Welcome …

… to the Vicar’s Blog. Why another blog, I hear you cry? Well, our main blog says what’s happening in our churches, and the ministry blog provides the sermons. But how does all this come about? What’s it like to be responsible for a church like St Michael’s and St Barnabas? Indeed, what does a vicar do?

I can’t say all will be revealed here, as lots of what I do is confidential. But I hope some of what I say will be useful, and maybe even encouraging! Comments and feedback, as always, more than welcome.

Every blessing,

Rev Tim

What’s going on in the Church of England?

You may have heard that at General Synod in November the Church of England approved – by the narrowest of margins – something called “Prayers of Love and Faith.” This brief note attempts to explain what they are, and how they affect the life of St Michael and St Barnabas.

For some years now, the Church of England has been wrestling with the complicated issues of sexuality and gender, and how best to respond to changes in society. There has been a general recognition we have not been loving, kind or welcoming to those who are same-sex attracted. But a clear divide has opened up between those who believe the church’s teaching should be altered to reflect those changes, and those who believe the church should stand firm on the teaching of the Bible and two thousand years of church tradition.

So what about these Prayers of Love of Faith? The good news is that the church affirmed a traditional understanding of marriage, as set out in its canons. “Marriage is in its nature a union permanent and lifelong, for better or for worse, till death do them part, of one man with one woman.” This is important and right, even though there are some in the Church of England would change this definition of marriage to reflect such changes in society.

The bad news is that at the same time General Synod proposed prayers of blessing for those who are in relationships other than marriage. At the moment, these prayers are in trial form, but the idea is that General Synod will vote on their permanent approval in two years’ time. These prayers can only be used as part of a main service (for example in the intercessions at morning worship), but stand-alone services are coming before Synod in February this year.

So what’s the problem? Simply, you pray what you believe. You cannot hold to this traditional understanding of marriage and at the same time bless a relationship which is contrary to God’s word. Not only that, but these prayers of blessing represent a break from two thousand years of church’s teaching – and also a break from the position held by the vast majority of Anglicans around the world.

This is why the Prayers of Love and Faith present such an issue for so many in the Church of England and beyond. If the Bible is not the foundation of what we do, then how do we decide what is of God and what is not? And if we decide we need to offer these prayers of blessings, then what do we make of Jesus’ teaching about marriage, where he clearly states “a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife”? (Mark 10:7)

Fortunately there is a strong, established network of churches across the country who are willing to stand firm on the truth of God’s word, under the leadership of the Church of England Evangelical Council, but also in partnership with others who are equally concerned, for example traditional Anglo-Catholics. That is why at the church council meeting on 10 January we adopted (with two abstentions) the CEEC statement of faith. This will enable us to show clearly where we stand, and also help us access support and guidance as and when we need it over this difficult issue, and other matters of gospel importance. And even more importantly, we trust and pray this decision will enable us to better present the gospel in these difficult and challenging times.

Recharging

There’s a popular meme on Facebook with the picture of a mobile phone. Underneath the caption reads like something this: “You wouldn’t let your phone run of battery. So why do you treat yourself any differently?”

Sadly we live in a very busy age when it seems many people do not stop until they are completely exhausted, and have no mental or emotional resources left. That is often as true for Christians as for anyone else. Yes, we may know we are saved by God’s free gift of grace, yet all too often we define ourselves by how busy we are, or how much we have managed to get done each day.

I am writing these words as much to myself as anyone else. I constant need to remind myself I am a human being, not a human doing. If something doesn’t happen, God’s still at work, and it doesn’t depend on my effort, but on His Holy Spirit.

Even so, while I may know this in theory, I need to learn to put the theory into practice. So how actually do we recharge? A few lessons from my phone:

Find out what is draining you

From time to time I find there is an app that is draining the battery. I may know it is running, or it may be operating away unseen in the background. We all have situations and circumstances which drain us – even though we may not always realise it. Sometimes we can change what is ahead of us. Sometimes we need to ask for the grace and perseverance to endure. But we also need to learn what gives us energy and gives us joy and not focus on what may seem a huge negative that dominates everything else.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -think about such things. So writes Paul in Philippians 4:8 – not that we spend our lives ignoring what is stressing or pressuring us, but that we put our negatives in their proper focus. That is how we can begin to find the peace of God (which Paul writes about in the previous verse) in the most adverse of settings.

Make sure you are properly connected

Recently I had to buy a new charging cable. I thought my phone was connected, when in reality it wasn’t. We can so easily think we are connecting with God simply by going through the motions of reading the Bible, saying our prayers, going to church. But if our heart is not engaging, if we are simply doing these things because they are routine, then the chances are, we will tend to find our spiritual disciplines a chore and a duty.

Of course there are times when all of us feel spiritually dry. We may ourselves crying out with the Psalmist my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you (Psalm 63:1). But these barren patches are, I believe, given to us to test if we truly are wanting to connect with God, if we truly desire to encounter Him in a new way.

Perhaps part of the issue is that our sheer busyness dampens that desire. We count the minutes and the seconds it takes to read our Bibles, we hope the service will end on time. Actually there is no greater investment than spending time with the Lord – after all, one day we will be spending eternity with Him!

Take time to switch off

From time to time it is good to switch off your phone completely and then restart it. From time to time it is good to switch off completely from the pressures of modern life (which may well involve switching off your phone as well.)

I am fortunate I am able to go on retreat to a very special place near Oxford from time to time where I can spend time on my own with the Lord. But even if going away is not physically possible, there are still ways we can carve out time to connect once again with the Lord. Jesus Himself often went to solitary places to pray (Luke 5:16). He counselled us to go into the inner room to pray and close the door (Matt 6:6). Whether we are able to withdraw for just a few minutes, or a few days, that time should be seen as precious and counted as a priority.

One of my favourite stories in the Old Testament is the encounter between the Lord and Elijah in 1 Kings 19. Reading from verses 11 and 12:

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

Elijah just like us needed to learn that if we want to listen to the Lord, we need to be open to the gentle whisper. It was the gentle whisper that spoke to Elijah, and gave him new strength when he was at absolute rock bottom. I guess the fact you’ve read so far means you have to some degree laid aside the frantic busyness of your day. But what about tomorrow? Or that busy period you can see coming up? Phones need recharging regularly, maybe even every day. Why should we be any different?

So how spiritually charged are you at the moment? And what can you do to make sure you stay charged, and filled with the Holy Spirit day by day? Take a moment to think about your walk with the Lord, and how much you are allowing Him into the busyness of your life. There may just be something that needs to change.

500 words on prayer

This is an article I was asked to write for the Church Society publication Crossway on the subject of prayer:

In October I celebrated twenty years of being in post down here in Devonport. It was never my intention to stay this long, but clearly God had other ideas. So, to my surprise, I have stayed, and as I look back over all that has happened, I cannot stress enough how important prayer has been. So much, after all, has changed. The churches, the buildings, the people are all very different from when I started. There have been personal challenges along the way, and those global events such as the pandemic which have affected us all at the deepest level. It is only the knowledge that Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday and today for forever (Heb 13:8) that sustains me, and the promise that prayer offered in His name is powerful and effective.

So how exactly does prayer help in the everyday of ministry?

First of all, prayer roots me in God’s grace. So often I set out to achieve goals in my own strength, or else I measure the effectiveness of my ministry by my busyness or the number of people I reach. Prayer however takes me back to the cross, and tells me I am who I am only because of what Jesus has done for me. And that is a great liberation. Not only does that knowledge free me from the endless pursuit of more activity, it also frees me from comparing myself with others whose ministry seems infinitely more fruitful and productive.

Secondly, prayer roots me in God’s word. After all, it follows that if I am to pray in the name of Jesus, I need to learn more about Him day by day, and deepen my relationship with Him. That is why for me there is unbreakable link between prayer and Bible reading. It is His word that shapes and sharpens my prayers. It is prayer that turns the act of reading into a Spirit-filled encounter with the one who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning.

Thirdly, prayer roots me in God’s will. Sometimes as I walk around my patch, I get a feeling I need to go down this one particular street. More often than, it turns out to be the Holy Spirit’s prompting and I end up having a significant encounter. But then I shouldn’t be surprised. The point of offering myself in Jesus’ service is that I might know His good, pleasing and perfect will (Rom 12:3). The trouble is, I can often only see where God was leading me with hindsight, and I am fully prepared to admit my failure to act first, and listen second.

This is why for me prayer not only begins but also ends in the goodness and mercy of God. So when I tempted to talk about my church or my mission or my achievements, prayer corrects that perspective, points instead to Jesus, and reminds me who is Lord. And for that, I am, and will always remain, eternally grateful.

20 years on…

On 21st October 2002 a very nervous and very inexperienced vicar was licensed to the benefice of St Michael and St Barnabas. Little did I imagine that 20 years later I would still be in the same place. I always thought God would call me on… but clearly He had other ideas. Over the years I have been involved in two major church redevelopments, the uniting of two parishes, the sale of one building, the addition of another parish, and there has always been another challenge on the horizon. So much has changed during this time, and the only constant has been God’s faithfulness and goodness and mercy.

I know I have made mistakes upon the way. It’s so easy to look back and say you could have done things better or in a different way. I am so grateful for those who have stuck with me through thick and thin, and I have learnt so much from all those who have been part of the church over the years. To be a disciple of Jesus means I am called to be a learner, and God is an incredibly patient teacher who for reasons known only to Himself continues to persevere with us day by day. None of us, of course, know what lies ahead, but we can trust Him for whatever is next, for He is a God who always keep His word, and promises never to leave us or forsake us.

When I arrived all those years ago the Lord gave me a very specific verse: I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:18). 20 years on I recognise the truth of that verse more and more. It is not I who have built this church – just as this church is not mine, or anybody else’s, only the Lord’s. And though the spiritual battle has at times been fierce, He has never let this church be overcome or overwhelmed, even in the toughest of times.

So the reason I share this photo is really not to draw attention to myself, but to reflect on what God has done, and to give the glory to Him, as we say with the saints of old, His love endures forever. What a beautiful, mighty God we serve! Amen and Amen.

What does it mean to love your neighbour?

That was the question we looked at last Thursday evening. The command to love your neighbour is clearly important – it is first mentioned in the Old Testament and then quoted nine times in the New Testament – but how do we put it into practice? Putting all these different passages together helps to give us a comprehensive answer – so grab a Bible and take time over a cup of a tea to read them :

…not aiming to get even

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord (Leviticus 19:18)

… loving your enemy

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:43-45)

… choosing the path to life

“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” Which ones?” the man enquired. Jesus replied, “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honour your father and mother, and love your neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 19:17-19)

… fulfilling God’s commandments

Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

… putting people above religion

The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:29-33)

… reaching out to anyone in need

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and, Love your neighbour as yourself.” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” (Luke 10:25-28, introducing the story of the Good Samaritan)

… not doing harm to others

The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law. (Romans 13:9-10)

… humbly serving one another

The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Galatians 5:13-14)

… not having favourites

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbour as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favouritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as law-breakers. (James 2:8-9)

What are you praying for your church?

That’s the simple question I asked at our Thursday group last week, and it was encouraging to get such a wide and positive list of answers:

• For God’s kingdom to come
• For growth – in numbers, in compassion, in closeness to the Lord
• For the livestreaming!
• For the process of getting back together
• For an answer to the question, “What now?”
• For outreach
• For safety during the ongoing pandemic
• For spiritual maturity
• For greater confidence
• For unity

Wouldn’t it be good for all of us to pray these things regularly for St Barnacles and for St Aubyn’s, or indeed for wherever we worship?

We then compared our answers with Paul’s words to the church at Philippi, in Philippians 1:9-11:

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ–to the glory and praise of God.

The revival of the church always starts when people gather together to pray for the church. So let’s get going!

Some notes on Philippians 1:1

We’re starting a New Year in our Thursday evening small group by looking at Phillipians.

We only covered one verse last week but we got so much out of it!

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:

Who was Paul? Someone who was dramatically converted on the Damascus Road. Paul refers to the change Jesus made in his life in Phil 3:4-7. The depth of this change can be seen in the fact that from this point on he had a new name – up until then he was known as Saul.

We also know that when Paul was writing this letter he was in prison (Phil 1:12-14). This was more a form of house arrest. Timothy, for example, was allowed to be with him, and Epaphroditus had come from the church at Philippi.

Who was Timothy? We learn some valuable information about him from Phil 2:19-22. Paul’s relationship with him was so close Paul considered him as a son. Paul invested time and energy in sharing his life with Timothy, and in training him – do we have such close relationships in our church today?
Paul however talked about Timothy serving with him (Phil 2:22). Paul treated Timothy not as a subordinate but an equal partner in the work of the gospel. Even though he wrote the letter in his name, he included Timothy as the joint author in verse 1. This was a great apprenticeship for Timothy.
We also noted Timothy had a different background from Paul. Paul was a Hebrew of the Hebrews (Phil 3:5)i.e. thoroughly Jewish, but Timothy had a Jewish mother and a Greek father (Acts 16:3). Timothy would have brought different experiences, gifts and abilities.

Why does Paul describe himself and Timothy as servants of Christ Jesus? At the start of many letters Paul talks about himself being an apostle. But it seems that in Philippi Paul’s position of leadership was respected. The problem was, there were two leaders in the church, Euodia and Syntyche had had a big falling out (Phil 4:2). They were no longer serving each other or the wider church. Paul stresses service because all of us are called to follow Jesus’ example of service (Phil 2:7)

What then does it mean to be a servant? We gave several different answers to these questions – a servant is under authority, a servant is loyal, a servant does the work expected of him. At this point we noted Philippi was a Roman colony where everyone was expected to serve the emperor, and the emperor was the time was likely to have been Nero who didn’t have much time for Christians! So to be a servant of Christ Jesus was to stand out, to be different, to pledge a different loyalty. We saw clear parallels in how, for example, in the workplace, it can be difficult for us to stand out as servants of Christ Jesus today.

Why does Paul call the church at Philippi saints? Well, they certainly weren’t perfect and they didn’t wear haloes! But they were saints because God had chosen them, and had set them apart to serve Him. We too are in this sense saints, and we need to remember this holy calling is ours as well.

Why does a church need overseers? Overseers are able to see what is going on. They promote a safe and accountable environment. They provide leadership and direction, and co-ordinate what is happening.

What about deacons? In the history of the church, the office of deacon has become an official title, and in the Anglican church it involves ordination. But the term deacon is a lot simpler. A deacon is a servant, and while of course all are called to serve, they are the folk on the ground who get stuff done. To this extent we need more who are willing to serve as deacons today.

Now here’s something that struck us: Paul doesn’t write to the overseers and tell them to let the saints know (which is how bishops often write to congregations!), nor does he put the overseers first in the list, followed by the deacons, and then the saints. No, he starts by addressing the saints. And here’s that little word “with” again. The saints are in partnership with the overseers and the deacons. All God’s people are in this gospel work together. This is so different from the way most churches operate – how we need to get back to a Philippian model of church life!

Join us next week for another exciting episode…

Incarnation

We love to add a dash of snow, maybe
A reindeer or a donkey too, and dream
Of Christmas cosy crisp and gleaming white
An undemanding, picture perfect scene

But what if Joseph caked in mud approached
A windswept Bethlehem with Mary soaked
Down to the skin, her aching, swollen feet
All worn and calloused from the long trudge home?

And what if bathed in sweat the virgin screams
To bring a bloody Saviour to the earth,
Her cry unheard, unheeded by the throng
That hurries by indifferent to His birth?

Is this not the Saviour that we need
Who feels the rain upon His weathered face
And in the winter of our cold dark hearts
Breaks through to us with unexpected grace?

Of life and loss

I am sure the sight of Christian Eriksson stricken on the pitch brought back painful memories for many. Thankfully, the professionalism of his team mates and the care of the medical staff saved his life. As I believe, also did the power of prayer. Even though the media ignored the fact, many of the players were praying at that point, and we are grateful the Lord spared his life.

But not everyone survives such a traumatic event. Tomorrow would have been the birthday of a close family member who suddenly died many years ago. Despite what some might say, grief is not something you get over. It’s not like a cold or a stomach bug you suffer for a little while and then get over. Grief is like a naughty child, that trips you up when you least expect it, and reminds you of what has gone. And don’t believe the cliché that “time is a great healer.” In some ways, grief does lessen over the years, but in others it can intensify as milestones and anniversaries pass by.

It is sometimes said there are five stages of grief, as if everyone is expected to go through a similar kind of process. These five stages can be helpful, but everyone’s reaction is different. What we can say with certainty is that grief changes you. Your part is to be aware how grief has changed you, and how much you will allow it to shape and mould your life.

Few of us, however, are aware enough to see the impact that grief makes in our own lives. For someone who is grieving, you need simply to be there, to commit to journeying with them, wherever that journey leads, and from time to time, offer a word of wisdom. That wisdom may or may not always be appreciated, but hopefully your friend will trust you enough to realise the truth of what you are saying.

Where does our faith come into the grieving process? The reason I’m a Christian is that at the heart of what I believe is a cross where Jesus went through hell on our behalf. We do not have a God that is distant, remote, unfeeling, but one who understands at the very deepest level what it means to suffer, and who took the full horror of death upon Himself. So even though there is so much in this life we don’t understand, the cross provides the reassurance that one day all things will be well. So our part is to trust and to help others to trust even when we are rock bottom at the valley of the shadow of death, and we cannot see the way ahead.

Some years a friend who had lost a child asked me if the cross was where we could take our anger against God. I think the answer is a definite “Yes.” When the crowds jeered Jesus, they weren’t simply ridiculing His claims to be the Son of God. They were expressing their anger against a God who had promised a Saviour for many, many years, and who had then allowed the Messiah they were expecting to be killed. And it is not wrong for us to be angry with God. Read some of the psalms – they are full of raw emotion, full of prayers asking God to act, wondering why evil is apparently winning, wondering why the wicked go unpunished.

We need to have more open, honest conversations about life and loss. At the moment there are so many who are struggling with isolation and with loneliness. It’s not just that they are on their own, it’s also that they believe there is nowhere where they can take their grief and their questions.

Yet if we are the body of Christ, we need to create safe spaces where we can rejoice with those who rejoice, and mourn with those who mourn. Yes, we will often come together to worship and to praise, but there are times when all we can do is lament and weep together, and cry out to the Lord to have mercy, even in our sorrow. And if there is such a thing as a recovery period ahead of us, then we need to create a time and a place where we can be real about our losses, acknowledge our grief, and help one another renew our hope in the one who Himself shed tears at the death of His friend – Jesus, God with us, the God who saves.

22nd April 1941

St Michael’s c.1900

On Tuesday 22nd April 1941, at 7pm in the evening, Mrs Irene Ida Georgina Coombe, aged 49, was baptised at St Michael’s church. Underneath her entry in the baptism register there is a simple note: “At 9.15pm 22nd April 1941 the church was destroyed by enemy action.” Four incendiary bombs blew debris onto the main London to Penzance railway line below. A former member of the congregation, now gone to glory, told the story of how she was travelling into Plymouth for work the next day, but was told the line was blocked because her church was blocking the line.

The following Saturday a wedding was held in the church porch, presumably because that was the only part safe to be used. Services did continue in the church hall, and a special service was held in the ruins of the church on 1st August 1945 to mark the 100th anniversary of the church.

Much has happened in the history of St Michael’s since then. It was the first church to be rebuilt in Plymouth, and the new church was opened on 13th June 1953. Sadly, as with many other postwar projects, the quality of construction was poor and the second building was demolished on 27th June 2007. The third building was opened on the site of the former vicarage on 18th May 2009.

St Michael’s history in many ways reflects the history of the area, and it bears witness to the enormous changes the area has experienced. Today we simply remember all those who were killed, injured or bereaved in the Plymouth Blitz, and those for whom, even eighty years later, the events of those terrible few days are still a vivid memory. Peace be with you all.