Issue 17 • Winter 2020 Choices: choosing life Inspiring stories from the life of your Methodist Church “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your Issue 17 • Winter 2020 descendants may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19 Published by the Methodist Church in Britain © Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes hoose life.” So says Ewan (TMCP) 2020. Registered charity no. 1132208. McGregor’s character Renton No part of this publication may be during his famous monologue reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, David Perry in Danny Boyle’s 1996 film Trainspotting. electronic, mechanical, photocopying or Editor Tellingly, he goes on to proclaim: “I chose otherwise, without the prior permission of not to choose life.” The film brilliantly and the publisher except for those articles and photos supplied separately for local church unsparingly unpacks what that choice use. All rights reserved. means for him and those around him, who live in a cruel, cursed and deathly What is the Connexion? shadow world of heroin addiction. It is Methodists belong to local churches and also value also an indictment of the prevailing socio- Six Hopes that the Joint being part of a larger political realities of the time, which left so Public Issues Team will prioritise for the justice community. In calling the many families and communities mired in Methodist Church in Britain work of the Churches ‘the Connexion’, Methodism hopelessness and despair. (see page 24) reflects its historical and Choices have consequences. The climate spiritual roots. emergency clearly sets before us in its In the 18th century a starkest form the choice between life and ‘connexion’ simply meant death that God presents to the people in Photo credits those connected to a person or a group – for instance, Deuteronomy 30:19. We are also living with Front Cover © JPIT; Page 3 © Alex Baker Photography; Pages 4-5 © Mark Kensett; a politician’s network of the consequences of the Brexit referendum Page 6 © Mark Kensett; Pages 8-9 © Matt supporters. So when people and the general election. What does it mean Gonzalez-Noda and Tim E Photography; Pages spoke of “Mr Wesley’s to choose life when one person’s blessing 10-11 © Matt Gonzalez-Noda, Jude Levermore; Connexion” they meant Pages 12-13 © Mark Kensett; Pages 14-15 © followers of the movement is another’s curse? Mark Kensett; Pages 16-17 © Matt Gonzalez-Noda; led by John Wesley. Changing our choices so that we are a Pages 18-19 © Mark Kensett and Getty Images; Pages 20-22 © David Perry and Ian Lamond; Wesley believed that blessing to the planet and to each other, belonging and mutual Page 23 © Alex Baker Photography and Getty Images; Pages 24-25 © Robin Prime; responsibility were rather than a curse, is the most pressing Pages 26-27 © Getty Images fundamental Christian priority we face. So it is timely to remind qualities. The language ourselves that the Church exists to be an Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations of connexion allowed are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: him to express this exemplar of what choosing life looks like. Anglicised Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National interdependence, developing It was raised to embody and make real the Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights its spiritual and practical life-giving blessing of God in Jesus for the significance in the reserved. organisation and ethos of his whole world. movement. Both language That is why our front cover proclaims our and practice are important modern identity as a godly people of radical Methodist Church House, for Methodists today. 25 Marylebone Road, life-affirming choices, expressed in six key London NW1 5JR Go to www.methodist. hopes for the future. That is why this issue Tel: org.uk/theconnexion 020 7486 5502 of the connexion explores what changing our Email: [email protected] to order more copies choices as Methodists might entail. Stories Web: www.methodist.org.uk of the connexion, or to Facebook “f” Logo CMYK / .eps Facebook “f” Logo CMYK / .eps download articles of choosing life and blessings, which range Find us on Facebook for use in your own from the global through to the smallest rural Follow us on Twitter church magazine. Watch us on YouTube or Vimeo Images are available at chapel and to every one of us considering www.flickr.com/ our way of life, give us hope and spurs See our pictures on Instagram and Flickr methodistmedia us to action where we are. Each helps us appreciate both the cost and necessity of Information contained in this magazine What do you think was correct at the time of going to press. about this issue? choosing life and of the truth that the One Views expressed in the articles may not be Email theconnexioneditor@ who puts the life-choice before us is the the official position of the Methodist Church methodistchurch.org.uk in Britain. Write the connexion, One whose Spirit enables us to take it and Methodist Church House, make it work. 25 Marylebone Road, Whatever the choices around us, we London NW1 5JR Call 020 7486 5502 choose life. Contact us via Love and peace, Facebook or Twitter David 2 the connexion • Winter 2020 www.methodist.org.uk • Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram | Flickr Highlights Choosing to be a Choosing to start a Choosing to open beacon of hope for movement of awakening up to God 4 6 young people 10 and revival A radical rural Choosing a Methodist Inspiring choices 14 choice 16 20 way of living Next Youth Inderjit Bhogal to receive WMC Peace Award President ast President of the Methodist Conference the Revd Dr ollowing Inderjit Bhogal is to receive the World Methodist Council elections at Peace Award. The annual award goes to those “who have 3Generate, made significant contributions to peace, reconciliation and justice.” the Methodist Children Inderjit is a tireless supporter of refugees and works to foster and Youth Assembly, interfaith relations and multicultural communities, peace and it was announced reconciliation. The award’s citation describes Inderjit as a “central that the Youth President Designate figure” in interfaith relations in Britain and Ireland. will be Phoebe Parkin, aged 17, from One of Inderjit’s peace-related initiatives was City of Sanctuary, Telford Circuit in the Wolverhampton and a grassroots movement to build cultures of welcome, hospitality and Shrewsbury District. Phoebe will become safety for asylum seekers, refugees and other vulnerable people. the Youth President for 2020/2021 at a Inderjit is also president of the Methodist Peace Fellowship. service to be held in September 2020. On hearing of the award, Inderjit Phoebe campaigned on the theme of commented: ‘God’s World – Our Home’ and promises “I am surprised but deeply honoured. My to highlight environmental issues during whole life has been inspired by people her year in office. She says “I have always around the world who have held up witness been passionate about the environment to peace-making; challenging war, violence and I believe that as Christians, we are and killing. I am more persuaded than ever called to take care of God’s creation. The that non-violent resolution of conflict is the environment is a very real concern for way forward in all human relationships. young people, as it will shape the world we The award will be presented on 27 March inherit in so many ways.” 2020 in London. www.methodist.org.uk • Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram | Flickr the connexion • Winter 2020 3 The Revd Peter Hancock, Mission Consultant for the Chester and Stoke-on-Trent District, says the choice is yours – to open up to God or to close down 4 the connexion • Winter 2020 www.methodist.org.uk • Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram | Flickr It has struck me on a few occasions that Not to choose a ‘closing-down’ choice would have led to can mean neither of the above seeing the light of day: like a talent buried in the ground. we miss the moment Choices which close down There can be a number of reasons why we may make closing-down choices. ✔ ✘ CHOICES ● We listen to narratives of decline and Question defeat, which persuade us that our How will you guard mission will always be thwarted. against ‘missing esus’ parable of the talents in ● We are risk averse. We choose to the moment’? Matthew 25 could be called the conserve what we have, which prevents parable of the two choices. A us from investing in the hope of growth. master gave talents to three of his servants. Faced with what to do next, the first two The choice not to choose can mean we made ‘opening-up’ choices, putting their miss the moment. In my time as a district talents to work and making more. The third chair I often reflected that a church in servant made a ‘closing-down’ choice, dire straits is frequently the result of big burying his talent in the ground. decisions that were shelved or postponed An opening-up choice can lead us to embark 20 to 30 years ago. upon an unknown road and to discover more Maintaining the present state of affairs about life, God and ourselves in the process. can become a tyranny. We treat the Church A closing-down choice will leave us never in its present form as an unchangeable knowing what might have been. monolith and forget that God is always speaking new things into existence.