Saturday 16 August 2014

Letter from Rose - August & September 2014


Letter from Rose

August/September 2014

Dear Friends,

Last Sunday (20th July) the reading set from the Gospel was that well known parable of the sower. (Matthew 11: 16-19, 25 to end)

At St Mary’s I explored the fates of the different seed, but in particular the seed that fell amongst the thorns.

As I write this letter we are in the ninth month of interregnum where we have all being working extra hard to maintain the church across the seven churches including Wolverley and Cookley and the places they serve while at the same time waiting for the formation of the new Kidderminster Ismere Team and looking for a new Team Rector.

During my sermon we thought about our position in God’s church at this moment in time with the parable of the sower in mind, and which seed we might think we are. Perhaps we may feel a little like the seed that is being choked by the weight of the ‘thorns’ of extra work?

It is so easy to give in when things get a bit tough, but let’s think about those thorns for a moment and what can happen to them.

When winter comes along they too will lose their leaves and strength and die back, then when spring comes along the seed once more is given the opportunity to sprout, to grow and bear fruit, 30, 60 or 100 times over.

I know we have all been disappointed by the fact that we have not been successful in appointing a Rector, perhaps we were not ready.

Maybe we needed a winter period first but now are at a point when we need to open the door anew to the Spirit’s working and see what God wants of us.

Whatever form the future may take, I am sure we all realize that it will not be as it was before - but I wonder if we are brave enough to embrace whatever God has in mind for us and become the ‘good soil’ where the Spirit can and will be able to work and grow the Kingdom across our seven churches and beyond.

Bishop John, our Diocesan Bishop says that ‘our churches should be communities where the Kingdom is our core conversation, where these Kingdom values (of love, compassion, justice and freedom) are evident and through which we strive to incarnate them in our communities ….. a framework in which churches might flourish and grow rather than impose a blueprint of how every church should look.’

The new Kidderminster Ismere Team has now been ‘made’ and will come into being as soon as the Clergy are relicensed and so across our new Team we have a wonderful opportunity to grow those Kingdom values but it will mean a renewed openness to the working of the Spirit and hard work supported by prayer.

Are we brave enough to move forward?

A prayer from Bishop Tom Wright praying for God’s church – for us.

‘Give us faith, good Lord, to see your kingdom at work even when the seeds seem wasted and the soil seems bare.

Thank you for the promise of the great harvest, of which your resurrection was the first fruits.’

Amen.



With every blessing for our future together,

Rose

Revd Rose Lawley

Acting Team Rector




 
From the Parish Registers

Christenings

Paula Michelle Cooper; 8th June at St. John’s, Wolverley
Aaron Lee Meagham; 8th June at St. John’s, Wolverley
Fraser James Brooks; 8th June at St. Peter’s, Cookley
Carly Louise Lewis; 6th July at St. Peter’s, Cookley
Jessica Daisy Sullivan; 6th July at St. Peter’s, Cookley
Eric Phillip Waldron; 6th July at St. Peter’s, Cookley
Ruby Louise Williamson; 13th July at St. John’s, Wolverley
Ethan Shaun Davies; 20th July at St. Peter’s, Cookley


Weddings

Luke Nicholas William Martin and Rebecca Louise Portman; 25th May at Cookley
Jamie Luke Childs and Emma Jane Taylor; 25th May at St. John’s, Wolverley
Matthew Alan Fidoe and Harriet Emily Smith; 30th May at St. Peter’s, Cookley
Alexander Michael Bowman and Gemma Elizabeth White; 14th June at Cookley
Stefan Karl Jordan and Victoria Louise Clarke; 21st June at St. Peter’s, Cookley
Matthew Ashley Thompson and Elizabeth Charlotte Crich; 12th July at Cookley
Simon Mark Cox and Heather Janet Neal; 18th July at St. Peter’s, Cookley



Funerals

Anthony Chapman of Cookley; 2nd May at Wyre Forest Crematorium
Brian John Jacques; 9th June at St. John’s, Wolverley
Gillian Lynes of Wolverley; 13th June at Wyre Forest Crematorium
Irene Richards of Cookley; 17th June at Wyre Forest Crematorium
Leonard Thomas Mumford of Wolverley; 18th June at Wyre Forest Crematorium
Avril Elizabeth Forrester; 19th June at St. Peter’s, Cookley & W.F. Crematorium
Muriel Baynham of Wolverley; 9th July at Stourbridge Crematorium
Stanley William King; 16th July at St. John’s, Wolverley & W.F. Crematorium


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