Tadcaster Benefice

​We took our Christmas tree down last Sunday. It always is a bit sad to see the house less twinkly but maybe like me you’ve just started to notice that the days are ever so slightly getting longer. Our Christmas decorations give us light, colour and warmth in the darkest and coldest time in the winter solstice. But once the natural light circles round again, we can pack away and store our lights, baubles and tinsel. They’ve done their job!
 
As an evergreen, Christmas trees also represent life and growth at a time of year when most plants are hibernating. By its very greenness the Christmas tree reminds us that spring is coming. If you’ve seen the Narnia films, or read C S Lewis’ books before that, you will know that the lion Aslan breaks the wintery spell of the white witch. Aslan enables things to grow, life to flourish and darkness to give way to light. C S Lewis wrote his stories as metaphors for our Christian faith in Jesus.
 
There is no denying, our present times are dark in that our NHS staff are under extreme pressure, people are dying from covid19, many are struggling with loneliness and there are so many disruptions to businesses and schools and ways of being community, including meeting physically in churches. The vaccine is a wonderful light in all this darkness. The roll out of this life-protecting jab gives us hope, and we probably all know people in our community who have already received theirs. 
 
But as I watch the news and see first hand the suffering around me, I am most thankful for my faith in God’s goodness. Jesus is the hope that dispels fear in me. It’s helpful that Christmas dates to 25th December. Not because that was Jesus’ probable date of birth, but because we celebrate God coming into our darkness as the Light of the world.
 
I’m currently reading a book called God on Mute by Pete Grieg. It is a great book for our current times because people are wondering where God is in this pandemic. Seasons of unanswered prayers can damage our relationship with God, but this book explores how we can walk through pain and lament and still hold onto the truth that God is for us.
 
Grieg’s book explores Jesus’ own journey of suffering and unanswered prayer; Jesus experienced the feeling of disconnection from God as he prayed on Maundy Thursday before his arrest, on Good Friday as he was horribly crucified and on Holy Saturday when nothing seemed to be happening. But then on Easter Sunday hope breaks in, light fills a grave and Jesus overcomes death by rising to new life.
 
Christmas is a key moment - it’s like before Jesus came we were groping around in the dark; but now born as one of us Jesus illuminates things for us. We see from love’s perspective how much God cherishes us and how Jesus daily makes a way for us humans to know closeness with God, no matter what our circumstances.
 
So, whether like me you’ve cleared all signs of Christmas away, or you are still hanging on to some decorations, let’s be thankful that in a small way they help us celebrate the birth of Jesus coming into our lives as the Light of the world.

Rev Lucy

​ I am with you and will watch over you, wherever you go. (Genesis 28:15) 
What a promise God makes to Jacob in Genesis. 
 
On Tuesday, at the first of our advent reflections, a group of us started to ponder the issue of distance.
 
Jacob in the story was in a very fragile place - family upset and sibling breakdown, an unknown future, journeying through unfamiliar territory - and yet in the very mess of Jacob’s reality God showed up. Before his journey to Harran his father Isaac had prayed that the favour of the Lord would be with his son, as with their forefather Abraham. Our Bible study highlighted how praying prayers of blessing over one another and our communities is really life giving.
 
In the space of an hour’s discussion we unpacked the beautiful imagery of a ladder stretching from earth up to heaven and we saw in the heavenly angels ascending and descending a sacred yet ordinary place of communication with God. Jacob was in awe that in his confusion he was in fact standing at the gate of heaven and that God was standing right alongside him. 
 
As they communicated God made Jacob a wonderful promise to guide him and protect him on his onward journey and fulfil all his promises to him. Jacob woke from his dream and upturned his stone pillow and made of it a pillar, which he then consecrated with oil. We considered how Jacob deemed that place as holy - a time of communing with God. Can we similarly look back at markers of encounter with God in our lives?
 
This led us to discuss how prayer affirms us, and even if our requests seem unanswered the truth that God hears us and promises to always be with us offers us strength and hope.
 
Of course the notion of distance has become so prevalent in our current experience. As we talked we recognised that the pandemic has caused many of us to struggle with fears of abandonment and being forgotten, isolated in our homes. We distance one from another even when we meet - keeping 2 metres distance and forgoing the physical touch of a hug or a reassuring hand on our shoulder. Even as we do our best to meet virtually, we can feel removed from what we know and love, particularly services in church.
 
We were encouraged to express our hearts desires and to be very honest with God as we talk to him in prayer. We touched on groaning prayers and wordless prayers that connect our very selves with the love of God for us. This conversation touched on some deeper points, but a lot of fun too!
 
Finally we turned our thoughts to how we might reflect God’s light in the darkness of the pandemic. We were challenged to think of who in our communities may be isolated and how we might reach out to them.
 
In our distance, in our confusion, in our places of breakdown and unfamiliarity let us hold fast to the truth God loves us and God promises to be with us. We remember that in Christ God’s promises are yes and amen.
 
 
Rev Lucy
 
 
 

Thoughts for the weekend
 
‘The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.’
 
Excuse me for starting my thoughts for this weekend with a line from the carol O little town of Bethlehem. I can only blame team planning for Christmas that’s been happening over the past couple of weeks! 
 
But seriously how can the hopes and the fears of all different people across all the years be met in the person of Jesus? Isn’t this the most ludicrous statement, and yet if true, isn’t it the most enabling and freeing truth in the world!
 
This particular melodious line is an earworm. I’d like to suggest that as we reflect on what the carol says about Jesus, we find an antidote to the fear driven divisions and sense of hopelessness that we see playing out in our wider society and especially in America post the election.
 
Listening to a podcast by John Mark Comer, he says that in America, on the right and on the left, people are arming themselves due to the fear of not being in control. It is perhaps a byproduct of humanity that as we develop ‘lifestyle enclaves’ and as we enjoy the company of those who are similar to us, we can start to fear and distrust the other. The US is a very divided country and the rise in gun sales indicates a worrying unease. Sadly none of this is new.
 
As a church leader I do not want this reflection to be in any way politically slanted. I remember saying quite early on to someone in the benefice that my public role seeks to unite and signpost to God’s ways, and in this sense I remain apolitical. So let me focus on a passage from John’s gospel for some pointers. 
 
In John chapter 18 Jesus is taken to Pilate to stand trial before his death. The religious leaders in Jerusalem feared Jesus and the effect he was having on their people. Pilate questions Jesus using language, full of spin and he tries to trick Jesus into compromise; and yet Jesus proves something of a conversational ninja! Instead of being drawn on division, in verse 36 Jesus indicates why the hopes and fears from across time itself can find fulfilment in him alone:
 
Jesus answered, ‘my kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ 
 
Let’s sit with this idea for a little. Politically if you will Jesus tells Pilate that he belongs to another kingdom without geographical borders. Time and time again, through the pages of the New Testament Jesus teaches that the truth of living under his righteous rule has to do with peace, non-violence and unity across politics, economics, gender, sexuality and ethnicity. 
 
Jesus walks a pathway of peace and this was very alien to Pilate’s worldview, as it is to a lesser extent to ours. However Jesus wants us to know that true freedom lies in following him. Of course we need God’s help, because it is really challenging to act differently in a world of division!
 
This message drives home when we think smaller - so not so much national politics but how about doing life as a church family. How do we disagree well? How do we put other’s needs before our own? How do we keep our focus united on sharing God’s best for our wider communities, and for our congregations? With God’s help and as we live out our faith we will learn reconciliation as we choose to love our enemies, uproot contempt from our inner voice and as we grow into people who forgive one another. A week on from Remembrance, I hope this is food for thought.
 
Rev Lucy
​

As I’ve been preparing for Remembrance Sunday I have been reflecting on the place and purpose in our lives of remembering. To remember is an important part of what shapes us.
 
We have those things we remember in our heads - so I’m thinking here times tables, conversational French vocabulary or the elements of the periodic tables.  All such things that we tried to commit to memory as we revised for formal exams!
 
But we also remember things with our hearts; where our emotional intelligence is stretched and developed.
 
We remember anniversaries of both shared happy moments but also shared times of sadness. We enjoy bringing a earlier happy event into our present experience again, because shared happy experiences with family and friends can increase our sense of belonging and they make us feel safe and secure.
 
We also remember times of loss; the date of a loved one’s passing or a shared time of communal desolation at war, death and conflict on Remembrance Sunday.
 
It is appropriate and helpful when we don’t rush away from remembering something as painful and awful, such as the shadow that war casts. Remembrance Sunday allows us to collectively thank and respect those who gave their lives to enable our freedom. It encourages us to learn from past mistakes, and we honour those who died in war as we work for peace. We continue to pray for those currently serving and working to maintain peace in our times.
 
In addition, the Christian perspective of the Remembrance service enables us to reframe pain, suffering and death through the lens of Jesus, his death and resurrection to life. Before Jesus laid down his life for our freedom, he said to his friends, with whom he was sharing a meal, “take eat, this is my body. Do this in remembrance of me.” We celebrate the victory of God over death and destruction in the person of his Son Jesus!
 
This year we have to find new ways of creating space for collective remembrance, but please join us for our zoom Remembrance service this Sunday.  Let us ask God to help us discover new ways of being people of peace, as we love our neighbour as ourselves.
 
 
Rev Lucy
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Some thoughts to take us into the weekend …
 
As I’m writing this I’ve been curate to the benefice for all of 14 days and yet it feels longer! I’m not sure whether that’s because there is so much activity – with Remembrance around the corner and Christmas not too far behind. Or maybe I feel like I’ve been here longer because of people’s kindness. I’ve worshipped and prayed and been invited to three virtual assemblies, and I’ve met people for lunch and had phone conversations with others. I’ve met some people from our communities and I’m excited for future interactions, when Covid-19 allows. I want to thank you for your kindness and your welcome.
 
Kindness is not just a nicety! It is very much needed in times of pulling together, particularly now as we are navigating our way in this global pandemic. Our current situation is difficult.  It’s not as easy as it used to be to meet up with family and friends. Nor is it as straight forward to gather in larger groups without much risk assessment and care. At the same time, and possibly because of our restrictions, we are recognising in a fresh way our dependence upon one another for our wellbeing and our flourishing. On top of all of this uncertainty over jobs as we exit furlough and the continued uncertainty of will there/won’t there be a vaccine can leave us open to feelings of anxiety and tiredness. 
 
What do we do? How should we respond? Does the Bible give us any wisdom for moments such as these?
 
Writing to some stressed and fearful Christians in Philippi Paul encourages them to stay connected and to be gentle with one another. He urges them to act with humility, looking to the interests of others and being kind. They were to follow Jesus’ pattern of entering into places of pain and suffering with God’s transforming love.
 
So, likewise if we can be of use to one another, let us help out, or if we can put down ways that are unkind, better to deal with one another gently, being mindful of how fragile we all might be feeling.  Then, we will be able to disagree well and make joint decisions based on Jesus’ model of acting out of love.
 
These are perhaps obvious responses, but Paul starts his letter by mentioning thanksgiving and prayer as sure ways of being sustained and finding a deep-seated peace. Let me reassure you that the church is here to serve anyone who would like to explore faith through prayer and thanksgiving. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with myself, or our churchwardens. I am always happy to offer the kindness of chatting to you about God’s love, which in my experience is life giving, upholding and protecting.
 
So in these next few months, go gently with one another and yourself! Then we will do what small towns and villages can do really well … we will show true kindness in our community and this will help us go forward.
 
Rev Lucy