St. Paul’s Church, Chippenham

BACK TO NORMAL! - it is funny how the autumn feels like a new beginning and coming back to a fresh start – so welcome to September … and the chance to focus on things in Chippenham (possibly, after times away on holiday) and the things happening in our church life. (However, if you are now about to go away … have a great time!) I am also aware that you may be someone for whom the idea of starting again in September does not make sense … and that each year has a continuity. Whichever and whoever you are … welcome to September and all the opportunity we have in Christ to speak and live for Him as people of faith!

BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY - one way will be to invite family and friends to join us on Sunday 28th for Back To Church Sunday. We are trying this out this year at St Paul’s and I am hopeful that the churches of Chippenham Deanery will fully support it in 2009. At St Paul’s there will be invitations and encouragement to ask others to come and join us this year – and I hope many of us will want to support this as we try and make it easy for people to come and worship with us. (Apparently some people simply get out of the routine of coming to church and this is a way to help them come back.)

HARVEST FESTIVALS - also this year 28th September is the date of the Harvest Festivals at Hardenhuish and Langley Burrell churches (with their Harvest Suppers on the 27th Sept & 4th Oct respectively). St Paul’s & Kington St Michael celebrate Harvest on the 5th October. Again, these are good opportunities to invite others to join us to ‘give thanks to the Lord of the harvest’. Who could you invite?

EXPRESSIONS: THE DVD - as Area Dean I have copies of 2 DVDs which look at fresh expressions and contemporary mission initiatives which are being undertaken by ordinary churches like ours. If you would like to borrow them please contact me. They are EXCELLENT full of very interesting ideas!

REV SAM RUSHTON - I am very pleased that Sam has said that she hopes to be around during the week and available to take some midweek HC services at both St Paul’s and Kington St Michael. People have told me that they are looking forward to her ministry – though, at most, she will only be able to take a couple of these services each month.

PSALM 26 - last week Tim Woodward and I were reading this psalm and praying together. In the NIV (New International Version) it comes over as being the words of a rather self-satisfied and complaisant person – rather too full of himself and his own relationship with God. We were not impressed by his seeming arrogance… but it made us think about just how we view our own relationship with God. Are we smug about ‘being right with God’? Do we fail to make a realistic assessment of ourselves and how we relate to God? (It’s a good Psalm and well worth reading! Psalm 26)

THE POVERTY & JUSTICE BIBLE - and if you are not sure about the translation in your own Bible … there is a lot to be said for comparing one version with another. I managed to get hold of 30 copies of The Poverty & Justice Bible in the CEV (Contemporary English Version) and have been selling it at a discounted price of £9 (or £10 if you don’t have the change!) This version highlights some 2000 verses in the Bible which show God’s concern for issues of poverty & justice in the world. With articles and other pointers, this Bible helps us to understand something of God’s heart for the poor. I find it a timely reminder of what really matters to God – and it challenges my thinking. If you would like a copy of this Bible for yourself please contact me and, if there is sufficient demand, I’ll try and get hold of some more from the Bible Society.

MY AREA DEAN RESPONSIBILITIES - I am finding that there are various things to do as Area Dean (particularly bringing the ministers together from the different churches and taking responsibility for meetings that try to help churches work better with one another) but also with the clergy vacancy at St Peter’s Frogwell I have a role in encouraging and working with that church. There are many good people there wanting to work as a team and we are trying to enable that to happen.

GROUP SERVICE - takes place at 6.30pm at Kington St Michael on Sunday 7th September. Please come along and join our worship.

THE CLARION - I want to thank Martin Ellett for all he has done as the editor of CLARION for the past few years – you have made a wonderful contribution, Martin, and it is much appreciated – and also to greet and thank Stephen Cozens as he takes over the editorship. Well done!

TEAM VICAR POST - unfortunately the appointment we had made has not worked out and I have been talking to a few people who might be interested in joining us in Chippenham. Please keep the process in your prayers as we try to find the person God is calling to work amongst us.

‘THE KITE RUNNER’ - if you want to read a great book set in Afghanistan this is a must … written by Khaled Hosseini it is a moving story about 2 boys growing up in a country affected by both the Soviet invasion and the Taliban. Insights into relationships, the land and its people, the effect of war, the Muslim faith and secular Islam made this a most compelling read for me. (And the film was wonderful too!)

LEE ABBEY & PAUL BAYES - with the Lee Abbey weekend coming up in October (10th-12th) I am very pleased that Paul Bayes who is leading our time there is coming to preach at St Paul’s on Sunday 7th September at 10am. He is the National Mission & Evangelism Adviser for the Archbishop’s Council – working from London. We are very fortunate to have a central church leader giving our input. Please pray that he brings us the message God wants us to hear – and that we will have ears to hear!

CONFIRMATION SERVICE - we had a wonderful service in June at St Paul’s and I already have a couple of names of people thinking about being confirmed at the next deanery service on Friday 7th November. Please have a word with me if you are wondering about confirmation yourself as I will need to think about some preparation sessions during the autumn.

RIDE & STRIDE - our churches will be open on Saturday 13th September for the Wiltshire Historic Churches Ride & Stride – so people can visit and have their sponsor forms validated – please could you sign up to cover an hour (if the list is not completed)? Thank you!

OPEN TO GOD - will be at 7pm on the 3rd Sunday in September (i.e. 21st) in St Paul’s hall. It is a lovely opportunity for rather more informal worship and space and time to be open to the Holy Spirit. Come and join us!

THEMES & READINGS - we are starting a series of sermons called ‘Living …’ and these are the themes & Bible readings during September

• Sept 7 - Living… in a fast moving world - Romans 13:8-14
• Sept 14 - Living… without hope - Romans 8:18-25
• Sept 21 - Living… with stress - Psalm 91:1-16
• Sept 28 - Living… in a pick & mix society - Matthew 16:13-20
• (Sept 28 - Living… in a materialistic world - Luke 12:13-21 - for the Harvest Festivals at Langley Burrell and Hardenhuish)

MIDWEEK BIBLE READINGS - at our midweek services of Holy Communion (10am on Wednesdays at St Paul’s – and 10am Thursdays at Kington St Michael) we are starting a series looking at JEREMIAH THE PROPHET.

• Sept 3 & 4 - God calls Jeremiah - Jeremiah 1:1-19
• Sept 10 & 11 - God’s unfaithful people - Jeremiah 2:1-13
• Sept 17 & 18 - What God thinks - Jeremiah 8:8-9:3
• Sept 24 & 25 - God’s response - Jeremiah 16:1-18

PRAYER FOR THE MONTH – is a lovely reminder of just how important the Bible is to those who follow Christ (based on Psalm 119:105).

Almighty God,
we thank you
for the gift of your holy word.
May it be a lantern to our feet,
a light to our paths,
and a strength to our lives.
Take us and use us to serve all people
in the power of the Holy Spirit
and in the name of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Simon Tyndall