The Rector Writes – August 2008
Dear Friends
I am delighted to hear that so many people are taking advantage of the Open Church Afternoons organised by members of the Parish Church. Their small team has been kept busy by a stream of visitors who come to look round the building, examine the registers, take part in a quiz or see their teddy abseil down the tower! So many people are familiar with the outside of St Cynfarch’s but here is a good opportunity to see the inside. It is no museum but rather the home to a community which worships God in a living and developing tradition which dates back over fifteen centuries here.
This is the third of a series of articles to encourage the personal spiritual life of those who read our Parish Magazine. This month I wish to commend some material which has been available in our churches for longer than I have been Rector, and which is valued by several of our congregation. “The Word For Today” is a booklet which is published every quarter by United Christian Broadcasters. It includes a devotional reading based on a short passage of Scripture for every day of that three months. There are also articles about the work of UCB and stories of how their publications have helped people come to faith or to deepen their faith when times have been tough.
Here is a sample of their material from the present edition. Permission is given for churches to copy up to 52 daily excerpts per year. These must acknowledge The Word For Today as the source, give the UCB address — UCB Operations Centre, Westport Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 4JF — and inform that free issues of the daily devotional are available for the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Sunday 17th August — Safe in God’s arms. ‘… underneath are the everlasting arms …’ from Deuteronomy 33:27, New International Version.
During World War II, when Jill Briscoe was six, her family was evacuated to the English Lake District. Recalling a particularly scary night, she writes, ‘A storm had broken over our heads. Rain, like giant tears, slashed against the window and thunder grumbled. I didn’t like storms, and I was old enough to understand that an even bigger storm was raging, a war involving the entire world. But it seemed far away. The fire was warm and my father was relaxed in his big chair. Suddenly, aware that I needed reassurance, he put down his paper and smiled, “Come here, little girl” he said in his quiet but commanding voice. And then I was safe in his arms, lying against his shoulder and feeling the beat of his heart.
‘Looking back, I realise how my Heavenly Father shelters me from the storms of life. When sorrow swamped me at my mother’s funeral, I sought reassurance in my Father’s presence. When the winds of worry whipped away my confidence as I faced gangs of young people in street evangelism, I glanced up to see my Father’s face. When floods of fear rose as I waited in hospital for the results of frightening tests, I sensed my Heavenly Father say, “Come here, little girl.” I climbed into his arms, leaned against his shoulder and murmured, “Ah, this is a grand place to be.”’ The Bible says, ‘The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.’ If life’s storms are overwhelming you, climb up into your heavenly Father’s arms, feel the beat of his heart and rest assured He’s bigger than the storm you’re facing.
That day’s entry ends with suggested passages for reading the Bible in a Year: John 4:4-26, John 7:37-41, Exodus 17:1-7, Isaiah 35:1-7.
The effectiveness of the material is partly due to the demonstration of the influence of the Biblical text in the life of the person quoted. There are some vivid illustrations of God’s faithfulness and power, some godly wisdom and some memorable quotes.
I was introduced to Bible reading notes when I was quite young. The advantage of these is that they can show how the Bible may be understood; the disadvantage is the temptation to skim over the passage of Scripture for the day and then read the notes to see what it means to someone else. Far better to spend time reading the verses for yourself and consider prayerfully what God might be saying to you through them, before reading the notes.
If you think that UCB material might help you, may I suggest that you collect a free copy from either of our churches soon. You may even like to do so during one of our Open Church Afternoons!
Yours sincerely
Martin Snellgrove