THETrinity TIMES The Parish Magazine of Holy Trinity Church, Henley-on-Thames May 2021 THE VICAR’S LETTER Dear friends, The celebration of Whitsun, or Jesus and give gifts to equip our Pentecost this month could be witness. For the disciples the described as a birthday party for the experience of this power was Church, as we remember the gift of overwhelming. It was essentially an the Holy Spirit to the first disciples encounter with God’s love. For us, (Acts 2:1-13). this can be equally emotional or quiet (we are all different), but all are What are we celebrating? included, and nobody is excluded from this experience. God’s Promise: The disciples obeyed Jesus’s God’s Purpose: instructions as they gathered in the The disciples ‘ began to speak in other Upper Room : ‘Do not leave tongues as the Spirit enabled them.’ Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my (Acts 2:4). The Spirit empowered their Father promised’ (Acts 1:4). They met witness, so that everyone heard them expectantly in prayer for God’s speaking in their own ‘native promised gift. Just as we look forward language’ (lit: dialect, v8). We all have to birthday presents, how eager are different stories to tell of God’s activity we to receive more of the Spirit in our in our lives and they are all valuable. lives? (Often we don’t believe this!) It’s then the work of the Holy Spirit to translate God’s Power: our words in a way that those around ‘All of them were filled with the Holy can understand, and His job to take Spirit’ (Acts 2:4). The disciples even our stumbling words to reach needed the power of the Spirit to be the hearts of others. At Pentecost, different: not fearfully gathered behind 3,000 people were added to the locked doors, but energized to make church in one day! What do we Christ known. The Holy Spirit can expect of the Holy Spirit in our day? transform our lives into the likeness of Best wishes. Duncan The Reverend Duncan Carter 2 Trinity at Four update Dear friends, Jesus and the church confess Jesus to be his saving king. Many other 'stones' would be laid on "And I tell you that you are Peter, and top of him. And so, the most important on this rock I will build my church, and thing to appreciate about Jesus' the gates of Hades will not overcome manifesto for church is that 'church' is it." (Matthew 16:18) not primarily an institution, and certainly not a building. Rather, it is a In these forthright words, Jesus family of people who together with launches his manifesto for the church. Peter confess Jesus to be their saving Whatever we may think about church, king. Like Peter, these people are here Jesus makes his own view on weak and flawed, and yet precious the matter plain. and loved by God on account of Jesus, and being built together into a 1. Church is Jesus' people 'spiritual house' (1 Peter 2:4-5), God's Jesus gives Simon the fisherman a dwelling on earth, his people. new name, Peter, derived from the greek term for 'rock'. As we read on in 2. Church is Jesus's plan Matthew's gospel it becomes clear Jesus couldn't be clearer about his that this is not a reflection of Peter's intentions: "on this rock I will build my own personal strength; he would church". Jesus's plan is not to rescue famously deny Jesus' three times. a collection of scattered and Jesus gives Peter his name not disconnected individuals. But rather to because of anything about Peter rescue a people , who will make up his himself, but because of the role he church. Church is central in Jesus's would fulfil. Peter would be the rock- plans to grow his perfect and eternal like foundation on which Jesus kingdom. He even gives his people would build his church. So what made the most awesome responsibility to Peter a suitable foundation? The guard and proclaim the saving gospel preceding verses give us the answer: by which people can be welcomed into this kingdom: "I will give you the “But what about you?” Jesus asked. keys of the kingdom of heaven; “Who do you say I am?” whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you Simon Peter answered, “You are the loose on earth will be lost in heaven.” Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matt. 16:19). The 'keys' here are the (Matthew 16:15-16) gospel message, which when proclaimed comes with God's Peter, for all his weaknesses, is the authority to call people into his first person to publicly confess who kingdom. Jesus is; that he is God's Messiah- the rescuing king promised in the Old We might think the church looks Testament. Peter, like the first stone rather small and weak, but let's not laid, was the first, but not the last to 3 forget the central role the church has other blemish, but holy and in Christ's plans for the world. blameless. 3. Church is Jesus's passion Church is Jesus' people, his plan, his You can hear the passion in Jesus's passion. And this means that if voice as he declares, "and the gates Christians are to be 'Jesus’s people', of Hades will not overcome it." Here we will also need to be 'church’s speaks one who is as passionately people'. We cannot claim to love and committed to his church as a new follow Christ and also be indifferent husband is to his wife. As Paul writes about his people, his plan and his in Ephesians 5:25-27 passion! This will always be a challenge in our busy, materialistic Husbands, love your wives, just as and individualistic age. And yet when Christ loved the church and gave we truly commit to and live out the himself up for her to make her holy, vision that Jesus has for us as his cleansing her by the washing with church, we will have the great water through the word, and to privilege of seeing God at work to present her to himself as a radiant build and grow his kingdom through church, without stain or wrinkle or any us. Much love, Sam The Reverend Sam Brewster 4 Christian Aid Week 2021 I take it for granted that, if I want a Any gift that you can make can be drink of water, a wash, a shower, or used to provide communities with the clean my teeth, I can just turn the tap means to build reliable water on, and out will flow clean water, systems. Earth dams can be built to unlimited, even when we have dry form huge basins to collect and store periods. any rain that does fall, often in the form of storms and flash floods. The However, it isn’t like that for everyone. water can then be piped to taps for For example, think of the people of people like Rose to draw from, and Kitui county in Eastern Kenya. these earth dams have already been Christian Aid tells me that they are in shown to be very useful and a life- the grip of a climate emergency. saving means of helping people to Severe drought, followed by extreme farm the land they live on to provide and unpredictable changes in weather food for themselves and their families. have destroyed crops, killed livestock and continues to threaten their Please support Christian Aid during livelihoods. That was before the Covid the week of May 10 to 16. A donation pandemic, which has made matters of £10 could buy a pair of taps at a even worse. We have water ‘on tap’ in water point which will be installed in our homes, but what if the nearest an earth dam; £42 could buy 350 kg water is miles away, and you have to of cement to build an earth dam; £335 get there and back on foot? could pay for a communal water point with two taps at an earth dam. These Could you support Christian Aid by are just some examples, and anything giving a donation during Christian Aid you can give will be so useful. Week to help the people of this region in Kenya? People like Rose, a 68- You can donate online at year-old lady, who has to make a six- caid.org.uk/caw21 . Alternatively, you hour round trip every other day to can give through my Just giving page collect water for her family so that (https://www.justgiving.com/fundra they can farm, drink and wash. She is ising/michael-hails2 ). Any donations hungry and tired, but she has to do it, go straight to Christian Aid. Thank because the lives of her grandchildren you for helping. depend on her. MRH Church Duties Due to Rosemary Woodroffe absconding to South Wales to be near her family the task of organising the distribution of the church magazines will now be undertaken by Sarah Cook. Likewise, the annual task of maintaining the Commonwealth graves and placing poppies on the headstones each November will now be done by Charlotte Miles- Kingston. Rosemary is very grateful for these willing replacements and wishes everyone well. 5 CHURCH FLOWER LADIES Maureen George Mary Burton As time goes by, the passing years Mary went on various flower- take their toll on people’s capabilities. arranging courses. Maureen George At long-last, sadly, our Flower Ladies, is also a long-standing flower lady Mary Burton, and Maureen George, who, like Mary, learnt the art of flower have had to reluctantly admit that they arranging from former flower ladies.