February 2013 1 GIVE US A BREAK... As you probably know, I have been off since 5th December with a fractured patella. No fun! However, I've had such kindness shown me that it almost compensates for the sorrow of missing all the Christmas services. Thank you, sincerely. I intend to try to get more physical exercise this year - my standard New Year Resolution! But I can't yet:; at the time of writing, I still have the plaster cast on. So I've been doing mental exercises instead: crosswords and easy reading first, then on to some more demanding stuff. And I've been looking at the Bible. On Desert Island Discs, the castaway was always given the Bible and Shakespeare. Today people might make different choices, but in fact those two books are brilliant resources for reflection, and are as full of relevance to us today as they were to our ancestors. We have dozens of quotes from them in our everyday language – like 'No peace for the wicked,' (Isaiah 57 v21) and 'Too much of a good thing,' (As You Like It Act 4 sc 1). Just opening the Bible at random can produce results if we reflect on what we read both in its own context and in ours. I am often asked what relevance this ancient text has in our post-modern society – there, you see, I said I'd been exercising my mind! My answer is that it holds the big story of the human relationship with God from ancient times to two millennia ago. Importantly, it's also a signpost to the future, telling us about that movable time called 'now'. The Old Testament people were as rebellious, fractious and selfish as we are – and as godly, generous and brave too. So were the New Testament people. Their story helps us understand ourselves because they were just like us. Crucially, it helps us understand how to relate to God and to each other in peace. Dipping randomly into the Bible, then, I landed on this text from Paul's first letter to Timothy: 'Train yourself in godliness, for while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.' How apt! We don't need to fret about joining a gym – but we do need to work to keep our good Christian spirit in peak condition. That means reflecting on our own actions and thoughts, and those of others, measuring them against our Bible values. The kindness and care shown to me during my recovery are a good place for me to start. My prayer for us all, then, is this: Lord, help us to give ourselves time to be open to you in our lives. Strengthen us to give ourselves a break from our relationship with ourselves, and to make a lasting one with you. Amen. With best wishes, Jane Kennedy, Associate Priest The Five Parishes News Serving the villages of Catthorpe, Misterton/Walcote, Shawell, Stanford-on-Avon, and Swinford The copy deadline for the March issue is Thursday 7th February Please send news items, by the copy date, to: [email protected]Copies of the current and previous newsletters are also available to view online at: www.avonswift.org.uk What’s On - February 3rd Candlemas All Age Service, St Leonard’s Misterton 5th Swinford Parish Council 7th Swinford Skirts 10th Celebration of Love, All Saints Swinford 12th Lent Course, Walton 14th Swinford WI 18th Hunger lunch / Lenten reflection 25th Hunger lunch / Lenten reflection 26th Lent Course, Walton
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
February 2013
1
GIVE US A BREAK...
As you probably know, I have been off since 5th December with a fractured patella. No fun! However, I've had
such kindness shown me that it almost compensates for the sorrow of missing all the Christmas services. Thank
you, sincerely.
I intend to try to get more physical exercise this year - my standard New Year Resolution! But I can't yet:; at
the time of writing, I still have the plaster cast on. So I've been doing mental exercises instead: crosswords and
easy reading first, then on to some more demanding stuff. And I've been looking at the Bible.
On Desert Island Discs, the castaway was always given the Bible and Shakespeare. Today people might make
different choices, but in fact those two books are brilliant resources for reflection, and are as full of relevance
to us today as they were to our ancestors. We have dozens of quotes from them in our everyday language – like
'No peace for the wicked,' (Isaiah 57 v21) and 'Too much of a good thing,' (As You Like It Act 4 sc 1). Just
opening the Bible at random can produce results if we reflect on what we read both in its own context and in
ours. I am often asked what relevance this ancient text has in our post-modern society – there, you see, I said I'd
been exercising my mind! My answer is that it holds the big story of the human relationship with God from
ancient times to two millennia ago. Importantly, it's also a signpost to the future, telling us about that movable
time called 'now'. The Old Testament people were as rebellious, fractious and selfish as we are – and as godly,
generous and brave too. So were the New Testament people. Their story helps us understand ourselves because
they were just like us. Crucially, it helps us understand how to relate to God and to each other in peace.
Dipping randomly into the Bible, then, I landed on this text from Paul's first letter to Timothy:
'Train yourself in godliness, for while physical training is of some
value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for
both the present life and the life to come.'
How apt! We don't need to fret about joining a gym – but we do need
to work to keep our good Christian spirit in peak condition. That
means reflecting on our own actions and thoughts, and those of
others, measuring them against our Bible values. The kindness and
care shown to me during my recovery are a good place for me to
start.
My prayer for us all, then, is this: Lord, help us to give ourselves
time to be open to you in our lives. Strengthen us to give ourselves a
break from our relationship with ourselves, and to make a lasting one
with you. Amen.
With best wishes,
Jane Kennedy, Associate Priest
The Five Parishes News
Serving the villages of Catthorpe, Misterton/Walcote, Shawell,
Stanford-on-Avon, and Swinford
The copy deadline for the March issue is Thursday 7th February