Each edition of our ‘Fellowship’ magazine has contained a ‘Thought for the Month’ article. Here is a selection articles from the last years magazine. Our writer (alias C U Atchurch) unfortunately gave up this post at the end of the year (2005). We now have a new writer and article alias Pauline Lawrence titled ‘View From The Pew’. We hope you enjoy reading them.
This section contains a selection of messages written in our magazine over the past year. There is also an archive of Thought for the Month.
View from my pew - August/September 2009
It seems good that difficult subjects can be discussed openly these days in Reform (the URC national monthly magazine) with many differing views expressed in a balanced and tolerant way. One can only wish that this could always be the case.
Ignorant views concerning the nature of gay people have been given prominence by none other than a Bishop. Whatever individuals think is not the point, but that gay people must repent and change their very God given nature is nothing less than blind bigotry. Recently too a church home for retired clergy will not allow women ministers to enter! Why can’t people accept each other as Jesus did. What must he make of our ignorance and foolishness, as if any of the above matters in the Kingdom.
There are some good people around like Obama who try to bring peace in our world. One remark, I read, by people of other parties was ‘let’s hope he fails – he is only an upstart black’. Whenever we deride others we contribute to the sum of evil in the world, like members of the BNP. Christians struggle like everyone else to try and help but life is not easy. Life has never been a bed of roses and certainly not for most of us, particularly as we grow older and worry about how we will manage. A warm loving fellowship of any denomination is a wonderful place to be, where we can support each other and where we can be ourselves.
Let us enjoy summer but give thanks for the lessening of the heat which is such a burden to many. Keep our eyes open for the birds needing water, and for other animals needing our help at this time. Enjoy the warmth and the long evenings while they last and holidays for those fortunate to have a short period of rest. Blessings to you all.
Pauline Lawrance
View From My Pew - April/May 2009
People can be very kind and our hearts are often full of gratitude to the good souls who smooth our way through life, often very unexpectedly. These thoughts are much on my mind as I was contemplating recently how some people get hooked on certain passages in the Bible which can make them blind to a wider vision of what Jesus was trying to tell us. Life I believe is all about relationships: how we care for one another, difficult as this can be at times. I remember the Dean of Salisbury saying theology is all very well but at the end of the day it is our loving concern for all God’s creation which matters. Of course a knowledge of scripture is important but it is not everything. As I said above we get hooked on certain passages which we try to take literally, which if we do this will soon get us into trouble. Jesus spoke in parables and he had a wonderful grasp of human nature.
Recently there has been a lot of talk about creationism and evolution. Personally I feel whatever ‘side’ we are on does not matter. Evolution is a science and creationism is an opinion. Why people should get so worked up about evolution I fail to grasp. If God created the world this way, fine – most people I know including most ministers believe the latter. Still, there are people who believe that man has only been in the world for 6000 years as this is stated in the Bible – completely forgetting that the creation stories are myths and the people who wrote the Bible had no real knowledge of time as we do.
We feel that we can do so little about conflicts in our world and they are bound to make us feel sad, but we can care for our neighbours in the widest sense. I know a man of 29 in Afghanistan who is lonely and sad having lost all his family. Speaking to him regularly on the phone he says gives him hope for the future. What matter that he is a Moslem as relationships transcend different faiths. Terrible things have happened in Ireland and now more murders. How blinded are some people but we can only pray.
Let us take hope with Spring nearly here. After the dark days of Winter the buds are coming out on the trees as the world prepares for the bursting forth of new life and for the promise of Resurrection. A blessed Easter season for everyone.
Pauline Lawrence
VIEW FROM MY PEW - February/March 2009
Well, now that Christmas is over do we say thank goodness, or have we experienced some sense of wonder that has opened our hearts and minds to its real indepth meaning. To my thinking it does not matter if we do not believe literally in the birth stories. Whether we do or not is our own concern but we need to let the divine love enter our hearts if we are to have a real experience of the wonder of Christmas. That Jesus coming into the world as a helpless baby gives us hope that God is with the vulnerable and the victimised, the poor and the marginalised. There are plenty of them in our own society. And can we see Jesus in these people? If we keep Jesus trapped in the beautiful magic we can certainly miss out. Whatever helps us towards the divine is all that matters.
People in my experience can be so kind in this season. Total strangers can come to our aid in unexpected ways if we ask for help. Unfortunately so many of us think we must go it alone which may be understandable, but this attitude can sometimes cut us off from life and people.
Let us hope that 2009 will bring us as individuals and as society many blessings. May we not let this season of goodwill disappear like a puff of smoke once the ‘real world’ impinges again into our lives. Surely if what we have experienced over Christmas is the real world, how difficult it is to live in the light of the divine in our hearts throughout this year. But we can try.
A happy and creative 2009 to everyone.
Pauline Lawrence
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VIEW FROM MY PEW
What a lot is happening in the world at present, to name just a few such as the situation in
Zimbabwe and the famine conditions in Ethiopia and other parts of Africa, and nearer home the
situation in the Anglican Church. As Christians we cannot and should not push our opinions on
every issue as if we have a divine right to do so. But it could be expected that we should think
through some of the issues of the day.
Take Zimbabwe. Although the white farmers did a great job looking after their farms, the lot of
the general population was hard. Is it a wonder that deep feelings were aroused. Mugabe is a
psychopathic dictator and should go. He is an example of a deluded man who cannot see what
he is doing when his hatred has taken over. We can pray for the people there and hope that he
will go peaceably.
The famines we hear about, mostly in Africa, are terrible. We can encourage all efforts to
alleviate hardship such as being done by Christian Aid and Oxfam and other charities. However,
we must have the faith to believe that God is in control and this is all about doing our best with
our love and leaving the outcome to God.
The Anglican Church is another issue and we need to support Archbishop Rowan Williams with
our love and prayers. We must not castigate some in the Church for what, in my opinion, are
their narrow and bigoted views. They are sincere but mistaken – as if God will be angry about
women bishops! How foolish can some people be! After all, we in the URC have had female
Moderators for many years. The main reason I am angry is because it gives a false view of
Christianity, and many people will lose all patience with religion. People are easily influenced
and many cannot see beyond the surface.
For most of use we need each other to help us face the trials of life. Belief in God - yes - but the
love of God is discerned through our relationships and how we treat each other. Let us hope we
will have some sun and warmth to enjoy before we plunge into autumn. May God be with us all.
Pauline Lawrance
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This time of the year is full of events, both religious and secular. There is All Saints and All Souls Day on 1st and 2nd November, and Remembrance Sunday on 11th November, culminating in the beginning of Advent on 2nd December. Secular events include Halloween on 31st October and Guy Fawkes Day on 5th November. Much criticism surrounds pagan Halloween, particularly when children frighten the elderly with their ‘trick and treat’, and Guy Fawkes when so many people including our pets are terrified by the load bangs which seem to go on for days before and after 5th November.
Well, we all need some fun and hopefully we do not become censorious, but enough is enough when selfish people just like to frighten people. When I was a child Guy Fawkes night was a wonderful occasion: fireworks on the sands at Weston, a carnival with a bag of chips kept us all happy.. There seemed to be none of this loudness in the streets, we all went down to the beach well away from houses and pets. Life has changed and perhaps there are not so many communal events today. What about churches arranging a fun event with fireworks with some chips? Jesus liked people and enjoyed feasts and friends.
There are too many lonely people in our society, often marginalised. I was horrified to read how handicapped youngsters were often set upon by their peers and are too terrified to go out. What a society! Also where people who have fled from torture arrive here and are often locked up, and when allowed out on bail have no real means of support. What has happened to us?
Churches are in a really advantageous position to give a lead in however small a way to counteract some of the worst abuses in our society, but alas far too often some in the church become abusers too. We have to give up “we love people and want them in our church” - true - but we love people and don’t care if they sit in the pews or not. Remember as I was told not so long ago “the only verse in the bible which should speak to us every day is John Ch 10, v10 “I have come to give you life and life more abundant”.
Perhaps next year we could have a modest firework party and chips in our car park. There are plenty of people around our church who are alone and would like some fun and warmth. Remember Jesus was born in a stable to an unmarried mother. Look below the surface of what I have said. You don’t have to take it literally. Like the bible, look in depth and may be come up with something better! HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
Pauline Lawrance