Saint Michael’s Church
Serving God and Bishop’s Stortford since 673
Clergy Letter For February 2007
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CLERGY LETTER FOR FEBRUARY 2007 |
| The Revd Derek Hinge Writes... |  |
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As I write this letter it is the middle of January when we have just about stopped thinking about New Year’s resolutions, because we’ve already broken them!! It is the same old story. Now I am going to quote from a brochure that came though the post the other day from your favourite high street pharmacy. It began like this: “Every year, most of us make them (resolutions) and yet, after a few days, many of us break them and go back to our old ways. If this sounds familiar, it could be because you’re trying to do too many things at once. Which is why we’ve brought back our Change One Thing programme – to help you to focus on one realistic goal and achieve it in three clear steps; writing a pledge, preparing a plan and positive persistence. And the great thing is it really works.” The point of this programme from the customers’ point of view is to change one aspect of your life that affects your health, and, in the process, purchase (at discounted prices of course) various products that will help you achieve what you have planned. From the store’s point of view, the idea is to increase sales and hopefully to plough the profit back into improving customer services and thus increasing their customer base. All this turned my mind to Lent that starts at the end of the month on Ash Wednesday, February 21st. Lent, as we know, is a time when we reflect on our Christian journey; when we travel the path that Jesus trod as we follow his story from his baptism to the cross; when we face up to the tough part of being Christian. ‘Change One Thing’ – that sounds like a good motto for Lent! Elsewhere in this magazine are details of various events during Lent and I commend them to you. But I want to issue a challenge to everyone who reads this to think about that motto, ‘Change One Thing’, in three different contexts. First, in your own personal relationship with God; what one thing would you like to change that is realistic. Do you need a greater sense of God’s presence in your life? Do you need to understand more about the Bible? Do you need to try a different way of praying? Do you need to re-order how you spend your time? Such questions and others that you can think of can be the starting point to change one thing in your journey with God. When you have decided what that one thing should be, make a note in a diary or a notebook that you have pledged yourself to make that change. Then jot down how you plan to do it, and finally go for it and persist. Now, secondly, apply the motto to the area of relationships. What one thing would you like to change in your relationships with family, friends, the church, the local community? Remember this is not just wishing but thinking of something practical and achievable. Is there something more you could do for someone in your family? Could you give more of your attention to a local charity or a local issue? Could you develop a skill that would benefit people whose lives you touch each day? Could you simply give more? Again try to focus on changing one thing, and then pledge, plan and persist. Finally, apply ‘change one thing’ to the needy world around you? We are all conscious of social, environmental and international issues in the present day. To change one thing seems a tall order for an individual to achieve but history shows that people who have pledged themselves to change a situation, have had a plan to achieve it and have persisted, have brought about significant change. This year we shall celebrate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery eventually achieved through parliament by William Wilberforce. Sadly, a different form of human trafficking now takes place. Maybe you could do something to change one thing in that context. Or, you might think of how you can change your lifestyle to make your small, but invaluable, contribution to limiting man’s effect on his environment. Or you might try to make change by taking a deeper interest in what your local MP is doing, and understanding more deeply, the decisions he has to make. As you think about these things during Lent, keep reflecting on the way in which Jesus firmly, gently, sometimes quite stridently, applied the values of God’s kingdom to every situation that confronted him. It led him to the cross. And the cross is the one thing in human history that has changed the world for ever. With many blessings to you all , especially during Lent, Derek |
Office Address:
Saint Michael’s Church
Windhill
Bishops Stortford
Hertfordshire
CM23 2ND