Welcome to St. Luke's Church, Cheltenham - a living expression of the love of God in Christ.

1 Mar 2007 - News from The Link

Lent Course 2007

St Michael's & St Luke's

EMMAUS

The way of faith

We are running Emmaus as a Lent course to enable as many people as possible to experience it. There will be an Evening Emmaus at St Luke's on Thursdays and a Daytime Emmaus at St Michael's on Wednesdays. We hope that people will feel welcome to attend at the time most convenient to them regardless of which church they attend.

From this we hope that some of you might think about either helping out on a future Emmaus course or perhaps inviting friends to come along and find out more about Christianity. You will be confident about what you're inviting them too because you've tried it yourself!

In May this year we will be running Emmaus as an outreach course to people who aren't part of our congregations. This will be part of our joint outreach and hopes for growth.

The Revd Robert Pestell writes...

A time for growth?

We have entered the season of Lent, which is intended to be a time of preparation leading up to Holy Week and Easter. During these 40 days and 40 nights (Sundays are not included because they are regarded as 'festival days' when we continue to celebrate Jesus' resurrection) we are asked to take a fresh look at ourselves and our relationship with God. The very name of the season gives us a hint of our position and our dependence upon God. All that we have has been 'lent' to us for safekeeping and is to be used in the best possible way. The offertory prayer that we sometimes use reminds of this and helps to 'put us in our place' as we acknowledge God as Creator and recognise ourselves to be his children benefiting from his abundant generosity and grace, 'Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the splendour, and the majesty; for everything in heaven and on earth is yours. All things come from you, and of your own do we give you'.

Lent provides the space and opportunity, if we wish to use it, to deepen our relationship with God, to push back the boundaries a little and maybe to step out of our comfort zone to do and explore something a bit different - study parts of scripture that you have previously avoided, read a book that challenges you, speak to those who you have difficulty in relating to, spending time with God in silence and so on.

It is the time of growth in the natural world and it can be the time for personal spiritual growth as well. Remember that we are temples of God's Holy Spirit and that just as God is alert and active so also we have to be a people on the move, ever aware of the things that can draw us away from God, and constantly seeking to build up and strengthen our relationship with our Loving Father through the Spirit and the Saviour.

I hope that you find this season a time of new growth in your relationship with God as we look forward to celebrating the events of Holy Week and Easter together,

With every blessing to you all,

Robert

St Luke's PCC Meeting held on 11 December 2006

On general news: In 2007 the Connect prayer meetings will be held on the first Monday in the month (excluding bank holidays when the meeting will move to the following Tuesday). The Revd Robert Pestell and Revd Rob Merchant are to run a Christian Basics course to coincide with Lent. This will be based on the Emmaus course. The PCC have agreed to invite 2 members of St Michael's PCC to attend future St Luke's PCC Meetings with a view to developing a better understanding of the issues facing each church. Representatives from St Luke's PCC will also attend St Michael's PCC meetings. Sue Robbins has become Electoral Roll Officer following Pete Burke stepping down - many thanks to Pete for all his efforts.

On finances, the St Luke's gift day raised in excess of £11,000. Many thanks to all who dug deep to give so generously - keep it up in 2007! The PCC has agreed to transfer £4,000 to fund the development of the disabled toilet in the porch of the church. The PCC have voted to give lump sum donations to Latin Link (following the involvement of Sue Garcia in one of their projects in Argentina) and Wateraid. The latter prompted in part by a number of people from the congregation going to see the production of Pipe Dreams (Riding Lights Theatre Company), a play highlighting the importance of providing clean water for all across the globe. Donations of £495 will be made to each charity.

On Youthwork, Rock Solid is now meeting at Cornerstone (St Michael's) on Tuesdays at 6:15pm. Wes has to date been in contact with 20 children. Mettle (for older children) has attended a number of joint events including the West Cheltenham Christmas Extravaganza in December. They meet at Wes and Becca's house on a Sunday evening. For more information please contact Wes Bell (07812 638 903).

Paul Burfitt

St John's Primary School - where children flourish

The last few weeks we seem to have experienced all the different types of weather! February started with ferocious winds, which not only blew us around when we were in playground but also dislodged some roof tiles! Almost a week later there was the highlight of the year (for many of us!) with the heavy snowfall. Unlike a lot of schools in the area St John's were open for 'business as usual' (albeit taking half an hour or so for what can only be described as fun and frolics in the playground as children and staff built several snowmen!) The 'Echo' came to take photographs and were unable to resist taking a photo of the children throwing snowballs at Mrs Snow! Speaking of the Echo - we would be grateful for any of the 'Tokens for Schools'. Please hand them in to the School Office.

We enjoyed a Maths curriculum day last Friday, where we devoted the day to 'Handling maths data' representing our work in a variety of formats including block graphs, pie charts and pictograms.

When we come back to School after the week's break we will be looking forward to celebrating 'World Book Day' where we will be dressing up as our favourite story book character and contributing to the Comic Relief campaign by 'wearing big clothes for red nose!'

All in all, a very exciting time.

Fiona Hadden

(Reception Class teacher)

We need to pray together

Have Christians lost the art of healing prayer?

Some churches even question whether God heals today through anything other than natural means, like medicine. Even Christians who come to church every Sunday never pray with one another at home. Again, married couples, if they pray with each other, if they pray at all, only pray formal prayers, like grace at meals. Husbands and wives do not pray with a sick partner or child even in the privacy of their own home. Who knows how much cancer, arthritis and heart disease could be healed if only ordinary Christians learned to pray with one another?

But the truth is Jesus wants to use you to bless and heal one another. Jesus spent a large part of his time on earth going from one sick person to another laying his hands on them and healing them, even on the Sabbath. Is He any less willing or able to do this today? He told his disciples to continue this ministry and that they would do "greater things". Do we believe this? "I tell you solemnly once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them" Matt.18.19-20.

Part of the Good News is that God wants to use your words and the touch of your hands to heal your loved ones. Even if you do not feel worthy or holy, Jesus wants you to pray for the needs in your family and your community. It is important to know that Jesus needs your prayers in spite of your weakness. You are not being proud or making yourself out as someone special if you start to pray for the sick; you are just acting as a normal Christian should. "These are the signs that will be associated with believers ... they will lay hands on the sick who will recover" Mark 16 17-18. Note, believers, not saints, you don't have to be Peter or Paul.

If you believe the common teaching of Christianity that God lives within you, you should find it easy to see that your touch can heal. It's not always instant, sometimes it takes time. Sometimes it's ordinary healing, sometimes miraculous. Often there needs to be forgiveness and reconciliation in relationships, an inner healing, first.

You do not need permission to pray for one another. If your child is ill, pray with the child and ask your husband or wife to join you. Praying with someone builds up faith, and the touch of a hand can be a channel of God's power. If someone asks you for prayer do you undertake to "remember them in your prayers" (i.e. later); why not stop there and then and pray together?

It is simple:

Love one another

Believe that Jesus loves more than you do and has the power to heal

Speak to Jesus and ask Him to heal

Rest your hands upon the sick

You don't have to be special, just an ordinary Christian, aware of your own weakness or what you consider your own lack of faith.

Jesus wants to heal through you - and will if you give Him the chance.

Heather Barton

From THE PRAYER THAT HEALS by Francis MacNutt

Holocaust Memorial Day 2007

Since the year 2000 the 27th January has been observed by many people in Europe as Holocaust Memorial Day. On the 27th January 1945 the Soviet allies liberated the prisoners at Auschwitz & Birkenau in Southern Poland.

In October last year I was in Krakow and visited the former concentration camp in this Polish town known as Oswiecim. This was a very sombre experience. Seeing displays of artefacts of many of those who perished, such as shoes, suitcases, spectacles, human hair and prosthetic limbs was very humbling. I came away feeling that such human suffering should be the end to all human suffering. But sadly genocide continues even today. One of the frailties of human nature is that we seldom ever learn from our mistakes. We only need to look at Rwanda to see that the atrocities of the Second World War and the Holocaust have taught the human race very little. ?Will we ever learn??

On Thursday 25th January in Cheltenham a service of remembrance was observed in the Council Chamber of the Municipal Offices. This was supported by both the Christian & Hebrew Communities as well as by those of other faiths or none. During this service candles were lit by representatives from both the Christian & Hebrew Communities. The Mayor of Cheltenham, Councillor Mrs. Jackie Fletcher added her support to the occasion by sharing her own personal grief for relatives who themselves perished during the Holocaust.

At a time when world peace is threatened it was appropriate to conclude the service with a Prayer of Peace approved by leaders of the Jewish, Christian & Moslem Communities.

"O God, you are the source of life and peace.

Praised be your name forever.

We know it is you who turn our minds to thoughts of peace.

Hear our prayer in time of crisis.

Your Power changes hearts

Moslems, Christians and Jews remember and profoundly affirm,

That they are followers of one God,

Children of Abraham, brothers & sisters;

Enemies begin to speak to one another;

Those who are estranged join hands in friendship;

Nations seek the way of peace together.

Strengthen our resolve to give witness to these truths by the way we live.

Give to us:

Understanding that puts end to strife;

Mercy that quenches hatred, and

Forgiveness that overcomes vengeance.

Empower All people to live in your law of love.

Amen"

If you would like to know more about other religious faiths there is an Interfaith Forum in Cheltenham. They usually meet on the third Monday of each Month @ 1930 Hours at the Friends Meeting House, Warwick Place. They also organise visits to places of spiritual interest.

God Bless.

Howard Marshall