Dear Friends,
Trust is the cement that holds Love together
The Beatles, most of us will remember, sang “Love is all we need” and we are commanded to “love each other!” but there is another word that cements the bricks of love together in the world. It is TRUST.
As everything seems to be falling apart locally and globally I suggest it is because we have neglected to use the cement that will hold everything together! Who can we trust?
One of the reasons for so much panic over petrol is because it is hard to trust people who tell us not to panic!! Once trust has been lost or broken it is hard to rediscover or repair and the political messages are hard to trust.
I admit to being one of the many who filled up with petrol before I would normally have done so last week. I had enough to get to Birmingham, but as I wasn’t sure whether I would have enough for the return journey so I filled my tank before leaving. I joined a queue, like many others, and noticed that when I got to Birmingham the queues were much longer and some forecourts were closed. Did I panic or was I planning wisely to avoid being unable to return home?
I now have enough petrol to get to Lymington on Monday, but have avoided using the car too often this week so that I don’t have to run out on the way. Is this me in panic mode and lacking faith that God will answer prayer and provide petrol somewhere on the way?
Believe it or not I am not panicking because I can also imagine running out of petrol on the way to Lymington and complaining that my prayer was not answered and hearing God say: “I gave you what you needed, but you didn’t use it wisely!” Don’t put God to the test and expect more than enough.
I love God with all my heart, body, mind and soul and in the Lord I put all my hope and TRUST. I also love my neighbours as I love myself, but, I will be honest, I don’t always TRUST myself to do what I should do! Some of the bricks in my building haven’t been cemented with trust so I am still working on making my faith stronger.
I love our politicians (of all parties), but do I trust what they say? I love the Lord our God and I TRUST in the Lord who is my Shepherd to lead me safely home — but I need to be responsible with what I am given and not think I can pray for more when I want it! After all, can the earth keep on giving and giving at our every demand? If we look after what we’ve got when we’ve got it we won’t have cause for panic!
Continuing with the above theme I was reflecting on how Jesus cried out from the cross, “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me” and how the words in Psalm 22 are met with no answer. It occurs to me that if our HOPE is in the unseen then our TRUST is in the silence. We don’t always hear answers to our questioning cries, but our love for God is strong when we can’t see or hear where we are going! We can cry out and be saved when we TRUST! (Psalm 22: 4-5)
The Good Lunch Club will be re-starting at the Mug and Muffin next Thursday October 7th so please speak to Wyn or Marilyn for details or book for transport.
Jo Williamson will be leading the communion service this Sunday and Donald McCombie returns with his ministry of story and music the following week.
Having managed to make an appointment with the dentist last week I was advised to find one in Lymington to attend regularly. A few phone calls have reminded me of the injustice of our health care system in which having money makes a big difference. If you haven’t got the money you might not get the treatment! The dentist I tried to register with in Lymington has stopped taking NHS patients and I was politely asked, “would you like to be a private patient?” If you can’t afford it you might have to put up with infections and pain that can spread from mouth to other parts of the body and result in mental and physical stress. Don’t get me wrong: I love the NHS, but I don’t like the injustice that can deny people treatment because they can’t afford it.
I was speaking to someone who said that a friend had been told that they would have to wait at least 18 months for an operation on the NHS, but could have it done privately by the end of the week in the same hospital and by the same consultant. I know some of you who read this have been struggling for months, even years, with disabling pain and will be angry at such injustice! It’s not fair, is it?
After much frustration with building plans the new Barnes Close Surgery opens this week and Dr Neil Townshend can look forward to retirement at the end of the month and look forward to doing a cross-country ski marathon next year. Prayers with Dr Townsend and may the new surgery be blessed to continue a ministry of healing for the village!
Margaret Charlsworth is 99 not out today and still enjoying a good innings! Congratulations with many prayers!
Sunday’s service from the Daily Devotions team is being led by the Revd. Dr Walter Houston. Walter is a retired minister living in Macclesfield (North Western Synod). Hymns include Timothy Dudley Smith’s Light of the minds that know him, Ernest Sands’ Sing of the Lord’s Goodness and For the beauty of the earth.
Martin Henninger has a service on Sunday to celebrate his retirement and he writes: Dear Friends, liebe Freunde, For everyone who cannot attend the farewell service but would like to watch it, here is the link. Please feel free to share the link with everyone who might be interested. (Für alle, die am Abschiedsgottesdienst nicht teilnehmen können, aber doch gerne dabei sein wollen, hier ist der Link. Er kann gerne weiter gegeben werden.)
Best wishes, viele Grüße Martin Henninger
Marion is in Germany this weekend as a friend and representing Broadway United Reformed Church at the service.
As we continue our packing we discover things that we don’t need, or can’t take, so if anyone would like a Miller’s Choice Bread and Dough Maker please knock on the Manse door, phone or email and we will put your name on it. Also have a bunk bed with double on the bottom and single on the top plus a box of good condition toys the grandchildren have left. Had planned to drive and find homes for them, but don’t want to use too much petrol!!
So thank you for cards, gifts, encouraging words and three and a half years in the Broadway family of church and community. I am sure we will be back at some point, but if we don’t come to you, you can come to us: 31 Paddock Gardens, Lymington, SO41 9ES.
We leave our prayers with you all and may the ministry to Broadway become more fruitful and the love of Christ grow stronger as you hope in what you cannot see and trust God when you do not hear!
God Bless, Richard and Virginia