Dear Friends,

“It’s Too Darn Hot” sang (and danced) the wonderful Ann Miller in the 1953 film version of Cole Porter’s “Kiss Me Kate”, one my favourite musicals. It’s a song I’ve been humming over the past few days. How are you coping, as the thermometer creeps higher?

While we shouldn’t confuse climate and weather, climate change makes the probability of extreme weather events like the current heatwave more likely.

At St Nicolas, we take the climate crisis very seriously. Our Justice, Peace and Environment Group (JPEG) are looking at our Eco Church status. We were awarded Eco Church Silver, but the criteria have been updated and there is more to do to get us back to silver before we start to think about Gold. Our Net Zero Project has been launched to look at how we can reduce our carbon emissions by making changes to our buildings (the next meeting is on 3 July, contact the office if you’d like to take part). Those of us who took the Carbon Literacy course, now have some choices to make to say what practical steps will we will take to reduce our carbon footprints. I know that many of you are involved in organisations that support the planet and nature.

We take it seriously because we believe that part of our duty as Christians is to take care of our beautiful planet: the Earth is the Lord’s. And we believe we have a duty to communities across the world who are more vulnerable to climate change: love your neighbour.

We need to act, for we can each make a difference. If you haven’t already, you can calculate your carbon footprint online using sites like Climate Hero (https://www.climatehero.org/). And, of course, we need to pray: for those here and around the world suffering from rising temperatures, for resources to help vulnerable communities adapt, for world leaders to acknowledge the climate emergency and to develop fair policies to tackle it.

Yours, trying to keep cool,
Wendy

Wendy Neale

Dear Friends,

The presence of God in grief: it’s an interesting question for (I think) there are two extremes, neither of which seems to me to fully express a Christian reality. On the one hand, there might be the complete erasure of grief (as if it were something to be ignored). I have occasionally come across this and it has seemed oddly inhuman. On the other hand, there is the opposite: allowing grief’s complete victory, and this feels wrong-fitting, too.
Like the two natures of Christ – fully human and divine, we say – a Christian approach to grief must pit a different course – not a ‘balance’, but rather a ‘both-and’.
For my money, the poet PJ Kavanagh finds a truer course, describing a remarkable experience of God he underwent during a period of bereavement. I note his opening description of the way grief ‘stalls’ us, takes the wind out of our sails. And then the shift to prayer, but a certain kind of prayer. And then the final meeting with God which does not take away his grief but, instead, contains it, and thereby somehow changes it…

Beyond Decoration
Stalled, in the middle of a rented room,
The couple who own it quarrelling in the yard
Outside, about which shade of Snowcem
They should use. (From the bed I’d heard
Her say she liked me in my dressing-gown
And heard her husband’s grunt of irritation.
Some ladies like sad men who are alone.)
But I am stalled, and sad is not the word.
Go out I cannot, nor can I stay in.
Becalmed mid-carpet, breathless, on the road
To nowhere and the road has petered out.
This was twenty years ago, and bad as that.
I must have moved at last, for I knelt down,
Which I had not before, nor thought I should.
It would not be exact to say I prayed;
What for? The one I wanted there was dead.
All I could do was kneel and so I did.
At once I entered dark so vast and warm
I wondered it could fit inside the room
When I looked round. The road I had to walk down
Was still there. From that moment it was mean
Beyond my strength to doubt what I had seen:
A heat at the heart of dark, so plainly shown,
A bowl, of two cupped hands, in which a pain
That filled a room could be engulfed and drown
And yet, for truth is in the bowl, remain…
Today I thought it time to write this down
Beyond decoration, humble, in plain rhyme,
As clear as I could, and as truthful, which I have done.
P.J.Kavanagh

Rev Dr Mark Laynesmith
Vicar Earley St Nicolas Church

Dear Friends,

Romans 12 v 4-6. “ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.”

We give thanks for all the gifts shared last weekend from many in our church and community. As we give thanks so we Celebrate the diversity of those gifts. Celebration is also expressed in every Eucharist; as we meet in fellowship over coffee; and when we gather in groups. This week I have witnessed a great Celebration of the Mothers’ Union in London, as members gathered at St. Paul’s Cathedral to give thanks for their founder Mary Sumner and the ensuing 150 years of life and work of the Mothers’ Union.

In addition, there was much celebration as friends met up after the service and strengthened bonds that had held them together over many years. Then as you read this letter I will be returning from a full day MU conference. I know from past experiences, that I and all who have attended will be fired up with enthusiasm to see the MU walk its path of prayer, faith and service in the coming years.

This Sunday our service will reflect our thanksgiving and celebration of the Mothers’ Union which has played a huge part in the life and witness of St. Nicolas Church over the past years. We will give thanks for all who have led and guided it as branch leader including Pat Dummer our generous donor of our church centre. In my memory Maggie Carter and Ingrid Pooler.

In two weeks time the church celebrates Petertide. A celebration that reminds us that God has called each of us, regardless of our weaknesses, to be part of his work in the world. Like Peter, we are invited to trust God’s guidance, step out in faith, and serve with courage. The day also marks ordinations, so is a time to pray for those stepping into leadership and ministry roles, empowered by the Holy Spirit to shepherd God’s people. Amongst those, please pray for our oldest son Mark who is to be ordained Deacon at Worcester Cathedral.

As we give thanks and celebrate, may we embrace the gifts we have each received for the tasks we are asked to undertake, knowing that Christ equips us and strengthens us to be his hands and feet in the world.

Yours, in Christ,
Daphne

Daphne Cook, LLM

Dear Friends,

I’m sure I’m not the only one who spent most of last week complaining about the hot weather. Perhaps I’m not the only one muttering about the rain this week, especially with the summer fair this Saturday. Sometimes I wonder if it’s possible to be British and be content with the weather. I can’t imagine living anywhere which didn’t have the changing of seasons and all that brings with it, I mean what would we talk to strangers about.

This Saturday, no matter the weather, we are opening wide our garden, church and centre to the local community. Lots of people we have never met will be welcomed warmly and we will have many conversations about the weather (other topics are available). We hope that everyone who comes along has a wonderful time; but more than that, that when they leave at the end of the day, we have become friends.

Jesus repeatedly taught the disciples and crowds to greet strangers, welcome them as friends, share what they had with them and show them love. Welcoming people we don’t know and providing hospitality is a hugely important part of our life as Christians. As we live this out on Saturday I pray that we all feel inspired by Jesus’ call to welcome strangers, and that the people we meet leave as friends knowing that they can come again anytime they like.

Emma

Emma Major, LLM

Ciao amici,

I am on my travels again, in Italy, having similar hot weather to the UK, but with the advantage of gelato. I am so thankful for the experiences we have had, and for encountering so much beauty.

There has been beauty in nature. “For the beauty of the earth” is one of my favourite hymns and one I had at my wedding – natural beauty is where I see God most. Over the past week we’ve seen dolphins playing in blue sea, smelled jasmine everywhere, heard the dawn chorus when I can’t sleep because of the heat. All “God’s handiwork” as American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson puts it.

I’ve seen beauty in art. Exquisite sparse canvasses by Korean/Japanese painter Lee Ufan; beautiful needlework by Palestinian women that made me weep; a herd of 110 ceramic horses, along with the sound of galloping, that made me smile; and some art that, to be honest, I’ve no idea what’s going on. Maybe not to my taste but beautiful to some.

I’ve visited a lot of churches. We attended a service at St Marks in Venice and the singing there, as it echoed around the dome covered in golden mosaics, was truly beautiful. One church, Our Lady of the Roses, was particularly ornate, with gilding and chandeliers and above the statue of Our Lady was the Latin inscription “”, which Google translates as “You are all beautiful”. Yes, the beauty of people. Not physical beauty, but the beauty we possess by being loved by God. St Augustine said, “Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul”. I have encountered kindness, fun and inspiration from lots of beautiful people on my travels. It has been so uplifting.

I pray God shows you beauty this week, maybe in an unexpected place. Let’s also try to reflect the beauty of God’s love to all we meet.

Arrivederci, beautiful people of St Nicolas,
Wendy

Wendy Neale

Dear Friends,

Birthdays are a time of Joy and Celebration. To such an extent that as a family we had to find a day at the beginning of August to celebrate our daughters well loved doll, Rosie, because she was received at Christmas. A birthday is an opportunity celebrate the person as a unique individual person created in the image of God.

This weekend we have a different kind of Birthday; the Birthday of the Church. It occurred, as Jesus Disciples who had returned to Jerusalem and devoted themselves to prayer, waited for the coming of God’s promised gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Joy and Celebration of this first Pentecost has to be read to take in all of the experiences. (Acts ch2) A sound from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind. Tongues of fire distributed and resting on each person. Bewilderment because each one heard them speaking in their own language. Filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues.

The Birth of the Church with the gift that Jesus had promised. This is the gift of the Holy Spirit as one who will give us the power and strength and ability to share the Good News of the LOVE OF GOD. To share God’s love with everyone whom we meet. A Spirit for all believers through whom all receive the gifts needed for each and every task asked of us, in his name, to perform. This is shown in the way that the Disciple Peter who had denied Our Lord spoke with such confidence to the men of Judea. Peter knew and we must never forget that all of us live and walk with a Risen Lord.

So as we give thanks for priests, deacons, lay ministers, those with gifts of teaching, healing, prophecy, organisers and encouragers, may we all be open to God to respond to the use of his Gifts to us within our own lives.

The invitation to celebrate the Birthday of the Church extends to us all. May we truly find it a time of Joy and Celebration.

In Christ, Daphne

Daphne Cook
LLM

Dear Friends,

Blustery wet and chilly weather abounds as I write this …and not just outside… but also on our political landscape. Muck flinging, finger wagging and harsh rhetoric seems to abound as pressure rises and factions vie for advantage and power.

It feels chaotic, overwhelming and to my mind, not behaviour becoming of well educated, well-heeled leaders & those we look up to in positions of trust and authority.

Then I read our gospel reading and the contrast was huge. I was left musing on what a different kind of leader Jesus was, is. I felt my spirit shift and rise.

Jesus’ behaviour when under pressure, really under pressure…like just before he is about to die, is praying this final prayer. Glorifying and submitting to God the father and praying for protection and unity for the disciples as they went out into the world.

So dear reader, my takeaway was to be reminded that we belong to him. He will not abandon us. Hold fast and keep praying. His ways are our ways. We won’t always get it right, but we keep trying with humility and grace the best we can. Unity is strength. Change for the better is born from this. It starts local, it starts small. Look at how small a group Jesus started with and where we are now.
Today I got a haircut. My hairdresser knows I’m a Christian and out of the blue she asked me about faith, Church, attitudes to inclusion, what Jesus’ take would be on the aforementioned and the days political theatre.
She told me that she started praying this week and that she had noticed something inside her had changed. She wasn’t sure what, but she felt better, less stressed…peaceful? We talked and talked, held moments of silence and gave space to wondering.

Building community and unity, cultivating peace and togetherness it seems, can start anywhere at any time. Initially today’s encounter made me feel a bit vulnerable, exposed so to speak, but I left with a profound sense of peace and hope. Jesus’ prayer resonating with me for real.
Now that’s real power and authority. That’s the impact of a real leader.

Love Julia

Julia Jones

Dear Friends,

As the great naturalist David Attenborough celebrates his 100th birthday this week, home groups are continuing with our Carbon Literacy Course, seeking to preserve the creation Attenborough has done so much to draw to our attention.

Our opening sessions are focusing on participants calculating their personal carbon footprint. If you’ve never done this for yourself, try here: https://carbon-calculator.climatehero.org/ (it will also give you tips about how to reduce your footprint).

This week our group explore a little about how our attitude to the environment is influenced by our beliefs. Dave Bookless, co-founder of the Christian charity A Rocha International, created an illuminating diagram of three approaches to the environment ‘Ego’, ‘Eco’ and ‘Theo’.

Obviously, Ego places humans at the ‘top’ as consumers for whom nature exists as servant. The earth is simply there to sustain us. Such a worldview promises doom for the earth’s resources are not inexhaustible.

‘Eco’ represents an advance and it is one which is associated with a humanist vision of the planet: we humans are part of a system; we are dependent upon it; but we are no different from the nature. Clearly, if we lived on this basis, it would be an advance on ‘ego’. But somehow it underplays the uniqueness of humans.

Bookless’s final image, ‘Theo’, represents what he suggests is a Christian ideal. It proposed we see humans as part of a system in which we have a responsibility as stewards to uphold the integrity of nature, and to give it a direction towards love. In this sense, humans are called to responsible co-creation with God in shaping the world for the best.
Much of David Attenborough’s work has been towards stirring up in his viewers a loving attitude towards nature. Let’s join in.

Rev Dr Mark Laynesmith

“Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled.” (John 14:1)

I have enjoyed sitting in the garden today, listening to the birds, enjoying the bright red roses, writing some poetry and actively avoiding the news. I know the importance of being aware of what’s going on and staying up to date with issues I can pray about; but recently I’ve found my anxiety rising. So, for today at least, I’m taking a news break and praying these simple words:

God you know what every situation and person in the world needs. I pray for you to enter every place of pain and bring your blessing and peace.
Amen

If it was good enough for the disciples to follow Jesus’ command “‘Do not let your hearts be troubled.” then I’m sure that’s more than good enough for me.

If you’re struggling to find the right words for your prayers, then feel free to pray these words as well. I hope they bless you in

In the APCM booklet Daphne wrote about the importance of prayer and listed all the ways we offer prayer at St Nicolas including in our intercessions at Wednesday and Sunday services, with the prayer team after the Sunday service, online on Sunday evenings via zoom, and through the prayer chain. If you would like have any situation prayed for then please fill in a prayer request card in the prayer space in church, or contact Jenny Bryce via the office office@stnicolas.org.uk and the prayer chain will add you to their prayers.

If you feel called to pray more, perhaps by joining the prayer team or the prayer chain, then please do get in touch with the office, Rev Mark, Daphne or myself for a chat.

With prayers
Emma

Emma Major, Licensed Lay Minister (LLM)

Dear Friends,

Happy Easter! It’s still Eastertide, and as I was on the beautiful Isle of Wight as usual for Easter, I’m sure I can still legitimately say that. I do still have some white chocolate Malteser Easter Bunnies left (but not many).

Actually, I was recently forwarded an email which said “Easter is not a single morning miracle”. Absolutely. The Resurrection is a new beginning of love and hope, for us to take forward into the year. “Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green”*.

As we are now living in a period of global instability, how can we take love and hope forward? Well, we do all have the power. Today, 22 April, is Earth Day, an annual global event to highlight the importance of protecting the environment. This year’s theme is “Our Power, Our Planet”, celebrating the daily actions we can all take towards environmental progress. We all have the power to create change and recommit ourselves being the good stewards that God calls us to be. You can find out more about Earth Day and suggestions for actions we can take here: https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-tips/

At St Nicolas, there is an opportunity to join the carbon literacy course taking place in Home Groups and also on Thursday evenings. We are also starting our Net Zero Project with a meeting on Thursday 30 April at 2pm in the St Nicolas Centre, Conference Room. Our Justice, Peace and Environment Group (JPEG) are starting the process of reviewing our Eco Church status with a goal of getting, eventually, to apply for a Gold award. We are committing ourselves to creating change to project God’s beautiful creation.

Let us thank God, with a prayer from the Anglican Church of Australia:

Holy God, earth and air and water are your creation, and every living thing belongs to you:
have mercy on us as climate change confronts us.
Give us the will and the courage to simplify the way we live,
to reduce the energy we use, to share the resources you provide, and to bear the cost of change.
Forgive our past mistakes and send us your Spirit, with wisdom in present controversies and vision for the future to which you call us.
In Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Yours, in love and hope,
Wendy

* From “Now the green blade riseth” by John Macleod Campbell Crum.