Adventure of a Lifetime  

Some years ago we bought a kitten for our son and she was named Fudge. She’s a feisty tortoiseshell who loves affection but is full of energy and mischief. She started to experience the great outdoors; exploring the garden and surrounds more and more. The first hurdle was getting her to go through the clunky cat flap! Eventually, after a few gentle nudges, she overcame this hurdle. Her life indoors was safe and warm and she knew it well. Now, she is putting those cat senses to good use and starting to grow comfortable with her enlarging world.
 
I feel in many ways that I was pushed through a cat flap some years ago when I began training as a Church of England minister.  I remember it was a vulnerable time facing unknown territory. Sometimes I have, like Fudge, beaten a frenzied retreat back into the cat basket.
 
We have watched Fudge through the kitchen window when she first ventured outside, in order to make sure she didn’t come unstuck. I believe God watches us in a similar way when we follow him and begin a journey of faith. January, and the early part of February, are a time of ‘Epiphany’, which means ‘manifestation or a ‘showing’. This is the time we celebrate the visit of the Magi or, as some believe, three kings. These wise men from the east journeyed a huge distance, following a star which for them indicated a special ruler had been born.
 
Nearly 2000 years before the Magi existed, a family made a similar journey but stopped halfway in a town called Harran. This was the family young Abram was born into. He was later called ‘Abraham’ (meaning father of many) and he is considered a great father figure when it comes to faith. Perhaps this is because he, the age of 75, was called by God to pack up and leave the comfortable, settled life?  He left the thriving town of Harran and journeyed many miles south to a place called Zoan in the eastern Nile delta. His life, despite a good few setbacks, became such an adventure. It all originates back to that time when he took a leap of faith and what he did has had astronomical effects upon the world today. His was an adventure of a lifetime and everyone who has faith can know the buzz you get from following God.
 
Chris Martin of Coldplay wrote in his song ‘Adventure of a lifetime’:

I feel my heart beating
Oh, you make me feel
Like I'm alive again

 
….and goes onto say

if we've only got this life
You'll get me through, oh

 
This, for me, expresses the immense sense of thrill and blessing a person gets when they take a leap of faith. So, if you hear God nudging you to take a journey of faith, think of Fudge, leaping through the cat flap.
 
 
Revd. Joe Lannon (Rector)
 
 

Christmas Pre-NUPs 

Christmas, the song tells us, is ‘the most wonderful time of the year’.  In many ways that’s true if you’re one of those who, like me, really loves Christmas. It’s a time to see old friends and family, to give and receive and to reflect on the significance of the birth of Christ.
 
It can be a stressful time especially if it involves bringing together relatives who you haven’t seen for decades, who still treat you like a child. Victor Borg said that: “Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people only once a year.”
 
Then of course there’s paying for it. One anonymous writer put it: Christmas is the season when you buy this year's gifts with next year's money. The expert on this is Martin Lewis, who said that

‘Christmas has become a retail festival and it shouldn’t be. It should be joyous
but it causes some people unhappiness, debt and worry’.

He went onto say that

‘Many people feel obliged to buy gifts for others that they know they won’t use,
with money they don’t have and cause themselves stress they don’t need’.

 
Martin has some interesting perspectives on how we’ve disconnected from the real reasons for giving gifts and how it’s led to the current treadmill of tit-for-tat giving. He suggests limiting gift-giving to close family and making a Christmas pre-NUP (No Unnecessary Presents) with others. I’m not advocating that we become Scrooge-like and fail to be generous, but Martin’s suggestion  sounds a very reasonable one.
 
The original message about giving at Christmas has its roots both in the Nativity and the first Santa Clause. The nativity speaks of the overwhelming generosity and love of God for all. The ‘Message’ version of the Bible (John 3:16) puts it like this:

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son’.
He did this not to condemn us, nor point his accusing finger at us but that we
can have whole or full life. ‘He came to help, to put the world right again’.

 
The original Santa Clause was St Nicholas, who was the Bishop of Myra. He was seriously concerned about helping the poor. One story tells of how he secretly dropped gold coins down the chimney of a poor family in order to prevent the occupier’s three daughters from being sold into slavery. This mirrors the original Christmas story where God revealed kindness and love, not because of anything we deserved but because of God is love. God gave generously so we could be free. When we discover and experience the deep love of God reach down into our soul, we are moved to love others in need. The love of God so affected St Nicholas, that he was moved to help others in real need,
 
I’m hoping to get the balance right this Christmas and won’t have a retail experience that causes me stress. I also hope we can all be inspired to love the poor as St Nicholas did.
 
Merry Christmas.
 
 
Joe Lannon (Rector)
 
 

Thanks 

Thanks you to all who have expressed kindness and warmth to me and my family following last Sunday’s announcement.
 
Thanks also to Rebecca, our Administrator, and Steve Vince for conducting a review of how the various aspects of our website and media is accessed and used. They will be presenting this at the next Team Council meeting so the Cluster can develop a better online presence.
 
One aspect of their research highlighted the fact that very few read my weekly article via the news sheet and only 5% do so online.  Consequently, this has added weight to my decision to halt my weekly ramblings until further notice.
 
Blessings,
 
 
Joe (Rector)

A New Season 

This week we said goodbye to Katie, our Pioneer Families Worker. Katie has
left to begin studies for a Master’s Degree.
 
She was presented with a card by Denise (a member of the Operations Group) and a gift from the Cluster as a thank you for all her hard work and creative efforts.
 
We wish her and the family well -She will be missed. Please pray for
her as she begins this new season.
 
Joe (Rector)
 

Chalk and Cheese 

Matthew’s gospel highlights the differences between the authenticity of Jesus and the sham religion of the religious leaders.  The tension grows until Jesus holds nothing back in chapter 23. Up until then the religious authorities are on the hunt to trick, embarrass and harm him. The religious group of the Sadducees have failed in their attempts to do this, without getting egg on their faces. This is when the party of the Pharisees believe they can do better. However, Chapter 22 (the focus of this Sunday’s reading) shows they too fail. From then on, we’re told in verse 46 that:

No one could say a word in reply, and from that day
no one dared to ask him any more questions.

That sounds hunky-dory but in essence it very likely sealed Jesus’ fate. His prophetic voice exposed the reality of their hearts. Theirs was not genuine faith, rather it was a ritualistic rule-based religion. Jesus was seeking an authentic transformational religion of the heart, that resulted in a life of love for God and others. He and they were as different as chalk and cheese.
 

Apparently,  The earliest known example of this phrase is in Middle English text (which my spell-checker does not like!) and was written by John Gower in 1390 which says:

‘Lo, how they feignen chalk for chese.’

Some reckon cheese makers used to add chalk, to bulk it up and so they would have more to sell. However, people cottoned on and could taste the difference. You can try eating chalk but it is fundamentally different in its taste and ability to satisfy your hunger. Chalk is dry and we would not normally choose to eat it. But cheese, for those who love it, is a whole different story. When I savour the best mature cheddar, I am instantly transported back to my childhood to my gran’s corner shop, when she would cut me pieces of tasty cheese. There began my love of cheese.[1]
 
And that tenuously reminds me of the contrast between a living faith and a religion based on ritual. They are as different as chalk and cheese. I am not saying Christians who worship one way have a dry empty faith, whilst others have the real thing. The essence is more about how God wants to engage with us. I believe David’s Psalm attempts to convey this: ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good’ (Ps34:8). And this is something Jesus is inferring when he says ‘Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart’. This kind of faith is life-giving and life-enhancing and is something we can know regardless of worship style. This is life in the Spirit available to all and once we taste and see, or drink, we too are hooked.
 
Blessings,
 
Joe (Rector)

The morning dew 

In autumn Low lying cloud Descends on the Moors and wisps of eerie cloud gently meander over rivers. This creates foggy areas, causing visibility issues on nearby roads. The Met office tell us that the dew point is:
The temperature at which condensation occurs
… and is dependent upon the humidity and pressure of the air.
At the dew point, water form droplets and this helps to provide life even in desert areas. Dew is used to describe something of the life-giving power when people dwell together in peace and unity. I heard one translation put it like this recently:
How beautiful it is when brothers live together. …It as if the
dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. (Psalm 133:1)
This week I have been reflecting on Jonah’s hatred for the people of Nineveh who terrorised his community and carried them away. He is to go to them but heads off in the totally opposite direction; only to find that God is more concerned about the destruction of a city and its people and animals than Jonah’s prejudice. The people do turn to the Lord and this makes Jonah’s racism boil even more. We discover at the end of the book that Jonah is more concerned for his own comfort than for the people and animals of the city of Nineveh. This week we have seen the intense hatred between Jews and Palestinians surface in terrible ways. Yet we know that the heart of God is to bring refreshing dew of peace in a barren climate of hatred, suffering and grief. The Anglican Archbishop of Jerusalem, Hosam Naoum, has shared the following prayer:
O God of all justice and peace we cry out to you in the
midst of the pain and trauma of violence and fear
which prevails in the Holy Land.
Be with those who need you in these days of suffering;
we pray for people of all faiths - Jews, Muslins and
Christians and for all people of the land.
While we pray to you, O Lord, for an end to violence
and the establishment of peace, we also call for you to bring
justice and equality to the peoples. Guide us into your
kingdom where all people are treated with dignity
and honour as your children, for to all of us you are
our Heavenly Father. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen
 
Let us pray for dew to settle on all the people of this region.
 
Blessings,
Joe (Rector)
 

You + God are Enough

Most of you will have received the recent news that I will not be applying for the post as Oversight Minister for the new Kit Hill Benefice as part of On the Way. This will mean that I will, eventually leave. I haven’t as yet resigned and so I’ll continue to work with you here in the Callington Cluster for a good few months yet. I thought I would be here for a good few more years but God has other plans for us and for you. Thank you to all those who sent such encouraging words of support and who are praying for us during this season.
 
The Lord has been speaking to me about all the changes we are facing as a family and as Churches in this time of transition. This has been via the instructions that Jesus gave his disciples in Luke 9: 1 – 6, as he prepared them for work experience in building the kingdom. These words give us a clue about the basis upon which the Kingdom is established; which is in the world but not of it.
 
Simply put, this new order is built upon the truths of the New Testament teachings of Jesus, which have to be communicated by believers; who are made prepared & then sent to tell others. They are equipped with spiritual power and authority as Jesus says:
 

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority
to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim
the kingdom of God and to heal those who were ill. He told them:
 ‘Take nothing for the journey – no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt.

 
Clearly, this kingdom isn’t dependent upon props or material goods. It doesn’t depend on clothes, food, bags or money. It simply needs Christians, who are prepared to take a risk and go tell their friends/neighbours’ about Jesus. If they do this, then God goes with them in power and heals.
 
It’s not dependent upon budgets, how much money we have, or even about reshuffling Vicars.  It’s about Jesus’ followers being made ready and then telling others. This is the opposite strategy of how Church is grown in the USA (and even the HTB model here in the UK) where hundreds of thousands of pounds are poured into setting up a building and fund a team for 5 to 10 years to start a church. We have all we need, don’t need any extra. We aren’t poor or lacking in any way; except maybe in our courage or willingness to talk about Jesus. There is a course called Talking Jesus (produced by the C of E and other Churches) which helps us do this. The House groups at St Mary’s are hoping to start this in January.
 
So, whatever fears or anxieties you may have for the future of the Church communities here in the Cluster, be encouraged and rest assured,’ you + God’ are enough. When we step out together in obedience and courage, God will work to build his Kingdom.
 
Blessings,
 
Joe (Rector)
 

Summer Rain 

It is difficult to believe that we are at the height of summer, yet it feels like autumn. Northern Ireland and parts of England have had the wettest July on record. It is hard to imagine that we had the warmest June on record! The weather affects our moods; especially if it keeps us inside for days on end. Historians reckon it was the Achilles heel for the Romans and contributed toward their demise. Tacitus records Caesar saying:

‘The nights are short and the weather miserable, with frequent rain and mists’.

Archaeologists have shown that settlers during this period suffered from lack of sunshine and vitamins (due to the scarcity of fruit) and they were often seen off by flu.
 
Rain frequently figures in songs to describe the melancholic soul:

Sunny days Where have you gone? I get the strangest feeling you belong
Why does it always rain on me? Is it because I lied when I was seventeen? (Travis, 1999)

It is strange then to think that, in warmer climates, rain is viewed in a different light. We see this in the Bible. Paul speaking in Lystra to the Greeks, said (Acts 14:17):

‘Yet he (God) has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness
by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons;
he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.’

I remember being in El Jem, which is close to the Sahara, and it is where there is a huge Colosseum (part of Gladiator was filmed there). The temperature was an unbearable 48 degrees Celsius. Tunisia is currently facing its worse drought on record. It is hard to get our minds around the level of heat and drought many have to endure, as we sit here in the UK during a miserable summer downpour.  
 
Yet rain is such a blessing, because it tells us that God is kind and cares for our needs. It is vital for growing food and something which brings us joy. Kindness, we are told, is a fruit of the Spirit and is something that takes time to grow and ripen in a Christian’s character.  So, whenever it rains, let us work at being kind to everyone, especially the poor and needy; whether they are on our doorstep or live in far-away arid places.
 
Blessings,
 
Joe (Rector)
 
P.S.   I’m taking a break from writing a weekly blog over August.
 

Generosity & Growth 

 
This week, Jenny Wreford (Generous Giving Advisor, Truro Diocese) has been speaking at St Mary’s on Generous giving. I was particularly struck by three things she said to us, i.e. our giving:

• Determines our reputation
• Determines our output
• Determines our growth 

We only need to ask our local communities in order to discover what reputation we have. Are we known for being approachable, willing to roll up our sleeves and muck in, or are we seen as aloof and out of step with the community we serve? Of course, if we as Christians want to bless our local communities, then we can only do that if we care enough to give. Our output is connected to our giving, which is not just money, but is also our time and resources. We are able to do so much because we have Churches in the Cluster that do give generously. Furthermore, this giving determines our growth. If we prepare the ground and sow freely, then we will see faith sprouting up in the lives of people around us; as they see, hear and experience the love of God in Christ. Our faith results in expressions of loving actions which speak volumes.
 
Paul, writing to the Philippians, reminds them that their gifts are:
                    ‘a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God’ (Phil 4: 18)
 
For me, this describes the culture change that the love of God brings through the power of the Holy Spirit to a Church. They become a beautifully fragrant community who please God. They are a church that give as an expression of love. This culture change takes time and is quite a challenge when we have such expensive ancient buildings to look after. But let’s pray we become a real blessing in Jesus name.
 
We have a busy weekend with St Sampson’s Barrow Push, a Marriage course, and a variety of Church services. We also resume the Alpha Course on Sunday at 11am at St Mary’s (Who is Jesus?). So let’s pray for these events that God will cause faith to grow among us and around us in surprising places.  
 
Blessings,
 
Joe (Rector)