Tel:01473 724961 (Currently not available) secretary@stjohnsurcipswich.org.uk www.stjohnsurcipswich.org.uk

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GOD IS LOVE   “And so we know and rely on the love of God for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them.” 1 John 4: 16   Love is a common theme in our Christian work and worship; hardly surprising when scripture teaches us that God’s very essence is love – at the heart of the Trinity is a perfect loving relationship.  In English, we use the same word, “love” to mean different things ranging from a partiality or strong liking, as in “I love cake!”, to a deep and intense relationship bond, as in “I love my partner!”.  One would hope and expect that the love I feel for cake would be a very different creature to the love I have for my wife.   In the New Testament, originally recorded in Greek, we find that the words we translate as love may not be the same in each case – there are different words for different types of love: “Eros” – Romantic Love as might be shared between lovers, “Philia” – Affectionate Love as friends would share, “Storge” – Familial Love found, we hope, at the heart of the relationships in a family and “Agapé” – Unconditional Love. In the verse above we learn that God is “agapé” – God’s love is unconditional, undeserved (we certainly have done nothing to earn or be worthy of it) and it is unending.     

It’s this agape love that we are called to live and share when Jesus tells us, “A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have love you, so you must love one another.”   (John 13: 34) We are called to love as God loves, with God’s love, without condition, without deserving and without giving up.  It’s a tough demand.  Why? So that, “everyone will know that you are my disciples, it you love one another.”     Leslie Newbiggin, a renowned URC minister who, unusually, was consecrated a Bishop through his work with the Church of South India, explained that if people want to know if God is real, they need only look at the church. In us they should see the joyful reality of life with God as evidence of God’s reality and love – we should be the proof of the truth.  Even tougher stuff!   Thankfully we’re not called to achieve this alone, we have the Holy Spirit, as Jesus promised, “If you love me, keep my commands.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of truth.” (John 14: 15) With this the work is easier but it does not mean that we don’t have to consciously make the effort to live in love.    What will this love look like when we, in collaboration with God in the Holy Spirit, live out our call to love?  Will we all suddenly become very quiet, meek, reserved, smiling people who try hard to be nice all the time and never resolve conflicts or speak the truth in case it hurts? Certainly not.  Jesus, the Son of God, God and human was and is the perfect demonstration of God’s love expressed in and through a human being.  He was not the soft, comfortable figure that we might at times prefer him to be. 

Adrian

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Like him, we are to challenge injustice, defend the poor, speak the truth (that’s God’s truth), even if it doesn’t make us popular, and serve God as we serve others. A challenge once shared with me that I would like to offer you.  In 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 Paul describes what perfect agapé love looks like in practice, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”   Now read the passage again and substitute the word love (and the word “it” used in reference to love) with your name.  That’s the love standard that God longs for us each to exhibit.  Thank the Lord we are not having to do this alone!Let’s aim high and pray that God’s Spirit will continue to shape and transform us to live and share this Christ-like love that others may be drawn to God’s light.   Revd Adam Earle 

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These are total costs and include all expenses, including stipends, pensions, training and Moderators. If you wish for more detailed information - please ask Richard. Elsewhere you will see a letter addressed to all Members and Adherents from the National Treasurers Team.   Our Annual Harvest Gift Day is on: 25th September and envelopes will be available - please “Gift Aid “ your donation if you are able.  As always, many thanks for all your continued and generous financial support. Mary A & Richard W

To: All members and adherents of   United Reformed Churches and our Local Ecumenical Partnerships    Dear Friends,  Is anyone back to normal?   After two years of pandemic and lockdown, and Covid still with us (thankfully, for most, in a much weaker form), we can now worship together in person and find fellowship again. But for most of us it is not simply a return to how it used to be; some people have not returned to church, some have died or become too frail, some churches have closed and others considering it.   Now we have significant European turmoil and its likely effect on fuel and food prices for us in the UK. Thank God that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13 v.8). Whatever else changes, He is our rock, our cornerstone.   Financially, things were extremely tough for churches in 2021. Plate offerings had collapsed; some regular givers had to reduce or entirely stop giving to support God’s work; and those churches which hire out their premises had seen income from that source disappear. Even those churches where the majority of the giving was by standing order or bank transfer ( if you have not considered regularising your giving in this way, please do – it helps your treasurer significantly ) may have seen a 20%+ drop in income.   If this had been replicated in giving to the M&M Fund in 2021, we might have been faced with a serious financial crisis last year.    But no, through the generosity of individuals, churches and Synods, we can report that income only fell by 4.4%. With a similar reduction in expenditure the M&M Fund result was a deficit of only £80,000 (less than one-half of one percent of income), a deficit that can be comfortably covered by reserves. So, thank you to all who continued to contribute to your local church, thank you to all those churches who met their commitment for 2021 in full, and thank you to all those who, in adversity, continued to treat the M&M Fund as the first priority and paid what they could.  

With churches and individuals under financial pressure, 2022 is not going to be an easy year either. The M&M Fund budgeted income (based on Synods’ projections) will not be sufficient to cover expected costs and we are reconciled to dipping into our reserves more seriously as a result.   However, if we “ordinary Christians” are to fulfil the call of Jesus to be His witnesses in the world around us we need ministers and other workers “on the ground” and we need shared resources which are often best created centrally. That all comes from the M&M Fund. Ian Hardie (Treasurer)  Vaughan Griffiths (Deputy Treasurer)

09/10/22 Dorothy and Colin

Diamond Wedding Anniversary   We had a wonderfully happy anniversary week, made even more so by the number of cards and good wishes we had from our church friends; the card signed by the congregation, delivered by Adrian, and the beautiful bouquet of flowers that arrived on the morning of the anniversary.  It was great to be able to spend time with families and friends in a relaxed way over the period.   We remain eternally grateful that we have been together for 60 years and have been able to enjoy the celebration.   Thank you all very much, your thoughts and good wishes are much appreciated.   Jenny and Peter C