Harvest Assemblies

This week Lou, our Youth Worker, and I are in Manor High School leading their Harvest Assemblies.
We have been using this clip called Why Poverty? from The Why as a way into thinking about generosity and how we can share with others from the abundance of good things we have been given.

We have also read the story of the Widows Offering from Mark 12.41-44
'Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting thier money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put two very small copper coins, worth only a few pence. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, 'Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything - all she had to live on.'

Civic Service

The new Mayor of Oadby and Wigston, Councillor Rob Eaton, invited our vicar, Steve Bailey to be his Chaplain, during his year of office. It was therefore a great privilege to host the Civic Service at St Pauls on Sunday 25 September.

Not only did we welcome the Mayor, but also his wife, Councillor Lynda Eaton, and his guests which not only included councillors from Oadby and Wigston, but also the deputy High Sheriff and the mayors from many other boroughs.

At heart, the service followed our normal pattern, and we reached the 2^nd commandment in our series on the 10 Commandments. The mayor had chosen some of the hymns and there was also an act of commitment in which the mayor and the councillors committed themselves, before God, to the service of the people of the borough.

At a time of great financial pressure, we will be committing ourselves to pray for wisdom for the mayor and the other councillors as they make difficult decisions and will be praying for strength for them to be able to carry out their vision.

Thought for the Day

Yesterday morning I broadcast live my Thought for the Day on BBC Radio Leicester. You can listen to it here. (Move the slider to 46:12 minutes) They have been broadcasting on the road this week and were in Wigston yesterday. I was also interviewed afterwards. It was an early start, the Thought for the Day is at about 6.45am!

Here is the text of it:

In 1888 Alfred Nobel woke up one morning and read his own obituary in the local newspaper. It went as follows “Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite who died yesterday, devised a way for killing more people faster than ever. He died a very rich man.”

It was in fact Alfred’s older brother, Ludvig who had died. But Alfred was devastated and hated the idea of being remembered for developing a means to kill people and for amassing lots of money. So instead he decided to make a fresh start and initiated the Nobel prizes. His last will and testament set aside the bulk of his estate, giving the equivalent of $250 million US dollars to fund prizes for scientists and writers who foster peace.

As a Christian I believe that God offers us a fresh start at any time and that no one is beyond His love and grace. Through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, all our sin and shame has been dealt with. His rising again offers us hope. The past has been dealt with; our future is assured, so we can live in peace and hope today.  

Thought for the Day

Yesterday morning I broadcast live my Thought for the Day on BBC Radio Leicester. You can listen to it here. They have been broadcasting on the road this week and were in Wigston yesterday. I was also interviewed afterwards. It was an early start, the Thought for the Day is at about 6.45am!

Here is the text of it:

In 1888 Alfred Nobel woke up one morning and read his own obituary in the local newspaper. It went as follows “Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite who died yesterday, devised a way for killing more people faster than ever. He died a very rich man.”

It was in fact Alfred’s older brother, Ludvig who had died. But Alfred was devastated and hated the idea of being remembered for developing a means to kill people and for amassing lots of money. So instead he decided to make a fresh start and initiated the Nobel prizes. His last will and testament set aside the bulk of his estate, giving the equivalent of $250 million US dollars to fund prizes for scientists and writers who foster peace.

As a Christian I believe that God offers us a fresh start at any time and that no one is beyond His love and grace. Through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, all our sin and shame has been dealt with. His rising again offers us hope. The past has been dealt with; our future is assured, so we can live in peace and hope today.  

Love the Lord Your God

On Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. we have been studying the 10 Commandments. Taking them in reverse order, we are now reaching the early ones which are concerned specifically with our relationship with God.

The display in the vestibule reflects this, with the new display that reminds us to “Love the Lord your God.” This was Jesus’ reply, when asked “which is the greatest commandment?”

We are very grateful to Anona who always keeps this Board up to date with new displays.

Churches Together

This week the minister's from Churches Together in Oadby met to support and pray for one another. We also discussed plans for working together this term. Our work is supported by a group of lay reps from each church who also met together regularly and help turn plans into reality.

I was struck by something I read this week in my Bible in One Year commenting on a passage in Galatians, "Some today try to draw these kinds of boundaries.They say it is not enough to be a Christian. You need to be 'like us'. You need to be 'evangelical' or 'Catholic' or 'Pentecostal' - you have to be like them, whatever they are. You have to be a particular type of Christian to be a proper Christian. But faith in Jesus is enough. You do not need to add to it by circumcision or by any other brand. Accept one another on the basis of faith in Jesus, rather than the type of Christian."

Faith in Jesus is enough. Our common faith in Jesus Christ is what allows us to work together to share the good news of Jesus with all in Oadby.

Breakfast at Barnie's

Breakfast at Barnie's made a welcome return this morning after the summer break!

We are very grateful to the team who work so hard each month to provide us with a choice of either Full English cooked or a Continental style breakfast.

Breakfast is served from 8.30am before our 10am All Age service on the second Sunday of the month. Do join us!

Humility

A couple of weeks ago I preached at our Joint parish service held over the Bank Holiday weekend. The Bible passage was the parable of the wedding banquet from Luke 14.7-14. I spoke of the danger of pride, the guest who has to be asked to move down, and of false humility. I came across this great quote by Philip Brooks just the other day which speaks of a right understanding of humility.

"The true way to be humble is not to stoop until you are smaller than yourself, but to stand at your full height before some higher nature that will show you how small your greatness is. Stand at your very highest, and then look at Christ;  then go away and be forever humble."

This is what is meant by the invitation in the parable "friend, move up higher". Not that we are seeking reward now for our false humility but that we take our rightful place, stand at our very highest and look at Christ, recognising our own unworthiness.

Little Angels

Little Angel's is our Toddler Group which runs every Tuesday during term time from 1pm-2.45pm. As well as toys to play with there is also a different craft activity each week, fruit snack and story and song time at the end of the session. You can keep up with all that is going on by visiting their Face Book page here.

Thought for the fortnight from Bishop Martyn

“the twelve asked him about the parables” Mark 4:10

True Christians are committed to learning from Jesus. And one of the best ways to learn is to ask questions.
I love it when my children ply me with questions. Like all children they are naturally inquisitive about everything – when they see something new or there is something they don’t understand, they blurt out a question.

The first disciples – the twelve – often did the same. Sometimes they were ridiculous questions, like James and John asking to sit on his left and right in glory. Sometimes they were inspired questions: “who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Sometimes they showed a woeful lack of understanding. But always they were indicative of a life committed to learning from Jesus.

When we ask questions, we can expect to be shaped by God. My aim is to remain inquisitive until the day I die.
 

Martyn
Bishop of Leicester

Operation Christmas Child

On Sunday we encouraged people to be involved in Operation Christmas Child which is run by Samaritan's Purse. Boxes are packing leaflets are available so there is plenty of time to get involved.
You can also make use of your own shoe boxes, perfect if you have just brought some for the start of the new school year! You can pay for the postage on-line and get a unique bar code to go in your box which will let you know where it ends up. Follow this link to find out more, happy packing!

Nabeel Qureshi

Last summer many at St Paul's enjoyed reading Nabeel Qureshi's book Seeking Allah Finding Jesus which details his journey from a Muslim upbringing to a Christian faith.
We are saddened to read his latest announcement and offer our prayers for him at this time.

"This is an announcement that I never expected to make, but God in His infinite and sovereign wisdom has chosen me for this refining, and I pray He will be glorified through my body and my spirit. My family and I have received the news that I have advanced stomach cancer, and the clinical prognosis is quite grim. Nonetheless, we are going to pursue healing aggressively, both medical and miraculous, relying on God and the fact that He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.

In the past few days my spirits have soared and sank as I pursue the Lord's will and consider what the future might look like, but never once have I doubted this: that Jesus is Lord, His blood has paid my ransom, and by His wounds I am healed. I have firm faith that my soul is saved by the grace and mercy of the Triune God, and not by any accomplishment or merit of my own. I am so thankful that I am a child of the Father, redeemed by the Son, and sealed in the Spirit. No, in the midst of the storm, I do not have to worry about my salvation, and for that I praise you, God.

Unfortunately this means I am no longer able to engage in traveling ministry for the time being. I am canceling almost all my speaking events, with a few exceptions. From this point on until such a time as the Lord might choose to heal me, I intend to blog or vlog about my journey with cancer, transparently offering my heart, thoughts, and struggles in case they might encourage others and glorify God. I will no longer be with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, though it has been an absolute privilege to be on the team for the past 3 years. My third book, No God But One: Allah or Jesus?, launched today, and I still intend to write my next book, 20 Questions Muslims Ask and the Answers that Convert Them. Beyond that, the Lord knows.

Friends and family, may I ask you to fast and pray fervently for my healing? I do not profess to know the will of the Lord, but many of my close friends and confidants are convinced that this is a trial through which the Lord intends to bring me alive and refined. May His will be done, and may I invite you to seek Him in earnest, on your knees, fasting on my behalf, asking our Yahweh Rapha for healing in Jesus' name.

And as you pray and fast, "I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.” (Philippians 1:18-20)

For His Glory,
-Nabeel"