Archived News

Father Peter Writes - July/August 2010

General Synod meets this month and one of the main items on its agenda will be the proposed legislation to allow women to become bishops in the Church of England. This is almost certain to be agreed, which in turn, will start the process to allow this to take place. The consultation will take almost five years to complete, so even if agreed this month, it will not happen very soon. If we are just considering an issue of justice then it is difficult to doubt the right of women ordained as priest to continue to be ordained bishop. There are other considerations here however which also need serious consideration.

The Church of England stated, when it made the move to ordain women as priest, that to agree with this development or not were positions of equal value and could be held with integrity. Legislation was then brought in to support this theological standpoint. Legislation we have, in this parish, made use of which is why we look to Bishop Keith for our pastoral and sacramental support.

The question will be whether or not synod has the mind or ability to allow this provision to continue. If it does not, the position of many in the Church of England will be very difficult.

We must pray that the members of General Synod will be guided by God in this and all other matters committed to their charge.

Wishing you every blessing.

Fr Peter Walker

Father Peter Writes - June 2010

This month sees the service of Baptism and Confirmation for this year. We are to present six candidates, three of our young people from church and three adults. This is an important occasion for them and for our church. For them, as it is a great spiritual step, a time of commitment to God and His Church. For us as a church, as we welcome six new members into the full life of the Church.

It is a time when we need to pray for them, that they will grow in their faith and come to an ongoing, deep relationship with God. That they will find their space in God’s Church and in His service. That they will be so moved by the Holy Spirit that they turn their lives to Him fully and completely.

As members of he Church we need to pray for them, that all these things will be real for them. We need to pray that we, as existing members of the Church of God, will help them in any way we can to fulfil their God given potential with us, His people in this place. That we will make space for them in our church family and that we will offer all the encouragement that they will need in the months to come. We also need to pray for Bishop Keith as he presides over these Sacraments of the Church.

We also need to do what we can to be with these people as they make this commitment and join them at Thorpe for this important service. I commend them all to your prayers and to your care.

Wishing you every blessing.

Father Peter Writes - May 2010

People often say, the Church should not be involved in politics. Well, that is just not true, the Church needs to be a political animal. Some historians would tell us that England avoided revolution, when it engulfed France and other parts of Europe, because of Methodism and its strength and discipline among the working classes of the day. The Church of England, being an established Church, is tightly bound into the constitution of the Country and its political system. That means, for instance, that I, as a Church of England clergyman, along with a few other groups, Peers of the Realm, those committed by law to mental institutions, criminals, am ineligible to stand for Parliament. That is why, as it stands at present, 26 of our bishops, by right, have seats in the House of Lords.

Jesus was also a very political person, challenging and questioning the authorities of His day. That was one of the reasons why He was taken to the Cross, political expediency. He calls us, in His name, to be just as questioning and challenging.

This means the Church is not there to support any particular political party. It is there however to support the rights of the most vulnerable in our society. The most vulnerable, be that the unborn, children, the disadvantaged, the ill, particularly the mentally ill, the terminally ill and the elderly. The role of the Church and its members is to stand up for those who have little or no voice of their own. There is, in this country at least, no one party, which will fulfil all of these requirements, so we must prayerfully, using the Bible and the teaching of the Church as our guide, use our own judgement as to who to vote for.

The important thing for the Christian is that they do this and then vote because only by voting can we influence for good and for God those who are elected to power as our representatives.

Wishing you every blessing.

 Fr Peter Walker

Father Peter Writes - April 2010

Could you not watch with me one hour? Jesus’ question to the sleepy Apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night of His passion, the night before He died. This is a question that is asked of each of us, every Maundy Thursday, when we are asked to be at prayer with Jesus, before the Altar of Repose, after the Maundy Thursday Mass. It is a poignant request and one that demands a response from us, Could you not watch with me one hour?

Watching with Christ, in silent prayer, is not only an invitation and duty, it should also be our joy. Our joy that we are able, in this small way, to respond to all that we celebrate at this time of year. To get the most from our relationship with God we need to put in all that we can. This means journeying with Him through the accounts of Holy Week, beginning on Palm Sunday as we welcome Jesus to Jerusalem, through the happenings of the Upper Room and the Garden of Gethsemane, with all that happened on Good Friday and then to the emptiness and desolation of Holy Saturday, before we greet Jesus anew with the Resurrection at the Easter Vigil. The drama of our catholic liturgy helps us greatly with this journey if, and only if, we let it.

The more we put in spiritually, the more we will be able to gain from our Holy Week pilgrimage this year. Holy Week, unlike Christmas, which is so hijacked by everything else that is going on, is the festival in the year when we can devote ourselves to God. When we can live through all that happened in the Jerusalem of Jesus’ day to claim the salvation that the Cross gained for us.

Could you not watch with me one hour? I hope that this year you will be able to and having done so, come fully to the joys of Easter.

Wishing you every blessing for this most Holy Season.

Fr Peter Walker

Father Peter Writes - March 2010

As I write this month we are in National Marriage Week. Added to that, at the Rectory, we are in anticipation of our elder daughter’s wedding next month and both my parents and Caroline’s parents celebrate their Diamond Wedding Anniversary,  that is sixty years of marriage, this year. This is to be quite a year on the wedding front for us.

In times when we hear much about the cost of weddings today and how lavish they can and do become, we need to remember that a marriage is a thing of God. It is a Sacrament of the Church. It is undertaken between a man and a woman and it is a life long commitment. All that goes on around it must not detract from that important understanding.

A Sacrament is, according to the Prayerbook Catechism, an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. As we know there are seven Sacraments of which marriage is one. A Sacrament, something that we can see, touch and appreciate but that speaks to us of God’s powerful and wonderful action with us and in us.

With so many different forms of partnership around now it is very important for the Christian to remember that it is to marriage that we are called. Relationships are never easy and come with their own difficulties at different times. It is through God’s Grace that we survive these difficult times and move on to serve Him in each other. God gives us these things not to limit us but to strengthen us and in strengthening us He strengthens our society.

Wishing you every blessing
Fr Peter Walker

Father Peter Writes - February 2010

Someone said to me the other day, Father, do you not find Lent and Holy Week depressing ? The answer was no, it is a lot of things but it is not depressing.

It is solemn, as we reflect on the nature of all that we are commemorating. It is moving, as we recall the great love of God and the sacrifice of Himself. It is challenging, as it is a time of year that asks things of us, things that sometimes it would be easier not to offer, things that are intrinsic to oneself, time, talents, treasure. It is a time of hard work, for the clergy and indeed for all Christians as they journey with Jesus through this season.

Perhaps it is not depressing because we know the whole story, the full picture. We know that after Lent and Holy Week comes the truth and reality of Easter, which in its turn, gives us the reason for all that has gone before.

Lent and a good keeping of Lent, allows us to appreciate Easter. Without knowing why the Resurrection was necessary, we cannot understand fully the power of the Resurrection. Without experiencing the drama of Lent and Holy Week we cannot really appreciate the greatness of Easter.

Lent, Holy Week and Easter, together, give us the picture of the love and power of God. One without the other is insufficient and incomplete and makes little, if any, sense. To celebrate Easter we first need to celebrate Lent and we do that by making extra effort in our relationship with God. There are many ways on offer that we can do this in our parish this year as the rest of this magazine will show us.

Wishing you every blessing
Fr Peter Walker

Father Peter Writes - December 2009/January 2010

Christmas gives the Christian a wonderful opportunity to share the faith with others. We have an opportunity to speak of the Faith in a way that we are not privileged to do at any other time of the year. Everywhere and everyone is focused on Christmas but for us the question is are they focused on what Christmas is really all about? We can remind others of the real significance of Christmas in a variety of ways. Do we send Christmas Cards that have a Christmas message, ones that actually show something of the Christmas Story? Do we make use of this opportunity to tell others of our faith and what it means to us? Do we invite them to join us for a Carol Service, the Christingle or for one of the Christmas Day Masses? All these are easy ways to share a little of the true meaning of Christmas with others.

At times we even need to ask that question of ourselves, are we really focused on what Christmas is all about? We know that to keep a good Christmas at home we need to be prepared. The same is true spiritually and that is what Advent is all about. Advent allows us to spend time and reflect on what is about to happen to the world with the birth of Jesus. To have a good spiritual Christmas we need to do what we can to keep a good Advent.  We need to try to make space to be at worship more often, to make our confession and to spend a little more time each day in prayer and study. The Advent prayer guide may help us with this.

When it comes to Christmas we need to be particularly careful to come before God to receive Him as He has given Himself to us in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. All confirmed members of the Church ought to make their communion at Christmas. Carol services are often really enjoyable and they can be a wonderful opportunity for bringing others to church but they cannot take the place of receiving Holy Communion. Come to them, bring others with you, enjoy them but then return to make your communion. It may take a bit of extra effort when we may feel that as busy people we have done our bit for God already.  However, when we reflect on what Christmas is really all about, what God did for us at this time by taking on human flesh and what they would ultimately lead to, is it really too much to ask that we come back and thank Him and worship Him at Mass?

Wishing you every blessing for this holy Christmas season.

Father Peter Writes - November 2009

On a trip to the dentist recently I was advised to make an appointment with the Dental Hygienist as I had been having some trouble with bleeding gums. I explained to her that my gums had been bleeding on brushing, she replied, in the way only Dental Hygienists can, what have you been doing about it. She said that more brushing was the answer in these circumstances rather than less, even though to brush less seems more logical.

As I thought about this, it seemed to me to be a good illustration of how one should handle prayer. There are times when our prayer life goes well and we find worshipping God a wonderful and uplifting experience. There are also times when this is not the case, when our faith seems rather dry and everything an effort and rather routine. At these times we tend to let things drift and not make as much effort, when what we ought to be doing is trying that bit harder.

We all have times like this; even the great saints of the Faith have had times like this. It was the sixteenth century mystic, St John of the Cross, who referred to the dark night of the soul. He was making reference to these dry times in our faith, which we all go through.

When we experience these times in our faith, as we all will at some stage of our journey with God, we need to make that extra bit of effort. To leave the politics and busyness of Church membership behind and get back to what it is really all about.  To try harder with our prayers, to try to get to Mass a little more often, to perhaps go away on retreat or have a quiet day, to get back to confession.

Just as when our gums bleed we need to brush more often and for longer, so when our faith is dry we need to pray harder and longer.

Wishing you every blessing.

 Fr Peter Walker

Father Peter Writes - October 2009

You may well have seen, in the local press, the excellent report about the life of St James’ School, our School. It follows on from the recent Ofsted inspection, which took place in July. The inspectors were very impressed with the school during their inspection and have judged St James’ School to be a Good School. This has come about due to the very hard work of Jeff Graham, the Headteacher, his staff, the Governors and all those who support the life of the School in any way. Four years ago the judgement was not so good, much has been done and achieved since then. A copy of the report is available in church, if you would like to see one.

As the local paper wrote, this was a very good present to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the School. 150 years of service and mission to this part of Colchester. St James’ School is a Voluntary Aided School, a voluntary school that is aided by the state. As a Voluntary Aided School, the church has certain rights and privileges. The right to determine worship, the right to appoint governors, the right to appoint staff. The right to be able to insist that the staff teach the faith and are committed to Christian worship, according to the rites of the Church of England.

As I wrote to you last month, with rights always go an equal set of responsibilities. St James’ Church has a responsibility to support the life of St James’ School, it is our school. I sometimes hear people say, it is a pity we do not get more support from the school in church. The answer to that is clear, the school is not there to support the church, the church is there to support the school. It is a great part of our mission field and a part that is rightly demanding. When people say the Church no longer has contact with children and young families we can say that in our parish we have daily contact with nearly three hundred children and their families.

Jeff Graham and his team are always very welcoming to anyone from St James’ Church who wishes to be involved with the life of the School; the rest is up to us, it is our responsibility. Please keep the School in your prayers and do whatever else you can to further its work , its witness; for it is our mission, our responsibility.

Wishing you every blessing.
 Fr Peter Walker

Father Peter Writes - September 2009

We hear a lot in today’s society about rights. People’s rights, human rights, the right of the individual to this, that or the other. What we seem to hear less about is the responsibility that goes along with any particular right. If we have a right to life,  then we have a responsibility to protect that right, especially for any who are vulnerable. The unborn, the chronically sick, the disabled, the terminally ill. If we have a right to have a society where all can live in peace and justice, then we have a responsibility to do what we can to ensure that is true for everyone. We do this through acting responsibly ourselves and by taking part in society in a positive fashion wherever we can.

This is not too dissimilar to the concept of relationships, which are always a two-way thing. The willingness to give and take being the thing that makes or breaks any relationship.

A relationship with God is also a two-way thing. God gives and wants to give His people so much. His people need to receive all that He sends and then to do what they can, recognising what He has done for them. This right of the people of God also carries responsibilities. We have the responsibility to respond where we can, through prayer, through study and through offering back to God something of our own time, talents and treasure.

We need to bear this in mind in a month that sees the Study Groups resuming and a Prayer and Gift day to support the work of the Church as a major feature of the month.

Wishing you every blessing.

Father Peter Writes - July and August 2009

The mission of the Church is very important; it is what it is all about. One of the few direct commands of Jesus that we read in the Gospels tells us to “Go and make disciples of all nations, Baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” We do this in many ways but one of the chief ways the Church of England engages in this ministry is to place a priest in every parish in the land so ensure that everyone, wherever they live in England has access to a Parish Church and a Parish Priest. We are quite used to this now and perhaps we do not realise just how much of a privilege it is. Go to any other part of the world and the Anglican Church will not work in this way, in fact no other church of any denomination works in quite this way.

As one might imagine this great exercise in mission and ministry does not come cheap, it has to be funded and it has to be funded by the members of the Church of England. We may have been a worshipping member of the Church for some time, we may be new to it, we may just have returned to St James. Which ever of these is true for each of us the fact remains that when we first wanted to come to church to worship God the Church was there for us. There for us to worship in, to receive teaching from and to receive pastoral care from.

Elsewhere in the magazine you will read of this year’s Day of Prayer and Giving, please take careful note of the date and respond as generously as you can. As we keep St James’ Day this month we remember a man of mission and energy. To allow this mission and energy to continue we need to contribute to the life of the Church where and when we can. Please help us again this year so that we can continue this vital work.

Wishing you every blessing.

 Fr Peter Walker

Father Peter Writes - June 2009

The Reformation was not something that was only about Henry 8th. and his wish to divorce Catherine of Aragon.  The Reformation was a process that went on for much longer time, throughout the reign of the Tudors and Stuarts and beyond. Nor was the Reformation limited to us in this country, it was a Europe wide movement. One of the things that marks the Church of England out as different was the claim that it was part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, albeit reformed. One of the things that marked it out as such was the Church of England’s insistence on retaining the Holy Orders of Deacon, Priest and Bishop. Whatever turmoil came to the Church, over the centuries of the Reformation process, this truth was maintained, often when the Protestant Churches left it behind.

June sees the Solemnity of the Apostles Peter and Paul, those two great leaders of the Faith. It is an important day and as such, breaks into the Sunday pattern of worship and we will remember them on Sunday 28th June.

Peter and Paul were among those first ordained as bishops, the early leaders of the Church and so the Solemnity of Peter and Paul has long been associated with ordinations. Ordinations which continue their work and Christ’s command that we do so.

Please keep in your prayer this month those to be ordained deacon or priest, their families, the parishes in which they will serve and those who will train them. Please also remember our bishops who will ordain them. Deacons, priests and bishops, are fundamental to the very nature of the Church, its history, its present and its future.

Wishing you every blessing.

 Fr Peter Walker

Father Peter Writes - May 2009

The Easter Season in the Church’s year concludes at the end of this month, seven weeks after the Festival of Easter, with the celebration of Pentecost. Pentecost, coming from the Greek word pente, meaning five. The Jewish feast of Pentecost was also known as the Feast of Weeks, falling five weeks after the Passover. It was the festival when the Jews gave thanks to God with their offerings of the first fruits of the harvest for that year. It was an important time for them so they had gathered in great numbers in Jerusalem for the festivities.

It was while they were gathered for the festival, that the Holy Spirit of God was given in all its fullness. Given to be with God’s people, the Church, forever, to guide, to teach, to inspire, to strengthen. It gave strength to the newly emerging Church and because of that is often deemed to be the birthday of the Church. It certainly was a pivotal day in that regard.

When asked what the three main festivals of the Christian year are, people usually manage to name Christmas and Easter but struggle to name Pentecost. This is a great pity for Pentecost is a great day in the life of the Church, both in its founding and today. The Holy Spirit is still necessary and so important for us all, to guide, to teach, to inspire, to strengthen.

Some of the more mature members of the Church, and I include myself with that, will remember when we used to have a Bank Holiday to mark Pentecost. Then it was more often known by its other name of Whitsunday and Whitmonday. It is a great pity that this Bank Holiday is now always on the last Monday of May rather than being linked to Pentecost. If it were still linked to Pentecost it would remind everyone what an important day Pentecost is. We, as Christians, do not need a Bank Holiday to remind us of the importance of Pentecost but we do need to come to worship on that Sunday, as it is such an important day in our year, to give thanks to God.

Wishing you every blessing.

Father Peter Writes - April 2009

Last month saw the joint funeral service for two members of our Church family. They had lived as a couple for almost fifty-nine years and died within a little of two weeks of each other. They had been members of the Church of God all their lives and of St James’ Church for around sixteen years.

Many people commented about the appropriateness of their funeral Mass, dying as they had lived, together, it was a true celebration of their lives. It was also more than that in that it was an act of worship, as every funeral service is, whether it is a Mass or not. At a funeral we celebrate the life of the person who has died, we thank God for their life, we pray for their soul and we celebrate the promises of God. The promises of God, namely the Resurrection of Jesus, something we all share in through our Baptism.

At the front of the church at every funeral service burns the Paschal Candle. This candles that we light at the Easter Vigil each year reminds us of Jesus’ Resurrection, it is the symbol of Easter. After Easter it is returned to the Baptistery at the back of the church, as it is in the waters of Baptism that we are given a share in the Resurrection. It comes out at the funeral of every Baptised person to remind us that through Baptism we are given a share in the Resurrection and it is at our death that we claim that share and celebrate that promise.

The funeral for John and Hazel was a very special time for many people and it was so special as they had left specific instructions about what they wanted for the service. This not only ensured they got what they wanted but also it helped their family at a very difficult time. Have you filled out a Funeral Form yet? If you have not you might like to think seriously about it. There is no better time to do this than at Easter when we remember God’s love for us all through the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus.

Wishing you every blessing for this Holy season.

Father Peter Writes - March 2009

The monastic model for the Christian Spiritual life has a three-fold thrust, Prayer, Work and Recreation, all to be kept in balance with each other. This is also model that is suitable for us all in our relationship with God and never more so than in Lent. 

Prayer, Work and Recreation. We know we must pray and all, I am sure, do our best to pray regularly. How we can get better at this can be achieved in different ways and the Spiritual MOT’s on offer this Lent would help any of us in this task. Extra prayer time in Lent has always been a hallmark of this season. It should be the aim of each and every one of us to be at one extra Mass in Lent, as well as every Sunday, this would in turn help us in our prayer life in an easily achievable way.

Over the entrance to my Theological College chapel in Lincoln were the words Ora Est Labore, prayer is work and over the same door as one left the chapel the words, Labore Est Ora, work is prayer. Work and prayer are tightly linked for the Christian and Lent has always had this aspect to it. This is the reason for the working parties each year in Lent to help us fulfil this aspect of our faith.

Relaxation is part of God’s plan for His world and people and it is something that is often lost in the busy-ness of Church life. This is something we must guard as a God-given command and so essential for us all. Make extra time not only for God this Lent but also yourself.

Lent is a time when we can look to the balance in our life, make the best use of it this year.

Wishing you every blessing for this Holy season.

 Fr Peter Walker

Father Peter Writes - February 2009

It was with great deal of surprise that I opened a letter from the Bishop of Chelmsford, just before Christmas, asking if he could persuade me to accept a non-residentiary Canonry in our Cathedral. After some consideration I have accepted his kind invitation and will be installed as a  non-residentiary Canon at Choral Evensong on Sunday 22nd February. Bishop John also wrote in his letter that it would be good to have a strong group from St James present on that occasion. I too hope that some of you will be able to come along and support me at this service, Choral Evensong at the Cathedral is at 6-00pm.

I have written elsewhere in the magazine about the historical and current role of a canon. Today it is much more to do with recognition of one’s role within the Diocese. Such recognition is, of course, always nice to receive. As well as being a personal thing for me, I think it also reflects on us all at St James. It recognises the significant place the parish has in the town and Diocese and the many people from St James who contribute to the life of the Church both locally and in the wider context of Church life.

Sometimes, although we speak of being part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, it is difficult to see how this works in reality. Here is one example of how our work for the wider Church is being recognised and we in our turn need to remember to keep up this work. We all need to have a concern for, as well as a commitment to, the wider Church and not just to St. James’ Church which meets day by day and Sunday by Sunday. We do this in many ways, the financial contribution to the Diocese, which for this year amount to a little over £52,000, is one important way. This is £1,000 each week before we do anything else at all. This contribution helps to support the ministry costs not just of our own parish but also helps provide priests in less affluent areas. Being part of the Church is a two way thing.

Wishing you every blessing
 Fr Peter Walker

Father Peter Writes - December 2008/January 2009

Advent Sunday is the beginning of the Church’s year. It is a time when we look forward to Christmas, the first coming of Christ among us and our preparation for it. It is a time when we give consideration to the return of Christ, His Second Coming. It is most definitely a time of looking forward.

We at St James are at a point in our church life when looking forward is what we must be about. With our recent deliberations about episcopal ministry we have had a time of considering where we are. Now that decision has been made, we must look forward and looking forward, we must work together with a new energy and focus.

The whole message of Christmas is that God’s love was so great He came to be with us, God among us. He wanted to be with His people and active among them. That is the role of the Church today, to be active among the people of our town and parish.

As we look to keeping Christmas perhaps we all might consider how we could be most active among the people of our town and parish so that we can fulfil God’s calling to each and every one of us. The wonder of Christmas is that God was prepared to do this for us. The challenge of Christmas is what are we going to do for Him for others ?

Wishing you very blessing for this holy season,

 Fr Peter Walker

Father Peter Writes - November 2008

The past month has seen turmoil in the financial markets. Banks and other financial organisations have been in great trouble or have gone to the wall in a way that is unprecedented since the Wall Street Crash of the last century. This will impact on all of us in one way or another, some of us to a greater extent, all of us to a degree. There seems to be some confusion about what has caused this worldwide problem and even more confusion about what to do about. The Church will not be immune from this global crisis; it too has money invested on Stock Markets. It is to be hoped that the investments of the Church are widely spread to lessen the effects of any problem.

Jesus often speaks about money, He recognises the need for it but questions being over dependent on it. The rich young man is sent away from Jesus sad, not because he has money but because he regards that more highly than his discipleship. The camel and the eye of the needle story reinforces this point when Jesus reminds us that to be too focused on money will distract us from our relationship with God.  St Paul in his first letter to Timothy says that the love of money is the root of all evil. Not money itself but the love of it.

It would seem that there has been a great deal of unrealistic and unjust lending to those who are most at risk, particularly in the USA but in other places too I expect. This has not been in order to serve the poor and vulnerable but to increase profits of the rich with the poor and vulnerable being exploited.

The Church needs to be the voice of the vulnerable at all times for when it is not we have crisis such as the one we have at present. We may not have the expertise to do much about the present crisis but we can all keep it in our prayers and especially those who will be facing even greater hardship because of it.

Wishing you very blessing

Father Peter Writes - October 2008

It is often difficult to know how we are to live our Christian life. Just how are we to work out what God wants of us? One very important way is to become more familiar with the Bible. That is a particular duty to which all Christians must comply, for it is in the Bible we find most of the instruction we need and if it is not to be found there, the Bible is the foundation of it.

There are various ways that can help us with this. To begin with we have two Bible reading schemes available at St James. The Bible Reading Fellowship notes, available to order from Janice Fielden, and the Bible Alive notes which are commentaries on the Daily Mass Readings and are available each month from the back of St James’ Church. These are both excellent ways to begin to deepen our knowledge and understanding of the Bible.

This month we are beginning a new opportunity in the Parish Magazine. John Thompson, a member of our regular Thursday congregation and a noted Hebrew scholar, he was part of the translation team that translated the New English Bible from the original Hebrew and Greek into English in the 1960s, is beginning a series of articles on the Psalms. This will gives us further insights into the wonderful complexities of the Bible.

Knowing what God wants of us is never easy and rarely straightforward but we all have to start somewhere and the best place to begin in the Bible.

Wishing you very blessing,

 Fr Peter Walker

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

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