they shall grow not old, as we that are left grow...
TRANSCRIPT
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They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Fourth stanza of 'For the Fallen' by Laurence Binyon (1869 - 1943)
November 2015November 2015November 2015
£1£1
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St Olave’s is a member of the Finsbury Park Ecumenical group
of churches that includes the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church
and other Anglican Churches.
VICAR’S REST DAY : The Vicar’s rest day is Monday.
Please try not to disturb him on that day, unless it is urgent.
SUNDAY WORSHIP : 10.00am PARISH COMMUNION
followed by refreshments. All ages and families welcome.
2nd Sunday in month :
Parish Communion including Anointing and Laying-on of hands.
Sunday School and Crèche
in the Parish Room
MIDWEEK SERVICE : Communion Service
10.00 am every Wednesday.
BIBLE STUDY: Every Wednesday (except last Wednesday) in Parish Room
7.30pm—9.00pm
REVIVAL SERVICE: takes place every last
Wednesday of the month 7.00pm—10.00 pm in church.
POWER NIGHT/NIGHT VIGIL:
Every second Friday of the month at 10pm-2am .
SERVICES AT ST. OLAVE’S
SERVICES IN NOVEMBER: 1st November:
10.00am Sunday Parish
Communion and Anointing
ALL SAINTS DAY
SUNDAY SCHOOL PRESENTATION
8th November:
10.00am Sunday Parish
Communion and Anointing
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
15th November:
10.00am Sunday Parish
Communion and Anointing
2ND SUNDAY BEFORE ADVENT
22nd November: 10.00am Sunday Parish
Communion and Anointing
CHRIST THE UNIVERSAL KING
29th November:
10.00am Sunday Parish
Communion and Anointing
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
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THE BREAD FOR LIFE PROJECT
Since Monday 16th August 2010 The Bread For Life Project
has been providing hot meals (150 containers of jollof rice and chicken)
to homeless people, under the direction of Mrs Folake Roberts
and the support of some dedicated volunteers who help with cooking
and distribution of the food as well as those offering financial support
Our vocation as Christians and human beings is to love and be touched
by the pain of other people. Your support would be appreciated in order
to enable the continuance of this important work.
Please make cheques payable to the "Bread For Life Project"
and addressed to Ven. Preb. Tunde Roberts or Mrs Folake Roberts.
If you prefer to pay directly into the account, the details are as follows:
BREAD FOR LIFE PROJECT
BANK : METRO BANK
ACCOUNT NO: 11062571
SORT CODE: 23-05-80
Thank you and may the good Lord reward us
for all that we do in His name.
Amen
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Down: 1, Trench. 2, Ashamed. 3, Karma. 5, Ananias. 6, Neigh. 7, Reheat. 9, Areopagus. 13, Observe. 14, Satraps. 15, Compel. 16, Gallop. 18, Tapes. 20, Lofty.
FROM OUR RECORDS
CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS
THOSE WHO CELEBRATED THEIR BIRTHDAYS IN OCTOBER
Mrs Funmi Olubodun Mrs Rosemary Obilana Sarah Rebeca Wider
Ven. Preb. Tunde Roberts
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK
Chief (Mrs) Felicia Fakorede Mrs Jose
Mrs Susan Laleye Ms Sonia Smith
Mrs Clara O. Adeleke
Mrs Rosemary Obilana—1st
Agha Chukwuyelium—1st
Blessing Shofolahan—2nd
Gabriel Jonathan—4th
Emmanuel Atanmuyide—6th
Joshua Sylvanus—6th
Juliana Ola Adedeji—9th
Ayokunnu Ladipo—18th
George David—18th
Chief Samuel Fakorede—21st
Mr Lukman Kolawole Akinyemi—25th
Lucy Nwachukwu—28th
Olushola Owolabi—28th
Across: 1, Thanks. 4, Banner. 8, Esher. 9, Azariah. 10, Compare. 11, Ishma. 12, Door posts. 17, Oaths. 19, Galatia. 21, Papyrus. 22, Frail. 23, Listen. 24, Hyssop.
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VICAR'S LETTER Dear Friends,
ADVENT IS HERE AGAIN... We are, as I am writing, less than two weeks to the end of the Church's liturgical year B. We embark on a new liturgical year C on Advent Sunday 29th November 2015, as we set out to follow in the footsteps of Christ. I was licenced by Archbishop John Sentamu as Parish Priest of St Olave's Church on Ad-vent eve, Saturday 27th November 1999. So, my first service was the following day, Advent Sunday 28th November 1999 and as a result Advent Sunday in terms of my ministry at St Olave's has always been special. Very soon I would be celebrating my sixteenth anniversary as parish priest at St Olave's and I believe it calls for thanksgiving and rejoicing in light of what the Lord has done for his people here and the community of Woodberry Down. Through all the changing scenes of these past years, we thank the Lord for His faithfulness and goodness. The Church of God is marching on and whatever the future holds things are looking much brighter than when we first arrived. So, we give all the glory and honour to the Almighty God. We pray that He will continue and complete all the good works He allowed the people of St Olave's to begin. So, Advent is here again and what is Advent? Advent is the richest season of the year but it has unfortunately been side-lined in the frantic circle of hyperactivity that overruns the last six weeks of the year. Advent has a two fold aspect to it. First it presents us with the opportunity to prepare our-selves for the coming of our Saviour over two thousand years ago at the birth of Jesus, Christmas. The second is that we are also waiting for the final coming of Christ at the end of time and since we don't know when that will happen, we are called to live our lives in such a way that we are ready to meet the Lord at any moment. How do we prepare? Whilst, faith is a gift of God through Jesus Christ, it takes some work to keep that faith alive, vibrant and strong and so we prepare by being on our guard, watchful and keeping awake. We are assured that Jesus will come, and our task as Christ's people is not to tire but to be vigilant and expectant, trusting Jesus' words that, "I will come again." There are several ways to prepare for the coming of Christ: The first is to be watchful in prayer. The second is to be active in good works and the third is to be true to the teaching of the Lord and walk in God's way. As we await Christ's final coming we have a task to perform and that is to His witnesses before the world. We are to witness to peace in the midst of the conflict that the world currently finds itself, even when everyone seems to be talking of revenge and destruc-tion. We must be bold enough to stand up for Jesus, to be true to His teaching, when our voice may the lonely and unpopular one. We must as we prepare witness to hope in the midst of despair, to love in the midst of indifference, and to life in the midst of death, so that we can make the world a brighter place. In addition, I challenge you to pray con-stantly so that you may have the strength to overcome whatever trials may come your
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way and to be able to stand with confidence before Christ when he comes. I pray that the Lord will help you to be watchful and faithful disciples of Jesus.
SOCIAL MEDIA In addition to our Web site which is already functioning, and is there to engage and in-form people who are new to the church, we are soon going to add social media as well. The church is doing a lot of great and good things and this is another way for the people outside the church to know about it. It will encourage us to tell our story, to get the posi-tive things out, which at the moment we are not good at, through the various social me-dia vehicles - Twitter and Facebook. In addition to spreading news, it will enable our members to connect with each other, which is not always possible after our services. One other benefit, which is so important, with the continuing redevelopment and regen-eration of Woodberry Down, is that it will be used as a means of engaging with our com-munity. It will be used to signpost people to the church events and our weekly services as well as what is happening in our local community here in Woodberry Down.
UPDATE - COTTAGE AND HALL REDEVELOPMENT The Parochial Church Council (PCC) has agreed on a way forward which we are renego-tiating with our Diocese, the Diocese of London. The PCC will be meeting again on Sun-day 22 November to deliberate on the new advice from the Diocese. On the whole things are moving in the right direction. As I reported in the September 2015 issue of this maga-zine we are committing everything to God in prayer and asking for his guidance and di-rection.
LETTER OF APPRECIATION Letters have already been sent to thank and appreciate the hundreds of sisters and brothers who attended the Harvest Thanksgiving Service for their generous contribu-tions, attendance and prayers.
SPECIAL SERVICES IN NOVEMBER Our All Saints and All Souls (Commemoration of the Faithful Departed) service on Sun-day 1 November was very popular this year. It offered the members the opportunity to re-member individually families and friend who have died and to pray for them. Remembrance Sunday too on the 8th of November was well celebrated.
OTHERS St Olave's hosted the Hackney Deanery Meeting on Tuesday 10 November and it was a joy to welcome our new Area Dean, The Revd Prebendary Rosemai Brown and all the other members. It was a good evening that ended with compline. Thank you to our Deanery reps and other members who came and help with food etc. I wish you all a holy Advent. With blessing,
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PILGRIMAGE
Trip to THE HOLY LAND, JORDAN & MOUNT SINAI Departing 20th June - 2nd July 2016 Price—£1700 per person sharing a twin/double room. TOUR PRICE OF £1700 INCLUDES: Return direct flights from London Heathrow to Tel Aviv with El AL. 1 checked in luggage (23kg) and one piece of hand luggage; a meal will be served on the flight. Meeting and assistance upon departure at your London airport and upon arrival and departure at Tel Aviv airport; Hotel accommodation in excellent superior class hotels. On bed and breakfast basis for the first night and then half board basis thereafter at all the hotels: in Galilee at the Ron Beach or similar for 4 nights (http://www.robeachhotel.com/); in Amman at the Imperial Palace Hotel or similar for 2 nights (http://www.imperial-amman.com/) and in Jerusalem at the Olive Tree Hotel or similar for 4 nights (http://olivehotel.co.il) Rates are based on sharing a double/twin room. All rooms will be with private facilities. Lunches as per the itinerary from day 2 - 11 The services of Mr Amon Betsser, an official fully licensed local excellent English speaking
guide for the duration of your pilgrimage (airport to airport) All transfers and transportation in deluxe and air conditioned motor coaches; All entrance fees as outlined in your itinerary; The advance booking of all the services relevant to your tour including Communion services Collective visa in Jordan for non restricted nationalities only. Those with other nationalities will
be required to check whether they can be added to the group visa or whether they will need to obtain and pay for their own visa
13 DAY ITINERARY Day One: Monday 20thJune LONDON HEATHROW / TEL AVIV BEN GURION/ TIBERIAS Day Two: Tuesday 21th June SEA OF GALILEE / RIVER JORDAN Day Three: Wednesday 22nd June MOUNT CAMEL / MOUNT TABOR Day Four: Thursday 23rd June CANA / NAZARETH / BEIT SHE’AN Day Five: Friday 24th June SHEIKH HUSSIEN BRIDGE / UMM QAIS / JERASH / AMMAN Day Six: Saturday 25th June MOUNT NEBO / MADABA /BETHANY BEYOND JORDAN /AMMAN Day Seven: Sunday 26th June KING HUSSIEN BRIDGE / MASADA / THE DEAD SEA Day Eight : Monday 27th June EILAT / MOUNT SINAI / ST. CATHERINE’S Day Nine: Tuesday 28th June ST CATHERINE’S / EILAT / BETHANY / BETHLEHEM Day Ten: Wednesday 29th June MOUNT OLIVES / BETHLEHEM Day Eleven: Thursday 30th June MOUNT SION / EIN KAREM / ABO GOSH Day Twelve: Friday 1st July WESTERN WALL / WAY OF THE CROSS / JERICHO Day Thirteen: Saturday 2nd July GARDEN TOMB / JAFFA / TEL AVIV BEN GURION AIRPORT / LONDON HEATHROW NOT INCLUDED IN THE TOUR PRICE: Travel insurance premium of £58.00 per person for those under the age of 65 at the end
of the tour and £105 for those over the age of 65 at end of tour. Single room supplement £515.00 Items of a personal nature, e.g. phone, bar bills, laundry etc. All Passports and Visa Costs if applicable Tips for the guide, driver & hotel staff in the Holy Land only and Jordan.
Contact: Ven Preb. Tunde Roberts, St Olave’s Vicarage, Woodberry Down, N4 2TW
Tel: 0207 503 0023 / 0208 800 1374; Mobile: 07782100399 Email: [email protected]
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CHRISTMAS SERVICES
SUNDAY, 20TH DECEMBER 10.00AM HOLY COMMUNION & ANOINTING
5.30pm— CAROL SERVICE (A service of Nine Lessons with Carols)
CHRISTMAS PARTY AFTER
MONDAY 21ST DECEMBER 5.30—6.30PM ECUMENICAL CAROL SINGING
AT MANOR HOUSE STATION
CHRISTMAS EVE, THURSDAY, 24TH DECEMBER 6.30 PM—CHRISTINGLE SERVICE
Children will receive Christingle oranges (Collection in aid of the Children’s Society)
10.30pm—Midnight Mass & First Communion of Christmas
CHRISTMAS DAY, FRIDAY, 25TH DECEMBER 10.00AM—FAMILY COMMUNION, ANOINTING & BLESSING OF THE CRIB
SUNDAY 27TH DECEMBER
10.00AM HOLY COMMUNION & ANOINTING THE FIRST SUNDAY OF CHRISTMAS
TUESDAY 29TH DECEMBER : 7.00PM—10.00PM REVIVAL
WEDNESDAY 30TH DECEMBER: 7.00PM—10.00PM REVIVAL
NEW YEAR’S EVE, THURSDAY, 31ST DECEMBER
10.00PM REVIVAL& MIDNIGHT SERVICE to lead us into the NEW YEAR 2016
SUNDAY 3RD JANUARY, 2016:10.00AM FAMILY COMMUNION & ANOINTING, THE SECOND SUNDAY OF CHRISTMAS
(THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD)
SUNDAY 10TH JANUARY, 2016:10.00AM HOLY COMMUNION & ANOINTING (BAPTISM OF CHRIST)
SUNDAY 17TH JANUARY, 2016:10.00AM HOLY
COMMUNION, ANOINTING & FAMILY THANKSGIVING SERVICE (2ND SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY)
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HIGH DAYS, HOLY DAYS
1 All Saints’ Day – the feast day of all the redeemed All Saints, or All Hallows, is the feast of all the redeemed, known and un-known, who are now in heaven. When the English Reformation took place, the number of saints in the calendar was drastically reduced, with the result that All Saints’ Day stood out with a prominence that it had never had before. This feast day first began in the East, perhaps as early as the 5th cen-tury, as commemorating ‘the martyrs of the whole world’. A Northern English 9th century calendar named All Hallows as a principal feast, and such it has remained. Down the centuries devotional writers have seen in it the fulfilment of Pentecost and indeed of Christ’s redemptive sacri-fice and resurrection. The saints do not belong to any religious tradition, and their lives and wit-ness to Christ can be appreciated by all Christians. Richard Baxter, writ-ing in the 17th century, wrote the following: He wants not friends that hath thy love, And made converse and walk with thee, And with thy saints here and above, With whom for ever I must be... As for my friends, they are not lost; The several vessels of thy fleet, Though parted now, by tempests tost, Shall safely in thy haven meet.... The heavenly hosts, world without end, Shall be my company above; And thou, my best and surest Friend, Who shall divide me from thy love?* 1 The first martyrs – the ‘seed’ of the Christian Church The first martyrs of Rome are recorded in the old Roman Martyrology, which states that: ‘At Rome, the birthday is celebrated of very many martyrs, who under
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the Emperor Nero were falsely charged with the burning of the city and by him were ordered to be slain by various kinds of cruel death; some were covered with the skin of wild beasts, and cast to the dogs to be torn asunder; others were crucified, and then when daylight failed used as torches to illuminate the night. All these were disciples of the apostles and the first fruits of the martyrs whom the Holy Roman Church sent to their Lord before the apostles’ death.’ 2 All Souls’ Day – a time of reckoning with the past The early Church was slow to dedicate a liturgical day to offering prayers and masses to commemorate the faithful departed. But in time prayers were offered on behalf of dead monks, that they might attain ‘the Beatific Vision’ through purification, which the Church later described as Purga-tory. Odilo, the powerful abbot of Cluny, (d 1049) decreed that All Souls’ Day should follow the feast of All Saints’ Day. At least four ancient English dedications are known, the most famous of which are All Souls College, Oxford and the church in Langham Place in London. In bygone centuries All Souls’ Day was certainly uncomfortable for any-one who had wronged a person who had then died. For it was believed that souls in purgatory could appear on earth on this day, in the form of ghosts, witches or toads, to haunt anyone who had wronged them in life. On a more cheerful note, it was also believed that you could help the dead on this day by almsgiving in cash or in kind. Some of these beliefs seem to have been caught up in the popular customs of Hallowe’en. When the Reformation came, the Protestants disregarded the idea of Purgatory, and this feast day remained with the Roman Catholic Church. 5 Guy Fawkes – an early terrorist Back in 1605 Guy Fawkes managed to stow a good few barrels of gun-powder under the House of Lords without anybody noticing. He was part of a Roman Catholic plot to murder James 1 of England and his parlia-ment at the state opening. Fortunately, Guy Fawkes was found - and stopped - in time. 30 Andrew - first disciple of Jesus Andrew, whose feast day ends the Christian year on 30th November, is probably best known to us as the patron saint of Scotland, though his
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The Lord will restore your fortune – There will be a positive turnaround. Your story will change. The Lord who delivered the Israelites will save you. The Lord will bring you back to newness of life. He will lead you beside streams of water. You will not stumble. Jesus who had mercy on Bartimaeus will have mercy on you. Like Bartimaeus, when you call on the Lord, He will answer you. The Lord who acknowledged the cry of Bartimaues will acknowledge yours. He will set you apart. He will favour you. He will reach out to you. Jesus asked Bartimaeus, “what do you want me to do for you” – Whatever you want Jesus to do for you and your household He will do it speedily in the Name of Jesus. Bartimaeus shouted, “Son of David” that is the Messiah. His faith in Je-sus as the Messiah brought about his healing. The Lord will make you faithful; He will increase your faith in Him. When Bartimaeus met Jesus his problems came to an end. From today, right now, Jesus will bring solutions to your problems. What-ever problems you have Jesus will solve them. And so shall it be.
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only connection with the country is that some of his bones were reput-edly transported in the 8th century to Fife and preserved at a church in a place now named St Andrews. In fact, there are so many legends about him all over Europe and the Middle East that it’s safest to stick to what the Gospels tell us - though the strong tradition that he was martyred by crucifixion is probably true and is perpetuated in the ‘St Andrew’s Cross’, the ‘saltyre’ of Scotland. The Gospels record that he was one of the first disciples of Jesus, and the very first to bring someone else to Christ - his own brother. Like many fervent Jews at the time Andrew and an unnamed companion had been drawn to the desert, to be taught by the charismatic prophet known to us as John the Baptist. Many thought that he was the long-promised Messiah, but John insisted that he was not. ‘I am the voice crying in the wilderness,’ he told the crowds. ‘Prepare the way of the Lord! One comes after me who is greater than I am.’ So when one day John pointed out Jesus to Andrew and his friend and described him as the ‘Lamb of God’, the two young men assumed that the next stage of their spiritual search was about to unfold. So as Jesus made off, they followed him. All the more strange then (though, on reflection, very true to human na-ture) that when Jesus turned and asked them what they were ‘seeking’, all they could come up with was a lame enquiry about his current place of residence: ‘where are you staying?’ Or, perhaps, they were hinting that what they were seeking could not be dealt with in a brief conversation. If they could come to his lodgings, perhaps their burning questions might be answered. The reply of Jesus was the most straight-forward invitation anyone can receive: ‘Come and see’. Come and see what I’m like, what I do, the sort of person I am. What an invitation! The results of their response were in this case life-changing - for them-selves, and for many other people. Andrew brought his brother, Peter, to Jesus. The next day Jesus met Philip and called him to ‘follow‘. Philip then brought Nathaniel. The little apostolic band who would carry the message of Jesus to the whole world was being formed. They came, they saw, they were conquered! And right at the front of the column, as it were, was Andrew, the first disciple of Jesus.
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ACROSTIC
FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT
Find true meaning in life by equipping yourself for Jesus’ mission!
Inspite of our imperfection, in Christ, we’ve nothing to be helpless about,
God in Jesus, offers all we need to face life’s battles, and win without doubt;
How we live on earth while we have breath, will determine our eternal way,
True faith in Jesus and God’s Word will uplift us on Judgement Day.
The dominant enemy we must first conquer, is our selfish nature,
Human heart is the battle ground where faith can supplant attitude;
Every thought, word and deed of who would succeed in Jesus, must be pure.
Guardian of our soul lives in us to help us fight our battles with SELF,
Only positive response to the Spirit’s cautions can free you from yourself;
Ongoing reliance would then manifest total surrender of ego;
Delight in divine leadings, to achieve what God wants you to be and do
Freedom in Christ is enjoyed by prayer warriors under God’s authority,
Individual responsibility have we to put God first, before duty;
Good personal relationship with God opens doors for day by day victory,
Hindrances can’t defeat the resolve of a faithful prayer warrior;
Take note and ponder! Trials showcase either great strength or hopeless behaviour.
Elsie Pabs-Garnon
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sion means we can see rightly. Beloved, the story of Bartimaeus has a relevance for us on another level. The story is not only a healing story, but it is also a discipleship story. St. Mark tells us that as soon as Bartimaeus got his sight back, he “followed Jesus along the way” CHORUS:- I have decided to follow Jesus. I pray that you will follow Jesus all the way, no matter what. Bartimaeus was not just one of the crowd, but he became a follower of Jesus. He became a disciple and this is the climax of the story. I pray that nothing will separate you from Jesus. My sisters and brothers, from being a mere believer, Bartimaeus became a disciple. And, there is a big difference between the two. You see, you can be a believer, without it having any effect whatsoever on your life. However, when you become a disciple, then you try to live as a Chris-tian. The truth is that physical sight is a marvellous, wonderful gift, that we should never take for granted. However, faith is more precious still. As sight is to blindness, so is faith to unbelief. I therefore challenge you, to make your own the heartfelt prayer of Barti-maeus – Lord that I may see”. That we see more and better with the great gifts of physical sight. And that we may see everything through the eyes of faith. Because one will always be in the dark. LET US PRAY. As you come to honour God today Your mouth will be filled with laughter. He will turn your weeping into joy. Your tongues will be filled with songs of joy. The Lord will do great things for you and your household in the same way He did for the Israelites.
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The second, despite the fact that we have eyes that can see well, we are sometimes blinded by familiarity. Because you are too familiar with something or somebody, there is the tendency to take things for granted. You tend to assume when in fact, things might have changed, be differ-ent or moved on. It means you no longer see what is around you every day. You allow your familiarity to get in your way of making an informed, impartial decision. Thirdly, personal disposition limits our seeing. And, by this I mean, if you are absorbed, engrossed in yourselves, then you will not see what is go-ing on around you. It is all about you. The kind of people who believe that they do things better than anyone else, will not be interested in what oth-ers are doing, and therefore will see poorly. This same thing happens if you are in a hurry, or sad or troubled. If you are in a hurry you don’t have time to look, to observe. Again, when you are sad or troubled, your seeing, thinking will not be particularly great. If you are prejudiced, or angry, or bitter, or in pain, your vision will be dis-torted and you may not see things as they really are. If you are bitter, or angry, or prejudiced, the tendency is to see things in a negative way. My sisters and brothers, let me also remind you that, we don’t only see with eyes. Is somebody following me? Let me repeat it again. It is not with the eyes only that we see. You see, to see with the eyes makes you and me no better than a camera. For example, we see with the mind. This is insight or discernment. Some people are so gifted by God that they can figure out who a person is, their true colour, their character, at the first time of seeing them. We see with imagination, and it is called vision. Some people, when they imagine, it usually comes right. And, my friends, we see with the heart; this is understanding. But, it goes deeper than that, because to see with the heart, is to see with compas-sion. Remember, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly” You see, a narrow mind, an impoverished imagination, and a small heart – all these result in poor seeing. But seeing with our heart, with compas-
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WAIT UNTIL YOUR CHANGE COMES
"We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose." – Romans 8:28 Many times we seem not to understand why some circumstances have arisen in our lives – unemployment, barrenness, financial difficulties, etc. Brethren, we are to know that this may be part of God’s will for our lives as the above scriptures said. It takes patience to experience the miraculous hands of God. Zechariah and Elizabeth was patient and God blessed them with a son; likewise, Abra-ham and Sarah. As husband, you must not be giving your wife an ultimatum as to when she will be expelled out of your home if she is unable to conceive. Likewise, as a wife, never you give your husband an illegitimate child in an effort to meet-up with his ultima-tum. Do not rush into a strange land. Endurance is a virtue to be possessed to have suc-cess in life. God have solid plan towards everybody, though there could be delay in an area of your life. It does not suggest that God had abandoned you. The scripture says: Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." God's care towards men is unprecedented. If He gave His son Jesus Christ as ransom for our sin, and changed our condemnation to justification, brought us from death to life and give us eternal life, what else can He not give to us? Elimelech, Naomi and their two sons ran to Moab as a result of impatience. When there was famine in Bethlehem-Judea, God knew about it but Elimelech and his family became impatient and the outcome was grievous. This teaches that either in rain or sunshine, if we truly trust in God, we must wait for Him. Even when the going is rough and tough, you must not take wrong step instead you must wait and let God speak. He wants us to be optimistic even in a frustrating world. In the history of creation, God created water before He created fish and all the water ani-mals. God did not create man until He had created all things man needed for comfortable living. Obviously, God was busy putting things together for man's eventual usage. If God did not create man in a hurry, man must therefore learn how to patiently wait for God. If what you are expecting from God has not come and you are sure it is not your sin that hinders you, then you must be patient. After the demise of Elimelech and his two sons, Naomi was left with her two daughters - in - laws, and then Naomi arose to return from the country of Moab when she heard that God had visited his people. (Ruth 1:5-6) "And both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was bereft of her two sons and her husband. Then she started with her daugh-ters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab
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that the LORD had visited his people and given them food. Supposing every other person had run out of Bethlehem -Judea as Elimelech and his household did. The city would have been left desolate. So, you do not need to run out and away from your troubles and seek asylum in a strange land. All you need to do is to pray fervently and seek the face of God. Like a tree that is planted by the side of the river, it prospers now and in the years to come. Jesus is aware of all your circumstances concerning your numerous troubles. We must develop our ability to wait for God in the time of trouble. In Genesis chapter 26 verses 1-6 "Now there was a famine in the land, besides the for-mer famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines. And the LORD appeared to him, and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you; for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will fulfil the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give to your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves: because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. So Isaac dwelt in Gerar." Generally speaking, there is temptation for everybody to go elsewhere during famine. Isaac almost fall victim of this temptation. You can imagine Isaac who was born to a wealthy family of Abraham, the only son of his parents. He inherited all the wealth of his parents. "Abraham gave all he had to Isaac." – Genesis 25:5. Isaac lost everything he had to famine therefore he contemplated living Gerar for Egypt. It took God's quick inter-vention for Isaac to remain in Gerar. Isaac obeyed God and waited for God's blessing. The amazing thing was that, God blessed Isaac so much that he became the envy of the philistines. In the same manner, you must wait in the Lord until your change comes. Don't listen to any canal suggestion that wants you to solve your problem in an ungodly ways. The God that worked out miracle for Isaac in the land of Gerar is still alive. He will work out your miracles. If only you can wait until he perfects your miracle, it shall be yours. The scrip-ture reminded us: "If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come” – Job 14:14. You will not die until your change comes in Je-sus name. As the year is running to an end, it is my prayer that all those promises God had given us this year will come to pass in the mighty name of Jesus. God bless you and have a won-derful time in His presence.
Adebayo Banjo
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Well, our first reading from Jeremiah carries a message of Joyful hope for the exiles in Babylon. The Lord, it says, will save what’s left of His people and bring them back from exile. Even the most helpless, the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labour will share in the joy of this great event. And, our gospel reading, which I will dwell on this morning, is the story of Bartimaeus, a blind man to whom Jesus gave back his sight. The theme of my sermon is ”SIGHT FOR THE BLIND”. Let me hear somebody re-peat after me – “SIGHT FOR THE BLIND”. You may be wondering of what this story has to do with you – But let me say this to you, because you and I can see, does not mean it has no relevance for us. The question for us here is “How well do we see? How well do we see. It was Helen Keller, who went blind at the age of 19 months, who once said “The greatest calamity that can befall people is not that they should be born blind, but that they should have eyes, yet fail to see”. And, if you remember, this is precisely what Jesus said to his contempo-raries, in Mark’s Gospel (4:11) – “They have eyes, but do not see”. I pray this will not be your portion in the Name of Jesus. My friends, sight is a marvellous gift. Some years ago, I could read clearly and well from most distances without the aid of glasses. I am afraid, not anymore, those days are long gone. Today, without my glasses, I can hardly read anything. The truth of the matter is this – just because we have good eyesight doesn’t mean that we see well. Isn’t that true? Yes, it is true, because there are many things that prevent us from seeing well. The first is, poor observation. If your observation of anything is poor, whether you don’t have an interest in it or because of any other reason, then the way you see that thing will be poor. If you are being taught in the class or in church, and the message is on the board or screen, and you don’t pay attention or look, then you will not see.
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Sermon Preached at St. Olave’s by Ven. Preb. Tunde Roberts on the Last Sunday After Trinity, 25/10/15.
Jeremiah 31: 7-9; Hebrews 7:23-29; Mark 10: 46-52
PRAYER: Loving and Gracious God, we give you thanks because you free us from the darkness of sin and help us to walk in the light of grace. Now, as we go into your word, fill us with your love and dispel darkness from our lives so that we may walk in the light of Christ. Whatever is not yours, our vanity, may you forgive and all that comes from you, may you make fruitful in our lives. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen. I want you to turn to your neighbour and say “Neighbour, the Lord will open your eyes, so that you may follow Him wholeheartedly”. Those who claim it, say an affirmative Amen to that. CHORUS: Open our eyes Lord, we want to see Jesus. Let us give the Merciful and Compassionate God a resounding sound of applause. PLEASE SIT Friends, it is good to see you and for us to be together in the presence of God this morning. I really want to thank you for the tremendous effort you put into our Harvest Thanksgiving last Sunday and for the part you played in it – your attendance, your gifts and so on. Raise your hand if you were not here last Sunday. If you sow, you will reap. So all those who were not here last Sunday, will do their own thanksgiving during the notices. Again, I appreciate all that you did. I pray that your labour of love will not be in vain. Through your effort, your giving, your generosity, God will do something new, something special, something extra-ordinary for you and your household in the Name of Jesus. The Lord will bless you richly and abundantly in the Name of Jesus. So, my sisters and brothers, what does our Scripture reading teach us; what is it saying to us.
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THE TRIGGER OF REMEMBRANCE
‘Lest we forget’…. Remembrance Sunday acts as a trigger for so many emo-
tions; gratitude… grief… pride… indignation … guilt, and questioning. Take the
questioning of suffering Job:
CAN I BE REMEMBERED? - ‘Oh, that my words were recorded, that they
were written on a scroll’ (Job 19:24). Job’s thoughts were in turmoil. He speaks
not only for himself, but for all who have suffered the loss of honoured close
ones – in the desire that emotive memories hall be ‘engraved in rock for ever.’
Can they be remembered? The last Spitfire pilot, the last soldier who fought at
Alamein – the last of a platoon ever to sing with Vera Lynn We’ll meet again….
there’s a desire to hold onto them. But here’s another question:
WHOM SHALL I REMEMBER? - Further words from Job – “I know that my
Redeemer liveth” have become incorporated into the greatest oratorio ever com-
posed, Handel’s Messiah. From the early days of the human race there was a
perception, by this godly man, of a living Redeemer who, as he puts it, would
‘in the end stand upon the earth.’
Thus the comfort Job looked for in all his troubles - the focal point that he
wanted to remember – lay not in his three cliché-ridden companions, but in this
divine Redeemer, in whom he prophetically discerned the prospect of resurrec-
tion. It is an experience that is common to millions – to look out for some-
thing…. Someone of permanence whom we can remember and hold onto in an
unstable world. A third question:
WILL HE (the Redeemer) REMEMBER ME? - The biblical world-view is alto-
gether solid and trustworthy. If a dying thief from the dregs of society can find it
in him to say to the crucified Christ next to him, “Remember me,” then anyone
can; be they an unknown warrior – one day to lie in an unmarked grave in Flan-
ders, Vietnam or Iraq; or someone caught in the swirling tides of bereavement.
For Job it was a settled conviction! He had reached the point when he was trig-
gered into the personal affirmation that can be anybody’s: “I KNOW that my
Redeemer liveth.” You may find the following reading to be helpful: Job 19: 23-
27a
Richard Bewes
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BE A BARNABAS -
ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER
‘You’ll never amount to much’ said a Munich schoolteacher to the ten year-old Albert Einstein. Good thing that he did not listen – and instead went on to prove his teacher wrong! Just as children need encouragement, so do God’s children. St Paul urged the Christians in his young churches to ‘encourage one an-other.’ (1 Thess 5:11). In the Upper Room, Jesus used the same word to describe the Holy Spirit, meaning one ‘called alongside to help’. When we encourage others, we exercise a ministry like that of the Spirit to each another. In Acts we read of Joseph, a wealthy Levite from Cyprus. We know him better by his nickname Barnabas, which means ‘Son of Encouragement’ (Acts 4:36). How did Barnabas encourage others? He was an example of generous giving (Acts 4:36-7), when he sold prop-erty and offered the money to the church for those in need. In the midst of a caring and sharing community, he was singled out as a symbol of generosity. Are we prepared to be generous to those in need around us? He later gave encouragement to a new Christian in the person of Paul (Acts 9:27). After Paul’s conversion and aware of his reputation, Barnabas came alongside Paul and brought him into the fellowship of the Church. Are we ready to help those who are new the faith to find a place in our church? Finally, Barnabas was sent to the church in Antioch and there ‘saw the evidence of the grace of God’ (Acts 11:23). Here was a church which brought together Jewish and Gentile believers together for the first time. Like Barnabas, are we able to rejoice when we see God doing new things? Are we also willing to encourage others to embrace these things and facilitate change? Don’t forget, ‘In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.’ (Albert Ein-stein).
Paul Hardingham
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So, what are the lessons to be learnt from his life?
Beloved, through his life and ministry, I believe that one of the most im-
portant lessons to be learnt, is that liberation is the central purpose of
Christianity. As verse one of our 1st lesson from Isaiah puts it, “it is to
proclaim freedom for the captives, release from darkness for the prison-
ers”.
He had courage to confront evil, yes, the evil of slavery, human inhuman-
ity to one another. Samuel Sharpe was a man of immense faith, who like
Christ, was against injustice, inequality, oppression. He did not provide
us with short cuts and ways of evading the hard slog and the narrow
road. He stood boldly for Jesus. He did not turn a blind eye to the suffer-
ing of others.
Therefore my challenge to you is to imitate him as your model in your fol-
lowing of Christ. Another thing, I believe his life showed us is what ordi-
nary human beings, like you and I can achieve when avail of the grace of
God. Samuel Sharpe set us an example of determination, dedication and
sacrifice. He expanded through his deeds the possibilities of human love
and courage. He lived the two great commandments, love of God and
love of neighbour, to an extraordinary degree.
Beloved, I urge you, to draw inspirations the life of courage of Samuel
Sharpe.
The truth is that all of us have the capacity for goodness. However, in the
final analysis love is what counts. A loving person is a holy person. And,
to be a saint is to be a witness to Love. So, let the life and example of
Samuel Sharpe show you how to express this goodness. I challenge you
to strive for goodness, because if you do, Happiness will certainly follow.
Remember, that the will of God is for people to be free. There is no free-
dom for us outside the will of God. Samuel Sharpe’s death helped to
brighten the road for other uncertain travellers.
And, I say to you, admiration is not enough, because if we are to benefit
from the sacrifice and dedication of Samuel Sharpe, we must follow his
example.
In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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ery and was sufficiently appalled and outraged. But he did not leave it at
that – He saw and he acted.
He spoke repeatedly about the injustices of slavery and pointed out that
the Bible said – “no man or woman can serve two masters”, white peo-
ple, he said, had no right to hold Black people in slavery, than if it were
the other way round.
Samuel Sharpe, inspired his fellow slaves to participate in Jamaica’s first
strike action. A plan of passive resistance, a general strike against slav-
ery and a refusal to work until when the plantation owners and managers
listen to their grievances.
The rebellion which turned ugly and violent, lasted for 8 days and re-
sulted in the death of around 186 slaves and 14 white plantation owners.
Over 500 slaves were convicted and later hanged with their heads cut off
and placed around the plantations.
Samuel Sharpe was the last to be hanged on the 23rd of May, 1832 for
participating in the Revolt. “When reminded that the Scriptures teach hu-
man beings to be content with the status allotted them by Providence,
and that even slaves are required patiently to submit to their lot, till the
Lord in his Providence is pleased to change it Sharpe’s response was –
“If I have done wrong in that, I trust that I shall be forgiven, for I cast my-
self upon the Atonement…..I would rather die upon yonder gallows than
to live a life of slavery”.
My friends, Sharpe, was a man who left a trail of light behind him and in
that dark age of his, he maintained a candlelight of humanity as a result
guaranteed that darkness did not have the last say.
And, to God be glory, the uprising that Sharpe instigated was a key mo-
ment in the fight for the abolition of slavery, because a few years later, in
1834, slavery was abolished.
His was a life of heroism, greatness of heart and mobility of the spirit.
(Mahatma Ghandi, once said, “Mankind would perish if there were no ex-
hibition any time and anywhere of the divine man”).
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THE TOP 10 BIBLE STORIES: NOAH
A little boy was listening to the story of Noah’s Ark. Suddenly he inter-
rupted: “Where were you in the ark, Grandpa?’ His grandfather replied,
with some astonishment, that he had not been in the ark at all. That did
not satisfy his grandson: “Then why weren’t you drowned?”
This month we consider Noah, an example of faith in Hebrews 11:7 ‘By
faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an
ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became
heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.’ So - what does
Noah teach us about faith?
Faith believes God’s Word: Noah believed God’s warning of judgment
on the people of the earth for their violence and wickedness, despite the
lack of rain! Are we prepared to trust God’s word, even when we can’t
see the evidence of his working?
Faith loves and serves God: Noah was moved by ‘holy fear’, like a
child who does not want to displease his father. Do we seek to love God
with all of our lives?
Faith obeys God in the face of opposition: ‘The construction of the ark
is the longest, most drawn out test of faith recorded in the Bible’ (Oswald
Sanders). Noah built a boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high,
hundreds of miles from water to the amazement of the people. Is God
calling us to step out in faith in a particular area of our lives?
Faith witnesses for God in spite of rejection: Noah was described as
a righteous and blameless man who ‘walked with God’. As one who lived
right with God, he can be called a ‘preacher of righteousness’ (2 Peter
2:5). What is the witness of our faith to others? Where were the Noah
jokes when it started raining?
Paul Hardingham
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THE MESSAGE OF ADVENT?
– HISTORY IS GOING SOMEWHERE!
‘And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger…’ (Luke 2:7) ‘They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.’ (Matthew 24:30) What a contrast between the humble birth of Jesus in Bethlehem – and his eventual re-turn! No one knows when that day will be, but it will be earth-shaking. In the meantime, Advent reminds us of the last of six great saving actions of God in Jesus Christ. The Birth of Jesus at Bethlehem was to inaugurate our salvation. The Death of Jesus at Calvary established it – forever. The Resurrection of Jesus at Easter confirmed it. The Ascension of Jesus to heaven celebrated it. The Gift of the Spirit at Pentecost drove it worldwide. And sixthly will come the Return of Jesus at the world’s end – to consummate and complete it. The message of Advent reminds us that history is not circular or locked into an unending stalemate. Neither can we ever accept a notion of successive reincarnations, for the Bi-ble is clear that man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment (Hebrews 9:27). The Bible has had many pre-runs of that final ‘Day of the Lord.’ Noah’s flood, the over-throw of wicked Babylon; these and other upheavals were but pointers to the final ‘Day of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (1 Corinthians 1:8), when all wrongs will be stopped, and the Lord shall reign with justice. For the Bible is clear that world history is leading to a Conclusion, to the new heaven and the new earth. That will be inaugurated when ‘He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.’ Christ’s return will usher in the final triumph, bringing about the dismantling of the whole apparatus of Evil that has so harassed us across the centuries. The Cross and Resurrection secured the victory over evil. Christ’s return will make it fi-nal! Believers echo Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 - ‘And so we will be with the Lord for ever.’ If we have a strong view of the future, we can be sure it will energise us in the present! In the meantime, Advent is coming round once again. It’s time to celebrate the first of God’s six mighty acts that secured our salvation – and look forward to the future.
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Sermon Preached at St. Paul’s Cathedral
by Ven. Preb. Tunde Roberts on 18/10/15
Isaiah 61:1-6, Colossians 4:7-end
SAMUEL SHARPE
Prayer:
May I speak in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen
Beloved nowadays we are in danger of being drowned in bad news. Our
world draws attention to the very worst aspect of human nature, wars,
which are repeated and amplified, violence, murders, robberies, and so
on.
And, of course, evil is depressing, evil leaves us cold and empty. Evil
people leave a trail of darkness in their wake. Goodness on the other
hand, is inspiring. It takes a great person to do great good.
So, besides the canonised saints, like for example St. Luke the Evangel-
ist, whose life and ministry the church celebrates today, there are legions
of anonymous saints, unrecognized saints. They are those, who though
their lives and examples, help us to walk in the way of love.
And, one of those hidden saints, forgotten heroes, is Samuel Sharpe;
and I believe it is right to celebrate his goodness, during this month that
is set aside by this Cathedral Church as Black History Month.
Friends, who is Samuel Sharpe? What do we know about him?
Well, Samuel Sharpe was a slave of an English Lawyer in Montego Bay,
Jamaica. Although a slave all his life, he was allowed to become well-
educated. And, because of his education, he was respected by the other
slaves, and became a well known preacher and leader – a deacon at
Burchell Baptist Church in Montego Bay. Samuel Sharpe did not leave
the practice of his faith in Church, but he lived what he preached. He
lived his Christian Faith in the Church, community, and his work place.
He shared the good news by educating his fellow slaves about Christian-
ity and freedom. Samuel Sharpe, my friends, saw the injustices of slav-
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YOUR LIFE, YOUR CHOICE:
EVERYDAY RELATIONSHIPS
How do we live with an awareness of Jesus’ presence in our everyday relationships ie spouse, children, neighbours or work colleagues? We can express our spirituality through the way we love others: ‘A new com-mand I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another’ (John 13:34). As we have already said, different prac-tices will train us in being more like Christ. Using Jesus as our example, how can we be more loving in everyday relationships? Listening First we need to listen to others, just as Jesus did. He asked questions of people and waited for them to process their answer. Accord-ing to James, ‘everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry’ (James 1:19). You can become more loving by lis-tening more to those around you. When someone is talking, try resisting the urge to jump in with a comment, but say, ‘tell me more!’ Too often we don’t listen to others, as we are already thinking of what we want to say before they’ve finished speaking. Listening takes time; you can’t rush it! Touching Jesus reached out to touch the untouchables in his world, incl. lepers, the sick and children, which was completely out of character for rabbis of his day. In a survey that was conducted it was discovered that we all need at least 8-10 meaningful touches a day to maintain emotional health! A warm handshake, touch on the arm or hug can be of real value. Of course, it should be appropriate touch – helpful for the other person, not just for ourselves. Speaking Jesus often spoke to those he came into contact with, using words of grace and truth: ‘the Word became flesh…full of grace and truth’ (John 1:14). In the course of our everyday relationships we all have the opportunity of speaking words of grace, incl. offering comfort, giving encouragement or expressing care and concern. However we should also be prepared to speak words of truth, incl. asking for forgiveness, seeking reconciliation or addressing conflict. These are the things which we all try to avoid addressing, however Paul encourages us to be: ‘speaking the truth in love’ (Eph 4:15 – lit. ‘truthing in love’). So if you want to be more loving in your relationships, why not try train-ing yourself in the practice of loving others?
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O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear...
What wonderful words of hope and faith in the coming of Jesus, our
Messiah! You’ve heard that Advent carol every Christmas-tide of your en-
tire life. But if it wasn’t for a quiet, High Anglican English vicar who was
once warden of an alms-house in East Grinstead, most likely you would
never have heard of it.
John Mason Neale (1818-66) had always loved words. As a child of 10
he had edited his own handwritten family magazine. As a young man he
enjoyed long solitary walks in the English countryside, pausing only to do
a bit of brass-rubbing or to collect the architectural details of the country
churches he discovered.
Neale was something of a scholar: he was captivated by the Middle Ages
and the medieval church, the early church fathers and the lives of the
saints. As one small girl at his alms-house orphanage once observed, Mr
Neale (then in his 40s) “must be very old, to have talked to so many
saints and martyrs”.
John Mason Neale’s place in history was assured when he decided to
translate old hymns into English. He went on to become the greatest of
all translators of hymns from the old Latin, Greek, Russian and Syrian
churches. ‘O Come O Come Emmanuel’ was just one of them; it began
as an old Latin hymn of doubtful date. Today it is loved round the world.
The English Hymnal (1906) contains 63 of translated hymns and six
original hymns by Neale.
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Across
1 ‘The Lord Jesus... took bread, and when he had given — , he broke
it’ (1 Corinthians 11:24) (6)
4 ‘He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his — over me is
love’ (Song of Songs 2:4) (6)
8 Surrey town that hosts the National Christian Resources Exhibition
(5)
9 Also known as Abednego (Daniel 1:7) (7)
CROSSWORD
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10 Liken (Isaiah 40:18) (7)
11 A son of Etam, descendant of Judah (1 Chronicles 4:3) (5)
12 A part of the temple where the blood of a young bull was to be
smeared (Ezekiel 45:19) (9)
17 ‘They make many promises, take false — and make
agreements’ (Hosea 10:4) (5)
19 Roman province to which Paul returned after evangelizing it on his
first missionary journey (Acts 16:6) (7)
21 Material used to make baby Moses’ basket (Exodus 2:3) (7)
22 ‘And feeble as — , in thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail’ (5)
23 ‘The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep — to his
voice’ (John10:3) (6)
24 Stalk carrying the sponge of wine vinegar given to Christ on the
cross (John 19:29) (6)
Down
1 Elijah dug one round the altar he built on Mount Carmel and filled it
with water (1 Kings 18:32) (6)
2 ‘I am not — of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the
salvation of everyone who believes’ (Romans 1:16) (7)
3 Buddhist term relating to belief in reincarnation (5)
5 Damascus disciple who, at God’s command, restored the sight of the
blinded Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:12) (7)
6 and 16 Horses: their sound (Jeremiah 50:11) (5) and their gait
(Joel 2:4) (6)
7 A three (anag.) (6)
9 Athenian council addressed memorably by Paul (Acts 17:22) (9)
13 Abide by (Galatians 3:5) (7)
14 Persian princes (Daniel 3:2) (7)
15 Force (Galatians 6:12) (6)
16 See 6 Down (6)
18 Paste (anag.) (5)
20 How the cedars of Lebanon are described (Isaiah 2:13) (5)
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