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Blackheath and Crystal Palace Circuit Quarterly Newsletter Issue 29 March 2020 Superintendent Minister’s Letter: Mountain top moments ‘Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James and John the brother of James and led them up a high mountain. In their presence, he was transfigured; his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became a brilliant white’ (Matthew 17: 1 – 2) Dear Friends, One of my favourite hobbies is mountain walking. I love climbing paths to find summits with spectacular views of the valleys I have risen from. My favourite mountains are in the Italian Dolomites. There is something rather spiritual about mountain climbing, and I often feel closer to God at the top of a mountain than at any other time. In the Bible, people of faith are often seen reaching mountain top summits at significant moments in their lives. One of the Bible readings we often focus on during Lent is the transfiguration of Jesus to Peter, James and John on a mountain top. After reaching this mountain top, Jesus’ face shone like the sun, his clothes became a brilliant white and according to Matthew 17:5, a voice from heaven called out ‘This is my beloved Son in whom I take delight; listen to him’. The disciples were to look back on this ‘mountain top experience’ for many years as a crucial moment in their lives when their faith really came alive. Peter would have liked this moment to have lasted for ever and he was all for building tents for Jesus, Moses and Elijah, as a way of capturing that moment. But life is not like this; we cannot stay on our mountain tops for ever. Those who believe they can are not facing up to the realities of life. At some point we’ve got to descend that mountain we have so carefully climbed. As soon as the disciples did descend there were important jobs to do and important lessons to be learned. Mark 9:14 tells us that a large crowd were awaiting them, concerned that the disciples were unable to drive out an evil spirit from a child. The painful lesson Jesus had to teach his disciples, as he drives out this evil spirit, is about their lack of faith. Jesus also knew that by descending that mountain, he was heading towards the pain and torture of Calvary. He had to come down from the mountain to face the reality of his calling, painful though it might be, because had he not done so, God’s plan for the salvation of all people would have been thwarted. This truth we shall be reminded of during Holy week. All of us have experienced our own transfiguration, mountain top experiences. We can point to moments in our lives when we have been deeply encouraged by events that have confirmed the truth of our faith. It may have been at our confirmation or marriage; at a Christian rally or conference attended, or a special service where a verse of scripture, or preacher’s words spoke especially to us. We need uplifting moments to be reassured of our faith; the danger is that we can become dependent on these uplifting religious experiences. We have to come to terms with the everyday problems of Christian life, the frustrations of living in a fallen world. The pain and agony of ill health, the loss of a loved one, the breakdown of relationships, financial crises or problems at work. What gives us strength to cope with these moments of danger, difficulty, hurt and pain is the assurance that wherever we go in life, our God goes with us and He gives us strength to carry on and climb out of those painful experiences and return to a place of health and healing where life can be experienced in all its fullness. May you all enjoy a blessed Lenten season. Richard Anerley Burnt Ash Eltham Park Forest Hill Hither Green Lewisham Sunfields Upper Norwood Wesley Hall Daffodil Day Monday 2nd March 2020: 'Best Of All is...' 1:40pm - 4:00pm at Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, Storey's Gate, Westminster, London SW1H 9NH Methodist Central Hall Team bring you Daffodil Day 2020; a spring festival for Christian encouragement and renewal. Featuring an array of different guests and speakers, including Pam Rhodes, The Lord Mayor of Westminster and Revd Steve Wild of the Cornwall District, to name but a few, this annual event is not to be missed. Community singing is from 1.40pm, with the event commencing at 2pm. Lent course: ‘Opening the Scriptures’ Led by Rev. Richard Grocott What are the parts of the Bible that set your heart on fire? Join the Lent course to discover more about ‘Opening the Scriptures’ Lewisham Methodist Church Begins Tuesday 10th March at 7.30pm and every Tuesday during Lent ‘Superstar’:The York Lent Course Led by Rev. Richard Grocott ‘Asking daring questions that give colour to faith’ Eltham Park Methodist Church Begins Wednesday 11th March at 7.45pm and every Wednesday during Lent Lent Course at Burnt Ash Methodist Church Rev. Rohama Asif is leading a Lent Course every Wednesday morning in the Memorial Room at 11am. Commencing with an Ashing Service on Wednesday 26th February, then weekly reflections 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th March, 1st & 8th April Lent Course at Forest Hill Methodist Church Rev. Paul Hulme is leading a Lent Course on the theme 'Belief in the 21st Century'; 7.30pm on Wednesdays 11th, 18th, 25th March and 1st April. All are welcome Anerley Burnt Ash Eltham Park Forest Hill Hither Green Lewisham Sunfields Upper Norwood Wesley Hall Brexit Bible Studies in Lent: 2 March - 6 April 2020 Led by Rev. Abe Konadu-Yiadom As Brexit looms, where do we recognise Jesus in the challenging times ahead? How do we stay aware of the presence of God in the midst of our daily experience of the looming Brexit. How do we pray, for our communities, for those we might too easily see as ‘other’, and for ourselves? How do we listen to what God is teaching us in these challenging times? This Lent, we will be looking at Six Bible Studies for Brexit, put together by the Church of Scotland. There are lots of stories of Jesus meeting with diverse groups of people - people from different backgrounds, with different points of view and attitudes about who the ‘insiders’ or ‘outsiders’ might be. These stories touch on lots of different issues about how we live out our faith and embody our prayers in times of political anxiety. This series of six Bible stories will include questions for deep exploration and reflection: 2nd March: Jesus Anointed at Bethany (Mark 14 NRSV) 9th March: Jesus at Levi’s table (Luke 5 NRSV) 16th March: The Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge (Luke 18 NRSV) 23rd March: The healing of a demon-possessed man (Luke 8 NRSV) 30th March: The Mission of the Seventy (Luke 10 NRSV) 6th April: The Canaanite Woman’s Faith (Matthew 15 NRSV) Faith does not cease to exist at the threshold of the political chamber, just as politics does not cease to be at the door of the church. It is my prayer that as we spend time reading scripture, we will acknowledge, understand and make room for other points of view, whatever our personal experience is. 2-3.30pm Upper Norwood, Westow Hill, SE19 3PY 8-9.30pm Anerley Methodist Church, Oakfield Road, SE20 8TQ All Are Welcome Easter Offering Save 20p a day for World Mission Save for 40 days of Lent; Starting Ash Wednesday 26th February until Good Friday 10th April 2020 Anerley Burnt Ash Eltham Park Forest Hill Hither Green Lewisham Sunfields Upper Norwood Wesley Hall Woven, the London District Theme for 2019-2021, centres on the power of storytelling to transform and renew us in our lifelong discipleship as followers of Christ. ‘Whether or not the stories have happy endings, just by telling the story of how God works in our lives, we bear witness to what God has done and is doing, for us personally.’ Clive Marsh, Vice-President of the Methodist Conference 2019/20 Woven reminds us that there is a grand narrative that God is writing and that by His grace we’re being woven mercifully into His story. We are also inspired by Jesus’s call to live out and confidently share this story with others, interweave our lives with communities around us, so that they too may hear, experience and become part of God’s story. In locating ourselves in God’s story, we also realise there is enough room for others to be part of it and we extend an invitation to them. 1 Thessalonians 2: 8 So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us. The v i s i o n of W o v e n is: • To see increased confidence and ownership of the beautiful weaving of our stories into God’s story • For God’s story and our faith journeys to be shared confidently within and beyond our church walls regularly and more widely Woven is in concert with the Methodist Church’s Presidential theme for 2019/20 of So what’s the Story…? which encourages us to learn from other people’s stories and to reflect on our own story. Circuit Envisioning Day Led by Rev. Nigel Cowgill Saturday 28th March 2020: 10am – 4pm At Lewisham Methodist Church The day is expected to run from 10am, with two morning sessions, lunch, an afternoon session, communion, and finish around 4pm.