoft in the morning and the Prison Carol Service in the afternoon.

Please pray that hearts will be touched and that I will walk closely with God.  Please remember my colleague working this week in Kenya.

Thank you again for your prayers on our behalf.  Do give thanks to God with us for his blessings.

Barry