St Mary’s Church Newick A Worshipping Community - Sunday 16 th August 2020 Dear Friends, Just as the heat of the last fortnight has been challenging too many of us, we have two rather challenging encounters in our scripture this week, and I am not at all envious that James is speaking to us on this passage at his final service for Newick on Sunday. The Pharisees sometimes define themselves by what they’re not rather than what they are – drawing lines around who’s ‘in’ and who’s ‘out’. Their offence at Jesus’ words stops them from learning and growing spiritually. It can be easy to step into the ways of the Pharisees, but we need to constantly remind ourselves to walk in the footsteps of Jesus instead! The story of the Canaanite woman can be tricky to interpret but it shares the thematic link of food and belonging with the other half of the passage. While the Pharisees are blinded by their offence over trivial things, a Gentile woman sees clearly who Jesus is, and Jesus wants the disciples to learn from her. The Canaanite woman’s mention of the scavenging dogs may refer to a theme in God’s relationship with the people of Israel: alongside the injunction to enjoy and be thankful for God’s bounty, there was always a command to leave something for the marginalised. Nothing, neither the grain in your fields, nor the olives on your trees (see Leviticus 19.9; Deuteronomy 24.20), was yours unconditionally. Good husbandry with a controlled surplus resembles what we have noticed this spring and summer in lockdown. Our over-tended environment needed to get back into balance with nature for the sake of the climate and the eco-systems that sustain it. We Covid-19 garden enthusiasts were enjoined to leave briars alone to provide food and habitat for insects, birds and other creatures. Hedgerows have bloomed with native wildflowers where mowing and hedge-cutting have just not happened. Beds in parks and public gardens where formal carpet bedding was the norm have been sown with wild-flower seeds to the delight of bees and butterflies. The environment thrives on benign neglect! But in our communities, it seems, increased controls, necessary in an epidemic, have produced increased tensions. As we reach mid-August, UK schools start to return, Scotland first. Debates over the relative merits of centralised efficiency and localised pragmatism flare up and turn to fierce arguments. There is distressing turmoil around the ‘exam’ results which will determine the futures of this year’s school-leavers. Some localism has entered the government public health agenda, although, as local bodies take on more contact tracing, ministers still seem to deny that central control is reduced. It can appear that governments’ demands for centralised systems are driven by a self-regarding thirst for control and conformity, often followed by a laissez-faire panic. Concern to look good, comparable with the Pharisees’ concern with externals, is followed by a hasty retreat from adverse consequences. In the story of Matthew 15.10-28, Jesus releases his healing, declaring a new perspective. With anxiety levels so high, can his sensitive choices point us to the same thoughtful adjustments in human affairs, as in our relations with nature? Benign neglect won’t help here. We need to replace self-regarding controls with outwardly focused care. BAME people, so disproportionately affected by Covid-19, are fearful, as are the unemployed. Many disadvantaged students, penalised by carefully constructed algorithms, are perplexed and angry. Many local public health officers, teachers and Head teachers, are frustrated. How can we restore calm and a sense of proportion and bring healing to our communities? Who may be speaking into our community from a new perspective? How can we make sure we hear and value the voice of the ‘outsider’? Perhaps we need to accept, for ourselves, as the New Testament Jewish people did, that it is not good to try to control every aspect of life. Then we wait, patiently, for better aspects of ‘new normal’ to emerge, just like those flowers! Have a good week, stay well, stay cool & stay safe Paul St Mary’s Newick Newsletter 14 th August 2020
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St Mary’s Church Newick
A Worshipping Community - Sunday 16th August 2020
Dear Friends,
Just as the heat of the last fortnight has been challenging too many of us, we have two rather challenging encounters
in our scripture this week, and I am not at all envious that James is speaking to us on this passage at his final service
for Newick on Sunday.
The Pharisees sometimes define themselves by what they’re not rather than what they are – drawing lines around
who’s ‘in’ and who’s ‘out’.
Their offence at Jesus’ words stops them from learning and growing spiritually. It can be easy to step into the ways
of the Pharisees, but we need to constantly remind ourselves to walk in the footsteps of Jesus instead!
The story of the Canaanite woman can be tricky to interpret but it shares the thematic link of food and belonging
with the other half of the passage. While the Pharisees are blinded by their offence over trivial things, a Gentile
woman sees clearly who Jesus is, and Jesus wants the disciples to learn from her.
The Canaanite woman’s mention of the scavenging dogs may refer to a theme in God’s relationship with the people
of Israel: alongside the injunction to enjoy and be thankful for God’s bounty, there was always a command to leave
something for the marginalised. Nothing, neither the grain in your fields, nor the olives on your trees (see Leviticus
19.9; Deuteronomy 24.20), was yours unconditionally.
Good husbandry with a controlled surplus resembles what we have noticed this spring and summer in lockdown.
Our over-tended environment needed to get back into balance with nature for the sake of the climate and the
eco-systems that sustain it. We Covid-19 garden enthusiasts were enjoined to leave briars alone to provide food and
habitat for insects, birds and other creatures. Hedgerows have bloomed with native wildflowers where mowing and
hedge-cutting have just not happened. Beds in parks and public gardens where formal carpet bedding was the norm
have been sown with wild-flower seeds to the delight of bees and butterflies. The environment thrives on benign
neglect!
But in our communities, it seems, increased controls, necessary in an epidemic, have produced increased tensions. As
we reach mid-August, UK schools start to return, Scotland first. Debates over the relative merits of centralised
efficiency and localised pragmatism flare up and turn to fierce arguments. There is distressing turmoil around the
‘exam’ results which will determine the futures of this year’s school-leavers. Some localism has entered the
government public health agenda, although, as local bodies take on more contact tracing, ministers still seem to deny
that central control is reduced. It can appear that governments’ demands for centralised systems are driven by a
self-regarding thirst for control and conformity, often followed by a laissez-faire panic. Concern to look good,
comparable with the Pharisees’ concern with externals, is followed by a hasty retreat from adverse consequences.
In the story of Matthew 15.10-28, Jesus releases his healing, declaring a new perspective. With anxiety levels so high,
can his sensitive choices point us to the same thoughtful adjustments in human affairs, as in our relations with nature?
Benign neglect won’t help here. We need to replace self-regarding controls with outwardly focused care. BAME
people, so disproportionately affected by Covid-19, are fearful, as are the unemployed. Many disadvantaged
students, penalised by carefully constructed algorithms, are perplexed and angry. Many local public health officers,
teachers and Head teachers, are frustrated.
How can we restore calm and a sense of proportion and bring healing to our communities?
Who may be speaking into our community from a new perspective?
How can we make sure we hear and value the voice of the ‘outsider’?
Perhaps we need to accept, for ourselves, as the New Testament Jewish people did, that it is not good to try to
control every aspect of life.
Then we wait, patiently, for better aspects of ‘new normal’ to emerge, just like those flowers!
Have a good week, stay well, stay cool & stay safe
Paul
St Mary’s Newick Newsletter
14th August 2020
Our Prayer for Growth
God of Mission Who alone brings
growth to your Church,
Send your Holy Spirit to give
Vision to our planning,
Wisdom to our actions, and power to our witness.
Help our church to grow in numbers,
In spiritual commitment to you,
And in service to our local community,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
FOOD BANK DONATIONS
As a Church, we support FSW, the Family support charity helping children
and families in Sussex.
Our particular support is giving food – cans, pasta etc to the Uckfield
branch of FSW to distribute through their food bank. The current Covid
pandemic is causing a sharp increase in the demands on the foodbank –
there is real suffering, hurt and hardship out there.
Ron and June Perou collect donations in the porch at the Church each
Sunday and deliver them to the food bank.
If you have a chance to pick up an extra item at the supermarket or are
able to add an additional item to your online delivery please be assured
that they will be very gratefully received.
A lot of small donations make a big difference
https://www.familysupportwork.org/
Please remember those on our prayer list who are unwell.