A life transformed

I heard recently about a group of teenagers chatting and laughing on a pavement when a lady, probably in her 80’s, tried to get past. The group wouldn’t move, however, blocking the path and forcing her walk on the road. As she passed they jeered at her and made disparaging comments about her age and appearance.

When I heard of this, my first reaction was one of anger. How dare they treat someone like that? But these feelings were soon followed by feelings of sadness and despair, even. I thought about our society which increasingly worships youth and celebrity, and where one’s worth is measured in terms of one’s bank balance, looks or abilities. Being raised in that environment, perhaps these young people have not been given the moral grounding that many take for granted.

The Bible speaks of honouring the one’s parents and the elderly and of caring for the weak and vulnerable, but when you don’t know or don’t respect biblical authority then it is hard to justify why you should do these things. The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), but when society tells you that God is dead and ‘if it feels good do it’, life can easily become a moral free-for-all.

But then I started to feel hopeful as I thought of dramatic stories of God’s intervention in the lives of apparently hopeless cases. People like Nicky Cruz.

Nicky Cruz was raised in Puerto Rico and was the victim of repeated physical abuse and rejection at the hands of his parents. In an attempt to escape his violent upbringing, Cruz fled to New York City in the mid 1950s where he soon got caught up in the gang violence that was sweeping the city. Fearless and seemingly immune to physical pain, Cruz rose through the ranks of the notorious Mau Mau gang in Fort Greene, Brooklyn to become their War Lord. Cruz’ life was a downward spiral of violence and dysfunction. A psychiatrist once told the court and Nicky that he was “doomed… finished… on a one-way trip to jail, the electric chair and hell.”

Then one day a skinny preacher, David Wilkerson, came to the war-torn streets of Brooklyn delivering a message to Nicky – “Jesus loves you, Nicky.” Cruz threatened to kill the preacher, but several weeks later at a rally in New York City, Cruz surrendered his life to God and exchanged his weapons for a Bible. For the past 50 years, Nicky has been travelling around the world reaching tens of millions of people with his miraculous testimony and continues to minister in inner cities and prisons. His life story has been told in the best-selling book, ‘The Cross and the Switchblade’, and in the movie by the same title. I read that book and saw that film when I was a teenager, and they had a significant impact on my fledgling Christian faith.

There are many others like Nicky Cruz, radically transformed by the power of God through the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Many stories of God’s work in the lives of individuals are less dramatic, but no less significant, and some of those will be shared at the Songs of Praise event on Harwell Recreation Ground on Sunday 26th May. If you are tempted to despair and need to be encouraged, please come along. If you just want to join in with a good old sing then you are equally welcome. And if you would like to share your story of how God has been at work in your life, then be in touch!

What sort of king?

A little lie

Most of us will admit that we have at times told a little lie to avoid embarrassment. It was to save face that former Cabinet minister Chris Huhne asked his wife to carry the can for his speeding offence. A decade later the chickens have come home to roost, with the misdemeanour revealed and a political career in tatters. From chickens to horses, the European food industry is another casualty of dishonesty and the horsemeat scandal has opened a window on a murky European food industry seemingly riddled with dishonest practices driven by pressure to cut costs.
 
We read stories of government ministers in Europe embarrassed by discoveries of past plagiarism, and of the same syndrome on the other side of the Atlantic. Recently Harvard University accused 125 undergraduates of sharing and plagiarising answers for a final take-home exam, and a study found that an astonishing 85% of high school students cheat in tests. But it is hardly surprising that young people cheat when the most successful people in society cheat all the time – bankers pocket billions by rigging the interest rates they charge each other, pharmaceutical companies fake their trial results, famous singers lip-sync at concerts, and elite athletes such as Lance Armstrong illegally use drugs to get to the top.
 
It is shocking how even very young children find it so easy to deal in half-truths and spin. Deceiving others comes shamefully easily to us. It is very tempting to be economical with the truth, or to lie outright, when it is apparently rewarding to do so. But lies and deception are ultimately damaging – not just to those around us, but to us too – as Chris Huhne and Lance Armstrong have discovered. “Oh, what a tangled web we weave… when first we practice to deceive” observed Walter Scott.
 
So what is the solution? It starts with naming the problem – not to do so is another form of deception. The Apostle John tells us that “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us”. Mark Twain – that shrewd observer of the human condition – was also aware of the universality of this particular blight: “There’s one way to find out if a man is honest”, suggests Twain, “ask him; if he says yes, you know he’s crooked.” But having the honesty to answer ‘no’ is the approach that John advocates: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).
 
Our food chain is contaminated and in need of purification, but the only chance of that is to identify the source of the problem. For ourselves, we need to name the problem and be prepared to be embarrassed in order to be purified. To deny the problem is self-deception. But to admit it is the way to life and freedom.
 
Revd Dr Jonathan Mobey
Rector of Harwell with Chilton

Pairing up

Be mine, Valentine. No sooner, it seems, are the shops clear of tinsel and baubles than they restock with heart-shaped chocolates and soft toys bearing romantic messages. But interest in romance is not just around Valentine’s Day. Throughout the year the pop charts are full of love songs and the cinemas with films which have a love story at their heart.
 
Teenagers are particularly sensitive to the biological imperative to pair up and often expend a great deal of time and money trying to look just right for that special someone who might come along. It is not out of fashion: according to a recent survey, 89% of young people want to get married.
 
Deep in our wiring, most human beings seem to desire to find a mate and ‘live happily ever after’. Though we often fall short of the ideal, there is a deep yearning for relationships that are lifelong and exclusive. Divorce is a sad reality, but two thirds of first marriages do in fact last ‘until death us do part’. And research suggests that marriage is good both for adults and children. Whilst it is not always possible for various reasons, we know that children generally do best when brought up by married parents.
 
From the earliest times human societies have recognised, regulated and organised themselves around lifelong ’pair-bonds’ of a man and woman in which children are born and raised. Marriage has not been invented by any government or religion, nor can it be redefined. Marriage arises from our nature.
 
It is one of the joys and privileges of ministry that I get to meet couples wanting to get married and then officiate at their weddings. The Church of England wedding service is well-known and speaks of marriage as reflecting the union of Christ with his bride, the Church. Marriage is God’s idea and the love and commitment expressed in marriage is one of the ways humans are designed to reflect God.
 
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:2-3).
 
Marriage is a precious thing which we should celebrate and protect, and we should support those who are married or aspiring to relationships of love and commitment. Perhaps every day should be Valentine’s Day.
 
Revd Dr Jonathan Mobey
Rector of Harwell with Chilton

Good news

What would be the best news you could hear this Christmas? An all-clear on your health, a promotion or exciting new job, or news of a new baby? Our TVs and newspapers have been full of plenty of bad news in 2012, so some decent good news would be welcome as the year draws to a close.

Just over 2000 years ago, angels – God’s messengers – came from heaven. They brought good news – earth-shattering, mind-blowing good news – for all people. We continue to announce and celebrate those ‘great glad tidings’ in our churches this Christmas. There are a variety of special services, including those suitable for families with young children, traditional candlelit services, and others besides – details are provided in this card. Do join us to celebrate the good news of this special season.

Warm greetings from All Saints’ Chilton and St Matthew’s Harwell. May you know God’s blessing this Christmas and in the coming year.

Revd Dr Jonathan Mobey
Rector of Harwell with Chilton

Autumn days

To my mind, autumn starts when we first decide to put on the central heating at home. Officially it started on 22nd September – the equinox when day and night each last 12 hours. We may yet get a burst of heat before winter is upon us, but the signs of autumn are certainly all around.
 

For many of us, the annual turning of the seasons simply adds interest to life, giving an opportunity to wear a different wardrobe, or engage in an alternative set of leisure activities. For others, particularly those who work outdoors or close to the land, the seasons make a huge difference to daily life. For some, particularly the frail or very poor, the change of seasons can lead to illness or even death.
 

However much we are aware of them, the seasons are a fixed part of life in the natural world. They also point towards the seasons in our own lives.
 

Over the last few months I have been involved with quite a number of funerals. A popular reading at such services includes the following verses: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2).
 

This ancient book from the biblical wisdom literature reminds us that we are as subject to seasons as the rest of the world. And faced with the inevitable change and seasonality that is built into the natural world, we could become fatalistic, resigned to being trapped in these unavoidable cycles. Or we could try to look beyond them.
 

In another book of biblical wisdom, Job recognises that the seasons are not directed by an impersonal power, but that there is a person behind them. In a time of personal crisis, Job, with prophetic insight, declares that it is the Lord who gives and takes away (Job 1:21). Years later Jesus further explains that because of his love, the heavenly Father “causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45).
 

Whilst they may be outside our control, the seasons are part of God’s good plan for his world. So as autumn arrives, whether around us or in our lives, let’s give thanks to God for the seasons, trust his loving wisdom, and seek to make the most of the differing opportunities that each brings.

Revd Dr Jonathan Mobey
Rector of Harwell with Chilton

Enjoyed Holiday Club?

Are you now wondering what's next? We are hoping to run another Holiday Club in 2013, but between now and then there are a number of activities and events that might be of interest.

'Hands Free'

Special events

All Age Worship

Easter 2013

'Y-Club'

Holiday Club 2013

Harwell Young Singers

1st Harwell Scouts

Holidays

This month I'm writing from the middle of a field. Our whole family are joining in with the 1st Harwell Scout Group summer camp - and we're having a great time! At this time of year people in their thousands take to the fields for their holidays - living life very differently for a week or two, enjoying being close to the natural world. Such activity is all the more enjoyable when the sun is shining, as at last it is (at least, at the time of writing!). For others, the concepts of holiday and camping most certainly do not go together, and a proper bed, running water and solid walls are strictly non-negotiable.

We are different in the things we find restful and refreshing. But we all need to take time out of our normal routines to rest, reflect, and recharge. It is easy to get ground down by what can sometimes seem to be a treadmill of daily life, and building in relaxation and recreation into our lives is essential if we want to stay healthy and fresh. This is not only good sense, it is commanded in the Bible.

God's people were instructed to have one day free from work every seven - the so called Sabbath day - and this was taken so seriously that it even made it into the Ten Commandments.

"Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day

is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work"

(Exodus 20:9-10a).

In addition to the weekly Sabbath day were a cycle of special annual celebrations that also enforced rest, and this important concept has made it into our culture. The English word ‘holiday' comes from ‘Holy Day' - a day set aside for a special purpose - time to rest, reflect and recharge.

We should not feel guilty about carving out time for these things. We need them, and God commands them. We can keep going for a while without a break, but like a vehicle that is not regularly serviced, we risk inefficiency and even breakdown. As pit stops are important for racing cars, so breaks are for humans. So whether it is time in a field under canvas or in more civilised surroundings, do take a holiday if you can.

With best wishes,

Jonathan.

Revd Dr Jonathan Mobey
Rector of Harwell with Chilton
August 2012

Only one gets the prize...

“Send her victorious, happy and glorious!” The Diamond Jubilee celebrations are only just over, and the country finds itself gearing up for another major event. Again, the National Anthem will be played, but now to urge Team GB to victory in the London Olympics. This year is a gift for schools, who are able to link their Sports Days to this global celebration of sporting excellence to encourage their pupils to athletic endeavour.

Sport and athletics can be very valuable, not only in promoting physical health, but also for encouraging teamwork, building self-esteem and developing perseverance. A number of pioneering projects in poor communities use sport to great effect, and sports teams and events have great potential to bring together people from diverse backgrounds.

But not everyone is sporty. Some people have been scarred by bad experiences at school, not being picked for the team, or coming last in the race despite trying hard. Some people would love to be good at sport, but it just doesn’t happen for them. What does the Olympics have for them? Well, one thing the Olympics offers is a chance to cheer on the national team that is representing us. Although we may not be up to competing, in a way they are doing it for us. They go through the gruelling training and the pressure of competing, paying a great personal cost, in order to win the prize on our behalf. We can cheer them on, and if they win medals, we can celebrate with them. Winning gold in the Olympics is out of the question for most of us, but they can do it for us.

The Christian faith sees Jesus representing us in a similar way; the champion athlete representing his nation and winning the prize on their behalf. And as there is only one gold medal or crown of laurels to be won in each race, only Jesus is able to win the prize. As the Apostle Paul says, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?” He goes on to say that the prize that Christians are really interested in is one of supreme value, of even greater worth than an Olympic Gold; it is “a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:24,25).

Jesus is the one who is truly victorious, happy and glorious. He wins the prize that we are incapable of winning, but he wins it on our behalf. As we cheer on our team at the Olympics this summer, urging them on to win the prizes that are far beyond our reach, we can know that, however many they win, the ultimate prize of eternal life is already won for those who cheer for Jesus.

Revd Dr Jonathan Mobey
Rector of Harwell with Chilton
July 2012

The Jubilee

Will you be celebrating the Jubilee? The souvenir mugs have arrived in the shops, the TV documentaries are ready to air, and bunting will soon be going up. Many people will be marking the Jubilee with street parties and, of course, an extra Bank Holiday, a free day’s pay symbolising the Sovereign’s favour on her subjects.

But in these tough economic times many will not feel like celebrating. Our economy continues to bump along the bottom, vulnerable to the debt-fuelled crisis in the Eurozone. Personal and national debt is pervasive and damaging, a significant factor in mental illness. Celebrating the Jubilee amongst mounting debt would seem to be incongruous. But it shouldn’t be. Jubilee is all about debt.

Jubilee is an ancient term used of a biblical celebration held every 50 years in which debts were cancelled, lands returned to their original owners and slaves freed (see Leviticus 25). Jubilee literally means ‘release’ or ‘liberty’. Jubilee was built into the heart of the life of God’s people to reflect that both the land and the people belonged to God, and needed protection.

But Jubilee was not simply an economically levelling piece of Jewish legislation. It set the scene for and pre-figured the Christian gospel.

When Jesus launched his ministry in his hometown synagogue, quoting from the prophet Isaiah, he declared that he had come to proclaim and bring about liberty, literally ‘Jubilee’, saying

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim Jubilee [liberty] to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at Jubilee [liberty] those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour” (Luke 4:18–19).

The Christian faith is all about the good news of liberty; the pardoning of debts – especially our moral debt to God – and of release from oppression. So as we celebrate the Jubilee year of Queen Elizabeth, let us remember also to celebrate the Jubilee of the King of Heaven, the year of the Lord’s favour.

Revd Dr Jonathan Mobey

Rector of Harwell with Chilton

June 2012

The rising of the Son

It’s wonderful to see the signs of spring around us and enjoy the warmth of the sun. The sun has been in the news recently, with stories about stellar storms, solar power, and impending drought. 93 million miles may seem like a long way away, and on a cloudy day we may even forget that it’s there, but the importance of the sun’s presence at the centre of the solar system can’t be overstated. Without the sun there would be no life on this planet.

With the reappearance of the sun and the new life of spring, comes Easter. Easter is the central festival of the Christian year and the importance of the Easter events can’t be overstated. Easter is about life and death – or rather the death and life – of Jesus Christ and of every human that has ever lived. It recalls events a long way off that can be ignored or taken for granted, but if true are of universal importance. Whether the sun shines affects us all. Whether God’s Son rose from the dead is even more significant.

This Son is very much in the news at our churches this Easter. Whatever your age or outlook you are very welcome to join us to investigate, reflect on, and celebrate the rising of God’s Son and the life that He brings.

Revd Dr Jonathan Mobey

Rector of Harwell with Chilton

April 2012

Appreciation

March the 18th this year provides an opportunity for celebration. And I don’t just mean for hard-pressed florists and chocolatiers hoping for a boost in their cash-flow. Mother’s Day has become an international phenomenon, in part because of commercial interests, but also, I believe, because we recognise that it is a good thing to appreciate and celebrate those who gave us life.

In Britain, mothers are traditionally celebrated on Mothering Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent, a welcome half-way break in a season of austerity. But what of the fathers? Hard as the men might try to be supportive and ‘hands-on’ with their families, much of the burden, especially in those exhausting early years, falls on the mother. Much of mothering is hard grind, a 24-7 commitment to putting the needs of a small, dependent human being before your own, and bearing the toll, physically and emotionally.

Of course, there are rewards to be had along the way, and the joy of witnessing landmark achievements such as baby's first words. It was not very diplomatic of my children that the first word each of them uttered was not the deserved and deeply rewarding ‘ma-ma’ but the rather galling ‘da-da’! Of course, it was probably nothing to do with expressing a preference for one parent, but simply making an easier sound.

Whatever the significance of our first words, it is universally true that we are not very good at appreciating those who have given so much to us, in particular our parents. Mothering Sunday and the fathers’ counterpart in June are an opportunity, in a small way, to address this oversight.

But there is a greater oversight that needs to be addressed. The love and sacrifice of our human parents directs us to an even greater, even more loving Parent, the one ‘from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named’ (according to Ephesians 3:15). And like our earthly parents, we often take the heavenly Father for granted and neglect to express our gratitude to Him for His goodness to us.

Whilst our mothers give birth to us, feed, clothe, educate, and comfort us, God is the ultimate source of all those things. Whilst our mothers have made and make great sacrifices out of their love for us, all that is a pointer towards the much greater love of the God who became one of us in his Son, and the unimaginable sacrifice made so that the beloved children of the heavenly Father might have life.

Revd Dr Jonathan Mobey

Rector of Harwell with Chilton

March 2012

New Beginnings

As a child at school I used to love getting a new exercise book. With every new school year came a new set of books and a new opportunity—the possibly of a flawless book without any mistakes! I am by nature an optimist. It is said that a pessimist can never be disappointed but whether expected or not, every one of us is inevitably and regularly brought face to face with the reality of imperfection, the disappointment of falling short, the shame of missing the mark. However hard we try, it is a sad certainty that we cannot keep our exercise books free of mistakes, our relationships free of selfishness, or our world free of suffering. New Year’s Resolutions, however sincere, are simply not enough. There are forces at work stronger than our good intentions.

Revd Dr Jonathan Mobey

Rector of Harwell with Chilton

January 2012

Celebrate with us

Christmas is coming! For many people, the run-up to Christmas is a time of stress and worry. The pressure of buying presents, preparing meals and hosting visitors can be overwhelming. In amongst the busyness and commercialism it is good to slow down, to take time to reorientate ourselves, and to remember the miracle of that first Christmas, when God became a human baby.

This Advent, the season of preparation, and at Christmas itself, there are a number of opportunities to prepare for and celebrate that wonderful event, and this card contains details of the variety of special services that will be happening in Harwell and Chilton. There are services suitable for families with young children, traditional candlelit services, and services for those wanting to celebrate communion on one of the most important ‘feast days’ of Christianity. Jesus came for all people, and all are welcome at our services in this special season.

Warm greetings from All Saints’ Chilton and St Matthew’s Harwell. May you know God’s blessing this Christmas and in the coming year.

Revd Dr Jonathan Mobey

Rector of Harwell with Chilton

December 2011

Lest we forget

How is your memory? Probably not as good as that of the actress Marilu Henner who has the rare condition ‘hyperthymesia’. Marilu is able to remember every day of her life as if it were yesterday. “When someone asks me about a particular day, it’s like I’m looking for a scene on a DVD playing before me,” she told the Sunday Times. “In a second I’m back there, looking at the scene as I saw it. I can focus in on details, like the title of a book.”

Identity, sacrifice and celebration. To remember is an essential part of life and that which roots, orientates and sustains us. To remember is part of what it is to be human. This November let’s take time to remember, and be thankful.

Revd Dr Jonathan Mobey

Rector of Harwell with Chilton

November 2011

Listen Up

Listening skills are a key part of the curriculum at good medical schools. Such skills are taught for at least two reasons. Not only is good listening therapeutic in itself, it is also essential to the process of making a diagnosis. It is said that 90% of all diagnoses can be made simply from listening to what a patient says. Listening is also a key part of the next stage in making a diagnosis – the examination – hence the importance of the stethoscope. Another reason for listening is to expand one’s own resources by gaining from the wisdom and experience of others.

God speaks to and guides us in all sorts of ways. Christians believe that the primary way is through his Son, Jesus Christ, as revealed in the Bible, but that God also speaks to us indirectly through other people, our circumstances and our consciences. It can be difficult to hear the ‘still small voice’ of God (cf 1 Kings 19:11-13) and it can be all too easy to hear what we want to hear. But if we genuinely want to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd guiding us, we can.

Revd Dr Jonathan Mobey

Rector of Harwell with Chilton

October 2011

The Next Generation

What is to be done? Justice must be done, the debris cleared up, and the victims cared for. But if we are going to heed this wake-up call, we also need to engage in 'preventative medicine'. We have done it before and can do it again. The 1820's was a time in which, like today, many young people in the cities were out of control. A series of movements for social reform resulted, including the creation of Sunday Schools and YMCA buildings along with the teaching of morality and self-control. Within a generation, the rot was reversed and social order restored.

It is sometimes said that 'it takes a village to raise a child.' We in the villages of Harwell and Chilton, and the churches at their heart, face a great challenge. But if we are prepared to make the necessary sacrifices to invest in the future and make young people and families a priority, they and the society they will come to lead will benefit immeasurably.

Revd Dr Jonathan Mobey

Rector of Harwell with Chilton

September 2011