Date post: | 27-Mar-2016 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | pip-n-jay-church |
View: | 214 times |
Download: | 0 times |
Pip n Jay
Church Life February 2012
Stories of God’s love — transforming lives, inspiring mission
...but the greatest of these is love
Church Life Pip n Jay
Love, love, love…
John Lennon’s lyrics have echoed
through the decades and reflect an
expectation that love will make us
who we long to be. As is often the
case, this is the inaccessible half of
the truth. My world and yours is
inhabited by people like us, longing
for love. We will go to surprising
lengths to achieve it and we will go to
surprising places to gain it. However,
as incredible as it may seem, love is
not all you need; unless of course it is
miraculous.
Jesus’ words “For God so loved the
world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life”
reveal the surprising love of a Father.
Surprising in that the world he loves
is not dominated by peace, justice,
love and forgiveness; but by our
common experience of pain, suffering
and hostility towards our maker.
The wonderful
reality is that God
the Father sent God
the Son to rescue and
remake a broken
world, by restoring a
family to himself
through his suffering
and death in our
place. It is surprising that in the
crucifixion of Jesus the Messiah we
see the demonstration of God’s
incomparable love. God the Holy
Spirit transforms our lives as He
helps us define ourselves in terms of
the love of God displayed through
Jesus’ cross, rather than a love that
so often evades us.
Jesus’ words “Peace be with you! As
the Father has sent me, I am sending
you” define the lives of His disciples
in this world. We are those who bear
the message of peace established
through his death and resurrection.
We have experienced the Father’s
love. Filled with His Spirit we are sent
to live and speak of his forgiveness,
love and new life.
The Father’s love of this world and
the Father’s mission within this world
belong together.
To love a lovable person might be
obvious. But to love someone who is
challenging takes a miracle. To love
people who are hostile to us takes
divine intervention. To continue to
love, in the face of rejection and hurt,
is beyond us and would take an act of
God to witness in our own lives.
The news is out there that Jesus has
done this and continues to reveal the
Father’s love through the witness of
those he has sent on the Father’s
mission.
If you know this story you know this
love. It is our story now and it is ours to make known to the many people
around us that the Father loves.
Very few of us first experienced this
through someone preaching at us in a
hit and run incident. Most of us saw it
in the life of someone we noticed and
heard it from the mouth
of someone we
respected.
Who are the people in
our families, our
workplaces, our classes,
and communities that
the Father loves? How
might this love be shown and spoken?
To do and to say nothing would be
unloving and unkind.
This issue is full of stories of the Holy
Spirit at work as He has helped
people know the Father’s love in the
midst of a challenging time. How
might we obey the Father in his
mission as we enjoy the Father’s love
in our lives?
• We could ask someone in need if
there is a way we might serve them.
• We could offer to pray for someone
who tells us about a challenge they
are facing, or a celebration they are
enjoying.
• We could be honest about the love
that motivates us.
Love is not all you
need, unless of
course it is
miraculous
In this issue 3 Rich and Leah Wait
4 Phil Rendell
6 Dave and Pip Morton
and Meryl Widdecombe
7 Care Links and Soup Run
8 Prayer
on mission with Jesus growing disciples growing churches February 2012
Love is not all
you need
Revd Tim
Silk
Get in touch Email: [email protected]
Editor: Bern Leckie
Production team: Mark Butt
and Ellen Haggan
facebook.com/pipnjay
@pipnjay
Next month
The MONEY Issue
Out Sunday 4 March
Story ideas and
contributions needed by
Sunday 26 February
What a difference a day makes... Leah and Rich Wait married at Pip n
Jay last November. They tell Church Life
about what the big day meant to them
and how life has changed.
Leah: I was really nervous that I would
be so worried about the how the day
went that I would be robbed of the joy
of it all, especially the service, which is
the most important part. I prayed to
the Holy Spirit that I really did not
want to miss out on this special time
because of my worry. As soon as I got
out the car at church, I felt such
amazing peace. There’s a lot of
expectation that it has to be the best
day of your life but I can honestly say I
absolutely loved it.
Rich: That was a real shared
experience. I was nervous – I had taken
time out 10 minutes before the service
to pray with John and Andy, my best
men – and when the service started I
was peaceful and confident it would go
OK.
L:L:L:L: It was never an option for us to get
married anywhere but Pip n Jay. It
wasn’t about the building so much
though, it was about making our vows
in front of the Lord and in front of
family and friends.
R: The vows you say as part of the
church service are substantial – ‘till
death us do part’, ‘all that I am I give to
you’ – and we were
both confident that
what we said we
meant.
L:L:L:L: My sister-in-law
described being
married like a ‘constant
sleepover’… it’s like
having a friend to stay
over but they never
have to leave.
R: Before we were
married we would spend time together
and it would be great, but you would
always reach that point in the evening
when one of us would have to get in
the car or on the bus and go home.
One unexpected challenge is that
previously my coping mechanism if I
was annoyed has been to retreat to a
quiet place alone and then deal with
the issue. Living together, there is
none of that space. There is someone
there all the time who will see you at
your best, your worst and everything
in between.
L: L: L: L: Lots of people say that you need to
live together before you get married
because otherwise how do you learn
about one another, and if their bad
habits will annoy you? But actually
most of these are minor and aren’t
really problems at all. We want to be a
witness of good, Godly
marriage.
R: Some of that has
happened already
through the way we
got together, which is a
completely different
order to how many
people do things.
Before we were
married, a few of the
guys at work had been
asking whether we’d
moved in together. From being an
example as a dating couple, we want to
be a witness as a married couple too.
L:L:L:L: Prayer points would be for boldness
at work. And patience in the
supermarket…I think going food
shopping together may be short lived!
We want to find a good rhythm of daily
Bible study and prayer.
How has
God’s love
changed
you?
Knowing that
God loves me
unconditionally means I
can go and do likewise. I
succeed and fail in equal
measure, but my heart for
others has been changed
for ever.
Rob Hook
Gareth Williams
From being an
example as a
dating couple, we
want to be a
witness as a
married couple
Rich and Leah stop for
wedding photos in
Castle Park
The Lord is a
strong archer
even when the storm is
mega stormy.
On January 18 last year,
Phil Rendell had a bike
accident that left him in
a coma in Frenchay
Hospital. Here he shares
about the challenges and
blessings of the last 12
months.
Interview by Mark Butt
What do you know about what
happened?
The front forks of my bike sheared off
as I was going about 20mph downhill
near Sainsbury's on the A4. It was rush
hour at the time. Fortunately there
were a couple of off-duty policemen
parked nearby who got me into a
comfortable position and phoned for
an ambulance.
Within minutes, an ambulance arrived
– an air ambulance arrived some time
later – and I'm told that paramedics
worked on me for about an hour to
stablise me before driving me up to
hospital. Apparently the queues went
from where I was all the way back to
Keynsham!
What are your first memories
following the accident?
My memory is very hazy – I don’t have
any clear memories until mid-
February. My mind pieces things
together, like Andy Mac coming to see
me and bringing a toy meercat dubbed
Phil that a group of Pip n Jayers had
taken skiing with them – I was meant
to go with them so they carried it
around in my place. Andy chatted to
me but I can’t remember what was
said. I think I thought we were on
holiday at a campsite in France.
My parents kept a diary for me of the
months following the accident, which
has helped me piece together what
happened during this time.
And what has your recovery been
like since then?
By mid-February, I was in the Brain
Injury Rehabilitation Unit at Frenchay
where I was seen by a team of physios,
psychologists, occupational therapists,
and speech and language therapists.
When I came out seven or eight weeks
later I was met by
the intermediate
care team more or
less every
weekday.
Now I’m being
looked after by
the Head Injury
Therapy Unit,
who I'm more or
less finished with
with the
exception of the key worker and OT.
Getting back to life has been slow and
gradual. You might try something and
if it tires you out you can either not to
do it again, spend
less time doing it
next time or simplify
it. A bit like playing
(ITV game show) The
Cube. The process
of going back to
work is ‘do what the
OT says’. She knows
best – although I’ve
had to force myself
to recognise that. I
don’t think patience is one of my
virtues. By the end of February I hope
to be at work for about 10 hours
spread across three days each week.
I had a steady
stream of people
coming to visit me in
hospital which
became the highlight
Celebrating life
A photo taken by Phil on his trip to Georgeham; inset: Phil the Meerkat
How are you doing now?
I am making good progress. In amongst
some physical aspects there are some
hidden things that I need prayer for –
particularly memory, processing speed
and stamina. Even a hard day away
from the office might involve going to a
café and reading a book. An hour is
enough to tire me out, although this is
improving.
How has being part of a church
family made a difference?
I’m still alive! The night of my accident,
a number of small groups cancelled
what they were doing and went to
church to pray and worship.
People were really good to my parents
– preparing meals and giving them
somewhere to stay in Bristol (Wells is
a long way to travel every day!). When
I moved into BIRU I had a steady
stream of people coming to visit which
became very much the highlight of my
day, as they gave me something to look
forward to in the evening after a hard
day.
How has your accident affected
your faith?
God has been amazing. There has been
a string of God-incidences, answers to
prayer and simply God reassuring me
of his love for me and desire to take
care of me. I spent four days at Paul’s
Place with Dave and Pip Morton in
Georgeham – that was paid for out of
Paul’s Fund. Without this free holiday I
wouldn’t have made time off from my
rehabilitation to go; it was perfect
timing as I was becoming worn out.
Then there are smaller, day-to-day
things. Because tiredness gets in the
way and I need to conserve my energy,
I might decide I can't do something,
pray about it and then things
sometimes fall into place so I can do
what I wanted after all. If anything, I’ve
grown in my faith. There were lots of
things that I used to find my identity in,
like cycling or work. When it all gets
taken away from you, you realise that
only one thing remains –Jesus.
Have there been any doubts or has
your accident made you question
your faith?
Not really! Being forced to take time
out means I can spend more time with
God. Knowing His presence has been a
big thing for me – He sustains me. I've
even got a passage from Isaiah as the
wallpaper on my phone (below).
When I’ve not spent time with him
each morning, or don’t trust him for
everything, sometimes I feel his
presence less, something's missing.
God knows my memory isn't as it was,
and I am more prone to getting lost in
the moment. Feeling Him less can
serve as a reminder to come back to
what's really important and spend time
and grow with Him. I remember that
after I’d had my first quiet time in BIRU
following the accident, it was like I had
stood under a gentle waterfall. I felt
refreshed.
“Even to your old age and gray hairs I
am he, I am he who will sustain you. I
have made you and I will carry you. I
will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
Isaiah 46:4
Celebration at The Bridge, exactly 12 months after Phil’s accident
Sharing the love and glory online
The picture on the left was taken by
Bern Leckie, who shared it via
Facebook. The people who added
comments included people who don’t
know anyone at Pip n Jay personally,
but God was glorified through the
story and thanks which were shared.
Fantastic
testimony to
what God can do -
congratulations Phil on your
determination and courage!
Jill Willoughby
Jo Wright
What a walking
talking testimony
to God's grace. All things work
together for good for those
who love the Lord. Hope you
bought the drinks Phil!
Sheila March
I praise God that
Phil is so well
after his bike
accident.
Mikey Rowlands
Don't know him but pleased to
hear that someone has
recovered from such life-
threatening injuries. Hope he
goes from strength to
strength.
Irene Knox
Remember the comments on a
Chill email about the accident
a year ago. Glad to hear of the
recovery a year on!
Steve Roberts
Go Phil! You're an inspiration
and walking proof of what God
can do.
Building and rebuilding Building and rebuilding
Last January, Dave and Pip Morton
left Pip n Jay after 30 years here to set
up The Old Bakery, a north Devon B&B
with an unusual extra caring role.
It is inspired by their son Paul, who was
diagnosed with a brain tumour in
February 2007 while an A level
student. Paul led an active and creative
life throughout his illness, sustained by
his faith in a loving God. He died in
November 2008, but he is remembered
for his love of life, family and friends,
and his sense of fun.
Dave and Pip had long considered
setting up hospitality for people
needing a break, and Paul’s experience
showed that there was a need to serve
older teenagers and young adults.
“We established a charitable trust with
the Charities Aid Foundation called
Paul’s Fund,” said Dave, ”that will pay
for young adults to have a break who have been bereaved or diagnosed with
a terminal or life threatening illness, or
who have a significant caring role for a
family member. The charity can pay for
their stay at The Old Bakery which in
this context we call Paul’s Place.”
Paul’s Fund has so far paid for three
sets of guests on this basis, including
Phil Rendell, helped by a busy summer
with lots of paying guests. “We reckon
about 60 friends from Pip n Jay have
visited, stayed or helped us decorate.
We are grateful to everyone. Every visit
was a blessing which we hope will
continue!” said Dave.
Close to a fabulous beach and the
countryside of Exmoor, guests can
enjoy some of the same activities Paul
did, like surfing and walking. This has
been a blessing and a challenge for
Dave. “Being in places Paul frequented
brought back good but difficult
memories .We have really appreciated
emotional support from close friends,
and practical help from students and
young adults.”
Balancing time for friendships and work
is vital. Dave and Pip need to grow The
Old Bakery business to the point where
income is sustainable, working
commercially in order to make the
charity side possible. As well as seeking
an increase in guests and small church
groups in the quieter autumn and
winter months, Dave and Pip are
praying they will see more people
applying to Paul’s Fund for a grant.
Dave and Pip are growing friendships in
their new area, but after a long time in
Bristol they have become aware of how
hard this can be. “People are very
friendly,” said Dave, “but moving from
friendliness to friendship takes time
and feels hard when we are also busy
looking after guests and running a
business. We have realised we can’t be
passive about this.”
Relationship with God has also been
difficult. “Lots of things are very
challenging about faith in God when
you have lost your son. All the theoretical questions about God’s love
come into very sharp focus – why does
God allow suffering and evil? These are
not easy issues. We have to rebuild and
rediscover what trust in God means. I
know others have asked the same
questions and left their faith
community. I know God is there and
that it is important to be part of
community, but establishing a new
relationship takes time. The chaplain to
the children’s hospice has helped - he is
an amazing, loving and caring person –
a real encouragement.”
In all of this, Dave maintains faith and a
strong sense of calling. “God led us
here, guiding us through the process.
Our sense of being in the right place
and doing the right thing is fundamental
and really important. Pip has a more
intimate sense of God’s presence, but
our general sense of direction in what
we are doing is high.”
Dave and Pip would like prayer for the
success of the business, an increasing
number of Paul’s Place guests, growing
relationships with charities and
friendships in their community, and for
their faith in God to grow.
To receive an occasional newsletter by
email, or be a prayer supporter, please phone Dave and Pip on 01271 891076,
or email [email protected]
Charity website: www.pauls-fund.co.uk,
B&B: www.georgehambandb.co.uk
You can also talk to Alison Woodbridge-
Nash or Gill Haskett who administer
applications.
Coming out of the vacuum Meryl Widdecombe writes: Since Malcolm went to be with the
Lord 15 months ago I have felt I have
been in a vacuum, unable to say how I
feel and unable to commit to anything.
I was so aware of the support of family,
friends and the many saints who have
prayed for me that have kept me going.
I have been lonely, tired and constantly
asking God what he wanted me to do,
and how I could serve him even to the
point of nagging him. I have always
served the Lord more than requesting.
In the last few weeks I’ve had more of a
desire to praise the Lord for
everything he’s done, going back even
to my conversion on 3rd December
1962 when my life turned around. I
thanked God for calling me and helping
me respond positively, and for all that
he has done in the last nearly 50 years.
I was aware of what my life could have
been like without him. This started to
make me feel happier in myself, and I
started chatting to people more (if
that’s possible) while walking my dog.
Last weekend I was helping with the
catering on the students’ weekend
away. I felt blessed to be accepted and
join in the meeting with all these young
people who were passionate for the
Lord and wanted to know more. As I
praised and meditated I slowly felt my
life coming back to me.
(continued on back page)
A network of support Care Links is Pip n Jay’s support
network for people who need pastoral
care. It started in 2009 after one
person became very ill, and has grown
to serve a wide variety of people.
What is the vision for Carelinks?
Cilla Weir: When a time of crisis or
suffering falls on a part of the church
body, their need is not just practical
help, but someone to listen, pray and
help them work through the complex
theological questions they might have.
We want to respond as network of
support that embodies Jesus....
A prophetic picture of a spider’s web
shaped our understanding of Care
Links - they are invisible until they are
beautifully brought out by raindrops,
and spider’s silk is the equivalent
strength of steel. At the same time we
are reflecting God’s glory so it is right
that we should disappear into the
background once the rainfall is over.
Similarly, it is not one strand but the
interconnected whole – if any strand
was removed the web would fall apart.
So who is Care Links for?
Cilla: Jesus calls all of us to love the
people around us deeply and
unconditionally. But in a broken world,
and a large church, some people can
fall below the radar. Care Links is an
official contact point for those people
who are not receiving the pastoral care
they need, or for when a situation is
too big for those involved to handle.
Kirsty Ryninks: Female students, for
example, risk being isolated from the
rest of church. Some have quite
complex issues with relationships or
health problems, and I have been keen
to set up mentoring relationships,
matching them with older and wiser
women in the church. Care Links has
been fantastic in working that out.
How has Care Links changed you?
Cilla: We pray together so much more.
You become more aware of what is
going on - I find it difficult knowing
where to stop. Care Links members
support each other and have different
abilities; we function like a body as
Jesus told us to. The hardest thing is
encountering pain that’s out there.
Kirsty: I come away from our
meetings lifted by having prayed for
people. Often you can feel burdened
by an issue someone shares with you.
Care Links provides an environment
where you can give that responsibility
to God and share it with other people. I
know several of the students have
appreciated becoming more
integrated into the church through
having this network of support.
To contact Care Links or ask for support, see
any member of the team or call Cilla on
0117 924 7301.
Keith and Paula Williams oversee
Pip n Jay’s regular Friday contribution
to the soup run, where food is offered
free and unconditionally outside our
church and St Mary Redcliffe every
night.
The volunteers have a simple mission
– to feed the poor and give glory to
God. “I think the gospel is full of the
need to feed the poor,” said Keith.
“James is very clear that faith without
action is empty. It’s an important
demonstration of grace.”
A typical night on the soup run
involves an hour of preparing food to
give away – Paula buys non-perishable
food using money from the Bristol
Soup Run Trust, and the volunteers on
duty get fresh ingredients for
sandwiches, tea and coffee. Making
sure everyone gets something
requires a little order, usually lining
people up by the wall and serving as
quickly as possible so that there is also
time for people who want to chat.
“People share about their life, their
history, where they are staying.
Sometimes they will ask why we are
doing this. If we take an interest and
genuinely show love, it’s easy to get
into a conversation about God.
However, this is not the objective – we
are simply there to show love by
feeding the poor.”
One aspect of the soup run’s mission
is how relationships grow with people
who avoid church but want to help
out. “The Pip n Jay football team and
many of Paula’s work colleagues enjoy
soup run as a non-threatening,
practical way to help others – it’s all
about grace, not judgement. Paula
became well known as a Christian at
work because of her involvement.
“The hardest bit is just before we go
out. I’ve just finished a tough week and
haven’t seen Paula in a long time. But
we know there are times we’ve been
put there by God to meet someone.”
Keith would like more volunteers to
help, including someone to organise as
things develop. “We want to find a way
after each official soup run to offer
prayer for those who want it.”
New volunteers are placed with
experienced teams and can commit as
much or as little time as they like. To find
out more, email [email protected]
Love on the run
On the Pip n Jay Prayer Radar...On the Pip n Jay Prayer Radar...On the Pip n Jay Prayer Radar...
Prayer for the UK Every Tuesday evening from 8
to 9.30pm in the lounge there
is prayer for our nation. See
Sheila McKay for details.
John Harrison, HOTS and work John was part of a Pip n Jay team who first saw
Healing On The Streets (HOTS) in Coleraine,
Northern Ireland in 2008. On this mission trip, he
himself received healing which gave him confidence
to pray for others. John went on to lead Bristol’s
HOTS team which started nearly three years ago.
Speaking of the impact HOTS has had in Bristol so
far, John said, “Many people have met with God
through HOTS in ways which they have not
previously experienced - physical healing, receiving
peace, understanding more that there is a God who
loves them, or just that they are seeing Christians doing something good
when they might have only heard bad things about Christians and church.”
Answered prayers
There have been a few spectacular stories, such as the man the team met
who was born blind but received partial sight after HOTS prayer, and John
believes that up to ten people have given their lives to Christ on the street
sessions. However, John thinks that God has been doing much more than
the team can see. “Sometimes I give a flyer to someone who takes a couple
of steps then stops. It is as if God has stopped them in their tracks, but we
don’t know what happens next.”
Taking part in HOTS also has an effect on the team. “People have a greater
understanding and experience of how God can use healing and of ways to
seek God, and they become more confident in sharing their faith.”
Looking out for more
John would like prayer for wisdom about the future format of HOTS. The
team currently needs rebuilding to carry on as they have been doing, but
John’s attention has also been drawn to God’s influence on his work life.
“There have been instances at work when I have been aware of what God
has been doing, and I’ve been able to share things with non-Christians. But
this is not a regular thing – it’s bitty and patchy.”
John prays for greater expectancy of what God is going to do next in his
workplace. “In Acts we see believers added daily. Part of me believes this is
possible, part doesn’t. Working somewhere quite big, it could happen.
Where do I need to be more submitted to God to see the Gospel shared
with signs and wonders at work?”
A recent challenge
On February 1st the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ordered a
similar HOTS team in Bath to stop claiming that people could be healed of
medical conditions by receiving prayer from volunteers. ASA made the same
judgement against Nottingham HOTS last year. Prayer is needed for HOTS
groups to have wisdom in their responses to challenge, as well as integrity
and courage to share truth and love from God when questions are asked.
Prayer for church Wednesday 7 March, 8pm is
our next central prayer
meeting for the church. Please
put it in your diary and come!
Reaching out Across the church, individuals and
groups are responding to the challenge
of living life on mission with Jesus in the
communities where they spend time.
Please pray for these people and more:
Ruth & George Richardson recently
moved to a new area after 35 years in St
Andrews. They believe God has put a
conviction in their hearts to run Alpha in
their new home for neighbours, and
have sent invitation letters to people
they have started to get to know.
Jo & Matt Wright are running a Lent
course for colleagues and neighbours at
their home to look at Jesus through the
gospels, leading up to his death, and
watching The Passion at Easter. So far
at least one colleague is going to join in.
What are you praying for? You can share your prayer requests with others on our
Facebook group or in the next edition of Church Life—
email [email protected]
If you also have an urgent practical need, you can contact
the Care Links team via Cilla Weir on 0117 924 7301.
Coming out of the vacuum Meryl Widdecombe (continued from p6)
Last weekend Tim spoke on grumbling. I
wasn’t convicted of anything in
particular but I kept smiling through it.
Andy Stansbury reported how the
student weekend had gone and Tim
asked the students and any helpers to
come to the front and pray for people.
Kirsty and I were the only non-students,
but I felt I could go and pray for others
for the first time since Malcolm died.
At that point I felt myself coming out of
the vacuum and starting to feel more
liberated. After all, “It is for freedom
that Christ has set us free.”
Thank you everyone and, especially,
Jesus.