30 Northumberland Square | North Shields | NE30 1PW Weekly Update # 213 – 28th July 2024
From the Minister The Right Time To Go
So this week two people announced their retirements from the public stage. One is eighty-one years old, and the other is thirty seven years old. Neither were keen to go, but physical limitations have been getting the better of them. The older of the two is retiring from politics, the younger from professional sport. Joe Biden (born 1942) yielded to the pressure from his own supporters who were telling him he had to announce his retirement now. For Andy Murray (born 1987) a never-ending series of injuries, accompanied by diminishing results against younger, fitter, healthier opposition forced the decision (though maybe his closest friends and advisers were also telling him the time had come). Sometimes it’s hard to know when it’s the right time to go. It used to be that the legal retirement age took that decision out of people’s hands as far as paid work was concerned, but things are more flexible there now. As far as churches are concerned, we have benefitted from a bonus generation of volunteers; people enjoying longer active lives than previous generations. It’s not so long since someone in their seventies was seen as a person to be supported. Now septuagenarians are looked to as likely volunteers to provide support to others. Churches and other groups have a responsibility to love people, both by providing them with opportunities to serve and by not exploiting their willing ness to do so. Church members (and volunteers in other groups) need to listen both to their bodies and their friends.
Trevor Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
ps last week we offered “no prize whatsoever” to anyone who identified the Saint Columba’s church member hiding in one of the photographs in the “Update”. Two people did so, and so they get to share the prize between them.
Prayer
Faithful God, you have promised in Christ to be with us to the end of time. Come close to those who have lived long and experienced much. Help them to continue to be faithful and, within the all-age kingdom of God, to find ways to go on giving and receiving your grace, day by day. For your glory and your kingdom.
10.30 a.m. “Why is there so much trouble and suffering in the world, and what can be done about it?” The second in a series of five Sunday morning services, led by Trevor Jamison, addressing “big questions”, and with an opportunity for those who wish to do so to chat about it together after the service.
Worship Sunday 28th July 6.30 p.m. Our evening service is led by the Revd Jack Macadam. This is the first of the Churches Together in North Shields joint summer services and everyone is invited to come along. For more information on the CTNS services see below.
10.30 a.m. “Why doesn’t God intervene to make things better?” The third in a series of five Sunday morning services, led by Trevor Jamison, addressing “big questions”, and with an opportunity for those who wish to do so to chat about it together after the service.
Bible readings
2 Kings 4:42-44 Elisha feeds one hundred people
Psalm 14 Evil doers eat up people as they eat bread
Ephesians 3:14-21 Praying to know the reality of God
John 6:1-21 Jesus feeds five thousand people
Reflection on the Readings
The reading from John’s Gospel features Jesus feeding five thousand people with bread and fish. Interestingly John’s Gospel does not contain an account of an incident reported in the other three Gospels – the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. On that occasion Jesus is very averse to manufacturing bread. (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:3-4) John’s Gospel provides one possible explanation for why Jesus was a reluctant bread maker. The people took their feeding as a sign that Jesus was ‘the prophet who is to come into the world’ and intended ‘to take him by force to make him king.’ (6:13, 14) Provide people with what you want or need, and you can be the one in charge; it’s tempting. Maybe John did not feel the need to report Jesus’s temptation in the wilderness because here in his Gospel, on an occasion when Jesus was presented with the temptation to make bread, and so become king, he decisively rejected it. In fact he almost literally ran a mile from it, leaving the crowd behind and heading back up a mountain. (6:15) Sadly, sometimes people do a good thing, but with an eye to what they might get out of it. Here, we see that Jesus is not like that. He came to meet the needs of other people (like you and me), not his own. Image: Bread and fish mosaic: Berthold Werner, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
A hymn that responds to the readings
“I am the bread of life. You who come to me shall not hunger”
Churches Together in North Shields Summer Evening Services
28th July at 6.30 p.m. – St Columba’s URC
4th August at 6.00 p.m. – St Augustin’s, North Shields
11th August at 6.00 p.m.- St Hilda’s Marden and Preston Grange Community Church
18th August at 6.00 p.m. – Church of the Holy Saviour, Tynemouth
1 John Bible Conversations – session 2
Our next Bible conversation about 1 John takes on Monday 29th July, in-person at St Andrew’s URC, Monkseaton at 2.00 p.m. and then again on Zoom at 7.15 p.m. It is then repeated in-person at St Columba’s on Thursday 1st August at 7.15 p.m. No previous knowledge of 1 John is required. Come along and bring and friend.
Thank You From the Social Events Team
Thank you to everyone who supported the Summer Evening concert on Friday 19th July. The sum of £355 was raised for church funds. Our next event will be the Granny’s Attic sale on Saturday 10th August. Any contributions you have will be gratefully accepted by Norma as soon as possible.
John in 90 Days Would you like to read through the whole of John’s Gospel in ninety days? That’s what a group of people in the United Reformed Church’s Northern Synod are planning to do, starting on the 26th August. Participants will be provided with a reading plan, and the opportunity to check in with each other for a few minutes every other week to share their experiences. Further information coming soon.
Image: John Snyder, via Wikimedia Commons
Next Update – Sunday 4th August
Trevor Jamison will edit the next Update. Please get your information to him by Tuesday 30th July.
Keeping in Touch
You can contact your Elder, the Minister, or Church Secretary.
So this week two people announced their retirements from the public stage. One is eighty-one years old, and the other is thirty seven years old. Neither were keen to go, but physical limitations have been getting the better of them. The older of the two is retiring from politics, the younger from professional sport. Joe Biden (born 1942) yielded to the pressure from his own supporters who were telling him he had to announce his retirement now. For Andy Murray (born 1987) a never-ending series of injuries, accompanied by diminishing results against younger, fitter, healthier opposition forced the decision (though maybe his closest friends and advisers were also telling him the time had come). Sometimes it’s hard to know when it’s the right time to go. It used to be that the legal retirement age took that decision out of people’s hands as far as paid work was concerned, but things are more flexible there now. As far as churches are concerned, we have benefitted from a bonus generation of volunteers; people enjoying longer active lives than previous generations. It’s not so long since someone in their seventies was seen as a person to be supported. Now septuagenarians are looked to as likely volunteers to provide support to others. Churches and other groups have a responsibility to love people, both by providing them with opportunities to serve and by not exploiting their willing ness to do so. Church members (and volunteers in other groups) need to listen both to their bodies and their friends.
To watch the morning service live, catch up with it later in the week, or view previous services,
The reading from John’s Gospel features Jesus feeding five thousand people with bread and fish. Interestingly John’s Gospel does not contain an account of an incident reported in the other three Gospels – the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. On that occasion Jesus is very averse to manufacturing bread. (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:3-4) John’s Gospel provides one possible explanation for why Jesus was a reluctant bread maker. The people took their feeding as a sign that Jesus was ‘the prophet who is to come into the world’ and intended ‘to take him by force to make him king.’ (6:13, 14) Provide people with what you want or need, and you can be the one in charge; it’s tempting. Maybe John did not feel the need to report Jesus’s temptation in the wilderness because here in his Gospel, on an occasion when Jesus was presented with the temptation to make bread, and so become king, he decisively rejected it. In fact he almost literally ran a mile from it, leaving the crowd behind and heading back up a mountain. (6:15) Sadly, sometimes people do a good thing, but with an eye to what they might get out of it. Here, we see that Jesus is not like that. He came to meet the needs of other people (like you and me), not his own.
Would you like to read through the whole of John’s Gospel in ninety days? That’s what a group of people in the United Reformed Church’s Northern Synod are planning to do, starting on the 26th August. Participants will be provided with a reading plan, and the opportunity to check in with each other for a few minutes every other week to share their experiences. Further information coming soon.