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No. 93 Spring 2011 ÂŁ2.50
encouraging, enabling, equipping
Called to seek justice to work for change to live radically
www.ourmagnet.co.uk ÂŁ2.50 ISSN 1 363-0245
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Businessmagnet Manager:Autumn Lynne Ling t: 0845 250 0509 e: lynne@ourmagnet.co.uk
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Welcome to Magnet
Administration Officer: Felicity Shakespeare t: 0844 736 2524 e: felicity@ourmagnet.co.uk Subscriptions: online: ourmagnet.co.uk/subscribe postal: PO Box 10378 Bishop’s Stortford CM23 9FT t: 0844 736 2524 e: felicity@ourmagnet.co.uk Advertising: Lauren McDonnell t: 01932 246403 e: lauren@roperpenberthy.co.uk Editorial Group: Sue Bloomfield, Joy Chapman, David Coleman, Tricia Creamer, Jane Dowell, Janet Eldred, Patricia Goacher, Judith Holliman, Lynne Ling, Jacqueline Shirtliff, Joan Sidaway, Sheila Simpson. Copyright: Every effort has been made to trace copyright. However, we would be glad to hear from any holders of copyright not traced so that due acknowledgement can be made at the earliest opportunity.
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Features 4
About Magnet: Magnet nurtures Christian faith in thoughtful, challenging ways, encouraging, enabling and equipping for life. It is an independent Christian resource for men and women. Each issue provides regular features including Bible study, a prayer focus, personal stories, worship material and a focus on world and justice issues. Magnet is produced by a team of volunteer editors. Opinions given in articles may not always reflect the views of the team. Authors and photographers own the copyright for their contributions. The Editorial Office is happy to pass on any enquiries.
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A life in stone
To be or to do? Identity is the question What if you can’t work? Tim Ross looks at the relationship between who we are and what we do
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Talking Justice Survival of the Fittest? Cathy McCormack on justice for the poor, both at home and abroad
Stonemason Tim Foster writes about his work at York Minster
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Prayer Focus Bible Translators Praying for those who are called to the challenging task of translating the Bible
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Worship Promises
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Bible Study Setting women free The first of eight studies based on the Millennium Development Goals
Call to community Four different experiences of life in a religious community
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Which bit is my vocation?
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Our first year
Judith Read was all set on an ambitious career path, but it was not to be
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In touch In your next issue
Here I am Lord, send me When God calls but the church says No 11
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Get a life Life is lived at such a fast pace these days. Paul Valler asks why we feel so driven
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Magnet Resources is a Body in Association with CTBI (Churches Together in Britain and Ireland)
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Registered in the UK Company number 6907612 Charity number 1130887
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For meditation
Religion-free zones: Christians and workplace law
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God has created me
Julian Rivers asks how far we can expect the law to protect religious values
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Laundry prayer
Recreation and renewal
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Challenge
Jonathan Pye tells his sabbatical story
36 Cover image: Shepherdess by Stevie Taylor © care of Bridgeman Art Library/ Private Collection
Work for God’s sake
Regulars
What do we mean by work? Dr Esther Reed explores the meaning and significance of work in a theological context
Designed by Twenty-Five Educational www.base25.com Tel: 0151 632 1657 Printed by APG www.apgprint.com This publication was produced to ISO14001 Environmental Management System standards. 95% of the waste created during the process was recycled. Materials used included vegetable oil inks, elemental chlorine free pulp and fibre from Forest Stewardship Council managed forests which have been independently inspected and comply with internationally agreed environmental, social and economic standards.
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Resurrection
Many are called but few are postmen
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Find time to rest
Richard Adams has another lighthearted but challenging chat with God
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Christ, the Master Carpenter
Volunteering
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There is no work better than another
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The Sending
Three volunteers explain what motivates them to give up their time freely
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Faith at work How can we best live out our Christian calling at work?
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Contributors Jill Baker Jill writes the first of our Bible studies (page 26) linked to the Millennium Development Goals. A former mission partner in the South Caribbean, she is a local preacher in the Thames Valley Circuit and will become the first president of Methodist Women in Britain in July 2011. Jill is excited by the Bible and the challenge of living out its message today.
Editorial Sue Bloomfield and Jacqueline Shirtliff
Paul Valler A former Finance and Human Resources Director, Paul (page 28) is also a teaching leader at Finchampstead Baptist Church. He is a regular conference and seminar speaker at venues such as Spring Harvest and New Wine and an Associate Speaker for the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity. Married with two sons, Paul recently became a grandfather.
Helen Thorp After service with the Church Mission Society in India, Helen (page14) was among the first wave of women priests. Her particular areas of interest are loss and the discernment and development of vocation. She is a part-time tutor at Durham University and has been a Vocations Advisor in the Durham Diocese for ten years.
Exploring the theme of calling, or vocation, we can look again at life; what it offers and what we make of it, whatever our age or circumstances. “To have a Christian vocation is to be a person who seeks to develop and nurture the gifts that God provides and to utilise them in the service of God and other people. To have a vocation is not to have a fixed role for life, but is rather to participate in an ongoing journey of discovery of the person that you can become in the service of God. Vocation can be found in the daily walk of discipleship.”* Sometimes this daily walk can be a precarious balancing act as we try to get to the bottom of that long ‘to do’ list. Paul Valler asks why we feel so driven. Esther Reed offers a theological perspective on work and vocation, and Jonathan Pye highlights the restorative power of rest.
Luke Curran Luke writes our worship on page 22. He is Methodist Oversight Tutor at St Michael’s College, Llandaff and Director of the Methodist Church in Wales Training Network. His particular focus is encouraging learning and development for the whole people of God. Luke recently co-edited a book on contemporary British Methodism, Methodist Present Potential (Epworth, 2009); he chairs the connexional World Methodist Committee and lives in rural Wales with his wife and two year old daughter.
Cathy McCormack Cathy (page19) is a campaigner and inspiring speaker on housing, health, poverty and environmental issues. Her writing and broadcasts have received international acclaim. Her autobiography The Wee Yellow Butterfly, published last year (review on page 20), shows how a strong spirit and a refusal to accept what is given can release energy and creativity for individuals and their communities.
Many of our contributors have felt a clear sense of calling: to step into the unknown like our Bible translator; to the lifetime’s dedication of a stonemason; to campaign for social justice; to live ‘set apart’ in community or to offer time, energy and commitment as a volunteer. For others, life’s circumstances intervene to derail plans that seemed on the right track. And what about those who feel a strong vocation to a church role but are rejected? Helen Thorp suggests ways of minimising the bitterness and recrimination that can result. Our calling to discipleship is celebrated in worship for Vocations Sunday. John Rothwell reminds us that discipleship extends to the workplace, and Julian Rivers gives a legal perspective on faith at work. Jill Baker writes the first of our new Bible studies and we welcome back Richard Adams with another thoughtprovoking conversation with God. We hope you find something to challenge and inspire you in this issue. We would be delighted to hear your views. Please send any feedback to felicity@ourmagnet.co.uk
Talking Magnet Call 0844 736 2524 or email felicity@ourmagnet.co.uk to request an application form for Talking Magnet on cassette tape. This service is free of charge to those who are registered blind or partially sighted.
*Called to teach: teaching as a mission vocation Grove Books 2010. Trevor Cooling is Director of the National Institute for Christian Education Research.
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Work
for God’s sake Dr Esther Reed is Associate Professor of Theological Ethics in the Department of Theology at the University of Exeter. In the following extracts from her book Work, for God’s Sake, she explores the meaning and significance of human work within a theological context, tackling issues such as social justice, human rights in the workplace, and vocation.
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What is work?
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N OUR PRESENT WAGE-BASED SOCIETY,
work is often defined as ‘paid employment’. This seems a straightforward definition but it is not neutral or value-free. It reflects a society where social worth is tied to work – an individual’s social standing or sense of self-respect is tied closely to how they make a living. But a Christian ethic of work will not be satisfied with thinking about work only as paid employment.
bed & breakfast guests, doing endless work for church organisations and much more. She made few National Insurance contributions. Is my paid work with students more socially valuable than her many years as unpaid youth worker? Was her vocation any less meaningful? Of course not! So it is important to be clear that a theological consideration of work should include both paid and unpaid employment.”
Work as vocation or call Dr Reed compares her own role as a university lecturer with her mother’s: “My mother worked for many years – raising children, doing jobs around the farm, caring for sick and elderly people, taking
A question that arises especially for Christians when defining work is whether to use the word ‘vocation’. Should every Christian answer, “My vocation!” to the question, “What is work?” Martin
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Victorian printing works; a migrant worker picking tulips
Luther taught that all Christians had a vocation, and that every type of work performed by a Christian can be a vocation.1 John Calvin wrote movingly of God’s fatherly care towards every person in their daily labours: The Lord bids each one of us in all life’s actions to look to his calling… each man will bear and swallow the discomforts, vexations, weariness, and anxieties in his way of life, when he has been persuaded that the burden was laid upon him by God.2 These great reformers of the Church developed strong theologies of vocation, that is, the calling to which God has appended one’s name. Yet we must be careful when handling the notion that work is a vocation, call, or that which God has given us to do. When combined in later Calvinism with the idea of election, the idea developed that God has appointed every person to their station in life where their duty is to serve God willingly to the best of their ability. Sometimes referred to as the Protestant work ethic of the industrial era, the idea that work is a God-given vocation, and therefore a noble and ennobling activity, meshed with the needs of industrialists for workers who would tolerate appalling factory conditions and turn a blind eye to exploitation. Consider George Herbert’s poem The Elixir, often sung as a hymn: Teach me, my God and King, In all things Thee to see, And what I do in anything, To do it as for Thee. A servant with this clause Makes drudgery divine: Who sweeps a room, as for thy laws Makes that and th’action fine.
If we accept too readily that drudgery can be made ‘divine’ by describing it as vocational, then important issues of human dignity, self-esteem and social justice have probably been overlooked.
Holding on to a sense of vocation In our own generation it can be difficult to hold on to a sense of vocation in the workplace. For many people work is rewarding and enjoyable. It pays the bills and is integral to our sense of personal and social identity. For the fortunate few, work does all this and carries a sense of vocation – for example, as a teacher or a police officer. These
as many as 20% of the UK workforce are at risk of exploitation because of their employment status, ignorance of their rights, or lack of information in their own language. lucky people derive from work not only affluence but also a sense of dignity and privilege in serving others. Yet this is not true for everyone. Many factors in present day workplaces conspire to make it increasingly difficult for employees to experience their work as vocational. At the higher end of the income scale, the concept of vocation ➥
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case either that the only real vocations are apostolic or ordained or that every Christian must seek their vocation in the workplace. Rather, the Church is the context within which to make sense of a personal sense of vocation. Every believer as a member of the Church always has a vocation by virtue of their membership of Christ’s body. To Paul there is only one calling, the service of Christ. So, we should neither throw out the language of vocation as outdated nor allow it to become overly individualised in ways that can smack of middleclass privilege. The challenge is to reconsider vocation primarily as something given to the entire Church, whilst always intensely personal.
When individual employees are deemed to be only as good as the financial merits of the next contract, the concept of vocation can easily be choked by anxiety and the need to be seen to perform. does not sit easily with fiercely competitive working practices. When individual employees are deemed to be only as good as the financial merits of the next contract, the concept of vocation can easily be choked by anxiety and the need to be seen to perform. Systems of internal competition amongst staff result in considerable amounts of unpaid overtime with consequences for work-life balance and family life. Constant threats of ‘downsizing’ and failure to safeguard pensions impact heavily on family life and civic society. Lower down the income scale, employees are also under pressure to work longer and more intensively. Those with relatively low-level skills are affected especially. A recent report on agency workers states that as many as 20% of the UK workforce are at risk of exploitation because of their employment status, ignorance of their rights, or lack of information
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in their own language. In this context, a theological exploration of vocation seems like a middleclass luxury.
So, should Christians abandon talk of vocation? No! So many instances of calls to embrace the work of God pervade the New Testament that we cannot simply abandon either the language of ‘vocation’ or the importance of a sense of calling.
“I beg you,” says Paul to every member of the Church in Ephesus, “to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love…” (Ephesians 4:1-4) The calling to live in the Spirit and in “the hope of your calling” belongs to all. Every Christian’s vocation is to direct themselves towards this hope and live for God’s sake. 1
Theology of Work 2
The apostle Paul had a very clear sense of personal vocation (Romans 1:1, 1 Corinthians 1:1, Galatians 1:15) but he understands this only in relation to God’s wider purposes for salvation. For Paul, vocation is not primarily an individual experience. It has meaning only against the backdrop of the vocation of the Church. In our culture of privatised religion, the temptation is to view personal vocations as given to individuals rather than as part of God’s action in the world through Christ’s body the Church. Those ordained to ministry within the Church have hugely important callings but they are not the only people with vocations. It is not the
Miroslav Volf, Work in the Spirit: Toward a John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion
The above extracts are published by kind permission of the author and publishers.
Work, For God’s Sake Christian ethics in the workplace Darton, Longman & Todd ISBN 978-0-232-52761-2
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God has created me to do him some definite service: he has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another. I have my mission – I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. Somehow I am necessary for his purposes: as necessary in my place as an Archangel in his. I have a part in this great work; I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for nothing. I shall do good, I shall do his work; I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place. Deign to fulfill your high purposes in me. I am here to serve you, to be yours, to be your instrument.
magnet • words: Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801 – 1890); image: Olga (www.flickr.com/photos/__olga__/2479061168/)
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KIPPA MATTHEWS
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A life in stone Tim Foster describes his work as a stonemason at York Minster
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’M ONE OF A TEAM OF 25 CRAFTSMEN dedicated to the restoration and conservation of the fabric of York Minster. In my nine years here I’ve been involved with projects on the West Doorway, Chapter House vestibule, Chapter House buttresses and parapet figures, North Quire Transept pinnacles, and currently the East End Window. On a building of this size and historic importance, constant maintenance is necessary and much of the stonework is badly eroded. Structural repairs are, of course, essential but replacement is always a last resort so decisions for an effective programme of restoration involve many people and processes. First, a survey and inspection is carried out by the architect
York Minster Stoneyard Open Day: 19 August 2011 (provisional) For further details, contact the Minster on 0844 939 0011 or visit the website at www.yorkminster.org
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(Surveyor to the Fabric), who then decides with the Head Conservator, Master Mason, and Foreman Carver which stones will be replaced, rebuilt, or conserved.
The corona on the East End Buttress is an example of this. The Foreman Carver, Geoff Butler, decided on medieval ailments as subject matter for the 20 carvings encircling this feature. One of these carvings was inspired by a local character with strange dress sense, and another takes its origin from a misericord that shows a suffering monk expelling a demon from his anus. Together, the figures represent a body of work by six men of today who are fascinated with craft work, history, and the lineage which stretches back to the medieval craftsmen and hopefully forward to the people who will take up this work in the future. If there is a spirituality to our work, then that lineage and its continuity is how we express it.
A photogrammetric image that has all the information of an estimated, worse-case scenario is compiled for presentation to the fabric advisory committee. This committee is made up of other architects, members of Dean and Chapter, other experts, and the Superintendent of Works. The Dean and Chapter have the final decision on any work. In the carving workshops where I’m based, the team works on replacing the more decorative and ornate areas of masonry. The repetitive details, such as mouldings, foliate and flower designs, and crockets (a stylised leaf form) will be replicated as closely as possible to the original by gathering information from drawings, models and casts, often taken from inside where the wear and tear is much less. The grotesques and gargoyles are often a source of greater creativity for the carver, which is a tradition we are particularly proud to continue as this approach keeps the building alive and organic. The pieces are a kind of folk art, which has character and humour involving many contemporary subjects expressed through medieval interpretations and stories.
buttress a structure made of stone or brick which sticks out from and supports a wall of a building grotesque a painting or other artistic work with a figure that is ugly or unpleasant as its subject gargoyle an ugly creature or head cut from stone and fixed to the roof of an old church, often with an open mouth through which rain water flows away corona the projecting top part of a cornice misericord a bracket attached to the underside of a hinged seat in a church stall against which a standing person may lean. photogrammetric image an image which corrects a single-perspective view of a large area
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I remember adults asking what I wanted to be when I grew up. The answer I gave depended upon what story I was reading. Certainly I never would have said that I wanted to be unemployed for six years, spend four years training for ministry and then be forced to retire a couple of years later. Yet that is exactly the way things turned out. S A CHILD
Fifteen years with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has taught me a great deal about being, about the nature of identity and how closely related those two things are. You can end up out of work for a number of reasons, but perhaps one of the worst ones is being made redundant. That word is so emotive. It implies you’re not needed, surplus to requirements, or worse, serving no useful purpose. Being without work raises difficult questions about personal identity. Without a place in the working community there can be a loss of identity and rootlessness. It’s not that we want to be needed, it’s more that as social beings we need a sense of belonging. We need somewhere that we can say, “This is me. This is where I am.” It’s one way we define our identity.
The Revd Tim Ross describes how confronting illness and redundancy taught him new answers to the question, “Who am I?”
To be or to do? …identity is the question Asking the question, “Who am I?” helps us find meaning in life. However, if we answer that question solely by reference to what we do, who we are can get so tangled up with what we do they become confused. That’s when losing your job brings the risk of a crisis of identity or even faith. It’s as though you’ve come to a junction in the road of life and all the directions lead to nowhere. What we need is a change of perception. If we change the way we identify ourselves so that it is tied in with our purpose, things begin to look a little different. Apart from the assurance of God’s presence with me, one thing that
has given me great comfort in my illness is the discovery that God did not create me to be a Methodist minister, or an artist, or a writer. Fundamentally, God created me for an intimate, loving relationship with him. Pursuing that purpose is what life is all about – everything else is incidental. Your identity is defined solely by how God sees you. First and foremost you are a beloved child of God; that is your identity. What you do derives from that, not the other way around.
Your identity is defined solely by how God sees you. 9
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The call to community
A costly adventure
LEE ABBEY
From the early days of the Church some Christians have felt called to live apart from the world, either in isolation or as a part of a community. Today’s communities offer a wide range of commitment, lifestyle and discipline. Our writers invite us in to four different communities.
Sarah Prentice left her comfort zone for Lee Abbey
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In 2007, I was a guest on holiday at Lee Abbey. I left with a deep sense of God’s peace and presence. The following year, I saw an advert for a Publicity Assistant there. I knew God was calling me to step out of the boat, leaving the security of my full time job and familiar circumstances, to take on this role.
journey which we share for a short time. Community living calls for a vulnerability and openness that can be tough, but it produces a rich depth of relationship. There is huge blessing in being alongside each other, serving, working, struggling and growing.
As I’ve lived and worked at Lee Abbey with 90 others from all over the world, my understanding of community and sense of call have grown. The common aim of serving the guests at this Christian Conference, Retreat and Holiday Centre brings a unity which transcends barriers of age and culture. This is a unique
This time and season has given my faith legs. As I’m stretched and challenged, God is abundantly faithful to supply grace and strength as I seek to follow my calling. A costly adventure! But I wouldn’t exchange being where the current is strongest for side eddies and flat water.
Quality time Sister Paul reflects on life in a York convent
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ODAY’S WORLD
sometimes seems uncertain, where values may change almost as quickly as fashions. For us Poor Clares, our values – come to that our fashions – haven’t changed much since a small group of sisters arrived in York from Bruges in 1865.
Our call is to live lives based on the vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and enclosure. We don’t do any form of outside work. We are called, as people
Goldie is a prayer companion specially designed by a research group at the Interaction Research Studio, Goldsmiths, University of London. For more information, go to www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/interaction
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have been throughout the ages, to withdraw a little from the world and spend time with God. As they say these days, it’s “quality time”. Seven times a day we gather to chant the Divine Office. Between these formal prayer times we do our manual work. Yet even then we are fully aware that we are still in God’s presence. Once a day we gather for recreation, usually full of laughter, sometimes serious, when we discuss events personal, local, national and global. For 145 years we have been kept informed by letter, phone or personal contact of the needs of people outside our community. For the past three years we have also had many emailed prayer requests. Recently we have been given a unique piece of technology which we call Goldie. News scrolls continuously across Goldie’s screen, keeping us in touch with the world’s needs at a glance. ➥
INTERACTION RESEARCH STUDIO, GOLDSMITHS, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
COSTLY ADVENTURE is the phrase often used to describe life at Lee Abbey, Devon. It gives an insight into the joys, blessings and challenges of community life here.
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Laundry Prayer God, you have washed me clean and dried me Now turn me upside down and shake me out. Discharge the static when I cling to things, Smooth out the creases, brush away the fluff. Pull me, reshape me, turn me right side out, Iron me and air me, ready to be used. Let me not be afraid of dirt and sweat, Repair me if I split, patch up my wear, But please don’t ever leave me on the shelf, Out-dated, out of fashion, past repair. Amen
magnet • words: © Diane Coleman. Used by kind permission of the author; image: © Hugh Sitton/Getty images
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Sister Paula Spark has two roles
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– each is unique. Life as an apostolic religious sister is the way God invited me to follow him.
HERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF VOCATION
The Daughters of Mary and Joseph is my congregation. Our mission is to be a compassionate, joyful presence, enabling others to recognise their value and dignity. We embrace a simple community life, sharing with one another the gift of ourselves: our talents, our strengths, our weaknesses. Daily we set aside time for private and community prayer and the Eucharist. Since entering the order I trained as a nurse and work one day a week at a medical surgery set up 20 years ago by one of our sisters to serve the homeless in Westminster. For me this is a real reaching out to
people neglected by society. As well as meeting their medical needs, my priority is to respect each individual and show them that no matter what may have happened in their lives, someone cares and wants to help. I also run our Retreat Centre in West Wickham which provides a quiet and peaceful place where people can find time for God. In both roles I aim to respond to the spiritual needs of our fragmented world, reaching out especially to those of whom society says, “There is no place for you here.” For more about the Retreat Centre or the community: www.emmauscentre.org.uk; www.daughtersofmaryandjoseph.co.uk DAVID COLEMAN
Instruments of mercy
A supportive and challenging family The Revd David Coleman describes a community which is not confined to one place
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15 CENTURIES OF PRAYER AND ACTION, the current Iona Community is a dispersed ecumenical order of lay and ordained women and men. We are mostly in the UK, with some in mainland Europe, and a few further afield. UILDING ON
Community is a supportive and challenging family, in which we care for and know each other in daily prayer, as well as face-to-face. Members attempt to build the five-fold rule into daily life, being responsible and accounting to each other for: • daily prayer and Bible reading • the use of our money • the use of our time • action for justice and peace in society • meeting in relatively local family-groups, and larger ‘plenaries’ Full Members are committed to the five-fold rule, Associates to the prayer discipline, whilst Friends support the movement in other ways. I first experienced the Community at one of their three island Residential Centres, returning the following summer as a volunteer housekeeper. After this I felt called to become part of the community. I met my wife on Iona the year I was hallowed*. She is now a member too.
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The Retreat Centres are only the tip of the iceberg of the Iona Community, which also employs youth workers, publishes innovative worship material and campaigns for social justice. *Hallowed means set apart with prayer and laying on of hands and is the ceremony of admission to full membership. For more about Iona: www.iona.org.uk
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D
ID YOU EVER DREAM of what you would be when you grew up? I was going to be a princess. I was most upset when Prince Charles failed to wait for me. As I grew up my vision changed. After university I worked in Central Government in the Cabinet Office – a very demanding and exciting job. During that time, I met and married my husband. My thoughts turned to children, but as a part of my working life; a sort of add on. Seven years later our daughter was born. She was beautiful, perfect and just as I had dreamed. I returned to work and balanced this with raising my daughter. Our son followed three years later. As we arrived home from hospital, my mum dropped a glass in the kitchen; our son didn’t even flinch. My life changed that day.
FLICKR: BRAVE HEART WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/BRRAVEHEART/6134014/
I didn’t return to work as my son needed all my attention. JJ is now nine. Looking back at the last nine years: the fear, the fight for speech and language, the need for diagnosis, occupational therapy, educational placement, lack of sleep, copious amounts of washing and the continued need for care, I feel extraordinary pride in our achievements. I also feel a certain amount of sadness for the loss of the person I could have been, for the job I had and for the person I was nine years ago. Would I be without my son? No, never. Would I like him to be whole and healed? Yes, with my whole heart. Do I think I have been called to be a mother of a child with special needs? No. I think that as a mother I have been gifted with the ability to cope with such a child, although some days I would laugh out loud at this statement. Having JJ has made me completely different, more patient, more vulnerable, and yes more aware of the Lord walking beside me. In fact, often I am aware that he is carrying all of us.
Which bit is my vocation? What happens when life doesn’t go according to plan? Judith Read gave up an exciting and challenging job for an equally demanding but very different role. A very wise lady said that God has a way of dealing with ambition. I was very ambitious. I had my sights set high in the Civil Service and now they seem like a distant memory. There are times when I am submerged so deeply in my son’s needs that I can’t find who I am, but I have discovered a place inside myself yearning to be me, not someone’s wife or daughter or mother. This has led me to lift my head to my Heavenly Father and relook at what I have been gifted with and what I have grown into over the last nine years. That person is the one God can now use.
I have a child who will always need a voice, a protector and an ally. I took on motherhood as a gift from God and I will fulfil it. But I do not feel it will end there. I know that there is more for me in God’s plan and I am hanging in there to see it through.
So what is my vocation? To be a mother – yes, to a certain extent I will always be a mother first and anything else second.
There are times when I am submerged so deeply in my son’s needs that I can’t find who I am
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VILHELM HAMMERSHOI : HVILE (REPOS), 1905 (RF 1996-12) PARIS, MUSÉE D'ORSAY, ACQUIS AVEC LA PARTICIPATION DE PHILIPPE MEYER
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“God has a better plan for you” can ring hollow
Here I am, Lord, send me and the Church says, “Thanks but no.” What is it like when a sense of calling is rejected by the church? Helen Thorp explores this difficult issue.
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CHURCH DOESN’T to follow what we believe is the Lord’s call on our life? HAT IF THE ALLOW US
“It’s like standing by the door of the car you’ve invested in, and having the keys snatched out of your hand. Suddenly you’re locked out. Not going anywhere. Left standing, humiliated.” Words from a non-recommended ordination candidate – but the decline of any offer for ministry can feel a cruel rejection.
A deep and enduring challenge Often the outcome is unexpected; nearly always it feels harder than anticipated. “No one prepared me for this,” said a devastated volunteer whose hopes for youth ministry had been dashed. “And the way they have talked about me – it’s like being stripped naked.” A local preacher candidate shook his head bitterly over feedback, “I don’t recognise the person they describe here; they’ve got me all wrong!” Offering for a ministry role is more than offering for a job. We put our whole selves on the line – and sometimes at considerable sacrifice. So, when ‘the keys are snatched away’ it isn’t just the potential to drive that is lost; being ‘locked out’ can provoke a crisis in how we see ourselves, how we understand God and how we relate to the Church – resulting in disturbing questions: • How could I make this terrible mistake? • Can I ever trust myself or the Church – or God – again? • How could they do this to me? • How could Jesus allow this to happen? • Where and who is Jesus for me now? Where does my faith go from here?
Alone with the legacy What do we do with such unsettling voices? Usually the disappointed expectation is in the
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public domain, and the stigma of rejection can translate into isolating shame. Where can we take the pain and who is there to understand? Embarrassing grief is held tightly private. Some personalities quietly withdraw; others protest noisily; yet others throw themselves into more and more acts of service. But the legacy of the lost vocation remains unresolved. We struggle to make sense of it and may never come to terms with the disappointment.
No answers Infuriatingly the question, ‘why?’ is rarely adequately answered. Justus in Acts 1 was as able as Matthias to replace Judas as apostle, but Justus was ‘left standing’. (And why did Jesus call Judas to be one of the twelve in the first place – there must have been better candidates hoping to have their gifts recognised!) It can be hard to comprehend how the Lord chooses servants for office.
The repercussions spread Humiliation can provoke sharp reproach, especially against those who ‘snatched away the keys’. Often the blame focuses on the institution, on ‘them’, but it can also fiercely concentrate on the person perceived to be responsible for the outcome: minister, reference writer, or interviewer. The bewilderment and anger is not always contained within the church walls; marriage and family life can come under stress and work
colleagues may struggle to understand withdrawn or aggressive behaviour. Lamenting the change in her husband, a church member said, “He’s never been the same since he was told pastoral training was not for him.”
Helpless to help Of course, those who have encouraged the vocation are often at a loss to know what to do or say. Some adopt avoidance strategies to cope with their embarrassment; others blurt out inappropriate spiritual reassurances. “God has a better plan for you,” can ring hollow when being left standing, humiliated, neither looks nor feels like a better plan. Whether the rejection comes from within or beyond the local church, congregational members will be uncomfortable. Feelings of guilt (“I didn’t vote for her.”), anger (“How dare they turn him down.”), or distress (“How can we heal his hurt?”) disable pastoral support.
How can the Church pastor those it does not choose? Good Process Acts 1:15-26 evidences clear, agreed process in appointing to ministry. The criteria are identified, the candidates nominated, prayer is prioritised and finally the discernment method followed. There were two candidates for one post; it was obvious from the outset that one could not be chosen. Those responsible for appointments in the Church are to
Sheila, who was on an interview committee for candidates, says: Being part of an interviewing panel for someone exploring ministry or for a lay post in the Church is an undoubted privilege but when reason and instinct shout that the interviewee is not suitable, it is one of the hardest positions to be in. Only with hindsight can any judgement be justified but at the decision making time, you have to trust that you have been given, through prayer, the attributes necessary to make the right choice. There is an obligation to support the candidate prayerfully for some time even if your paths never cross again.
David, whose calling was turned down, says: It was, truly, nightmarish. But at least you wake up from a nightmare. Suddenly, those kind, holy people – the ones you had tried to trust along the way – simply hesitate, and ten tons of anger falls down on your shoulders with nowhere to go. Let it out, and you prove them right; keep it inside, and you discover the damage it can do. Call is an urgent energy. And Call can be violated.
Offering for a ministry role is more than offering for a job clearly define the discernment process, including the possibility of painful feedback and disappointing outcomes. Speak the truth in love. Think the unthinkable Invite exploration of the worst case scenario early in the process. How might a No impact on confidence, faith and relationships in and beyond Church? What is to be gained and what might be lost? Be prepared Never assume how someone will react. Ask beforehand what kind of support might be helpful. Some folks need people contact and others like to be given space. Think carefully about how difficult outcomes might be communicated. Be available Wait prayerfully and humbly to accompany the journey, as and when invited. It is not easy sorting out the impact of rejection on selfunderstanding, prayer, and image of God. Finding a way forward tests character. Remember Others will be caught up in this: minister, family, friends, fellowship, and work colleagues. A final warning Even with attentive pastoral care, some people have to move church to move on. Reshaping vocation can lead to new departures.
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USED WITH PERMISSION: WYCLIFFE BIBLE TRANSLATORS
prayer focus
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Bible translators Philippa Jeff is 31 years old and originally trained in architecture. After a year at Bible College in Belfast she spent six months working in India. Following training in English teaching she has returned to South Asia with Wycliffe Bible Translators, and is currently working as a trainee literacy technician.
“Y
OU MUST BE SO BRAVE,” I’m often told. That’s certainly not an attribute I would claim for myself! On the contrary, introversion and hesitancy often hinder me. Somehow, coming into a new culture, it’s tempting to imagine these shortcomings will fall away. In truth, they are only emphasised. Communicating in a new language and culture is taxing even for an extrovert. Here I daily face the painful struggle of knowing that opening my mouth will invariably mean partial or complete mis-communication. And this small area of the world has literally hundreds of languages!
Yet Wycliffe wants everyone to receive God’s word in their own language. Often those languages are difficult for an outsider to learn, but just as Jesus became a man and spoke to us in the language of flesh and blood, so our hearts go out to these many communities whose languages are often despised or unknown. My training involves six months of learning the national language, six months of learning the regional language, and then finally working alongside a community whose language is very different from both of those! Often it seems like an impossible task. Yet God’s directing and calling still remain my greatest joy. I sometimes feel torn, with one part of me constantly struggling, yet another part constantly rejoicing. The Lord’s words to Paul, “My strength is made perfect in weakness,” have become very precious to me. Like Paul, I want to rejoice in my weakness – that God may be able to show that God is sufficient – even for weak people like me!
Please pray... • For specific calling and long-term perseverance for those starting out. In today’s age of instant results, it’s easy to get discouraged. Language learning is a slow process, and the need is very great. • Against loneliness and burn-out. Loneliness is often a struggle for singles, and burn-out is a potential problem for many people involved in this work. • That the Lord would send more workers out into the field of Bible translation – there are still many people living and dying in countries without a Bible in their own language. • That the translated word of God will bring forth fruit from these communities.
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Challenge On that night, there were Two bowls of water. The first was taken And used for washing feet, Symbol, he said, of love. The second was called for And used for washing hands, Disclaiming responsibility. The bowls are constantly before us: Into which will we dip our hands?
magnet • words: Ann Lewin 2009. Taken from Watching for the Kingfisher, published by Canterbury Press. Used by kind permission of the author; image: Our humble God by Howard Banks Š Howard Banks www.howardbanks.org
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issue 93
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Showing God’s love through healing
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From humble beginnings on a Glasgow housing estate, Cathy McCormack found herself a player on the world stage campaigning for justice for the poor. She explains why.
I
NEVER THOUGHT IN MY WILDEST
that when I became a mother I would end up in the international struggle for justice, but that’s what happened when people in my community started to make the links between our sick houses, our sick children and the sickness of our planet. IMAGINATION
XXX
ANDY SCOTT
I was born in one of Glasgow’s large post-war housing schemes, built to accommodate inner-city slum clearance and bring good health to the working class. However, the houses turned out to be freezing cold and damp and when I brought my three healthy
Survival of the fittest? children back home from hospital they became sick. When we complained, housing officials told us it was our own fault as we were doing things like drying too many nappies in the kitchen. There were an estimated quarter of a million people in Glasgow living in the same conditions. So in the 1980s, when the World Health Organisation revealed that Glasgow had one of the highest premature death rates in Western Europe, it came as no surprise.
And so I became involved in my local community’s campaign to find a long term solution to the housing problem and to get public health back on the political agenda. A tenant-led solar housing project followed. Families’ fuel bills were reduced from £50 to £5 per week, also reducing CO2 emissions. People no longer needed the medication that they had been dependent on. ➥
My spirit refused to allow me to roll over and pretend that I was dead
talking justice
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Sculpture by Andy Scott commissioned by local residents as an allegory of the regeneration of the Easterhouse area of Glasgow.
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DAVID COLEMAN
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Poverty is now costing us all the earth.
But the Thatcher years changed Britain from an industrial to a money market economy and millions of families like mine were thrown onto the unemployment scrap heap and forced to live on welfare. Our communities started to witness and experience human suffering and hardship on a scale that I never expected to see in my life time.
When the propaganda intensified about the unemployed and then attacks on single parents began it finally dawned on me that there really was a war going on – a social, economic and psychological war against the poor, where only the richest and the fittest were meant to survive. I felt so powerless to change this cruel reality that I started to pray to God to allow me to go to sleep and never wake up again. I thought that if only I could die then surely someone would come and rescue my children from the insanity of our lived reality. My youngest child Gary was only six months old that fateful day in I985 when I became more afraid of living than I ever did about dying. My spirit however refused to allow me to roll over and pretend that I was dead. Instead it switched a light on inside my head that enabled me to see things that had been way beyond my understanding at that time. I did understand however that no one was coming to our rescue and that my duty as a mother was no longer in the kitchen but in the world.
The Wee Yellow Butterfly Story of an activist against poverty in Glasgow Cathy McCormack with Marian Pallister Argyll Publishing (2009) £7.99 ISBN 9781906134297 If you have never lived in a damp, cold, fungus-happy concrete box of a house then read this and wonder! The Easterhouse scheme in Glasgow was built to solve all the problems of the inner city but the irony of the resultant high fuel costs, unemployment, and poor City Council understanding is not lost on the reader. Many were brought to their knees but not Cathy McCormack! Her fighting, campaigning spirit engaged firstly for her children’s welfare and her neighbours, then extended to Nicaragua and South Africa. She began recognising connections. This is her story but it is also a story of poverty in the UK and around the world, where unfortunately many who ‘have’ are in danger of believing that the fault is with those who ‘haven’t’. The wee yellow butterfly, first seen on Nicaraguan rubbish heaps where the poor scavenged for things to sell, became a symbol of hope. This is not a sanitised story of good overcoming evil but an on going story of ‘a war without bullets’ and with all wars there is a cost.
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my duty as a mother was no longer in the kitchen but in the world. Professor David Fryer and I have been working together for 23 years now to try and expose this war on the poor. Recently we were invited by the Australian Psychological Society to talk about our work, as they recognised this is not just a local issue but global. While there I met up with Dr Katie Thomas who had just published a book on sustainable living. The author really understands this war against the poor that I feel has now intensified under our new coalition government. It is always such a relief to have it confirmed that I am neither daft nor stupid and to really understand the reasons for all the propaganda aimed at the most vulnerable and defenceless people in our world. Last year I started to engage with a young generation of anti-climate change activists. Like me these activists are determined to try and save our planet and its people. I am still finding it hard to face up to my real life story, and so can really appreciate the fear and pain of the rest of our global family who I feel have also been deceived: a global market economy which the bankers and the politicians still keep referring to as being free, but in reality has enslaved us all in a race towards human, social, economic and environmental destruction. My hope now is that the people who read my story The Wee Yellow Butterfly will start to wake up from their long culture of self-interest and understand that this war is not only killing more people in the world than tanks or bombs, but is also destroying our whole ecosystem in the process. That is the real price that the rich and powerful will have to pay in the creation of their wealth making. Poverty is now costing us all the earth.
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Resurrection I find it no surprise that death and resurrection are at the cosmic heart of God when I see caterpillars transform into butterflies, night into day, seed split and broken by the intimate probing of a shoot, winter dying its own death for the first green kiss of spring and hearts holding hope in the midst of grief with memories of loved ones that can never die.
magnet • words: Š Jane Upchurch. Taken from Inner Wellies, published by Christian Education, 2010. Used by permission; image: Behold I make all things new by Yvonne Bell
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Promises It’s easy, and sometimes more comfortable, to define vocation in narrow terms, often related to ordained ministry. Yet a closer reading of the Protestant tradition suggests that the word actually refers to our many callings as God’s baptised people, recognising that whatever our circumstances, we are all called, through our baptismal promises, to spread the good news and serve others with love. It is this general vocation to Christian discipleship that we celebrate in this act of worship.
Opening responses Reader 1: Loving Creator, we give thanks and praise that through baptism and confirmation you call us to commit ourselves to the Christian life of worship and service. A candle is lit. Reader 2: Sustaining Spirit, we give thanks and praise that through baptism and confirmation you call us to find strength in you to accept the cost of following Jesus Christ in our daily lives.
Luke Curran’s worship was specially written for Vocations Sunday (15 May) but this celebration of our vocation to Christian discipleship could be used at any time of the year.
they have encouraged another Christian in their faith journey through prayer or conversation. Ask people to write the name of this person on a pre-cut paper person and use the following words to remember them before God: Gracious God, we thank you that we are all called to be disciples. We thank you that we are all called to be part of the ministry of your Church. We thank you that we are all called to spread your good news. We remember before you those whom we have encouraged in this great journey of faith. Invite people to place their paper people around the lit candles. If it is a small group encourage them to simply say the name of the person as they place it down. If it is a large group have some quiet music playing. May your love, protection and strength be with them all. Amen Sing:
A candle is lit. Reader 3: Redeeming Lord, we give thanks and praise that through baptism and confirmation you call us to witness, by word and deed, to the good news, and so bring glory to God. A candle is lit. Sing:
Common Ground 45 Great God, your love has called us here
The first promise – committed to worship and service Reading: Romans 12:1-8 This is one of the most famous passages in the epistles. We often use it to focus on our individual gifting and interdependence as disciples but it also contains a list of things we might be being called to do … preach, serve, teach or encourage. We often forget about the last of these, yet it is the one, whatever our age, frailty or commitments, that can remain when life makes other calls impossible. Remind people of this and ask them to share with their neighbour an occasion when
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Hymns and Psalms (Methodist) 553 Lord speak to me, that I may speak
The second promise – the cost of discipleship Reading: Matthew 16:24-30 Remind people that this passage is about making choices. The call to discipleship involves making costly choices as we make the commitment to peace, justice, sufficiency for all and the well-being of the stranger that are key values of the Kingdom. Either share a story from your own discipleship which has been costly or tell the story of one of the ten modern martyrs depicted as statues on the west porch of Westminster Abbey*. Gracious God We remember before you those times when we have not been faithful to your call. When the noise of the world has been too loud When the demands of family and friends have seemed more important When the burden of discipleship has felt too great Forgive us. Silence.
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Loving God, You know what is in our hearts, You know that we long to do better, You know how to transform our failings and weaknesses. So help us to hear your word of forgiveness And know ourselves forgiven, loved, And set free. For your unfailing belief in us, for the new life you offer us, we bring our thanks and praise. Amen (Words © Louise Gough) Sing:
Hymns and Psalms 745 O Thou who camest from above
We pray for all who are exploring their vocations, Those for whom their call is clear and those for whom it is not, Those who are willing to respond and those who do so reluctantly, And those who are beginning to follow new calls. God who calls his people Hear our prayer We remember those whose vocation is expressed in secular life.
The third promise – witnessing to the Good News
God who calls his people Hear our prayer
Reading: Luke 24:13-35
We remember those whose vocation has become unclear.
The significance of this passage today lies in v35. The travellers shared their story with the eleven disciples, reminding us that witnessing to the Good News is something we need to do with our fellow believers as well as in more evangelistic contexts. The purpose of this sharing our experience, beliefs, questions and answers is, in Wesley’s words, “to build each other up” and although the sharing of personal testimony is now rare within the British Church, it is alive and well in the World Church. In Jamaican churches for example it is usual to include a time in which people can share how God has been active in their lives. The Methodist Conference in 2005 encouraged us to rediscover this tradition in the report Time to Talk of God. Reflect on this with the congregation and then either share some personal testimony or invite someone from a part of the world church where the tradition is stronger to do so. If you find this difficult, a good way in is to share the meaning of your favourite hymn.
Sending Out
Sing:
Sing:
A hymn connected with the testimony shared or Common Ground 16 Brother, Sister, let me serve you
Prayers for ourselves and others Gracious God You summon us to love and to life to witness and service to costly generosity. Instil in us the desire to partner with you in your mission and care for all creation, And transform us through our encounters with you. God who calls his people Hear our prayer
God who calls his people Hear our prayer We remember all who are in need, or in pain, or who need our prayers today. God who calls his people Hear our prayer God who calls all people, Release us from all that limits our ability to hear or respond. Stir up in us our undiscovered gifts, graces and calling, So that we live for you and to your praise and glory. Amen.
Hymns and Psalms 770 Go Forth and Tell
We go into the world Rejoicing in the grace of God, Sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit, To fulfil our high calling as servants of Christ. Thanks be to God. Amen.
For individual biographies of the ten martyrs outside Westminster Abbey go to www.westminster-abbey.org.
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And he said to them, 'Come, each of you, step aside from others into a quiet place and find time to rest‌' Mark 6: 31
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magnet • words: © translated from the Greek by the Revd Dr Jonathan Pye; image: The Shady Tree by Tilly Willis © care of Bridgeman Art Library/Private Collection
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bible study
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In the first of a challenging new series of extended Bible studies linked to the Millennium Development Goals, Jill Baker finds inspiration to achieve MDG 3 in the liberating power of Jesus. (Luke 13:10-17)
A
I REFLECT ON THIS PASSAGE, my son is laying a new patio in our garden. His most important tool is the spirit level. S
In 2000, every member state of the UN committed themselves to achieving the eight Millennium Development Goals by 2015 – wide ranging goals covering poverty, health, education, justice, environmental sustainability, fair trade. This study focuses on MDG 3: Promote gender equality and empower women. Many women are still denied access to education, employment and the freedom to make life-style choices that others take for granted. Societies where women are more equal have greater potential to reduce poverty and achieve well-being for all members of the community. Practical steps that can be taken to achieve this goal include increasing access to education, eliminating inequality in employment, reducing violence against girls and women and challenging discrimination wherever it is encountered.
WWW.UNDP.ORG/MDG/BASICS.SHTML
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Setting women free Getting things straight is a thread which runs throughout scripture. Isaiah prophesied that the uneven ground would become level. In Proverbs 8:8 God declares, “All the words of my mouth are righteous, there is nothing twisted or crooked in them, they are all straight to one who understands.” In the New Testament, John the Baptist fulfils the words of Isaiah to “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his path straight.”
Straighten up (vv10-13) In our passage in Luke, we see Jesus healing a woman bent double and unable to straighten up at all. As I read the passage I think of Esther, a very old member of the Methodist Church in rural Chateaubelair, St. Vincent who was also bent double. Early every morning she hobbled to the beach to swim. Only in the wideness of the merciful sea did she find grace and ease of movement. I also remember times when I have not been able to look up because my spirit has been weighed down by sadness, by hurt, or by over-busyness. • Do I need God’s help to find grace and ease of movement? • Do I know, or know of, others who might? Without hesitation or delay, Jesus heals the woman and immediately she stands up and praises God.
Hallelujah! Jesus has the power to help this woman – and us. Wouldn’t anyone rejoice at such a healing? Apparently not, for the leader of the synagogue is indignant. Angry with Jesus, he turns on the crowd and tells them to come on other days for healing, but not on the Sabbath.
Not today! (vv14-16) The religious leader thinks that Sabbath law forbids Jesus’ action; his job is to play it by the book. But that way of thinking limits his ability to see what is really happening before his eyes. The Sabbath was given to the Jews to ease their burden, to provide rest from labour, to allow them to look up and not down. It was to be a weekly foretaste of that rest which awaits the people of God in the Kingdom of God. So Jesus makes it clear that this daughter of Abraham (a title which bestows honour and worth) should, of all days, be released on the Sabbath. • Where do we see religious rules and traditions being misused or misunderstood to oppose the empowerment of daughters of Abraham today?
Straighten up again (v17) This skilful exposure of hypocrisy has a remarkable effect. Shamed, the entire crowd now rejoices. What began as a straightening of the body has now become a straightening of attitudes and mindsets. As empowerment takes place, it leads to altered thinking and on to rejoicing.
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MRDF KIRSTY SMITH
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Many women in Nepal suffer uterine collapse and yet have to continue to carry heavy loads.
In small groups: Gather around a tangled bundle of ribbons, string, necklaces or even earphone cables. As you try to disentangle them together, share those situations known to you where women are bowed low and bent double by life. Maybe you have things to share from your own life. Pray that the grace of Jesus Christ may straighten out these situations. Lay the untangled articles around a candle. Pray that those who need to have their thinking about gender justice changed may see God’s empowering work and rejoice in it. Take a ribbon home and tape it to a mirror where it can hang straight. As you brush your hair daily, commit yourself to the healing work of God in the world today.
In Bolivia, CLEM (the Community of Liberty and Hope for Women) does much to empower women in a culture where oppression of women is rife. Those involved in CLEM in Montero gain skills, productive work and, perhaps even more importantly, self-esteem through their production of fabric articles sold in the UK. Through their management of the health centre built with the money raised, not only are they empowered
themselves, but their menfolk and the wider community have begun to see them in a new light, recognising their worth and potential. The state minister for women and children’s affairs in Bangladesh comments on rising female participation in politics in her country in the Guardian (14 September 2010). “We are trying to achieve economic empowerment, but we need to change a mindset, change the
patriarchal ways people think. Men also have to be involved in the process of gender equality.” • Sometimes when I beat the feminist drum, I see people become more resentful and more entrenched in their attitudes, not, as here, changing their mindsets and rejoicing with me... • How, as I seek to take action on this MDG, can I model myself more on Jesus?
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magnet Spring 2011
Get a life
Paul Valler asks: why is it that every part of our lives seems to have a to-do list? Whether it is paid work, church jobs, volunteering, being the perfect mum or dad, keeping fit, household chores ... it’s an endless list of what we have to fit into life. Why do we feel so driven?
T
is that many of these pressures come from inside us. Nine tenths of the iceberg of work/life stress is below the surface. Underneath the façade of our performance is the belief that our identity is defined by what we do. In that lie we find a root of both insecurity and drivenness. HE UNCOMFORTABLE ANSWER
We have a dangerous tendency to say Yes to other people, a tendency that easily leads us into overcommitment. Graciously explaining the choice to say No is something we must learn in order to manage the expectations of others. This is
If I am always connected to the chatter of the world, I will never be truly connected to God or to my closest relationships. 28
only possible when we have an inner peace and a secure sense of our personal worth. The best way to have that is to know God. Behaviour flows from beliefs. Many of us already know we need to change our working patterns, but we go back to working too hard because deep down we still believe the lie that our self-worth is dependent on our ability to perform. To change that belief means renewing our mind by meditating on God’s Word and declaring the truth in prayer.* The key to authentic and secure Christian identity is knowing God as Father. However, this knowledge is more than intellectual agreement, it is deep in the heart and comes from the Spirit and the Word (Romans 8:16), and time spent deliberately in God’s presence.
Choices Today’s society has forgotten the principle of the Sabbath and the fact that we were made to live and work in healthy rhythms. Time out with God is essential to restoring perspective and shalom, not only once a week, but each day and at frequent times throughout the day. Jesus is the perfect example. Notice how often he ‘withdrew to lonely places and prayed’ (Luke 5:16). If Jesus needed to do that, how much more important is it for us? These days we live in an ‘always on’ world, through our internet enabled mobile phones, TV, email and Facebook. Electronic communications suck us in to a pattern of ‘continuous partial attention’ that damages our ability to give proper attention and respect to people. If I am always connected to the chatter of the world, I will never be truly connected to God or to my closest relationships. I need to make deliberate choices to take time out.
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ISTOCK
Time out with God is essential to restoring perspective and shalom.
about his mother, asking John to look after her (John 19:26). This shows me that Jesus had a clear sense of priority in various situations and that the right choice in one situation is not necessarily the same choice in different circumstances. Sometimes our responsibilities can make this very difficult. Here is where the help of trusted Christian friends can be invaluable. Are we willing to ask others to pray for us or help us out practically?
This awareness of God’s leading and priority is cultivated in those quiet times with God. Praying over our diary commitments can be really helpful in bringing clarity to what God wants us to do.
It is interesting to see the way Jesus handled his responsibilities. Although he was not married, he did have his mother to look after and perhaps, as the oldest son, he also had some responsibility for his brothers and sisters after Joseph died. I find it helpful to reflect on two contrasting incidents in the gospels. First, when told that his mother and brothers were asking for him, he apparently did not go to them but carried on teaching (Luke 8:21). Yet when he was on the cross – his greatest work – he thought
Purpose We are called first to Christ as a person, and then secondly to serve him with gifts we have been given in the opportunities he has prepared. Many Christians think this only applies to where they serve within the church, but God is interested in our whole lives. Our calling is worked out in both work and life. So setting aside time to reflect specifically on this issue of personal mission is another important way to become more integrated in work and life.
Once we know more clearly what we are called to do, it becomes a lot easier to know what we are called not to do. The discovery process of reflection, prayer, inspired insight, discussion, testing and ultimately the confirmation of others is well worth pursuing. A clearer sense of purpose brings greater fruitfulness and fulfilment in serving God in whatever area of work we are involved in. I may think I have a long to-do list but in my experience, God’s to-do list for me is often rather shorter and more clearly focused. God is calling me to listen and follow God’s lead. *You may like to use this prayer, or one of your own: ‘Lord, I renounce the lie that my self-worth depends on my ability to perform. I announce the truth that my identity and sense of worth are found in who I am as your child. I renounce seeking the approval and acceptance of other people, and I choose to believe that I am already approved and accepted in Christ because of His death and resurrection for me.’ (Neil Anderson: Freedom in Christ Ministries)
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© CORBIS/PHOTOGRAPHER OSWALD ECKSTEIN
issue 93
courts have accepted that policies in respect of health and safety, dignity at work, and equality and diversity legitimately limit the actions of individuals
school on Friday lunchtime failed in their cases.
Religionfree zones Christians and workplace law Where do Christians stand in relation to workplace law? Julian Rivers, Professor of Jurisprudence at the University of Bristol, explains.
O
VER THE LAST FEW YEARS,
the media have carried several stories of Christians who have got into difficulties with their employers. Some of these were cases of conscientious objection: the quarry worker whose contract was changed to require Sunday working; the judge who refused to place children for adoption with same-sex partners; the registrar who refused to carry out civil partnership ceremonies; the Relate counsellor who refused to advise homosexual partners. Others were cases of Christian witness: the air hostess and the nurse who were told not to display their jewellery crosses; the nurse who was suspended for offering to pray with a patient; the school receptionist who organised a prayer meeting.
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In those cases which have reached the courts, the employer has invariably won. Why? Until the early 1970s employees had very few legal protections – employers had a very large discretion in the conditions they sought to impose in the workplace. There were a few statutory provisions securing conscientious objection, such as for doctors refusing to authorise or carry out abortions and more generally for religious refusal to join a trades union. But apart from these specific provisions, the courts would not protect individual employees. For example, the doctor’s receptionist who refused to type letters of referral for abortion, or the Muslim teacher who wanted time off
Since then, the law has changed. The Human Rights Act 1998 guarantees a right of religious freedom. The Equality Act 2010 prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, providing some protection against targeted hostility, for example on grounds of activity outside the workplace. Yet these laws contain equally general exceptions. So long as a uniform requirement within the workplace can be shown to be a proportionate way of pursuing a legitimate aim, it will be justified regardless of the burden it imposes on individual believers. Thus courts have accepted that policies in respect of health and safety, dignity at work, and equality and diversity legitimately limit the actions of individuals. Running through all these cases is a basic assumption that people choose their place of work and that courts should be very cautious before imposing requirements to accommodate ‘awkward’ employees. If your job does not allow you to be overtly Christian, get another one. That is the logic of the free market. In the face of growing religious diversity and the fear of intolerance and conflict, some employers opt for the simple solution of trying to keep their workplaces religion-free zones. The law does not require such a solution, but has always permitted it. It is up to Christians to show by the gracious and conscientious fulfilment of their duties that our presence and witness is to be welcomed, not feared. We cannot expect the law to do this for us.
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O Christ, the Master Carpenter, who at the last through wood and nails purchased our whole salvation; wield well your tools in the workshop of your world, so that we, who come rough-hewn to your bench, may be fashioned to a truer beauty by your hand.
magnet • words: Arthur Gray Butler (1831 – 1909).
An exploration of this prayer can be found in the Spring 2010 issue of the magazine of the Iona Community, Coracle. www.iona.org.uk/coracle.php; image: Stigmata Cross © Margaret Burrow, one of a series of oak sculptures by Shane Lucas for Peel Cathedral, Isle of Man
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NEW for Lent 2011
ECUMENICAL COURSES FOR ENQUIRING MINDS
Easy-to-use discussion course for groups
Our five-session ecumenical discussion course brings these leading Christian thinkers into your group ARCHBISHOP VINCENT NICHOLS RC Archbishop of Westminster
BISHOP STEPHEN COTTRELL Author of course booklet
JIM WALLIS Author and public theologian
PAULA GOODER Writer and lecturer in Biblical studies
INDERJIT BHOGAL Theologian and Methodist Minister (Closing Reflections)
RICH INHERITANCE Jesus’ legacy of love Session 1 – An empty tomb Session 2 – A group of people Session 3 – A story Session 4 – A power Session 5 – A meal Jesus didn’t write a will. He left no written instructions. He didn’t seem to have a plan. At the end, as he hung dying on the cross, almost all of his followers had abandoned him. By most worldly estimates his ministry was a failure. Nevertheless, Jesus’ message of reconciliation with God lived on. It is the central message of the Bible. With this good news his disciples changed the world. How did they do it? What else did Jesus leave behind – what is his ‘legacy of love’? This course addresses these questions.
An ecumenical discussion course for group or individual study, comprising booklet, CD or audiotape and transcript. Includes a choice of wide-ranging questions to help group leaders involve all members in lively discussion.
Discuss Jesus’ legacy in this ‘Year of the Bible’ THE CD & AUDIOTAPE contain five 14-minute radio-style starters for group discussion, with questions for the participants – Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Paula Gooder and Jim Wallis. Former Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, introduces the course.
THE COURSE TRANSCRIPT provides a complete record of the ‘conversation’ on the CD/audiotape in an easy-tofollow format.
why five out of tens of thousands of group members chose a York Course: Why do a York Course? Here’s
many thanks for producing such stimulating courses. speakers were wonderful with their different views, sharing Many, The They make the task of Group Leader the easiest that I have their personal experiences with us. It made the group open up found in more than fifty years of leading adult groups. to very interesting discussions – we loved the way we had the CD to listen to, and the booklet, which contained really pleased with the course … as everyone got a lot out We're many powerful readings… We hope many ideas put forward by of the session. We couldn't get them to go home! the course will be able to be taken forward. group found the course stimulating and provocative … Our It’s brought us together as a church with other folk coming in as well. plenty for discussion in the questions posed at the end of each It’s been brilliant. session … Excellent material for further use.
LATEST SPECIAL OFFERS & DISCOUNTS and PREVIEW SAMPLE PAGES & SOUNDCLIPS @ RICH INHERITANCE - Jesus’ legacy of love CD Taster Pack@ £16.99 each (1 booklet, 1 CD, 1 transcript: worth £19.48 – save £2.49) Booklet @ £3.50 or £3.10 each for 5 or more
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magnet Spring 2011
Sabbaticals offer academics the opportunity to pursue their research interests and to find valuable time to write. I was determined, however, that this should also be a time of recreation. Perhaps this was just as well since I was asked to write this article in a light-hearted way and the bulk of my sabbatical was spent writing about the impact of the eighteenth century Enlightenment on the practice of medicine. Could it be that ‘light-hearted’ might mean introducing the reader to some of the more bizarre practices of eighteenth century doctors? And, yes, some of them did involve the use of kittens and such ‘cures’ as drinking two pounds of mercury! Such an article might prove too much for the faint-hearted, but I commend to you John Wesley’s fascinating little handbook of ‘cures’, published under the title of Primitive Physic.
Recreation and renewal
Research, pottery, jungle exploration in Borneo: all part of the sabbatical experience for The Revd Dr Jonathan Pye, Principal of Wesley College, Bristol and Honorary Research Fellow in the Centre for Ethics in Medicine, University of Bristol Alongside this worthy pursuit, I also took a practical course in medieval Japanese pottery and a journey through the jungles of Borneo. The former enabled me, as someone whose primary work is with his mind, to use his hands creatively too – shaping the pots, tending to the precarious processes of glazing and firing, using centuries-old techniques to produce something unique: an experience as humbling as it was exciting. The latter brought me into contact with the shy and reclusive orang-utan, now found only in the remotest parts of Borneo and Sumatra, whose natural habitat is
JONATHAN PYE
A
CHANGE, they say, is as good as a rest. Sabbaticals are a gift from the Church, allowing ministers to step back from the routines and demands of ministry and do something different: explore new avenues, read and, hopefully, be refreshed. Despite the suspicions of some, sabbaticals are not holidays, although they do offer opportunities for recreation – literally re-creation, the sharing in God’s activity of renewal both of creation and of each of us as persons.
Borneo experiences: watching the orang-utang and meeting local tribespeople
being systematically destroyed by the Western world’s demand for palm oil. This, too, was a humbling reminder of creation and its fragility – as was contact with local tribespeople who, we were advised, had given up the practice of head-hunting, by and large…! So now I find myself back at my desk and in the classroom, enriched by my experiences, refreshed by a break from routine, and re-created by the gift of time to do something different.
Sabbaticals are not holidays… they offer opportunities for recreation – literally ‘re-creation’
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magnet Spring 2011
Many are called… but few are postmen
My feet felt, suddenly, strangely damp. Years ago... I began. In the good old days of commitment and service? God added, with a raised eyebrow. Yes, I went on. There were recognised vocations - teaching, nursing, the ministry of the church, local preaching, calls to the mission field. Just jobs, said God.
Richard Adams has a conversation with God about vocation I sensed the water rising towards my knees.
I
WAS EXPECTING A PACKAGE.
From the landing window I could see if the postman was coming up the road. I was just thinking, In the good old days...., when God joined me at the window and finished the sentence...the post was always on the doormat before 8.00 o’clock. Exactly, I said. Whatever happened to commitment and service? Maybe he’s got a particularly heavy delivery this morning, said God. Are you making excuses for him? I asked.
Not at all, said God. I’m simply understanding his situation. If you weren’t so impatient for your parcel you might be the same. It’s still true, I insisted. There’s no dedication to the job any more. You know he was up at half past four, said God. Isn’t that dedication? When did you get up that early to go to work?
No! I said, plunging in up to the neck. Vocations! People were called. What you’re saying, then, God said, is that no one was ever called to be a postman. Exactly. Or a lorry driver?
Getting up times don’t come in to it, I argued. Besides, his is just a job. I had a vocation.
Yes.
Did you now? said God. Would you care to explain?
Well, only if it was Church Treasurer.
Well, I began, with a feeling, as usual, that he was not so much leading me by green pastures as into deep water. Well, there are jobs and there are vocations.
Now, I knew I was drowning, but I thrashed about in the flood of my own ignorance.
Such as?
Or an accountant?
Would you like a life belt? asked God. Presuming that one job rates more highly than another is pure arrogance, spiritual snobbery. In whatever trade or profession men and women happen to find themselves, what they are called to is service to others, leading to job satisfaction and self-esteem. That’s what I call vocation! Oh look, I said, desperately changing the subject. There’s the postman! But the postman went whizzing straight past. Letters to deliver. A calling to fulfil.
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There is no work better than another to please God; to pour water, to wash dishes, to be a cobbler, or an apostle, all are one; to wash dishes and to preach are all one, as touching the deed, to please God.
magnet • words: William Tyndale 1494-1536; image: Clive Shirley/Panos
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magnet Spring 2011
Many who feel called to a specific job are not paid for the work they do. Here three volunteers explain what motivates them to give their time for free.
Volunteering current state of volunteering in England? According to the latest research, the number of formal volunteers (people who give unpaid help through groups, clubs or organisations) in the last twelve months in England is estimated to be 17.1 million.
Beyond the statistics From an article by Véronique Jochum, Research Manager, NCVO
V
OLUNTEERING is commonly portrayed as having a positive impact on communities and on volunteers themselves. At NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations) we are the first to recognise that without volunteers many voluntary and community organisations would simply not be able to function. But what is the
The proportion of people volunteering has fluctuated remarkably little over the last 25 years, although the most recent figures do show a slight drop.
Read the full article on the Magnet website www.ourmagnet.co.uk Or go to: www.pathways
MERCY SHIPS
Kat Cheng left school and went to sea
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If you would like to know more about the organisations featured on these pages or you are interested in volunteering with them, their websites are below. There are many other agencies looking for volunteers. Your church, local library, Citizens Advice Bureau and the internet are good starting points and there are many books which list volunteering opportunities.
Want to know more?
VOLUNTEER AFRICA-STYLE
It was hard work
throughparticipation.org.uk or www.ncvo-vol.org.uk
A
I LEFT SIXTH FORM I headed for West Africa to spend the next six weeks onboard ship. Mercy Ships is a Christian organisation which provides free healthcare to those in the developing world who have no hope of receiving treatment. My father, Leo, is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who has volunteered seven times before, so Mercy Ships has been a big part of our family since 2004. S SOON AS
• www.mercyships.org.uk • www.oxfam.org.uk • www.ourmagnet.co.uk
but there’s much more than that. One third of the crew from 40 different countries are medical staff; the rest range from receptionists to teachers, human resources to chefs and engineers.
LAST SUMMER,
I worked in the food services department, catering for the 450 crew and 200 day volunteers. It was hard work from 5.30am to 7.30pm. Many people think the ship is all about the medical aspect,
On my days off I was able to see parts of Togo, including the orphanages. It is such a lifechanging experience seeing how people make the best of whatever they have when back home we always want more. Just spending time with the children was enough to make them smile – playing games, making crafts and singing songs. I was also able to accompany the dental team for a day. It was incredible seeing the need in this medical field. And they let me loose on patients: I was even able to remove a few teeth!
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magnet Spring 2011
JANE DOWELL
MAKING CONNECTIONS Elisabeth Jones takes action closer to home For a just and equal sharing Of the things that earth affords
W
I KNOW OF I might think ‘I’m ever so hungry’, but there’s the prospect of a good meal before long. I’ve been to ‘hunger lunches’ and left feeling really full.
boxes, setting up a market stall in the rain or sorting sackfuls of clothing.
HAT DO
HUNGER?
Yet many people exist with a constant and real hunger, in situations almost impossible to change. Since the sixties these thoughts have prompted my involvement with campaigns for social justice: discussions, meetings, lobbying, fundraising, trading and knitting! They have sustained me carrying heavy
Recently I’ve been squeezing past piles of books into a cubbyhole at the back of our local Oxfam shop, selecting the books worth putting for sale, sorting into categories and pricing. Secretly I dream of having the room tidy and the stock impeccably organised. In practice I know the important task is to have the attractive books on display in the shop ready for customers. Making a connection between thought and action has also led me to make a connection with people. I remember coffee growers from Nicaragua; a gatherer of honey in
VOLUNTEERING FOR MAGNET Jane Dowell shares Magnet secrets
I
NEVER DREAMT that when I retired from teaching I would become involved in work equally interesting, stimulating and challenging. Nor when a friend said: “Why don’t you apply to become a Magnet editor?” did I believe that in doing so I would discover gifts that I never imagined existed within me.
To begin with it was all a mystery. How does a magazine like Magnet happen? My first meeting was a little daunting but I was soon caught up in the discussion, the wrestling with ideas and the excitement of creativity. Although each issue is the particular work of two or
three editors, we work in a wider editorial team and always feel supported by each other. Everyone has a vital role in the development of themes, the suggestion and commissioning of writers and the choosing of images. The issue editors then fine tune everything, meet with the designer and produce a magazine of which they feel justly proud. Working to produce the very best for Magnet does mean a lot of hard work. But it also means making new friends, learning new skills and developing existing ones, exploring and deepening faith, learning to listen and sometimes to modify or alter one’s ideas and perceptions.
selecting… sorting… ready for customers
Chile; a weaver in Zimbabwe who sent me a friendship bracelet. In the UK there’s contact with other campaigners and the local MPs. In the shop itself we enjoy a great camaraderie with customers and fellow volunteers working to a common purpose.
Working with the Magnet team has been one of the most exciting and challenging opportunities in my life. It is good to share ideas, work alongside others, and realise that between us we have so many different skills, ideas and theological perspectives. And the most exciting part: the moment when the new issue of Magnet drops through the letter box. DAVID COLEMAN
issue 93
Jane and Jacqueline review images at a Magnet residential.
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magnet Spring 2011
Faith at work The Revd John Rothwell describes faith at work from the perspective of a hospital chaplain in the NHS.
A
SENSE OF VOCATION to witness in their workplace has brought a number of Christians into the glare of publicity in recent months. However, behind the scenes, many others wrestle daily with conflicts between the ambitions of the organisation and the values of the Kingdom of God. And every day, Christians spot opportunities to embody the two great commandments as they go about their work.
For me, one of the hallmarks of Christian life is the grace to offer, and to receive, forgiveness. To be able to say sorry to colleagues can start to change a work culture, so that the organisation learns to
YEOVIL DISTRICT HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
every day, Christians spot opportunities to embody the two great commandments as they go about their work
38
apologise when it should. Paul lists kindness as one of the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). In the NHS you can see this daily when nurses work on after their shift to support colleagues and ensure good patient care, because someone has phoned in sick; or a trainer puts in extra hours in order to see a student gain their full, God-given potential. Yes, bad employers may exploit this kind of discipleship, but many Christians will counter that with a good understanding of Old Testament ideas of justice. Unfortunately, for some Christians to retain their integrity in the workplace, the right answer is to leave. I knew someone who left a defence research company to develop a technology and reapply it for peaceful applications – a powerful witness. More often, the answer is to stay and work for change. If your organisation has written policies, carry out your own equality impact assessment from a Christian standpoint. Bring these dilemmas into your daily prayers and Bible reading. Explore them within the confidentiality
of your house group. But avoid Elijah’s mistake of thinking that you are the only one left with any integrity (1 Kings 19:10). The manager putting you under pressure, herself squeezed by higher management, might be one of those Christians who chooses not to badge herself as such at work. A Muslim doctor coerced by a woman to terminate a pregnancy for social reasons will be going through his own conflicts between work and faith. The colleague who holds out for truthfulness might be a humanist, who on this occasion is not against us and therefore with us (Mark 9:40). Seize those daily opportunities to show your faith in action. In your meetings at work, find the right place on the spectrum between arrogant insistence and that robust meekness we find in the Beatitudes. Stay with the Beatitudes when there is peace to be made, be it about the department’s strategy or where to go for the office “do”. And take heart: Jesus’ promise to be with you always includes those hours between clocking in and clocking out.
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The Sending (John 20: 21 – 22) As the Father has sent me, so I send you: don’t question why, don’t entertain doubts of whether you’re up to the task. I understand the shock that you’re in, know this is turning head over heels your previous perception of how life was going to be but see, I am Risen: see my hands, look at the wound in my side, it is as I have told you; I have beaten death. Peace be with you. Accept and believe: it is true.
magnet • words: © Pat Marsh 2005.
Taken from The gift of a cross, published by Inspire. Used by kind permission of the author; image: Risen Lord, Turvey Abbey © Pauline Books & Media UK, used with permission
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Families need supporting. Leaving a legacy is the perfect way to do that. Jenny’s dad died when she was very young, leaving her mother Anne to raise two girls alone. “Mum held it together and made hard decisions.” Jenny says, fondly holding her mother’s home-made sewing bag. “If she had known about Care for the Family when we were bereaved, things would have been different.” Jenny has another reason to be proud of her mum _ Anne has left a legacy to Care for the Family in her will. “All she’s ever wanted is to keep the family together,” says Jenny. “Leaving a legacy is such an important thing.” If that’s the kind of giving you could be proud of, visit www.christianlegacy.org.uk
Jenny Steele
Christian Legacy Christian Legacy members are:
Bible Society O Care for the Family O CMS The Leprosy Mission O Livability O Tearfund
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Resources… Creation Sings Your Praise
All reviews are written by Sheila Simpson unless otherwise attributed.
A Christian Aid Worship Book with CDRom Edited by Annabel Shilson-Thomas Canterbury Press (2010) £18.91 ISBN 9781853118906
Rediscovering Values In the City, our Towns and in your Community Jim Wallis Hodder &Stoughton (2010) £12.99 ISBN 9781444701869 Jim Wallis, an American preacher and editor of the Sojourners magazine, has a perceptive understanding of American society. His birth city of Detroit has become a metaphor for all that has plagued western society in recent years. He hopes that a conversation will begin to rediscover what it means to be responsible in our communities. “Prophetic action is called for and pastoral care is needed.” In the UK, we pride ourselves that systems were in place to lessen what Jim Wallis calls the Great Recession but we are becoming more and more aware that the future is not bright. The way forward, a more simple way of life based on examples of the past, proves to be a dilemma for many who are tempted by the rewards of the financial sector but who have the energy and verve needed in the area of service. Yet he forcefully argues that the survival of the planet is mirrored in the survival of all our communities and towns. This book will make you angry and perhaps feel helpless but it is hoped that through individuals and groups making informed choices, change will come.
This is a good resource for keeping the needs of the world at the forefront of our minds, especially when we are going through a period of looking inward in our country. Resources are in three parts: liturgies for the church year; prayers; and reflections. We are reminded of the ongoing work of Christian Aid and how much is done on our behalf in many parts of the world. The reflections, in different styles, cover topics such as marginalisation, gender, fairness, stewardship and HIV. There are hopeful examples in stories of change. All the resources are also on the CD in PDF and Word files which can be altered for specific usage for worship, group topics or personal reflection.
Silences and Nonsenses
Blessed and Cursed
Collected Poetry, Doggerel and Whimsy Adrian Plass Authentic (2010) £10.99 ISBN 9781850788768
DVD – a modern twist on the story of Saul and David Deitrick Haddon Kingsway (2010) £12.99 Product code TYS 9841869
Bridget Plass seems to be the inspiration behind the production of this collection of poems covering 25 years of writing. There are hints of change in attitude, style and maturity. As a challenge to the stiff upper lip, his heart on his sleeve, Adrian reveals the aches, pains and loneliness of growing up. He challenges the tenets of his beloved faith and practice by being open to feelings of failure, all tinged with whimsical regret. There is joy and delight in life in poems about trains, football and Jesus. Words from the Cross, a series of seven poems, is a welcome resource for Holy Week and Easter services. Adrian makes the hopeful request that this collection be enjoyed and also well used.
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Deitrick Haddon is not only a well known American gospel singer and song writer but also a pastor. While studying, he realised the story of David and Saul would translate to the small screen and began writing the script about Dwight Hawkins, the central character, and his search for God’s call on his life. There are family obligations, girlfriend troubles and his love of singing to consider. One day he is spotted, given an opportunity he cannot refuse and the world opens up to him in a totally different way. The film has a host of award winning gospel singers in the cast so the music is outstanding and the story proceeds in a very believable and unsentimental fashion. A soundtrack is also available from Kingsway at £10.99.
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CREATIVE SPIRIT
My friend didn’t want to be remembered. She just wanted the work to carry on. Sally Shand’s life-long friend Pat was a remarkable lady. “CMS was her life,” Sally says, holding the manuscript of Pat’s biography. “She dedicated herself to education and health training all across Africa, especially in Congo.”
A resource for group and individual exploration based on the Methodist Church Collection of Modern Christian Art
Price £9.99 + £2.50 p&p Includes DVD, CD and study booklet THREE WAYS TO ORDER: ONLINE: www.ourmagnet.co.uk/shop BY PHONE: 0844 736 2524 BY POST: PO Box 10378, Bishop’s Stortford CM23 9FT
Though Pat has passed away, her support for CMS lives on through her will. Her legacy gift to CMS will ensure that people in Africa’s poorest places continue to be served. Knowing that Pat’s work is carrying on has inspired Sally to settle her own arrangements. “A will carries on what you did in life” Sally says. If you have a passion to build a better future, discover what can be achieved at
www.christianlegacy.org.uk
Sally Shand
Secure online payments processed by Paypal
Christian Legacy Christian Legacy members are:
Bible Society O Care for the Family O CMS The Leprosy Mission O Livability O Tearfund
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Resources… What’s in the Bible?
Anthill
With Buck Denver DVD Part 3 Wanderin’ in the Desert Phil Vischer Kingsway (2010) £9.99 ISBN 9781414336329
A Novel Edward O. Wilson W. W. Norton & Co (2010) £17 ISBN 970393071191
Buck Denver, the rather lovable but vague presenter in this fast moving puppet show, is surrounded by more decisive engaging characters ready to share information, ask difficult questions or sing songs with catchy sound bites, all with the purpose of teaching the whole Bible. Imagine engaging children in the rules and regulations of Leviticus or explaining the reason behind Numbers or Deuteronomy! Even getting the tongue round the words is hard but Phil Vischer, creator of the Veggie Tales, has certainly found an entertaining formula. I found myself thinking that I had learnt a thing or two and wondering when the next episode will appear.
E O Wilson has many previous publications to his credit, mostly about ants, on which he is the undisputed world expert. This novel, part parable, part thriller, is a new departure. It is based on his 81 years of learning to understand life, of humans as well as ants. It has astonishing dimension, acuity and spirit and presents a challenge about what human beings are doing to the planet which is our home. It is also a rattling good story which will hold you to its end. Its hero is Raff Cody, a kind of Huck Finn figure with a deep relationship with his environment who leaves Clayville, Alabama only to return to fight the encroachment of the developer’s bulldozers. The book is critical of some extremist creationist Christians, but full of wonder at the “sacred” element of ants’ existence and survival. Wilson said, in a newspaper interview, “We won’t lose the impulse to spirituality but it is my hope that it develops as a kind of ecological sense.” Mary Jefferson
Forbidden Faith
A Piece of Blue Sky
Devotions and Inspiring Stories from Around the World Compiled by Mervyn Thomas CWR £7.99 (2010) ISBN 9781853455483
Conversations with a Loving Father Virginia Duhanes TLM Trading (2010) £4.95 ISBN 9780902731851
Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a human rights organisation, looks at what the Bible says about persecution and calls us to consider those who suffer for their faith. An eight week devotional of readings, prayers and thoughts takes us to places of religious conflict like Cuba, Nigeria and Burma. This would be a useful personal resource during Lent and beyond.
Is God Calling you? This booklet challenges people to consider ordained ministry in the Methodist Church, both presbyteral and diaconal. It sets out the key elements that the church looks for in considering whether a person is called to this work. Testimonies from recently ordained ministers show it is demanding, creative, fulfilling work which takes all we are and all we have to undertake. Order your copy today from candidates@methodistchurch.org.uk or 020 7486 5502 or download from the website www.methodistchurch.org.uk/candidates
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Sometimes we feel out of sorts, motiveless, searching for the assurance that we crave and wondering why the promised abundant life seems so elusive. This is not unknown to Virginia Duhanes who has written this very encouraging book, full of anecdotes which lead into wonderful conversations with her heavenly Father. She has the knack of including the reader so that the message of love and being special in God’s eyes is shared. The image of the jigsaw piece, illustrating the front cover and finding its place and purpose, is a powerful reminder of our constant need to sit in God’s presence and listen. This would make a comforting gift for a friend or oneself.
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My brother has gone, but his legacy gifts are still helping people. “These wooden animals remind me of my time in Kenya with my brother Geoffrey,” says Bryan. “He lived frugally all his life, but he was always generous.” As Tearfund supports vital health, relief and education projects in Kenya, Bryan was delighted that Geoffrey left a legacy gift to Tearfund in his will.
The Micah Conversation A process of reflection, conversation, prayer and discernment – designed to encourage communities of Christians to consider both their common life and their call to the service of others. Of particular value to those communities undergoing significant change, it holds within itself the capacity to deepen relationships and nurture faith, as well as providing a process for collective decision-making.
“It gives me a sense of connection with him,” Bryan says. And because Geoffrey gave a gift through his will, Bryan feels that his brother’s work of blessing others can continue. Find out how legacy gifts bless beyond a lifetime. Visit www.christianlegacy.org.uk
Bryan Platt
The whole experience could be considered a ‘breathing space’ – a sacred pause undertaken by a faith community to renew and deepen the bonds of its common life prior to decision-making and productive action. Designed to take place over a period of about six or seven weeks it could fit comfortably into a number of seasons in the Liturgical calendar, e.g. Lent; from Easter to The Micah Pentecost; or the period running Conversation up to the beginning of Advent. 5HüHFWLRQ %RRN
To enquire further or purchase a sample pack of resources, please contact Sue Brown 0151 348 4004 sue@breathing-spaces.com
Christian Legacy Christian Legacy members are:
Bible Society O Care for the Family O CMS The Leprosy Mission O Livability O Tearfund
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magnet Spring 2011
The challenge we face
Our first year Sheila Pollard writes about Magnet as a charity – its successes and challenges – and how you can help
I
since Magnet Resources became a fully independent charity. We are very pleased to be well on the way to achieving our aims in setting up Magnet Resources which were: • to continue to publish Magnet magazine with a team of volunteer editors • to make it available to a wider audience of men and women within all denominations and none • to publish and make available a growing list of resources. T IS NOW OVER A YEAR
Our first venture beyond the magazine, the Advent worship resource and poster set, has been very well received, and we have also begun to sell carefully selected books of devotional and worship material through the website and at events.
In our first period of trading as a charitable company we showed a surplus of £28,296. However, during this period we received transitional financial help from the Methodist Church. This was a one-off gift which will not be repeated and we are now fully responsible for overheads which were previously the responsibility of the Methodist Church. Our budget for 2010/11 shows that, even after paring our expenditure down to essentials, our income at current levels will fall short of expenditure by around £12,000 (about £1 per reader). We are reluctant to increase the cover price in this period of austerity and cutbacks, but we therefore need to look for other ways in which we can increase our income, firstly through increasing sales of Magnet and other resources, and also through seeking charitable donations.
How can you help? There are a number of ways in which you can help us at this crucial stage in our development. • The first is to encourage others to subscribe to Magnet magazine. Do you know other people who you think would enjoy Magnet? Do you have contact with other churches or ecumenical groups? If so, please encourage them to subscribe. Contact Lynne or Felicity for complimentary and promotional copies for this purpose. • We plan to recruit a number of volunteer Magnet representatives who will be able to speak about Magnet or run a Magnet stall at events in their area. Please contact Lynne for more details. • We know that in many groups, the magazine is handed round and read by all members of the
group. If you are a member of such a group perhaps you would consider either subscribing for sufficient copies for each member or paying more than £10 for your group’s annual subscription to Magnet in recognition of the fact that it is being read by a number of people. • If you are a member of a group that organises fund raising events, please consider Magnet as a recipient for one or more of your events during the coming year. • If you are able to support us financially, we would very much appreciate your regular or oneoff gift. You can make a donation by adding an extra amount when paying your subscription, by sending us a cheque, setting up a standing order, or by using the Just Giving link on the home page of the website. If you are a tax payer please make a Gift Aid declaration so that we can increase the value of your gift by claiming the tax back on it. Our bank details will be given on request. • You might also think of leaving us a legacy in your will. I am confident that with your support we can continue to provide you with the stimulating, challenging and colourful magazine you love and to offer a growing range of complementary resources to nurture faith and inspire action in response. On behalf of the trustees, volunteers and staff, thank you. Sheila Pollard Chair Our first Annual Report and financial statements can be found on our website at www.ourmagnet.co.uk/ar2010 Contact Lynne Ling, Business Manager t: 0845 250 0509 e: lynne@ourmagnet.co.uk
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magnet Spring 2011
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We would love to hear from you, from features that you’ve particularly enjoyed or that have struck a chord with you, to things you’d like to see in the magazine. If you know of a special event you think others should hear about, please contact: Lynne Ling; e: lynne@ourmagnet.co.uk, t: 0845 250 0509. Deadline for dates for the Summer Magnet (available in May) is 4 March.
FOR YOUR DIARY
Sabbaticals for all?
Equipping, calling, going
On page 32 Jonathan Pye describes his recent sabbatical. The topic proved controversial with the Magnet team. Two of the editors offer their views:
Organised by NXT ministries Theme: Word into Flesh Main event: Llandudno 28 April – 2 May (May Bank Holiday weekend) Regional events for all the family in Midlands and South West. More info from www.ecgevent.org.uk or www.nxt.org.uk
MRDF Fair Feast Fair Feast gives you the opportunity to help eradicate hunger and make the world a fairer place. It’s a great way to celebrate Pancake Day (8 March) and Fairtrade Fortnight (28 February – 13 March), as well as raise money that will be invested in some of the world’s poorest communities, through MRDF’s partners. For more information and resources to download, go to www.mrdf.org.uk
Christian Aid Week 15-21 May Events and ideas from: www.christianaid.org.uk
Greenbelt A family friendly Christian celebration 26 – 29 August Cheltenham Racecourse www.greenbelt.org.uk
My husband works from 8am to 6pm. After work he often downs his meal and goes to a church committee meeting. He spends most Sundays playing the organ, stewarding and doing all those things which many volunteers do without whom the church would fall apart. There is also time given to visiting and caring for his father. When our children were little he caught up with them on occasional evenings and holidays. The time and energy he and others like him spend every week is similar in commitment and responsibility to those who are granted three months’ sabbatical. So from the nonministry side of the fence, my suggestion is that sabbaticals should either be considered universally necessary, or banned altogether.
My husband’s sabbatical was a god-send. He had reached the point of not being able to give any more, lacking enthusiasm, ideas and inspiration. His sabbatical gave him time to read and study, rekindling enthusiasm. It was as if a weight had lifted from him. He was always around to do the washing up or read bed-time stories! We had an extended holiday and spent quality time together. We often talk about it and can’t wait for the next. Sabbaticals are a blessing – a chance to relax, unwind and take stock of life. Rather than banning or discouraging them, they should be available to everyone.
What do you think? Send your comments to felicity@ourmagnet.co.uk
In your next issue of magnet… The Summer issue of Magnet will be looking at the deep and complex issue of Creativity. On the surface this would seem an easy topic – lots of lively things made by enthusiastic creators. It is never that simple and we will explore with you the power that we all have for sparking a new idea or creating a new thought which leads to a previously unimagined possibility. Different ideas develop in sometimes surprising and unexpectedly complicated and exciting ways. We also raise the issue that some creative energies can be used for destructive purposes. Our regular features and stunning Meditation pages will cover this theme and include material for Pentecost.
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