Thoughts

I guess most of us feel that our lives are busier and more complicated than they used to be. We realise that we are often doing more things, and have less available time. Partly as things become more efficient, the result is there is more time to do other things. On the face of it, that seems like a positive step forward. Yet there is also more pressure to keep things going. The picture of a person spinning plates on sticks comes to mind. The more plates that are spinning, the more time is required to keep the plates spinning. If the spin is not maintained the plates slow down, wobble, fall off and break. The biggest change for me has been the advances in technology which allow us to be in constant contact to talk, send and receive emails and access the Internet. On the face of it all positive and helpful. Yet, I read stories of people not being able to switch off or disconnect. They lose sleep and become fearful that they might miss something important. Equally, people become addicted to games or a particular media platform, it means they withdraw from the physical world and want to inhabit a virtual world. Technology in itself is neutral, it is neither good nor bad. It is how it is used that alters our perception of how useful or harmful it might be. 

I also believe most of us are getting a lot of information or requests that we do not want and have not asked for. There are people wanting our feedback, wanting us to take part in a survey and offering too good to be true deals. Or more worryingly people trying to profit from our vulnerability or weakness. There are stories of people being afraid to answer the phone because they know there will be someone trying to trick them out of their money. It seems ironic that in this instance people become cut off and isolated in the security of their homes.

There is now an awareness that is not about how much we do, but more importantly, the effectiveness of how we use our time. It is interesting that my notions of God do not revolve around how much I do, but how effective I work with people. It is an easy mistake to believe that we need to build up a balance of goodwill in God’s eyes. When we meet God, we can be proud of how much we have done. In many ways we are looking at this the wrong way around, what we do for others should be an acknowledgement of how much God has already done for us. We are not building up credit but sharing the many things that God has provided for us. We are also called to be calm, to be still and to listen. Only by listening might we hear what God wants us to do. Perhaps our business is stopping us from the really important relationships we need to nurture?

Rev. Martin Wood. The Rectory, Church Lane, Cheriton Bishop EX6 6HY 01647 24119 (Tuesday to Sunday) revwood163@gmail.com

As the summer draws to a close we can reflect on some important and memorable moments. From a national perspective, we have watched world championships in netball and football, we have pushed hard to be the world champions and come close. However, we did succeed in winning the cricket world cup, but only just. On a personal level, we may have attended an academic celebration like an end of school service or graduation ceremony. There have been balls and school proms which involved new smart clothes and lots of excitement. It might be family members have done well in their GCSE exams or A levels and we joined in a celebration of their success. The summer also brings the wedding season and the celebration of milestones and anniversaries, which are key moments to gather together and have a party. 

These many and varied ceremonies and celebrations are both important and significant. They are important because they acknowledge the hard work and effort that was required to succeed and achieve that result or that moment in life. They are significant because they become part of the narrative of one’s life story. Life is more often than not a bit of a struggle and hard work, it is very important to celebrate and make the most of the happy and successful times. These are often stepping stones in our lives as we move from one phase to a new one. It can be both exciting and frightening in equal measure. We can take strength from the fact that there have been people we know in the same position as us who have been able to make the transition and succeed, we all need a little faith.

As we journey through life, we encounter the stepping stones where we have to step out into the unknown, we have to trust and believe that what we are doing will succeed. It has a resonance with our faith and belief in God. We often cannot fully know and understand. We are left to trust and believe. It is not blind faith, we can draw on our experience and the experience of others. It can give us the confidence to step out and be assured that we are supported and encouraged in the new adventure before us. We should not be afraid of failing. To not try something new is to fail already! Even if things turn out differently than we expect we still grow through the experience and gain new insights into ourselves. Our course through life is never a simple straight forward process, it is full of ups and downs and changes of direction. Our relationship with God can be similar. Yet, we know that when we do the right things and make good choices, God is encouraging and supporting us each step of the way. If things go wrong and we struggle, we can ask God for help and find new direction and purpose in life. We need to step out into new adventures.

Rev. Martin Wood. The Rectory, Church Lane, Cheriton Bishop EX6 6HY 01647 24119 (Tuesday to Sunday) revwood163@gmail.com

As I write this article, we have just had Mental Health Awareness Week. It has been interesting to see that mental health issues affect so many people, even the people that we perceive as very successful. The statistic that is often used is that one in four people will struggle with mental health. It is therefore very likely that we will know someone who suffers with their mental health. Historically, mental health was not an issue that people would discuss, sadly people were either sent away or hidden away. It was an embarrassment or source of shame. I can not think of any illness that has such a poor understanding and acceptance. Thankfully those days are behind us and people are now willing to discuss and talk about their mental health. I still think there is a long way to go. It may seem that mental health issues are growing and increasing. It is now more likely to be something that people are willing to talk about and it is now more evident. It seems slightly ironic that one of the most important treatments revolves around talking therapy, yet often people are unwilling to talk about or even admit to the problem.

It has always been very important to be able to talk and learn from each other. We rarely are on our own and often have people around us who are willing to support and help us. It seems almost impossible to be out of touch with people in these days of modern technology, although it is portrayed as a disaster if the internet or mobile signal is lost! Yet, we seem to have lost that direct contact of talking to someone face to face. The great skill is of course in listening, without being heard and responded to appropriately there is no conversation. It is a two-way process of giving and taking, not a monologue where we try to offload all of our problems. There is good evidence to suggest that loneliness is becoming a bigger problem. People are becoming isolated and left behind. It is increasingly a problem of older people yet it can affect people of all ages.

One of the aspects of God’s love we learn from Jesus’ teaching is the compassion God has for the lost, marginalised and the outcast. Jesus’ parables speak of finding the lost, for example the lost sheep, the lost coin and lost a son. Jesus tells us that there is more rejoicing in heaven over finding the one lost person than ninety-nine righteous persons. As we learn how God views each and every one of us with great value and importance. We should do likewise and value the people around us. It may be we have to reconnect with people we have lost touch with or make the time to stop and listen and help someone who feels isolated or lonely. We can all make a difference if we try to help others.

Rev. Martin Wood. The Rectory, Church Lane, Cheriton Bishop EX6 6HY 01647 24119 (Tuesday to Sunday) revwood163@gmail.com

It feels that we are moving quickly throughthis year. We are now past the halfway point and journeying into the last half of the year. There is also a strong sense of people moving through life. We recognise the benefits of both reaching our destination and the process of getting there. They both have a profound effect on who we are. Hopefully, it is a positive process, although the same is also true in reverse. We can see how we ended up in a worse place through a series of bad choices. There is nothing new in this wisdom; historically people have travelled to discover new worlds, set off on an expedition to increase their knowledge or made a pilgrimage to a holy place. Universally, it is not always the destination that is important but rather how we adapt to the task in hand. This brings many positive benefits and is a trusted and acknowledged way of change. It is no wonder that it keeps recurring like a common theme throughout our history. If we need any proof of this there are several television shows that are called ‘a pilgrimage’ in which a celebrity or celebrities journey to significant destinations. Added to that there are television shows that have the same theme of people travelling to a destination and we get to watch them navigate both the joys and the trials that involves. A clue to this is the word journey or a mode of transport in the title for example ‘great railway journeys of the world’. It is not all about where you go but how you get there. As I watch probably the most watched programme where people who really cannot dance discover they had talent that they had not realised, they use the word ‘journey’ so many times it is referred to as the J word!

Driving a car is an important example. As we drive, the windscreen is large to give the clearest view of the road ahead. We need to be able to navigate and avoid danger to keep travelling safely. But there are also mirrors to see both behind and beside. By contrast, these are small lenses that look back to where we have come from. If we concentrate on what lies behind we will more than likely miss something obvious in front of us. If we ignore what is behind and concentrate on what is ahead we run the risk of missing something coming quickly to overtake or overrun us. We need to focus on both in the right amounts, that is what is so difficult, getting the right balance.

We find that God is present in both the past and in the future. We can draw confidence that God travels with us. We can learn to use past experience to give confidence, equally we can draw a line in our past and find both forgiveness and guidance into a new future. The challenge is to accept we are on a journey and how best we navigate that journey. I find God a faithful companion who both helps and encourages us.

Rev. Martin Wood. The Rectory, Church Lane, Cheriton Bishop EX6 6HY 01647 24119 (Tuesday to Sunday) revwood163@gmail.com

The month of June sees us at the halfway point in the year. It also marks the middle of summer and has the longest day of the year. It is full of hope for long, warm and bright sunny days. Yet, for many students and children it also marks the beginning of the exam period. It could be important milestone exams or just end of term exams. I seem to remember grudgingly doing the exams when the weather was at its finest. I was never very good at exams and was easily distracted by what was going on outside and what I was missing out on. It always seemed very unfair to be stuck in usually a hot unventilated gym or hall at the hottest time of the year. I wanted to be outside playing games and having adventures.

There is sometimes a conflict between the different phases in life. Although we are halfway through the year, we are also coming to the end of the school or academic year. It also means that the long holiday over the summer is also just around the corner and about to begin. For students, teachers and parents there is a sense of longing for a change of pace and a new rhythm of life over the holidays. It is interesting to remember the long summer holiday comes from families needing to earn a living picking crops and harvesting. They would take the whole family including children to work on the land. It was hardly a holiday but rather strenuous, hot and backbreaking work which was all hard manual work. The long summer academic holidays are often a source of envy for people who get only four to six weeks off during the whole year not just over the summer period. 

We are often drawn to make a comparison between our lot in life and how we perceive others are faring. It is interesting to me that I often seem to notice that people are doing better than me or having an easier time than me. I seldom think to myself that I am very lucky with what I have, and have to do. To my shame, I easily forget that there are so many people around the world just or only just existing, whilst I live a very comfortable, easy and safe life.

This year the end of the Easter season, Pentecost, slips into the second week of June. It is almost halfway through the year. It is more mid-summer rather than the end of spring and the beginning of summer. It changes the feel of this year, particularly as we had a hot Easter Sunday with record high temperatures. You might be mistaken in thinking Easter was a summer event! Yet regardless where Easter sits, early or late, warm, hot or cold it is surely a reminder that God is working for us without us asking for help. It is often the case when we acknowledge that we need help that then we can really change. Our world is changing all the time and we still need God’s help to change us and others.

Rev. Martin Wood. The Rectory, Church Lane, Cheriton Bishop EX6 6HY 01647 24119 (Tuesday to Sunday) revwood163@gmail.com

May is blessed with two bank holidays, early and late spring bank holidays. It gives many people a few days off work. This can lead to a holiday week being taken. Holidays are important in breaking our usual routine. This allows us to set what we want to do at a time of our choosing. For me not looking at the diary and clock, worrying what and where I should be is important to me. Holidays were originally connected to religious festivals. As you may be very aware, Easter was celebrated much later than usual this year. This means that Ascension Day is also very late this year, Thursday 30th May. It only just makes it into the month of May and sits at a time when you might expect Whitsun. You will have to wait a couple of weeks for Whitsun. If you can wait till 2038 Easter will be at its latest date. Then both Ascension Day and Whitsun will both slide into June.

Ascension Day is a mixed blessing. Having thought that Jesus was dead he suddenly returns from the dead on Easter Day. It was a moment of great joy and celebration although there was still plenty of confusion and doubt. Then for him to leave again forty days later and not return again, you might think that people would be really upset again, it might feel like a second bereavement. Yet what is recorded in the Bible, is quite the opposite. We are told that the disciples are going to the temple praising God each day. We need to ask what has changed for the disciples from being completely lost and dejected. You have to believe that the big change was what Jesus did to restore the disciples. The most obvious thing to realise is that Jesus meets the disciples in their greatest point of need. It is often the same experience for people when they have almost nowhere else to go they find they can find strength and support from God. After Jesus’ death, it seems that people wanted to go back to their old life. Jesus finds them and brings them back together. He is not critical of them for lack of faith and understanding. It is very clear that he told them many times what would happen to him. Yet the disciples chose not to listen or not to believe. You might think that this would be held against them and exclude them. Jesus offers restoration and new hope. This is not often our experience as we are often easily condemned and rarely feel forgiven. Jesus also gives the disciples a purpose, to go and tell people about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

We sometimes lose direction and feel alone and forgotten. Jesus reminds us that God never gives up on any of us. God can help restore and redirect us to where and what we should be doing. The hardest part is to admit we need help and ask for it.

Rev. Martin Wood. The Rectory, Church Lane, Cheriton Bishop EX6 6HY 01647 24119 (Tuesday to Sunday) revwood163@gmail.com