Thoughts

Christmas has often been used as a timely deadline for various activities. Most hauntingly in the First World war when everyone believed that the war would be over and the troops would be home for Christmas. We have travelled again through 2014 to 2018 a hundred years later and I now realise how it must have felt to have had war over four successive Christmases when the soldiers were not home for Christmas. They were fighting and being killed on and around Christmas day. It was an unbelievably long time to wait for the safe return of family or a loved one. It makes the story of the football match on no man’s land on Christmas Day 1914 all the more remarkable during an informal truce. It is interesting to note that such a truce was against orders and viewed as deeply subversive!

I have always wanted to build my own house and have followed Grand Designs on television over the last twenty years. It has cured me of any aspiration to build my own house. Instead, I admire the courage and hard work of others, when things are going badly wrong and people are missing completion dates. They talk of finishing and being moved in time for Christmas. It never seems to come true, and is said more in hope than expectation.

I wonder how much Mary was looking forward to the first Christmas. It was her first child and she would have had no idea of what was to come. I do wonder if she thought that she had more time before that baby was born and so undertook the journey to Bethlehem. Perhaps she knew the baby was about to be born but she had no choice and had to go to be registered. The registration was ordered by the occupying Roman army who said everyone had to be registered. It was a census for taxation purposes and was extremely unpopular and inconvenient!

In many examples I have looked at, Christmas seems to often transcend our human toil and involves real struggles with success and failure. It finds a new level where new possibilities can be imagined and sometimes even realised. It can provide a place where people can reach out to help others whether they are family or even strangers. For me, it allows new possibilities or even healing of old wounds. It is no real coincidence that it has a lot of the hallmarks of how we might imagine God to work in our world.

It is always important to focus on what Christmas is about. For me, it is about a gift of love and what new possibilities that might afford. It is not about long lists, too much food and too much to drink. It is not about how many presents we receive or how much we spend on presents. It is about spending time with people we love and sharing joy. It is about love overspilling into our world and bringing hope to those who have become lost or isolated.

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

I think we are all used to viewing a year in a variety of ways. There is the calendar year or solar year, which runs January to December. There is the financial year, which runs April to March. There is the academic year, which runs September to July. Then we have the church year, which runs from the first Sunday of Advent to the Sunday before Advent. The last Sunday in the Church’s year is called Christ the King. This month of November marks the end of the church’s year on Sunday 24^th November.

The beginning of the next church year starts on Sunday 1st December, the First Sunday of Advent. Advent means coming to, we remember Christ’s first coming and his promise to come again. Advent marks the preparation time for Christmas and Christ’s return, it represents a time for watching and waiting. It is important to remember that Advent is not just a count down to Christmas, it also looks beyond Christmas. The promise of the return of Christ heralds a new and exciting relationship with God and all his people. So, let’s leave next year for the time being and focus on the end of this year.

The climax of the Church’s year is started by the celebration of All Saints Day on the 1st November. At this point we move into a season called ‘The Kingdom Season’ and our attention is drawn to God’s Kingdom which is often referred to as Heaven. We remember people who influenced our journey in life who have died and now are in heaven. We focus on Jesus Christ who by his death and resurrection gave us hope in life after death. It is through God’s grace and forgiveness that we are able to stand with the Saints in Heaven. However undeserving we may feel that we are, God is always willing to give us another chance to make amends and put our life back on track. It is for this reason that we proclaim that Jesus is victorious and is Christ the King. So before we all get absorbed in preparations for Advent and Christmas let us round off the Christian year with a celebration of Christ’s Kingship on Sunday 24^th November and the gift of life that he brings to the whole world.

As we look around us we see so many conflicts and divisions which appear almost impossible to solve. The Christian message is all about hope in the most improbable situations. An all-conquering powerful hero that overcomes all by might does not mark Christ’s Kingship. Rather Christ’s example of serving the needs of the lost and the lonely mark God’s rule. This rule requires reconciliation and forgiveness. How much more could the world benefit from this gift that Jesus Christ brings into being?

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

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