Smilingjeff's Blog

Week 4 2012 – History

smilingjeff — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:46:23 +0000

Recently Rev. Jeff and I started our stint as radio presenters of the Sunday Service Gospel music show on Stafford FM from 2pm on Sunday afternoons (www.staffordfm.com) We decided it would be good to have a competition. So a listener can win a copy of the CD of the week, from which we play two or three songs. Appropriately, the question for our first week came from Stafford itself. ‘What was the name of the Saint who founded Stafford in around 700AD?’ As reader of this little reflection you may well know the answer? Jeff and I had a winner who sent in the answer ‘St. Bertelin’ by e-mail. Of course it was a bit of a trick question because when he founded Stafford in 700AD St. Bertelin wasn’t a saint. At that time in his life he was just a Prince! Prince Bertelin was a prince of Mercia, the great Anglo-Saxon kingdom which covered much of what we now would call the Midlands. Much of what we know about Bertelin is from legend. It seems he was a holy man. His vocation to God seems to have included spending time on an island known as Betheney in the middle of marshland and the waters of a river which would be later called the Sow. The little island became the founding to be called Stafford. ‘Stafford’ itself means ford by staithe (landing place). The original settlement was on a dry sand and gravel peninsula that provided a strategic crossing point in the marshy valley of the River Sow itself a tributary of the mighty River Trent. Later in life legend has it that, with Stafford getting busy, Bertelin left the area to go to a quieter place to continue his life of contemplation and prayer. He went to Ilam in Derbyshire and his shrine can still be found in the Church of the Holy Cross at Ilam, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire. A constant reminder of the holy beginnings of our town can be found on the Stafford Borough coat of arms which includes an image of St Bertelin. It’s good to know the history of a place and the area around it. History can tell us a great deal about life today. Indeed, if we do not learn from the history of our local area, our country our world then humanity has shown an unerring ability to repeat the mistakes of the past. The fact that so much of our land and its towns and cities owe their founding to the prayerful devotion of people like Bertelin reminds us that without the Christian faith this land of ours would not be what it is. Of course, that’s not always a pretty story and much of the past is strewn with the bodies of those who went against a church that saw no conflict between the call of Christ to peace and the pursuance of its aims by the sword. The wholesale rejection of the church by the majority of people in present times may not be as wholehearted as we think. As I walk across town and pass by the remains of St. Bertelin’s shrine here in Stafford to the west end of St. Mary’s church so I am often reminded that people that don’t attend church often show foggy memories of God lurking in their lives. This is especially true as we engage in the ministry of pastoral care, baptism, wedding and funeral. The present day church is often about helping people to remember the past and to help folk more clearly hear that ‘still, small voice of God’ that whispers to them when life brings its inevitable joys and sorrows.

Peter Powers

Week 3 2012 – Sherlock

smilingjeff — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:56:47 +0000

My Sunday nights have taken on a new direction in the first three Sundays of 2012. I’ve become an avid watcher of the second series of Sherlock. These are the modern interpretations of classic Sherlock Holmes stories that I first read as a teenager, which for those asking was quite a long time ago.

In fact, the Conan Doyle books were one of the main reasons that I got into reading and still love books to this day. From being someone who found reading a chore, I quickly became anti-social by sitting in my bedroom at home and voraciously reading all the Holmes novels I could get my hands upon.

I’m now very disappointed that I totally missed the first series of Sherlock, so I’ve quickly ordered the DVD so I can get up to speed with the other interpretations. But, it looks likely that I’ll have to wait until the end of 2013 or, even 2014, for the third series! I sound quite addicted don’t I?

The programmes are very well produced, supremely well acted and have managed to remain reasonably true to the original stories, whilst making them very much set in this modern age. That’s quite a feat and the proper TV critics (ie not me!) have said pretty much the same about the series.

In these modern interpretations, Sherlock appears to be very high on the autistic scale with his ability to deduce the minutiae of information allied with his inability to express his emotional feelings. But, he is certainly on the side of the angels and, in a basic sense, it is a story of good overcoming evil.

As I watched the denouement of last night’s gripping story, it suddenly struck me. Sherlock was put in a terrible situation where he had to die so that his friends might be saved. We then watched how all his friends grieved his loss while not fully understanding what had taken place. Then right at the end as his friends moved away, he suddenly appeared alive! And then the credits began to roll.

I find it fascinating that every good story carries an echo of The Great Story.

Jeff Reynolds

Week 2 2012 – Fishing…

smilingjeff — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:07:34 +0000

When it comes to watching TV, I fall into a typical male stereotype. I can quite happily sit on the settee, lined up with the television set, a cup on tea on the table next to me, jealously guarding the remote control in my right hand. There does not have to be anything particularly mind blowing on the television either. I can watch most things without too much care or concern, especially when I can cycle through 30 of my favourite channels in the hope that I will chance upon that golden nugget hidden away in the schedules.

It was during one of these button-pushing zap fests that I discovered such a hidden gem. In the time assigned for “local-based, regional programming”, a gentlemen was discussing fishing. I think he was discussing the various flies used for fly-fishing and how to cast so the lure acted as though it were alive. Now I have no interest in fishing. I understand the peace and tranquillity of sitting on a river bank gently casting a line back and forth, but it is not for me. However, this gentlemen, dressed in waist high waders, with the requisite body-warmer and floppy hat, grabbed my attention and held it for over five seconds, the interval normally given to each program while “channel hopping”.

In fact, I stayed with the program until the end. There was something about the presenter’s enthusiasm and knowledge, an interesting mix of gentleness and authority. I got drawn into the mind games between fisherman and trout, the silent battle between man and fish. It was a thoroughly enjoyable program and showed me the value of an enthusiast on his subject. Since then I have noticed and enjoyed other enthusiasts although they tend to be better known. Pete Waterman loves steam trains, while Paul Merton draws you expertly in to the world of the comedians from the age of silent movies.

In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus preaches what is known as “The Sermon on the Mount” in which the moral teachings of Christ are explained. The words alone can draw you in and inspire you. It would have been something quite amazing to have been amongst the crowd and have heard this first hand. It inspired people then and still guides and instructs people today.

But Jesus was not simply an enthusiast on his subject, He WAS, and IS, so much more than that!

Mark Timothy

Week 1 2012 – Hope!

smilingjeff — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:34:07 +0000

Firstly, may I wish all the regular readers (and those who may be joining us for the first time) of our Blog a very Peaceful and Blessed 2012 and I hope that your Christmas time was very special for you and yours.

As always after a mammoth amount of preparation in terms of food, drink, presents, decorations and time, the actual day itself passes very quickly. We are then soon thrown into the retrospective look at the past year (and what a year it was!) and, given an opportunity to look forward to the next one.

It seems to me that New Year messages have suddenly become all the rage. It’s only Jan 2 and I’ve read or heard them from David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, Nicolas Sarkozy, Angela Merkel and, possibly the best of all, from Rowan Williams. They all reflect something of where they “are” as people or, more pertinently, as politicians.

The first five people in my list tried to bring in varying degrees of hope for the new year whilst maintaining a “politically sensitive” appreciation that things are tough – you don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes (modern or old style) to know that fact. Surely it is all the more important in times of fiscal crises and worries about jobs, homes etc. to somehow bring a message of hope. Unsurprisingly, it was left to Rowan Williams’ message to hit all the right buttons in terms of hope and possibility.

As we launch ourselves into this new year, we will begin with all our hopes, fears, joys and concerns. None of us know exactly what 2012 will bring and it is likely that for all of us there will be a mixture of highs and lows. The wonderful thing for each of us is that we don’t launch out alone. The hope that we have and that will sustain us is found in our understanding of the babe of Bethlehem. I once heard a very famous preacher say that, “the hinge of history is found on a stable door in Bethlehem”. If that is the case, and I believe it is, then it means that this year is one full of hope, possibility and excitement.

I am resolutely a person for whom the glass is always half full and sometimes, it’s full to the brim. But, I’m also a realist who sees the challenges ahead for each of us within our own journeys of faith and for all of our faith communities. For the politicians around us, this year will be terribly difficult, for those people of faith, this year will be full of wonder and hope – thanks be to God.

Every blessing

Jeff Reynolds

Week 47 – Christmas

smilingjeff — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:46:57 +0000

“It’s Christmas time, there’s no need to be afraid” so sang the myriad of singers in the original (and best) Live Aid song, “Do they know it’s Christmas?” way back in the 1980s. A song put together by Midge Ure and Bob Geldof as a way of raising money and awareness of the problems of famine and lack of clean water in parts of Africa.

As a project it worked enormously well and the work of Live Aid is still continuing in helping raise our awareness of our connectedness of living in one world together. I say all that as I’m beginning to realise that the way we celebrate Christmas can appear to be incredibly selfish and insular. In many ways we, despite our protestations, can so easily get involved in the rush to Christmas, making sure we have enough food, drink, presents and the bumper copy of the Radio Times. We act as if without these things, Christmas just isn’t Christmas.

Yet, the reality is that we rush to “celebrate” Christmas without, in my opinion, giving enough thought to two things. Firstly, the season of Advent, that wonderful time of preparation, waiting and awareness that should give us an opportunity to understand the big picture of our place in God’s world and the reality of the Incarnational nature of the God we worship.

Secondly, I think we need to rediscover an element of fear about our Christmas. Everybody else seems to be afraid. The shepherds, Mary, Joseph and, dare I say, the visitors from the East travelling thousands of miles into the unknown. But, for me, it is the fear of the incarnational God who comes into our world as a baby and demands so much from us.

The Christ-child expects his followers to take their faith seriously, to serve and to love without prejudice and without any hint of reward. God makes demands upon us that should make us just a little uncomfortable and fearful as we celebrate Christmas 2011.

May I wish you all a very blessed time this Christmas.

Jeff Reynolds

Week 46 – Perfection?

smilingjeff — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:15:57 +0000

Alice and I spent this afternoon putting up the Christmas tree (like so many people have been doing) as part of the preparation towards Christmas. Unless you are my sister, and she has put up three! In fact it has been known for her to consider the possible location of the Christmas tree (or in her case trees) before deciding on the purchase of any of the houses she has bought! I must admit that I do have a tendency to a bit of OCD myself as far as the tree is concerned. I have been known to completely strip the tree after the children have gone to bed, in an attempt to get the perfect arrangement of lights,baubles and tinsel! Why do we stress so much to obtain perfection?!

What a minefield Christmas dinner is. Do we do what Delia or Nigella say when doing our roast potatoes? Actually I prefer Jamie Oliver – but that isn’t necessarily for his catering skills! But if we get it wrong, our perfect Christmas dinner is down the pan, quite literally in this case! Celebrations are meant to be a time for us to celebrate.

I looked to celebrate up in the dictionary:

1) To observe (a day) or commemorate (an event) with ceremonies or festivities.

2) To make known publicly, proclaim.

3) To praise widely or to widespread and favourable public notice.

4) To perform with appropriate ceremonies, solemnize-to celebrate a marriage.

Which leads me neatly onto the other big celebration in our household, my eldest daughter’s wedding on December 27th no less. Oh how to make that perfect? The wedding dress which I have in my possession as I type, what a responsibility, I have got to take it to be steamed so there are no creases and get it back to the bride all in one piece looking perfect….here we go again and I tell you it’s more stressful than tinsel and baubles! Stress levels high, not what the doctor ordered, I am off sick after all!

Then I went to church. I prayed, I even asked for divine intervention on writing this, the need for perfection not far away. Then as I was praying that wonderful sense of peace that only comes from God, does it really matter if it’s not perfect? Jesus spent most of His time on earth hanging around with people who were looked upon by society as being far from perfect! Also what control have I got really in making it perfect? Laura’s dress may look perfect but it could throw it down with rain just as she gets to church and it wont be perfect, I have no control over the weather. Like I have no control over a lot of things.

While I have been off poorly it has at times been quite frustrating waiting to see doctors, waiting for results, we with our modern technology have got so used to things being done quickly we want it all in an instant – we find it hard to wait. When we pray to God we often want an instant answer but often it isn’t like that with God. He has a different time and agenda to us but I know He does answer prayer and when I look back I see how perfect God’s timing has been.

We are in a period of waiting now, we are waiting to commemorate the birth of Jesus. He wasn’t born into perfect surroundings, He wasn’t lain in the latest Mothercare cradle but He is the most perfect gift. We because of Jesus have hope when everything around us seems terrible and the world has become a dark and terrible place we have hope. To lose hope is to lose everything but as Christians we always have hope because of Jesus, we have the assurance of eternal life,we have the assurance that no matter how we fail, how far from perfect we are, we always have God’s Love. So as we wait for the time when we celebrate as Christians the coming of Our Lord, lets take that hope to those who dwell in darkness.

As for me well I’m not going to stress, being ill actually makes you stop and realize what’s important, what are the priorities, I’m never going to make it perfect but I’ll do my best that’s all any of us can do but where ever my life journey takes me I know I am always surrounded in God’s Love, I have Jesus as my friend and guide. As for Laura’s wedding I am sure it will be wonderful because we will be celebrating two people coming together before God, in Love. The tree, well with two cats in the house what chance have I got!

I wish you all a very Joyful and Peaceful Christmas and a Happy NewYear.

Hopefully God willing, I shall be back with you in the very near future. Love and God Bless

Sarah Fisher

Week 45 – Go Local

smilingjeff — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:07:13 +0000

I had better begin this reflection with a clear statement that I would be the last person to deny folk their own choice when it somes to which church they should go to attend worship.
In the book of Acts we get a tantalizing glimpse of early church life when we read in Acts 2.44 ff ^“44All who believed were together and had all things in common;⁴⁵they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” These words have been an encouragement to church communities down the ages for the simplicity of being together, holding posessions in common, sharing what they had with those in need, being at church together, sharing meals together and being glad and generous. Of course these few words say nothing about how close the people lived to one another or the temple to which they went but I think we can safely surmise that it wasn’t far, in reasonable walking distance probably. It is relatively recently in human history that we might travel more than quite short distances to go to church. The advent of regular, reliable public transport and the motor car has given us an everyday freedom not known to previous generations. As I write the news about fuel prices puts this freedom under real threat for many people because fuel is more and more expensive and the other costs of motoring continue to rise too. In addition we are all becoming aware of the increased costs to our planet if we continue to consume limited fossil fuels at the rate we are. The greenhouse gases produced and the costs to nature of mining are before us. All these added costs mean that people are beginning to make choices to limit or at least control better their consumption, especially of fuel. In times of recession it makes economic sense to be more cautious with the accelorator pedal and plan our travel better. In my previous ministry in ‘that London’ I learnt that people don’t live in London – they live in a more localised area, for London is just too big to live in. So people in our churches their lived in Bow or Poplar or Bethnal Green or wherever and almost exclusively walked to church. Since coming out of London back to the Provinces I have been reminded how dependent we have become on our motor cars to live. In the more rural parts of our area the car has become an essential part fo life to access everything from shopping to church as so many more local provisions have closed. However I have also become incresingly aware of how many churches folk drive past to get to ‘their’ church. At our schools children and their carers are encouraged to walk to school once a week -once a week! Good grief it’s as if we have to be reminded to use our legs once in a while! Localism is becoming more and more important and I suspect it will continue to do so as we realise that simply jumping in the car to get where we want to go will become an ever increasing luxury. I am therefore calling for a ‘Walk to Church’ campaign for the Sunday of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. So that on the morning of the 22nd January 2012 every one of us attends the church nearest to us. No matter the denomination or tradition. If it doesn’t suit your usual tastes see it as an ecumenical gesture and a time to see what other churches are doing. For some it will still mean a car ride but perhaps much less miles. For others it may mark the beginning a new appreciation of local church. Wherever church is for you I want to also encourage you to ‘live local, act global’ for that is at the heart of the message of the early churches. The passion of Christ called for a radical change in relationships and lifestyles for local people – a change that was to have an effect upon the whole world. So I challenge you all to ‘Go Local on 22nd January’ and embrace your sisters in Christ who live on your door step.

Peter Powers

Week 44 – Money

smilingjeff — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:22:57 +0000

Way back in the 1970s as i began to build up my vinyl record collection I was like a sponge soaking all different types of music, which is probably why i have such eclectic tastes to this day. I remember buying the seminal album “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd to show off my musical credentials to my friends whilst secretly purchasing singles by Abba, who I thought wrote fantastic pop songs but were less cool!

Pink Floyd wrote a song called “Money” which was a caustic look at what money can give you. Around the same time Abba did a song called “Money Money Money” which boasted the line, “must be funny in a rich man’s world”. Now correct me if I’m wrong but I think that both Benny and Bjorn has got a few bob now because of their royalties, so I wonder if it is funny in rich man’s world?

It was in the 1980s that I ventured into the pop music world by being in a band that was moderately successful in the East Midlands, well we thought we were successful as we once signed some autographs after a gig! We decided to enter the money debate and so as not to copy Pink Floyd or Abba, we wrote a song called “Money Money” which echoed the same themes of being wary of what money would do to you. It’s ironic that we were actually trying to make money by recording songs like that but that is another story.

I get woken every morning by the news on Radio 5 Live and for many weeks now one of the main headlines has been related to money. For example, this morning the figure of £400 million was mentioned with regard to affordable housing and to buy 16,000 homes. Also, every day there is some report on what is happening in the Euro-zone which usually relates to Angela Merkel and Greece orItaly orFranceor whichever the next country will be.

I’m no economist but it appears to me that many of the countries around us are broke, they have no money. The reasons for this are many and varied and the solutions will provide even more chance for debate and discussion for our politicians, economists and anybody with a vested interest.

But, whatever the reasons and solutions may be, there is still an innate thought amongst modern society that money and the acquiring of it is an ultimate goal and important for all of us to live, exist and have a “happier” life. Much of the “Occupy” movement which is sweeping across America andEuropeis about asking people to rethink about the role of “money” as the driving force within our societies and the thought that money can solve all of our issues and problems.

Jesus has much to say about how we live our lives in relation to our neighbours and the society in which we are set and, although he never talked of the situation in the Euro-zone or a double dip recession, he did remind us that where our riches are, then that is where our hearts will be also.

Money never has been (and never will be) the panacea for all our problems. True hope is found within understanding again the nature of the love of God that values ALL people irrespective of their wealth and the apparent value to other members of our society.

Jeff Reynolds

Week 43 – Meeting people…meeting Jesus

smilingjeff — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:37:04 +0000

At work, over the daily coffee breaks, a group of us are pondering the question “Where can you meet someone, of the type that you want to meet?”. The group is mainly made up of males in the 35-50 age range, a mixture of singles and married people, all of professional status. The singles amongst the group struggle to meet members of the opposite sex.

Collectively we have formed the opinion that hanging around in pubs is probably not going to lead to a lasting relationship, and going to various night clubs also seems to be unproductive. “Friends of friends” seems to sometimes work, although endless invitations to dinner when one is inevitably match made can prove wearing after a while.

Speed Dating is an attractive proposition, proposing a quick-fix to the whole problem. But those who have tried this form of introduction have found it to be unsatisfying, based as it is on a series of short, brief, chats. And it is most demoralising when, after 30 chats, no one wants to meet you again.

What has shown some success is internet dating. One of our number met his wife across an internet dating site, and is obviously an advocate of this method of introduction. Others have found the succession of “first dates” to be wearisome and demanding. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle, with several internet sites offering different mechanisms, and different prices, to effect introductions.

The question remains open….

So how would you go about meeting Jesus?

I have been think and preaching a lot about Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). He was a tax collector in Roman occupiedIsrael, and would have had a poor reputation amongst the Jewish people. He was based inJerichowhich was a wealthy trading centre, so it was likely that he had a position of some importance. He presumably heard that Jesus would be passing throughJerichoand, since Jesus would have now gained some notoriety, Zacchaeus went to see him.

You can easily visualise the large crowd of people making their way acrossJericho, following Jesus with a mixture of awe and curiosity, much in the same way that we welcome celebrities to our towns today. Unfortunately, Zacchaeus was a small man and couldn’t see over the crowd. Many of us at this stage would go home mumbling that it was too crowded and we couldn’t be bothered, but Zacchaeus didn’t. Instead he formulated a plan where he would go down the route a little and climb a tree from which he would get a good view.

Sure enough, Jesus and the crowd came down the road, and Zacchaeus got his good view.

Zacchaeus probably thought that this would be the end of the story, but Jesus stopped, called him down from the tree by name and promptly went back to Zacchaeus’ house for tea … much to the amazement of the onlookers, and Zacchaeus I guess.

This meeting with Jesus changed Zacchaeus life. He not only paid back those he cheated (four fold), but also gave away half of everything he owned to the poor and probably had an abrupt career change and followed Jesus toJerusalem. I’m sure that was not what he had in mind when he got up that morning.

There is a recurring theme in the Bible that if we have a plan to meet Jesus and enact it, that Jesus will come and meet us, often in a way that we don’t expect. And this is my experience. I have noticed words in a book that have a deeper significance than the writer ever intended. Chance comments have additional layers of meaning and odd thoughts appear unannounced. Occasionally an event will occur that is unexpected and unexplainable, almost miraculous.

I have observed many times that an encounter with Jesus will change lives, sometimes in a small way and sometimes in a grand, Zacchaeus-like way.

Meeting people, and Jesus, sometimes needs a plan …

Mark Timothy

Week 42 – Buildings for all?

smilingjeff — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:35:22 +0000

Are our church buildings for all or are they just for the ‘paying members’?
Are we guilty of serving only those that attend regularly?
Do we think about the other people we could be serving who need our building as much, if not more than we do?
As communities, are we so worried about the possibilities of damage or mess to our church buildings that we become blinkered to the needs of the people in our surroundings?

As Christians we are called to ‘love one another’. It sometimes feels that we only ‘love one another’ if it is safe to do so and if doing so will not make us feel slightly uncomfortable. When did we last think about doing something risky and think out of the box a little?

Our church buildings should be community buildings, and not be there just for those that attend regularly on Sundays. That is not to discount the great need for keeping the property safe and fit for purpose, but this should not stand in the way of our Christian duty to serve those less fortunate than ourselves. Could we not all look at ways in which our churches could serve our local community more? Could we not all take a risk and think out of the box for a while?

Leigh Reade