Dear Friends
Welcome to the summer months of August and September. This is a time when the sun rises the highest and we behold the beauty of warmth and sunshine, particularly in the local forests of Wokingham Without, Crowthorne, Bracknell and beyond. C S Lewis said, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” And it is true, by means of the sunlight, we witness the wonders of God’s creation.
When sunshine moves into our hearts, the impact is equally impressive. Tom Baker quoted: “Strive to have sunshine in our hearts each day as it will greatly improve our outlook”. Our outlook is regularly tested by the crosswinds of life itself. This is why I repeat the daily Collect from Morning Prayer: “Almighty and everlasting God, I thank you that you have brought me safely to the beginning of this day. Keep me from falling into sin or running into danger, order me in all my doings and guide me to do always what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen”. I am then able to face the challenges of the day in sober terms like the Psalmist, who shared in the 119th chapter: “(my suffering was good for me), for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees (or commands)”. I pay attention to these words to mitigate the cross winds of life, risks and dangers in order to be effectively guided with right behaviours and responses. How challenging but reassuring!
We grow though the resistances we meet in our families, communities, work and wider environment. It is not so much what happens to us, but what we do with it which determines the result and outcome. It is a fact of human nature that learning and growth, development and change require a process, and so often the most important changes take place within the framework of struggle or a wrestling of circumstances.
In overcoming life’s impediments, for example, we complete ourselves. The world around us is like an emery stone on which we sharpen revealing lessons through our adversities. Things that strike into our lives make us ‘bitter’ – or ‘better’- according to the way we respond. What is our preference?
If we live or work with people who seem to do a perfect job of irritating our spirits, then this can become a ‘cage’ or a ‘challenge’. What do we want it to be? How we handle it decides whether it is a ‘groaning point’ or a ‘growing point’. What are we discerning with the Lord’s help?
St Francis of Assisi said, “A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows”. Doubt, fear, anxious, worry and resentful are examples of shadows that disrupt our outlook. Although there are many ways of winning over these negative emotions, the most important point to remember is that we are God’s children and His personal responsibility. Nothing that happens to us can outwit God’s loving provision.
I am inclined to agree with an unknown author who said: “we delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty”. And who knows what life challenges we have experienced of late, yet our inner beauty remains intact and strengthened. We become a “sunbeam” to others and are driven to do good all around us starting with family, community, schools, supporting our key workers, helping our vulnerable residents in and beyond this parish of Wokingham Without. The internal rays of sunshine become infectious spreading from person to person until sunshine flourishes in the hearts of our village residents. How lovely!
You may ask how the Parish is responding to the Lord’s work in Wokingham Without? One sunshine ray is focused on the introduction of Alpha Bible Studies from mid-September (see Parish calendar for information). Another sunshine ray supports the existing weekly services: 10am Worship in St Sebastian’s Church and also at The Base. Other sunshine rays include Little Angels (Mothers and Toddlers), monthly Men’s Sandwich and Youth Experience on Fridays. Is that enough for our Parish? The short answer is no because by virtue of the sunbeam we see other local needs and are responding. So, the C S Lewis earlier quote restated still holds true: C S Lewis said, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” The Parish and I see every need around us and are responding!
Permit me to leave a prayer to share until the next Vicar’s Letter in October:
O Lord, you have given us your word
for a beam of sunshine to light our path.
Grant us so to meditate on that word,
and to follow its teaching,
that we may find in it the beam of sunshine
that shines more and more through your ministries and me
to help others and respond to needs seen
until the perfect day;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Stay blessed with love.
Reverend Rickey Simpson-Gray
Parish of Wokingham St Sebastian’s
www.stsebschurch.org.uk