Monday, January 28, 2013

February news


 Editor’s newsletter January 2013

 Dear All,

 

We start a new year and wonder what is in store for us? As our Minister has talked to us.. God does not choose always the most talented to do His work.. But He is with  us all the way.. Very encouraging when any of us are posed to do what may seem to be an impossible task...As Wilbert has reminded us in his sermons... We shall miss Wilbert during January but hope that his trip back to Zimbabwe is successful. I hope we can establish some links with some parts of the community over there.

We also look back on another year in the life of our Church.. We must thank all those who have worked so hard to keep up the work of our Church... Everything from social events to looking after the day to day running .

I do think we must try even harder this year to attract new members to join us and recharge our junior church. We do need to increase our publicity to our local area to encourage them to join us at events and maybe then to our services.

There are going to be many more people and families who will be finding life getting tougher in the present difficult economic circumstances... There is an important place for our Church to help support the community . But they are not going to come through our door without quite a bit of effort on our part. I feel a new year resolution is poised to be posted and this one not to be abandoned by the end of January!

 

Regards   Ian

 

                    FROM THE MINISTER’S DESK8/1/13

LET’S PUT OUR HANDS TOGETHER AND WORK

2012 has come and gone. Now we are faced with a brand new year whose paths we have never trodden neither are we aware of the kind of challenges that it brings. As novices, we step in it with caution, astute to our need for God. In Isaiah, A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley; Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (40:1-5)

It is sometimes not easy to see exactly what God had impressed on Isaiah’s heart when he called Israel to such a distinguished and noble task, work and level the playing field. Socio-political and economic imbalances can sometimes be disturbing enough for God to shack His people to some senses. It may surprise some to realise how uncomfortable our previous existence has been as we set our eyes on the glory to be revealed. We had almost grown to accept the rugged terrain in our lives. Mountains and hills had imposed themselves in our view and we had learnt to live with it. It had become normal in some situations to always follow small meandering foot paths as we navigate our way through. As much as we had developed skills and ability to cope with life trappings, it never was able to justify the unfortunate imbalances that life brings. The glory of the Lord will still need to be revealed for all flesh to see it together. It is therefore our          collective responsibility to make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

I am reminded of my own trappings in which the glory of the Lord had to be revealed. I grew up in a small two bedroomed house which had a living room and a small kitchenette. My Mother used the main bedroom with any female visitors who would normally visit for months on end. The spare bedroom was given for letting to provide income to sustain the utility bills. The kitchenette was converted into the boy’s bedroom. It provided just enough room for a double bed. The bed was free for anyone who turned up early to sleep. Six people, three facing each side, would somehow fit on this bed. The rest, depending on the day would sleep on the floor.

My Mother, a beautiful hard working woman whose beauty was now giving in to the wrinkles of age and the long hours of toiling in the sun, ensured that none of her children would go hungry and our home fire never flickered once. She worked hard to put food on the table every day and the type of meals would generally depend on what she could get.

     Each day was anxious for itself. When things got really bad, she would take down her hymn book, call us all in and ask us to sing a song: “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grief’s to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer”!  ”! I have been rocked to sleep many a night to the tune of this song. Come morning, another of her favourite songs, “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee;” would wake me gently once again when she would be sitting by our bedside with a Bible in her hand. She read it to us loud and long. I always felt that maybe our home was blessed when she would say to us, “Children, come, sing with me once more”. One thing I learnt then is how God was always faithful to her. She always came back at the end of the day and still put food on the table for us all. On a good day and especially at Christmas, and other holidays, porridge would be prepared for breakfast, and then tea with buttered bread and jam and this would mark a perfect start for us. Rice and beef stew could be served for lunch and then Sadza and green vegetables in the evening. However, since she was just a simple house wife with no income, life remained hard and black tea and bread, sometimes punctuated with green vegetables that we would then use for both lunch and supper would make a great day for us and the multitude of relatives. Eggs were rare, only when she chose to give her children a treat after a long time. We appreciated what we had and it felt like everything to us.

It was not until I was blessed with a 12 roomed house in a low density area as a      Minister in my previous charge that I realised how different life can be. My previous circumstances were never made right because I had accepted it. It remained until now on the heart of God that something must be done for all flesh to see the glory of the Lord from the same vintage point. To the children of Israel, He charges them through that voice calling from the wilderness, “Clear the way for the Lord…, make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.” Isaiah 40:3

2013 has come with new challenges for the children of God. We need to clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness. Together, let’s lift up all the valleys that had trapped our friends below. Those imposing characters and attitudes that have had no regard for anyone must be made low. If through human efforts, highways can be made, why should others continue to navigate their way through dangerous and meandering foot paths? For someone’s life to change in 2013, it’s going to take our heeding to Isaiah’s call and get everyone to work. It is true that one day you will be remembered for the contribution you are making today. The people whose lives you are touching now will impress it on God’s heart that you have been a good person.

After a period of hard work and loyalty to God, Nehemiah says, “Remember me for this. O my God, and do not blot out my loyal deeds which I have performed for the house of my God and its services.” (13:14)

Best Wishes  Revd Wilbert Sayimani

 
Other Dates for your January diary  and Future dates 
  
  Elders        9th Jan 2013   at 7pm   February 6th 7pm
 
Church Meeting AGM now February 7th 2pm ( as Wilbert away during January)  . Also we are invited to:-
  
Coffee mornings 2nd and 4th Mondays 11 am
 
Church meetings last Thursday of every other month (January, March, May, July, September, November):
 AGM Thursday 7th February 2pm. 
Services to work with other 2 churches. We normally have parade 2nd Sunday and Communion 4th Sunday, Memorial service in June, Anniversary Service in September. 5th Sunday to continue to be joint service.
There will be drop in coffee mornings on :  
  Monday 14th and 28th  January 11.am
Do come in and have a chat.. A friendly social!!
 This month the Church will be praying
especially for the people who live in the following streets :  
 Severn |Rd: Harden Rd; Barracks Lane: Green Rock Lane
 

 

 

 

 

 

1 comment:

  1. When is your summer fair this year please, I do like to support all the churches in the area as much as I can

    ReplyDelete