Local Lad Makes Good

Posted on behalf of Sheila Banyard

This weekend the church has been remembering Richard de Wych – Richard of Droitwich – our very own home-grown saint. He was the son of a farmer, born in1197 in a house which probably stood on the site of the present Raven Hotel, and early on he showed himself to be a clever lad. So as a younger son with few prospects, the obvious route to betterment was a career in the church.

Richard was already showing himself an excellent scholar at Oxford, when a crisis back home persuaded him to leave his studies to help run the farm. After the death of his father, an unscrupulous guardian had squandered the family fortune, such as it was, but his older brother thought that he might have the solution to their problems when he tried to get Richard to marry a wealthy local heiress. But Richard knew this wasn’t the path for him; he returned to Oxford and set out on the career which would lead him to become in 1245 the thirty-eighth Bishop of Chichester.

Today Richard is often best remembered, by people outside of Droitwich and Chichester at least, for the prayer which carries his name. It’s known in many forms not least (for those of a certain age) through the song Day by Day made popular by the 1970s musical Godspel.  Much of Richard’s prayer is probably comparatively modern, but this mix doesn’t diminish the affection Christians have for it. People revered Richard for his honesty, compassion and faith, qualities many people still think are vital today.  So perhaps the blend of ancient and modern in Richard’s prayer helps to bridge the centuries by reminding us that the holiness of any saint has something to teach every generation.

The Prayer of St Richard

Lord Jesus Christ,

we thank you for all the benefits you have won for us,

for all the pains and insults you have borne for us.

Most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother,

may we know you more clearly,

love you more dearly,

and follow you more nearly,

day by day.

Sunday 17 June

We launch our month's reflection on "Giving" with a special service at 10.00am Sun 17 June at St Andrew's. There will be no morning services at St Augustine's, St Nicholas' and St Peter's

In the evening, we join together with our brothers and sisters at the Methodist Church (6.30pm start) for one of our two special joint services this year.

We all need encouraging

In today’s rush it is very easy to take things for granted. There becomes an expectation that people ought to do things because it is their job to do so and woe betide those who don’t meet those expectations.
We are also told by psychologists and socoiologists that there are a significant number of people who suffer from low self-esteem and self-worth. They can then often become anti-social because they have no appreciation of their own achievements. How to square this circle is a big challenge.
A small contribution can be to appreciate what others do. A word of appreciation and encouragement will ensure that the task is repeated and even improved. It is easy to become dispirited if we are taken for granted!
Barnabas was a companion of St Paul on his journeys around the Mediterranean and we are told that he lived up to the meaning of his name – The Son of Encouragement. He encouraged Paul. He also encouraged the early followers of Jesus as they faced persecution for their faith. On 11th June the church recognises Barnabas - can you use this occasion to encourage somebody and help them identify the gifts they have been given by God.

God-talk

The language the church uses to speak about God is often difficult. Some people say that developing a complicated doctrine of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit hides the simple faith of Jesus. It obscures (they say) the basic teaching that “God is love.” Preachers have been known to satirically quote the (mainly unused Athanasian Creed from the old prayer book: “The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible” and add “the whole blooming thing incomprehensible.”

Certainly that echoes the feelings of a great many Christians who use the language in worship, but (often secretly) feel baffled by it. But I suggest it’s well worth persevering with it.

First, consider the simple statement “God is love.” Our simple experience of love is that it is about relationships. We show love to someone, know ourselves loved by someone, feel love for someone. Love is a verb, a doing word, before it is a noun or naming word. So how can God actually be love, rather than just being loving to us, others, the world?

The answer the church gave to this question took its shape from the experience of Jesus. The first Christians experienced the presence of God in Jesus, yet saw Jesus praying to his Father, and teaching them to pray “Our Father.” They experienced God acting as Spirit in their life together: yet this experience of God was not the same as Jesus, but instead helped them know the risen Jesus. So they started to talk about Father, Son and Spirit at the same time they were teaching and living out the idea that “God is love.”

They could say “God is love” because there was, as it were, a set of relationships at the heart of God’s being. God did not just enter a loving relationship with the world, did not just show love, as an individual might, but actually was love – an eternal loving relationship.

God does not just invite people to love him, but to join in an already existing relationship of love, just, as it were, in ideal circumstances, a child is born into an already loving family. And so we usually begin our worship and prayer with “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” We don’t start from scratch, we join in the love that’s always been going on, always is going on, and always will go on.

Toddler Group — help needed

Do you have a couple of hours spare on a Friday morning in term-time? If you do would you be willing to offer help on an occasional basis at the Parish's Toddler Group which meets at St Nicholas' church between 9.30 and 11.30am. We have a wonderful group of mums, dads carers and children who enjoy the play-time and as the church we offer squash and nibbles, and coffee. Help is appreciated to add to the number of volunteers who help in the kitchen. For more info. please speak to David Owen on 771516, or by email.