By Revd Lucy Austin

Last week Heather wrote of hope. Hope which draws its power from a deep trust in God.

Tomorrow, May 8th is a day for celebrating hope for the future.

On May 8th the Church particularly remembers Julian of Norwich.

We give thanks to God for her life, and her optimism. “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well”, she wrote. Mother Julian was an anchorite in the Middle Ages and lived through the Black Plague. She wrote the earliest surviving book in the English language written by a woman, Revelations of Divine Love. Her writings and beliefs are superbly optimistic! 600 years on, they speak to our times.

Pope Benedict XVI in his General Audience in December 2010 explained: “ It is known that God, even in periods of tribulation, does not cease to inspire figures such as Julian of Norwich, to recall people to peace, love and joy. Inspired by divine love, Julian made a radical decision. Like an ancient anchoress, she decided to live in a cell located near the church called after St Julian, in the city of Norwich. I recall with admiration and gratitude the women and men who have lived cloistered lives, and the monasteries themselves. Today more than ever they are oases of peace and hope, a precious treasure for the whole Church, especially since they recall the primacy of God and the importance, for the journey of faith, of constant and intense prayer.”

Tomorrow too, we remember VE Day which marked the end of World War Two in Europe. Huge crowds took to the streets on 8 May 1945 to sing, dance and rejoice after nearly six years of war.

It was a glorious celebration of optimism for the future.

Last Monday World War Two veterans watched the celebration procession from the end of the Mall at the Queen Victoria Memorial, alongside three generations of the Royal Family at the military parade in London. The procession was followed by a flypast of current and historic military aircraft. Led by one of aged Lancaster bombers as well as some of the most advanced combat aircraft, it also featured the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows, famous for their red, white and blue smoke trails in the sky. We, like many others, watched the display on TV. Then we heard them flying home over Stokenchurch, but they were obscured by the clouds.

John, the writer of the Revelation, was in solitary confinement when he received and wrote his vision. He had every reason to give up, but instead, he called his companions in Christ to cling to hope. He reminded them of the meaning and power of Christ’s resurrection and encouraged them to keep working to make God’s Kingdom a reality in their lives. The truth of John’s vision is not just for the first century. Nor is it for some unknown future time. It is a vision of hope for all people in all times—and it speaks profoundly into our current chaos.

We need to hear John’s message again. We need to remember what the resurrection means for us right here and right now. And we need to commit once again to follow Jesus’ way of love and justice in our lives and relationships.

Living out our unquenchable optimism for today, for tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow …..

……. until Kingdom come.

with much love and many blessings
Lucy

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Community-Choir

By Heather Ford Lark

Hope against hope?

We all need hope, that feeling and attitude of expectation, optimism, sometimes wishful thinking, perhaps expecting good outcomes.

But many times our hope can be disappointed when people and things let us down.

Many of us who live in Stokenchurch are saddened by the state of the hotel that once graced the neighbourhood. But last week I was walking by, and within the ashes, I noticed a flower growing – and that was a sign of hope for the future to me. Even when things look very bad, new life and purpose is possible.

As we are still in the Easter season, I’ve been reflecting on how the followers of Jesus felt after he
died, and before they knew he had risen again. They felt pretty hopeless – whatever was going to
happen next? Would they too be killed? Were those years spent with him worthwhile, if Jesus’ death was to be the end of it?

How bewildering it was when they came to the tomb early on that Easter morning and found only his grave clothes and that he himself was gone! Had his body been stolen, quietly removed? Where was he? What did this mean?

Then we read of two disciples walking on the road to Emmaus later that day, very dejected, wondering what would become of them all now.

And then Jesus appeared, and their lives were transformed by hope. A hope rooted in the certainty that Jesus had fulfilled His promise to rise again from the dead, that everything he had said was really true.

Christian hope is a bit different from hoping for the best, hoping against hope, crossing our fingers that something will happen – or will not happen.

It is a confidence that what God’s promises he will fulfil. Rather than depending on external circumstances, Christian hope can be steady because it is anchored in God’s unchanging nature and His Word, the Bible.

I like the metaphor of an anchor – I remember a sailing weekend I was part of several years ago. Although we started out in calm waters, the winds quite quickly rose, tossing us around and meaning all hands were needed on deck to keep the sails flattened and adjusted in the right direction. When we stopped for the night, it was the anchor, firmly embedded in the seabed that kept us from drifting off course. We bobbed around a lot, but we stayed firmly enough where we needed to be.

As Hebrews 6:19 puts it, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” This anchor keeps Christians steady amid life’s storms, offering a perspective beyond the present moment. Hope is about trusting in God’s ultimate plan, even when life’s circumstances are challenging and even when we can’t see what lies ahead.

The late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had hope. His hope for racial equality and justice was deeply rooted in his faith. He once said, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” His Christian hope fuelled his courage and determination in the face of oppression and his declaration can encourage us to acknowledge and accept setbacks while maintaining faith in a brighter future, especially one where we choose to have God within it.

The following is the “Hope Poem” by James Keller which can also encourage and inspire us:

Hope looks for the good in people instead of harping on the worst
Hope opens doors when despair closes them
Hope discovers what can be done instead of grumbling about what cannot
Hope draws its power from a deep trust in God and the basic goodness of humankind
Hope “lights a candle” instead of cursing the darkness
Hope regards problems, small or large, as opportunities
Hope pushes ahead where it would be easy to quit
Hope puts up with modest gains, realising “the longest journey starts with just one step”
Hope accepts misunderstanding as the price for serving the greater good of others
Hope is a good looser because it has the driving assurance of final victory.

Let’s not lose hope, whatever is happening in our lives.

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Pope Francis
By Revd Mark Ackford

As a Franciscan it is no surprise to me that when I reflect on the life of our dear departed brother in
Christ Pope Francis, that he decided to take the name Francis.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he chose the name Francis when he became Pope in 2013 as I think St
Francis of Assisi was a man who had inspired his ministry up to that moment and continued to do so
throughout his papacy, Pope Francis wanted to honour St Francis a man who had inspired him as a
man of poverty, a man of peace, a man who loves and protects creation. This choice became a
reflection of Pope Francis’s mission and values, ones which emphasized humility, simplicity, and a
deep respect for nature and humanity. Pope Francis’ decision to take this name was not just a
symbolic gesture but a solemn declaration of his commitment to these principles which he
demonstrated throughout his time in office.

For example, he often emphasized the importance of caring for the vulnerable and the environment,
much like St. Francis did. In his encyclical “Laudato Si’,” Pope Francis calls for an integral ecology that
respects both human dignity and the natural world. He sees St. Francis as a model for living in
harmony with God, others, nature, and oneself.

With St Francis he also shared a commitment to social justice and a deep sense of spirituality. St.
Francis’s love for all creatures and his dedication to the poor resonate strongly with Pope Francis’s
mission to bring the Gospel to the peripheries and address the needs of the marginalized.

Pope Francis approach to leadership was a similar one to that of St Francis which was one of
humility, He opted for simpler living arrangements and often used before becoming Pope public
transportation, demonstrating that leadership can be grounded in approachability and modesty.
Pope Francis once said, “how I would like a church that is poor and that is for the poor” and his
choice to honour the lives of everyday people and prioritize their stories over grandeur has
resonated with millions as demonstrated by the content of the many messages of condolence that
the Vatican has received since his death.

Pope Francis by his example lived a life which will forever live on for me in the words of the famous
prayer attributed to his namesake, a prayer which I think is a fitting memorial and reminder of all
that he stood for:

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is
injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness,
light; where there is sadness, joy. O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be
consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving
that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to
eternal life. Amen.

May he rest in peace and rise in glory.

As we approach the beginning of Holy Week, I have been thinking and reflecting on the words “keep watch”. You may remember that this was Jesus’ plea to his disciples when he entered the Garden of Gethsemane; the place where he would be in agonising prayer with his Father that he might not have to endure what was before him. But his disciples were exhausted. This had been a week of twists and turns, the joyous entry into Jerusalem with the crowds going wild with excitement, the teaching in the Temple then the money lenders being turned out in anger by Jesus. Then a change in atmosphere, a feeling of danger, uncertainty at the supper they had just had, with Jesus saying strange frightening things about betrayal and leaving them. Today people talk about their lives being a rollercoaster, experiencing emotional overload, I hope that life is not like that for you at the moment, but I’m sure you can recall when it has been and how exhausting this can be. Well I imagine it was like that for the disciples, as soon as they sat down, tiredness overtook them and they just fell asleep. Luke tells us that they were full of grief, maybe they were finally recognising how events were going and they must have felt powerless and very afraid. Jesus had asked them to be with him, he knew they could not change things but he just needed them there, to keep watch, to be with him.

Some of us may have experienced the comfort of another ‘keeping watch’ and this can take several forms. It may be knowing a loved one is being cared for in hospital giving us the time to gather our strength and renew ourselves for the next day. I have great cause to be thankful for the time when the Marie Curie nurses kept watch over my dear first husband Paul while he spent his last days at home. I was able to sleep quite exhausted at night knowing there was someone who did not sleep but with such devoted care watched over Paul all night. Keeping watch is also being aware , being alert to the needs of others, just going that little bit further when the response to ‘how are you?’ is ‘I’m fine’ isn’t very convincing.

As I thought about keeping watch I thought of a lighthouse and how the great beam of light sweeps across the land and sea. Lighthouses are built on solid rock and are there not only as a warning of danger, rocks or currents that could easily wreck ships in that area, but also as landmarks too, to help navigation, a welcome light to help the ship’s captain plan his onward journey with safety and confidence. John called Jesus ‘the Light of the World’, the one who would come to sweep away the darkness in people’s lives bringing the light of love and hope to show them a new way of living.

But this light is now faltering, Jesus has to face a terrible ordeal and only he alone can do this. No one wishes to die at thirty and no one wishes to die upon the cross. Sometimes when the word courage is used it suggests a resolute fearlessness, but real courage does not mean not being afraid. It means being terribly afraid and yet doing the thing that has to be done. The light finally went out
when Jesus died on the cross and for those who were there, it must have felt as if everything had ended, no hope, no coming of God’s kingdom, just emptiness.

However, we know that the cross was not the end, it was the beginning of new life that only trust, obedience and amazing love could bring to birth. The light shone again, more brightly than ever and this time the darkness could not overcome it. As we begin our journey through Holy Week, may we feel the strength and love of God sustaining us for our life’s journey in the certain knowledge that God remains with us, and sends others to keep watch over us at the times of our trials and suffering. His promise remains true, he will not forsake us because he is with us now and will be for evermore.

Back to the Future

By Revd Philip Smith

As we approach Passiontide and Easter, it’s also the season of our Annual Church Meetings. One down, four to go, ha-ha.

Annual anniversaries, whether they are personal or a church, give an opportunity to reflect on how the last year has gone. They are opportunities to say ‘thank you’ for all the wonderful things people do for our communities and each other. Volunteers are not paid because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.

A BIG thank you to those who clean, write reports, do admin, arrange flowers, sing & play, serve refreshments, dig holes, ring bells, create rotas, read, pray, Community Matters donors and helpers, verge, and those who have served faithfully on church councils & deanery synods, especially our wonderful wardens.* Annual meetings are also a time to encourage others to fill the shoes of those who have offered long service and may need a break. I often say ‘if you’re older than the vicar, put your feet up. If you’re younger than the vicar pull your socks up’. But it’s often said ‘if you want a job done, find a busy person’. God also is prompting new recruits! Believe it!

Annual meetings are especially an opportunity to look to the future. To challenge and inspire, to reflect on fresh approaches. How might we do things differently or better? How might we encourage us all to share our faith with family, friends, neighbours, colleagues? Not for them to be pew fodder, but to experience the grace we have received unconditionally. The best way to share our faith, is to share our lives. ‘Go to their parties’ as Bishop Alan once said. There’s so much more to church, than services and buildings.

Nostalgia is not what it used to be and we should ‘never let our attachment to the past be greater than our commitment to the future.’ We are all called to be on a love mission not just in the maintenance team. We can never look back to some golden era, the good old days. There’s actually only one reason for looking back and this is where Easter takes us. For we look back to the cross and resurrection as the defining point in history that shapes all our ‘back to the futures’.

So never let our love of traditions, rituals, liturgy, buildings, past glories, be greater than our love for Jesus, for it may hold us back from moving forward, and from always keeping the main thing, the main thing.

Onwards and upwards, for the best is yet to come.

Keep the faith, but never ever to ourselves.

Love Philip x
*if you are missed off the list, you are loved beyond measure