"I continue to be concerned..."

My apologies to faithful friends who visited the blog in the last few days and found this update missing!

The past week involved two journeys to the Arthur Rank Centre in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire.  The first was for a meeting of the Churches Rural Group (a coordinating group of CTE) and the second was for an editorial board meeting for Country Way magazine.  Have you seen the latest edition - it is really good.  If you don't subscribe to this high quality magazine about faith and life in rural Britain I encourage you to take out a year's subscription to give it a try.  Email me with Country Way in the header if you are interested.

One additional special meeting in the week was at Churches Together in Harborough AGM.  CTH does excellent work but the meeting ended on a worrying note as there were no nominations for a new Chairman.

It was encouraging to receive emails appreciating the 21st Century Stewardship booklet.  Several are planning to use this in other locations.  It certainly is needed.  Perhaps the lack of offers for CTH chairmanship also reflects contemporary problems with stewardship of time as well as money.

We had a busy Sunday.  It started with a service in Gartree Prison, which was also the final Sunday Service for the Coordinating Chaplain, Peter Molcher, who is retiring.  There was a very real sense of God's presence and many were clearly touched within the large congregation.  From prison I hastened to pick up Doreen and go to Yelvertoft.   The wonderful meeting at the prison over-ran so we got to Yelvertoft 15 minutes late.  The majority of our regular congregation were away so we were only six.  We used the meeting to do an interactive Bible study on the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch.  This is such a good way to read and study scripture and it is so encouraging to see how people seem to be stirred by such engagement with God's word.  Then in the evening I arrived at Theddingworth Chapel to find I was expected to lead the evening meeting.  The previous week we had been encouraged to read James 2.  It was another excellent Bible study with everyone participating helpfully.  All in all a good day.

This Week
Tuesday afternoon 31st Gartree Prison - please pray for helpful conversations in the fellowship time after choir practice.

Tuesday evening: Church Meeting at Theddingworth.

Wednesday: all day in London.  I hope to meet with a colleague in mission in the morning.  In the afternoon I will be taking part in an interview with the Church Times prior to the launch of the document about supporting victims of sexual abuse.  The document gets launched at the General Synod of the Church of England in July.  The interview is followed by a meeting called by friends seeking to put right unrighteous acts of a different kind many years ago in another organisation.

[I continue to be alarmed at well meaning Christians who think that a sexual predator who has done time for one of his offences (out of several) should now be fully reinstated within Christian ministry even though he has never apologised for what he has done.  This is a recipe for repeat offending and is very dangerous.  Abusers are very manipulative and far too many Christians are dangerously soft.]


Thursday we have a lunch time service of thanksgiving for one of those who shared in our recent Lent course in the village.  Her passing will leave the village poorer.  Then in the evening we are back to Yelvertoft for the Church Meeting when we shall face some challenging issues.

On Friday morning I travel to Sunbury on Thames where, in the afternoon, I am meeting with yet another victim of sexual abuse.  I'm not sure whether or not her abuse took place in a Christian context.  Please pray that a Salvation army colleague and I will listen well and be wise.

On Saturday I am teaching morning and afternoon at the International Headquarters of the Salvation Army which are in Sunbury as part of  the SA Safe & Sound programme.  As I have said before this is an exceptionally thorough child safety programme and I am delighted to share in the teaching.

Then on Sunday 5th I am back ministering at Yelvertoft.

As you see this is a busy week and study, admin and ministry preparation have to fitted in as well.  Please make this a week when you pray for Doreen and me each day.

Thank you.

Barry

Doing what we can

At last Monday's Trustee Meeting it was good to see our Chairman, Stan Acland, who recently underwent major heart surgery.  In his opening prayers he read from Mark 14 the story of Mary anointing Jesus, and emphasised the phrase, "She did what she could".  While a meditation on this phrase is far from new to me I had never before linked it with the timing of doing what she could.  It was the sense of her doing what she could when she could that the Holy Spirit brought home to me.

We don't know exactly when but we know that it must have been somewhere within a six day window of opportunity.  It was an act of devotion relating in advance to Jesus' burial.  People who were crucified were not normally anointed at the time of burial, as was normal for everyone else.

Doing what we can has an important message.  What we can do for God we should do for God.  Firstly, no offering of service is too small or too insignificant.  Secondly, just because we might not be able to do what we would like to do for God is not an excuse for doing nothing!  But we should also do what we can when we can.  There is an urgency about God's work that should move us to action now!

I had travelled down to Sussex on the Sunday evening for the Trustees Meeting the following day.  If you have read last week's post you will realise that I was kept busy right through to Saturday evening so the preparation for the Trustees Meeting took place on Sunday afternoon.  Preparation for Sunday morning at Yelvertoft took place late Saturday evening and early Sunday morning, but the seeds had been sown over preceding days.  I took as my theme the Bible as the word of God and did it in three sections with appropriate hymns woven among them.

The first section was why I believe the Bible to be an inspired book: (a) the uniqueness of 66 books written over possibly1500 years and by possibly 40 different authors, yet fitting together to tell one story; (b) the fact that the passing of years and scientific development has not categorically disproved its record; (c) the prophetic aspects - so many fulfilled; and (d) the fact that God speaks to me through its words.  We also reflected on what we understand inspiration to mean, and how to read the Bible.  The second section was the whole of the Bible told in about 5 minutes (they applauded me for that!).  Finally we reflected on how Jesus used scripture (and how Satan did too) as recorded in Matthew 4.  It was encouraging to find that God blessed this both to new Christians and to those who have been on the road for many years. Thank you Lord.

Significant time has been spent subsequent to the Trustees Meeting on administrative duties arising from the meeting.  Yesterday two magazines came in the post: "Country Way" and "The Reader" (a magazine for Anglican lay ministers. Both contained articles I had written for the encouragement of others. Part of this morning was spent writing some notes with pastoral advice on things to consider by older people living alone in their home after bereavement.  I have since received a request to write an edited version for a Christian magazine.  As a village pastor and evangelist I am used to speaking to small numbers of people.  What goes in print reaches many hundreds so I ask your prayers please.  (Incidentally I have put the June Parish magazine article, that will be read by several hundred in and around Yelvertoft, on the other blog at barryosborne.blogspot.com.)

Tonight I am off to hear Adrian and Bridget Plass.  We were 'neighbours' when we lived in Herstmonceux and it will be good to meet up again.

Your prayers for this week please
Give thanks for Stan Aclands recovery after his heart operation.
Remember Graham and Maureen Wise.  Graham is a trustee and Maureen's mother died a few days before the Trustees Meeting.
Give thanks for an excellent choir practice in the prison last Tuesday.  Pray that the Christian songs we sing and our company may be used to draw men to Christ.
This Sunday morning (22nd) I am taking the meeting at Clarendon Park Congregational Church, Leicester.
Tuesday 24th I attend the Churches Rural Group meeting at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire (This is a working group for Churches Together in England).
Wednesday 25th I attend an Editorial Board meeting for "Country Way" also at Stoneleigh.
Regular activities of administration and pastoral care will take place during the week as well as study related to the research degree.
I am receiving repeated requests to visit Sierra Leone to support some rural evangelism there.  I am inclined to think I am too busy but is this a call from God?  Please pray that I will be sure what I am to do.

Thank you for praying through these things with us.

Barry

What is God saying?

Way back around 1990 when I was doing regular work for the Diocese of Portsmouth I spent an afternoon with the congregation from one of the village churches and had felt a strong exercise of mind that I felt to be the leading of the Holy Spirit.  We were looking at what makes a mission strategy "appropriate", and I felt I had to emphasise that it is only appropriate if it is what God was asking the church to do.  What I felt I had to do was to ask the people what they felt God was saying to them at this time.

At the appropriate moment I posed the question which was met with painful silence.  Feeling rather foolish I was all for moving on with the programme when I felt the Holy Spirit urge me to press the point again, but in a different way.  "Is there anyone here," I asked, "who feels that God has been speaking to you recently?  Perhaps it might seem like a theme that keeps coming up."

This was a middle-of-the-road Anglican church, not consciously given to supernatural revelation of any kind.  Was this all my imagination to press this point?  Then a young woman in the group of around 24 people raised her hand.  I asked her if she would feel comfortable telling everyone what she felt God had been saying to her, and was pleased when she shared that she felt God had been saying that she should not be embarrassed to mention her faith in Jesus to others.

Now I was relieved that at least someone had responded, and I was ready once more to get further into my prepared programme.  Then once again came that urging of the Spirit.  So taking a deep breath I returned to the issue one more time.  "Tell me," I said, "but please be honest, is there anyone else who feels that God has been saying to you personally exactly what he has been saying to this young woman?"

24 hands were immediately raised!  I am not sure who was most amazed - me or the vicar?  This was the first time (as far as I am aware) of this congregation discovering God in their midst, speaking to them as a church.

Yesterday (Saturday), I attended the Annual Assembly of the Congregational Federation.  The incoming President, Brian Grist, took as his theme, "What is God saying to us?"  He was bold enough to include in his Presidential Address a time of inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to us.  We were then to write down what we felt we were hearing and check it out in small groups.  What I wrote is not relevant here but the importance of ensuring we have some space and method for capturing what we believe God to be saying - or asking of us is vital.  How do you do this in your church?

The past week in a nutshell
It has been mostly a matter of playing catch up after two weeks off.  On top of my pastoral work there was the regular prison visit, a planning meeting for a summer outreach, a visit to the Christian Resources Exhibition, and preparing materials for yesterday's meeting and this Monday's Sunrise Ministries trustees' meeting.

I'm not sure that I told you that I managed to fit Doreen's electric scooter into the back of the recently acquired Vauxhall Meriva.  It was good to prove it could be done and enabled Doreen and me to enjoy an activity during last week's break that her walking difficulties would otherwise have prevented.  I am so grateful for the advice a good friend gave, and the opportunity to purchase a 3 year old car with only 10,000 miles use for a reasonable price.  God is good!

The coming week
This Sunday morning I am leading the meeting and speaking at Yelvertoft.  Then some final preparation work before going to Hastings ready for the trustees meeting on Monday morning.  Stan, our chairman is recovering from a heart operation and might be well enough to be with us.  Graham, another trustee cannot be with us as they have had a bereavement in their family.  Both need prayers please.

There will be some administration work with my colleague Monica in the afternoon. The rest of the week does not have many engagements so I hope to catch up on the study programme.  We are reaching a critical stage on the MPhil/PhD research degree and this part of the work is challenging.  It is not that I need the degree or have not enough to keep me busy.  I feel strongly that I serious study of rural evangelism is a must before I get much older.  Out of this work I hope to produce articles, papers, and perhaps a book to help those God calls to follow in rural evangelism.  It is every bit as important as other aspects of active ministry, but in many ways this stage is a lot harder.  I need your prayers please.

Next Sunday I will be back at Clarendon Park Congregational Church, Leicester.

Final remarks
Thank you for your prayers.  Please drop us an email to let me know you have been praying and tell us your news.  We are thankful also for gifts received towards the work.  Last year we ran at a loss which is indicative of the difficult times we are passing through.  I am sure we are not the only ones affected in this way and we need to pray for one another and look to our faithful God.

Barry

Back from a break

It's Sunday evening and Doreen and I have just travelled back home from Portsmouth.  We discovered that the B&B at Whitchurch we had booked several weeks ago turned out to be a Christian family.  They run a dairy farm with 120 cows.  I am a keen advocate for Farm Stay UK.

Lots of interesting photos to be added a.s.a.p.

This morning we attended a church meeting in Portsmouth and was immediately transported back to Africa by the worship.  Many Ugandans and other folk from Africa in the congregation.  We were given a good welcome.  Not exactly my preferred style of worship but I would prefer exuberant (and it was very) to lifeless any day.

We joined members of Doreen's family for our sister-in-law's 80th birthday lunch in Fort Nelson.  Very nice meal but exceeded by the company!  Great to meet up again - and not at a funeral.

Saturday I was in Winchester University for a session on Research Training.  I seem to be doing reasonably well but I am eager to press ahead with this aspect of ministry (I'm researching rural evangelism in order to produce something that has some academic rigour on the topic).  I plan to dedicate mornings to this programme, and where possible restrict other activities to afternoons and evenings.  We'll see how well that might work out.

I have added a posting to my "Reflections" blog.  It seemed that some might like to read my monthly magazine piece that goes into the Yelvertoft Parish magazine.  Comments are always welcome.  Incidentally I know that many more read this blog each week that have signed on as followers.  It would be great if you would sign on as a follower.  Click the link above.

We came back to a pile of post on the doormat including a super encouraging letter from the person who got a pilot copy of the second CD of Treasured Gospel Songs.  Knowing how God is still using these great songs to bless people is exciting.  It is intriguing to find fans of this style among people more used to modern gospel songs.  Obviously it is retro.  One young Christian friend called the song on YouTube "scary"!  I'm inclined to think that's not a compliment!  Copies available soon for those that would like them.

The week ahead
Lots of administration to do plus work on the research degree.  Pastoral visits also needed through the week.

Tuesday 10th  Planning Meeting for the "Holiday at Home" programme booked in August.  Followed by my regular activities in Gartree Prison.  The concert is scheduled for the following week.

Wednesday 11th I hope to go to the Christian Resources Exhibition in Esher, Surrey.

Saturday 14th Annual Assembly in Birmingham

Sunday 15th Yelvertoft Congregational Church

Monday 16th Sunrise Ministries Trustees Meeting, Battle, East Sussex.

Thank you for your partnership.

Barry