Archived News

Father Peter Writes - September 2008

St James’ Church is well known for its catholic tradition and has been since this tradition was first reintroduced in 1895. What, one might ask, is a catholic tradition in the Church of England ?  The catholic tradition is not about incense and vestments, it is quite possible to have a catholic understanding of our faith without these trimmings. Although it is true to say many of us as individuals like and appreciate this aspect of our worship.  It is not really about the style of the Liturgy, although this does reflect the centrality of the Mass in our worship which is key to the catholic life.

Being a catholic Christian is about believing and doing what the Church believes and does. It is about believing and doing what the Church has always believed and done. It is about something bigger than us, in that it is shared with others. Those others being Christians throughout the world and throughout the history of the Church since its foundation. This is therefore an ecumenical matter, something the Church of England has always understood when it claims that it is part of the Catholic and Apostolic Church of God.

Being part of anything can bring many privileges, whether that is a family, a community, or any other organisation but it also brings responsibilities. As part of something greater, one cannot just think of oneself but one must think of the good of the whole. The Church of England is facing many big decisions in the near future and any of them could cause a great deal of damage if they are not handled in the correct way. When considering possible change, one yardstick that must always be used by catholic Christians is whether the new thing being considered is consistent with the teaching of the catholic Church, of which the Church of England maintains it is part. If it is not consistent with that inheritance the question must be, can the newly proposed thing possibly it be right ?

Christ founded the Church, it is His body on earth. We must, at all times, cherish that body and do nothing to harm it or divide it more than it already is.

Wishing you every blessing,

Father Peter Writes - July and August 2008

We are now heading into the main holiday season and whilst many prefer to take their holidays at less busy times, with the schools on holiday, July and August remain the main holiday season. People also hope that at this time of year the weather will be better and so travelling will be enhanced. Relaxation is very important, time off was built into the grand scheme of God’s creation, He rested on the seventh day. Having worked hard all week and seeing that His creation was good, He rested.

August is traditionally a quiet month in the life of the Church. Few meetings take place and other regular activities all tail off. August is a time of rest and renewal for many in the Church. With much of the year being very busy, with lots of things to do, August gives us all a chance to reflect on what is important.

This time of year is not a time off from God. It is instead a time to reflect on what God wants from us and His Church. It is a time to get back to our prayer lives and to the bible study all of us know we ought to be doing and perhaps do not always manage. It can be a time to get back to a Mass in the week. It could be an opportunity to refocus our discipleship in preparation for the autumn.

The Christian life must be a life which is focused and centred on God. August is one of these times when can remind ourselves of that fact and have an opportunity to do something about it.
 
Wishing you every blessing,

Father Peter Writes - June 2008

The Resurrection of Jesus lies at the very core of the Faith; Easter is our greatest festival in the year. It is so important that we keep it not just for a day or even an octave but for fifty days and conclude our celebration of Easter with Pentecost Sunday. Even that period of celebration is not sufficient and so each and every Sunday of the year is a celebration of the Resurrection. It is with this understanding that very few things occur that take the place of a regular Sunday, very few Saints days are allowed to break into this pattern. When one does it is because it is of the utmost importance.

We have one such day this month with our keeping of the Solemnity of Ss Peter & Paul. Why is this day so important ? It is important for many reasons but for two in particular. The first is that it is about Mission, the spreading of the Faith. Both these Saints were engaged in Mission, St Peter primarily to the Jews and St Paul to the non-Jews, we can read of the missionary activities of these two Apostles in the Acts of the Apostles. The second is to do with the Sacramental life of the Church. It was into the care of St Peter that the Church was given by Jesus. He was given to be the rock on which the Church was to be built. Peter, the foremost of the Apostles and bishops, he was to be the primary guardian of the Faith, the other Apostles were then to share in this ministry.

This day, which falls this year on Sunday, is therefore so important as it teaches us that the order of the Church is vital to the faith and that is represented by St Peter. The message which the Church has had entrusted to it is to be shared with others and St Paul reminds us of that.

Ss Peter and Paul fathers and guardians of the Faith.

Wishing you every blessing,

 Fr Peter Walker

Father Peter Writes - May 2008

St Augustine of Hippo, the man often considered to be the Father of Theology in the Western Church, made the now well known statement, We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song. That is quite right Christians are, we are, an Easter People. All that went on in Holy Week, on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, all that surrounded Easter, is what we are about or what we should be about, proclaiming the Good News of Easter to all that will hear it. Easter is so important that our celebration of it lasts for seven whole weeks and Alleluia is a common refrain during that time.

As well as being an Easter People, this month we remember we are also a people of the Spirit. With the great Solemnity of Pentecost, we recall the gift of the Holy Spirit of God, given in all its fullness to be with God’s people forever. Jesus, being True God and True Man, was subject to the limitations of the flesh, God’s Spirit would not be so limited. It came with power, it came to bring change to people and to the world. The Holy Spirit changed people and it changed things, most notably the church, at Pentecost we remember the new life it brought to the Church.

For us, Christians of two thousand years later, we must ask ourselves what changes does the Holy Spirit bring to us ? What changes does the Holy Spirit ask of us ? These changes may be quite large things or they may only be relatively small but they will be asked of the people of God. The other thing the Holy Spirit did was empower those people it changed. So we should not worry if God asks things of us, the Good News of Pentecost is that He will also equip and strengthen us for our task.

Wishing you every blessing,

Father Peter Writes - April 2008

This month sees the departure from us of Fr John. He has been with us for almost four years and during that time has made his own special contribution to the life of our church and parish. We wish him well in his new sphere of ministry in the Potteries town of Tunstall. We will say our formal farewells on Sunday 6th April, so I hope that, as many of you who can will join us on that occasion. The way things have worked out, he will still be with us the following Sunday but that is how things are.

As I mentioned at the Annual Meetings, as we once again move into a one priest situation we must acknowledge the fact that some things will need to change. It will not be possible to continue in the same way with one priest as when we had two. Come May, The daily Mass will continue, as the Mass is the heart of our church and the centre of our worship. Other things may need a little more balancing.

This is an opportunity for us as well as it makes us look to the things that are important, such as the Mass, and reassess our priorities. As we look to the future we will need to ask ourselves whether what we do is still right for us and whether there are other people who can share in a wider ministry than they currently do. Is God asking you to take on something for Him ?

With the Mass as a continuing priority, will you commit yourself to join us at worship every Sunday and once during the week as well ? Such a commitment to prayer will lead to powerful growth for us at St James.

Wishing you every blessing,

 Fr Peter Walker

March 2008

His Grace, the Archbishop of Canterbury got himself into rather a lot of hot water last month. For those who say the Church no longer has any relevance this was an interesting time, for suddenly it was the only thing the media and others were interested in. I wonder how many people actually read what he said ? When one did manage to track down the text of his lecture and read it, one found it to be a piece of serious theological and intellectual work, for a very specific audience, lawyers. It was the opening lecture of a series and was very balanced. Not very much of that came out in the press reporting.

The press reported little of what the Archbishop said on the position of Christians when our faith conflicts with the Law of the Land. In situations such as adoption, when the Roman Catholic adoption agencies fell foul of new equal opportunity laws last year. Nor about his comments on the position of Christians with regard to abortion, where certain rights are enshrined. Nor did we hear much about his concerns over Sharialaw and how varied the interpretation of that law can be in different parts of the world and how oppressive to some groups at times. That there is no one system of Sharia and how at times it is interpreted in ways that may even be seen by some to be contrary to the Qur'an. There is a warning here for us all not to be too quick to be judgmental and jump on bandwagons.

Easter also reminds that we should not accept things at purely reported or face value. The Cross was a thing of shame, humiliation and pain. It was used as a form of death and punishment but also to bring fear and degradation to an oppressed people. We as Christians know that God turned around what seemed hopeless and beyond Him to be a thing of Redemption and Salvation for all. As we celebrate Easter together we must look to God and thank Him for everything the Cross brought to us and not just what the world thought it meant, for we Christians know better.

Wishing you every blessing for this Holy season.

Father Peter Walker ssc

February 2008

Easter is very early this year; it seems that no one can remember it being this early, actually the last time it fell on 23rd March was in 1913 and before that in 1856. It can only possibly fall one day earlier and that has not happened since 1818.  

As Easter is so early, Lent also begins early and for us our keeping of Lent for this year begins as ever on Ash Wednesday, which this year is Wednesday 6th February.

This is one of the most important days in the Christian calendar as it begins our time of preparation for Holy Week and Easter. To get the most out of Easter, a Christian must make the most of Lent and to make the most of Lent, a Christian must start well.

For us, that start will be with the Ash Wednesday Mass. We all ought to be at Mass on Ash Wednesday as it sets the scene for us and focuses our prayers on what it to come. We will have the usual things to help us with our keeping of Lent  but this year I would like us to consider the ancient Christian discipline of fasting. I have written elsewhere in the magazine about fasting and feel that it is something that will benefit us all, helping us to come closer to God during the coming weeks.

If fasting is new to you, that may be a very good thing. It is often when we try something new we find it a refreshing change to our regular pattern, be that pattern our spiritual and prayer-life or other parts of our life. As ever, Fr John and I are always available to help people develop their prayer life and Lent is a very good time for this to take place. If we can help at all, please let us know.

December 2007 / January 2008

I expect we all have our favourite time in the Christian year, we are just entering mine. Advent and Christmas are the seasons I enjoy most.

Advent explores with us the relationship God wanted to have with the people of the Old Testament. We see very clearly, as this relationship is related, how God loved His people and wanted to do all that He could see bring them to Salvation. As the season goes on we see that the old ways would no longer work and how something radical was necessary.

That brings us to Christmas where we celebrate the Incarnation, God in Flesh, God with us. God with us in the form of Jesus Christ. God was so determined to bring us back to Him that He was prepared to take on human flesh and all that that would involve is a truly wonderful loving act. Christmas means that God was prepared to give up everything, to change everything, to be with us. 

Even the days after Christmas are special as we change from the busy celebrations to the quiet times with God in the daily Mass that marks the series of Saints Days of the Christmas week. These days are always special and the quiet time with God invaluable. If you have not tried them, I strongly suggest you do.

Advent and Christmas are my special time, not one but both. For we cannot keep the great festival of Christmas without proper preparation. We know that at home, cards, presents, food, friends and family all take a degree of organising if all is to go well. A truly spiritual Christmas will need a truly preparatory Advent. There will be much on offer to us to allow us all to prepare; it is up to each one of us to make use of each and every opportunity.

November 2007

With November, the Christian year draws to its close. The month begins with the great celebrations of All Saints and All Souls. The days when we remember the millions of people who have been members of the Church throughout its long history.

All Saints bids us think of the vast multitude of saints who are less well known or not known to us at all, only to God. They may not be famous but without the many things they undertook and achieved in the name of God, we would not be where we are today.

The Following day is a day when we pray for them, their souls and the souls of all other faithful Christians, who perhaps have no-one else to pray for them.

At the end of November we keep, with the last Sunday of the Christian year, the great and Solemn Festival of Christ the King. Christ who is, or should be, our King, whose eternal Kingdom we are subjects of.

There is a question here for us. Do we live as though we are subjects of Christ’s Kingdom ? Do we do all that we can to live our life according to His rules, His ways and His teaching ?

On the Solemnity of Christ the King, give thanks for those times when we manage to do this. We should also use the day to focus our attention on the coming year with God, asking Him to give us strength to do all that we can to be more faithful subjects of His Kingdom in the coming year.

October 2007

The Church of England is a strange hybrid being.

It is catholic in its belief and practice, whilst at the same time being reformed. It joined in with much of Europe in the Reformation processes of the 16th and 17th centuries, but stopped short in its own development and reform before many other churches did.

It has the monarch of the day as its Supreme Governor, whilst at the same time, it is under the authority of its bishops. It has its own democratic process in the form of Synodical Government whilst at the same time, it is subject to the laws and processes of our Parliament in Westminster.

It is part of a greater Church, the Church Catholic and also part of a family of Churches known as the Anglican Communion. The Archbishop of Canterbury is looked to as the foremost bishop of that group, whilst holding little real authority.

The Church of England is a rather strange and hybrid being. A very broad church, its broadness being its great strength and sometimes its primary weakness.

However difficult to comprehend it may at times be, there are ways of things being done. Ways that are required, often required by law and the Law of the Land not just of the Church. Various legal acts govern us and we must do all that we can to remain within the law. Sometimes we may find this very frustrating and feel we know better but at the end of the day we have to do things in the way that is prescribed.

At St James we always strive to do this.  A wise and experienced priest once advised me, if there is a rule book to follow, follow it and then you can’t go far wrong.  A piece of advice I always try my best to follow.

September 2007

Of the very few direct commands of Jesus Christ we receive in the Bible, the call to Mission, to Go Out is one. It is a command that is not given once but on several occasions and there is much teaching to back it up as well. This command is also the climax of St Matthew’s Gospel where we are commanded to go out, to make disciples of all nations and Baptise them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Mission is therefore central to all that we do but it is no longer possible to see this as the preserve of the Missionary Societies of the Church. England is no longer a strongly Christian country who can then afford to think of mission only in terms of outreach overseas. The opposite could be said to be true. The church abroad is often stronger than here at home and is growing at a great rate. Here, the nation and the state are often hostile to things of the Christian Faith and we are told the church is in decline.

Just how do we engage in Mission? There are many different ways. One common and powerful way we see in Scripture is where people bring others to Jesus. Andrew brought his brother Peter. Andrew also brought the young lad with the loaves and the fishes. We see many other occasions too where people are brought to Jesus.

What worked then has worked throughout the course of history and still works today, Back to Church Sunday gives us all the opportunity to be part of this. It does not take too much courage to say to someone we probably know, this is a special Sunday, would you like to join me at Church ?  If we all do this and pray faithfully for those we invite who knows what impact that might have.

July & August 2007

Another year passes and we come to St James’ Day once again. A day that is special as it asks us to think about what being a member of St James’ Church congregation means for us. A day which asks us to pray for our own small part of the Church and to seek the prayers of St James for us in our pilgrimage. Being on pilgrimage is a special thing. It is a spiritual journey; we can never stay still for long, we must move on, forward with God.

As we journey, we must prayerfully consider what God is asking of us. What has He brought us to, as individuals, part of St James’ Church and the wider Church catholic. As part of the Church of today but also part of something that has a full and rich history, the Church that has gone before us, the Church Triumphant, as it is known. We are never alone, although sometimes we may feel as if we are.

As we journey, we are part of a family, the family of St James, gathered as it is for this time and place in God’s plan.  We are never really alone in this journey, for there are countless others who are journeying with us to pray for us and with us. They are there to help and support us, most especially in our own local church. We in our turn must consider them, in our prayers and actions. At times we will agree, at times we will not, but always, as in any family, there is a good to be considered that is greater than any individual. That is what being a Christian is all about, a journey with God and with others.

Pray for each other this St James’ Day and pray for the Church, for our own church of St James and for all of its members.

June 2007

June is the month when the Church thinks of those who are being or have been ordained to the Holy Orders of Bishop, Priest or Deacon. It is the month when we celebrate the great and solemn feast day of Ss Peter and Paul, the Apostles who are the inspiration of those being ordained.

Peter being the Rock who is the origin and defender of the Sacraments and Paul who is the great inspiration for those who preach and write about the Faith. It is often one of the Sundays near to Ss Peter and Paul’s day that is chosen for the ordinations.

Holy orders are crucial to the life of the Church, as it is through them we receive and maintain the Sacraments, which in their turn bring us to God. Please pray for all those who are to be ordained this month, especially those from our own Diocese who will be ordained on Sunday 24th June.

Pray for the bishops who will ordain them and the parishes who will train them. Pray also for their families who will often make many sacrifices themselves to support the vocation of a priest.

In June and July we will also be hearing abut the work of the Additional Curates Society which does much to support vocations to the priesthood, the training of priests and supporting the placement of priests in their early years of training through financial grants.

Please keep this important organisation in your prayers and pray for their work, and do come along to the Thai One evening to help support the ACS.

May 2007

Charity begins at home.

This is something we often hear said and it is very true. Charity does begin at home. It is in our homes we learn to share. It is within our families that we learn the pleasures of giving as well as receiving. It is in our other family home, the Church, that we learn why Christians give. Christians give in response to God for all that he has given to us. So yes, charity does begin at home.

The problem is when people say this, they often mean it also stops there, using the phrase as an excuse for not giving to people they do not know or do not approve of. It is sometimes used in a similar fashion by some when they refer to the account of the widow’s mite, which is often used to justify small giving. The widow of scripture was not commended for giving a little but everything she had. It may not have been very much in financial terms but it was her all. (Mark 12:41-44). Jesus praised her for her great generosity.

Giving has implications for all Christians as we are commended to give in response to all that God has given to us. Regularly, to support the work of God and His Church and over and above that where we can. The month of May is the month of Christian Aid week, about which you will read more in this magazine.

Please do all that you can to support this important work. Help collect if you can, Madeleine Bates will be pleased to hear from you I am sure. Please also give what you can to support those in other parts of the world who have so little in comparison to us.

April 2007

Easter, the Queen of Festivals.

So wrote St Augustine of Hippo, often considered to be the father of theology in the Western Church. Easter is the climax of the process of Salvation that God began when He announced to Mary that she would bear the Son of God.  In this special child, God Himself would come among us to bring us Salvation and eternal life.

Jesus’ teaching and healing ministry challenged many of the concepts of His day and brought a whole new way of living to God’s world.

His Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection were the final part in this great process. How could the Son of God be treated in this way and why should that be? How could men and women see God die upon the cross?

Those questions were answered on that first Eater Day when Mary discovered the Tomb empty, the power of death and the Devil squashed and the final proof of the love and power of God revealed in the Resurrection. Jesus was not dead He was alive. He was not, God was not, subject to the earthly things but has power and authority over them.

Easter is the final part in the picture of God’s relationship with His creation. That is why it is the Queen of Festival, the most important day in the Church’s year.

It is a day that asks us to challenge the world around us to think of God and His ways, rather than the ways of society. As the Church today struggles with so many social issues, we need to ask ourselves whether we are thinking along God’s lines or are we just following modern social trends. Jesus was a challenger of values and asks us to be as well, as people in His service and as people of His promise.

March 2007

What are you giving up for Lent ?

This is a question often asked of Christians and it stems from the understanding that Lent is a time of penitence and fasting, often marked by abstinence from something. As we make do without that particular luxury or indulgence, we are to reflect on the suffering of Jesus.

This time of preparation for Easter used to be a very rigorous thing. All fats, eggs, meats were given up in this time of fasting. Hence the origin of pancakes which use up eggs, milk and flour before the fast begins on Ash Wednesday. It is also origin of the concept of carnival, the celebration popular in many countries at this time of year as people prepare for Lent. Carnival comes from the Latin, Carne, meaning flesh and levare, to put away. It is therefore the festival in preparation for Lent where flesh, meat, is put away until Easter. Like so many things of our faith, popular culture has reduced this great time of abstinence to the possibility of making do without some small luxury.

When I am asked what I am giving up for Lent, apart from fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, which is a requirement of all of us, I usually say I intend to concentrate more on my prayers. The sacrifice here is one of time and requires me to be more disciplined in my attendance at Church and prayer life.

February 2007

On the Sunday when we remembered the Epiphany of the Lord, I spoke in the sermon about what we might offer to God. Thinking as we were of all the Wise Men offered to Jesus and the symbolism of their gifts. I introduced then a theme for this year of Ministry for all members of our church. Each an every one of us is commissioned to ministry through our Baptism. What that ministry might be will be different for each and every one of us. God wants to use our skills, gifts and talents in His service, that is one of the reasons He has given them to us.

Our year of ministry will ask us all to consider whether or not God is asking us to undertake something new. That might be His challenge for us this year. If we are to continue with a ministry we have been engaged with for some time, we might be asked to attend some training. Training, so whatever we are offering, is the best we can offer to God in His service.

Lent begins this month and is traditionally a time when Christians think about their relationship with God. In St James this year we will have plenty of opportunity to reflect with God about how He wants us to exercise our relationship with Him. We might well use Lent to reflect on what ministry He wants us to be involved in. We might attend the Alpha Course to refresh ourselves in our faith. We might make a particular effort to come to all our guest preachers’ sermons.

We must all make the best use we can of Lent so that when we come to renew our Baptismal promises at the Easter Vigil, we can make this a real and meaningful thing to do.

December 2006 / Jannuary 2007

Christmas is a time for the children, this is something we often hear said at this time of year, perhaps we say it ourselves. How wrong that statement is. Christmas is not for children, it is for everyone. As the angel told the shepherds, I am bringing you great news of joy for all the people; (Luke 2:10). All people, not just children but all people. Perhaps it is true that it is children who get most excited about the extras, the decorations and the presents but these things are not central to the Christian message. As with so many things to do with our faith, if we are not careful we are in danger of dumbing them down to a childish level, so that the real message is not seen to be relevant or important for grown ups.

The real message of Christmas is that God loves His people so much that He is prepared to do whatever is necessary to bring them back to Himself. So much so, he took on human flesh at Christmas, was born of Mary and so brought redemption to the world. These are very grown up concepts. God's love is real for all people, of whatever age, or whatever race, creed or colour. They are as true today as they always have been. If we say they are only relevant for a small section of the community, we are denying the power and grace of God to work as he wills.

Yes, Christmas is for children but it is for adults too, it is for everyone. Enjoy Christmas to the full, whatever your age, it is a wonderful time of the year. As we do this, we need to remember to thank God for the real message of Christmas and make sure we never allow that message to get lost in the trimmings.

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