All Saints Cheltenham
a Resolutions A and B Parish in the
Combined Team Songs of Praise - 6.30pm August 29th - St Mary Magdalene, Elmstone Hardwicke
Combined Team Songs of Praise - 6.30pm August 29th - St Mary Magdalene, Elmstone Hardwicke |
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INTRODUCING OUR NEW TEAM PRIEST - FATHER DANIEL PAPWORTH I am thirty eight years old and have been ordained for eight and a half years. I was brought up as a Roman Catholic and made my own response to Christ at the age of twenty-one. My first degree, Environmental Science, was in Plymouth, where I remained for a further two years, working for the City Council and attending St Jude’s Church. I then went to North Devon to work as a member of the Lee Abbey Community for a further two years, during which time I began exploring ordination in the Church of England. I have worked as a Lay Assistant in Berkshire and, following ordination, in parishes in Cardiff and Somerset. I have spent the last three and a half years as an NHS Chaplain in Dudley and Exeter. I am excited by the combination of continuity and change that the parishes of North Cheltenham seek to embody. I feel it is vital that we reach out to people in a way that shows them the timeless relevance of the Christian gospel, inviting people to encounter God’s love and trusting his work in, and through, us. In June Magazine, Father Daniel wrote: A Reflection of Christ is in us In all of our Churches the day of Pentecost was marked with an important question: what does it mean to have the Holy Spirit within us? What difference does he make to our lives? One of the things we have been thinking about recently is how we move from ‘maintenance’ to ‘mission’. Having come through an important time of dealing with all kinds of ‘in-house’ issues, the time is now right to allow God, who always looks outwards, to draw our attention away from ourselves and think, once again, about our neighbours and friends, those with whom we want to share our Easter message of new life and hope. It is tempting, whenever we think of such words as ‘mission’ or ‘outreach’ immediately to start planning activities and events to which we can invite people. Such initiatives are a great way of welcoming newcomers… as long as they respond to the invitation! We have to be careful, however, not to become so busy that we have no room in our lives for the ordinary meetings: conversations at the school gates, walking the dog, and bumping into people in the shops or the Post Office. These moments are not perhaps as focussed as special services and events, and yet they are probably more important because they are when people see us as we are. It is not just when we talk openly about Jesus – or get the vicar to do so – that people encounter the Good News. The exciting fact of Pentecost (not just a single day in history but an ongoing event) is that Christ is with us, present even when we are least aware of him. What people see is much more than our words or our actions. What often leaves an impression is what we are like to be with. All those who are in Christ have this promise: that the Holy Spirit is in us, and is therefore present in every encounter that others have with us. It could even be said that the more we are truly ourselves with people, the more they will see of Jesus, through his Spirit. Here are some quotations to think about over the next month: A reflection of Christ is in us… So many people on earth radiate the holiness of Christ without realizing it and perhaps without daring to believe it. And it is better that way. Br Roger of Taizé (1915-2005) Create peace within yourself and thousands will find salvation around you. St Seraphim of Sarov (1754-1833)
Holy Spirit, life that gives life,
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