Change is a-coming

On the day that Gordon Brown replaces Tony Blair as Prime Minster of Great Britain, I thought it appropriate to resurrect my blog.

So it's all change on the political front. A new PM brings a new opportunity for change although commentators are already suggesting that he cannot bring much change because he has been holding the purse strings of the government for so long. Time will tell. As a Christian leader, I feel it is my duty to pray for him and I invite you to join me in asking God to bless his leadership of the government, to give him wisdom, courage and strength for the difficult days ahead.

Here in Highley, the torrential rain has left its mark. Several homes in the village have suffered flooding and people are now setting about the task of clearing up. The road to Hampton Loade was completely washed away with a huge strip of tarmac being washed several metres down the road towards the river. The Severn Valley Railway has suffered a catastrophic disaster. In nine places along the line (between Bridgnorth and Bewdley) landslips have made the track impassable with the track being left hanging in mid-air at some spots. The impact of this on the SVR is immense. It will be months before the line can be repaired and re-opened and a £500,000 appeal has been launched to raise sufficient funds to allow the repairs to be carried out. My role as the CIH is more one of offering support to those who need a shoulder to cry on, someone to pray with or a friendly, listening ear.

As we move to a time of change both nationally and locally pray with me that it will be guided by the living God who created all things and loves all people.

The True Word Of God

The CIH has had this morning interrupted by a phone message asking about the different Greek texts used in the translation of our Bible. This prompted a brief search through the bookshelves, some initial reading and a search on the internet.

With some surprise, the CIH discovered that there seems to be a large number of people who hold the King James Bible as the only true Word of God. They cry out against modern English translations such as the NIV saying they are based on misleading Greek manuscripts that were discovered after the King James Bible was published and are therefore not to be trusted. It is a shame that these same people do not take into account the fact that these Greek manuscripts were actually written prior to those used by the King James Bible for translation.

The text that the CIH used at college and which is widely accepted as the closest to the original text is the 26th Edition of the Nestle-Aland text of the Greek New Testament. This includes footnotes to alert the reader to variations in other text sources.

Time to put textual criticism aside for one moment. The CIH is now wondering why Christians spend so much of their time arguing amongst one another when they should be out telling non-Christians about Jesus. There is no credit for winning an argument like this one that is based on historical facts that cannot be proved one way or the other. Instead, we should be looking at our Scriptures and seeing that there is so much in common and the miracle is that, over the hundreds of years we have been translating the scriptures, they still carry the message that God loves the world he made and that he sent Jesus to die for us and to make it possible for those that believe and trust in him to have a place put aside for them in heaven.

Don't let the devil distract us from our work and ministry. Instead, take the words from 1 Peter 5:8-9 very seriously: "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil is prowling round like a roraring lion, seeking for someone to devour. Resist him, strong in the faith."

Oh, and the 'True Word of God'? See John 1 "In the beginning was the Word".

Superman

Friday 2nd February and the CIH had the honour of taking the funeral for 'Superman', a well-loved member of the village community. This was the largest funeral the CIH had led to date with 232 people in attendance. The church was full and a number of people stood listening to the service outside the church.

Superman, AKA John Evans, died suddenly just a few weeks after the death of his mother. A father of three, John will be missed by his family and many friends.

During the service, the CIH read from Psalm 8 which speaks of the beautiful world which God made. As a nature lover and an 'outdoor boy', this psalm reflects some of the good things of the world that John enjoyed.

Following the service, the CIH joined some members of the family for a short committal at Stourbridge Crematorium.

Confirmation

Yesterday evening the Bishop of Ludlow confirmed four members of St Mary's Church including the eldest daughter of the CIH. The CIH had a privileged position for this occasion as he was acting as the Bishop's Chaplain - a role that involves looking after the Bish's stick and making sure he has all the books and accesories he needs throughout the service.

The Bishop only just made it to the church in time having got caught by a dodgy bit of roadwork diversion. The road from Cleobury Mortimer to Highley is currently closed for pipe laying and the detour adds about an extra 30minutes to any journey. For those in the know, there is an alternative, yet unsigned, diversionary route that only adds about 5minutes to the journey. Sadly the Bish was not in the know and followed the extensive diversion marked by AA signs.

With everyone there and in place, the service started more or less on time and went off without any problems and the four confirmation candidates made it through without getting too stressed.

After the service there were cakes galore so everyone went home on a sugar boost. Great fun.

Monday Men

Monday men is the name of a new men's group which meets in Highley on, yes you guessed it, Mondays.

We had our first meeting this week and there was a good attendance of men from both congregations. The plan is that the group will meet weekly to discuss stuff together, to work for the good of the community, to socialise and to support one another.

It is really exciting to be a part of this new venture and I will report soon on the CIH's involvement with the group.

A New Focus

What no news?

Sorry

This lack of posting has become a bit habitual lately. Note to self: 'Must try harder'.

A fair amount has been going on for the CIH lately. Yes, funerals, midweek services and Sunday services still continue but the last few weeks have brought a new focus to the CIH's ministry.

Just after I last posted, the church hosted Andrew Pearkes for a second weekend. This time, in addition to a men's breakfast and a Saturday night healing service, he gave an afternoon's practical workshop/teaching session on 'listening to God in the context of healing' (some people struggle to listen to God in any context but this particular session was in the context of healing). He also spoke at the Sunday morning service and offered to pray for healing there too. This was exciting because this time, he used a large number of the church's own members to assist with the prayer ministry. As a result, the church has moved on significantly in its understanding of spiritual gifts.

Hence the new focus for the CIH's ministry in Highley. He has been given the responsibility of assessing the methods, style and focus of the teaching for the whole of the church's youth and children's provision from age 0 - 20. This is a huge undertaking and one which is far beyond his ability. Thankfully, he has got other people to fall back on - oh, and don't forget God.

An initial meeting last night proved to be very exciting. Many members of the church gathered to discuss the way forward and as a result, a new management group is being formed to oversee the whole of the Young people's provision. Many of the existing leaders have agreed to continue whilst a few a considering if it is time for them to step down. Over the next few weeks and months, we are expecting God to call new people into this important ministry. In the meantime, the CIH will concentrate on the formation of the management group and the development of the children's groups.

Another new development far from youth and children's work is a new men's group 'Monday Men' which starts today. This is more the RIH (Rector in Highley)'s baby but it will be interesting to see how many men we can gather together for this new regular group.

A Quiet Start

It's been a gentle start to the new year for the CIH. Most evening activities do not start again until next week so the CIH has been able to spend a bit more time at home with his family.

Having said that, the RIH has taken a few days off so the CIH has picked up a funeral for early next week and is now catching up on arranging some baptisms that people have requested.

Although it's quiet, the CIH is not complaining as "It's bound to get busier very soon". And I think that this busy time will begin for the CIH this weekend as St Mary's Church welcomes a return visit by Andrew Pearkes who will be speaking at a men's breakfast, leading a training event on Saturday afternoon and a healing service on Saturday evening. The main service on Sunday will be a service of family worship with prayer for healing.

The CIH is excited about the weekend's programme and I will report here soon after.