Free to Believe

Of the charities that St Paul's supports, the one that we feature this month is Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). They described their role as follows:

"CSW works in over 20 countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, defending everyone’s right to freedom of religion or belief. Three quarters of the world’s population lives in countries with severe restrictions on their religious freedom – in fact, it’s one of the most widely-violated human rights in the world. We think this is unacceptable. We’re working to change it. Our vision is of a world where everyone is free to choose their beliefs – to hold and practise any religion they like, or none at all.”

We believe that everyone has the right to choose their belief, but as Christians, we particularly support Christians who are being denied that right – often at great cost, with prohibition of meeting for worship, confiscation of the Bibles, imprisonment and even in some cases death. The least we can do is to support them in prayer, and support CSW financially.

Wrath – Hope – Peace

A group of cyclists led by the 75-year-old minister, Revd Robert de Berry are cycling the 750 mile route from Cape Wrath in Scotland, via the Hope Valley to Peacehaven in Sussex. They are doing this to raise awareness of, and support, two organisations, Release International and Christian Solidarity Worldwide. Both are committed to raise awareness of the problem of hundreds of people worldwide (many being Christians) who are imprisoned simply for practising their faith and to intercede for their release.

The group is staying overnight in Leicester on 8 June. There will be a meeting at St Paul’s at 7.30 p.m. when they will be explaining their ride and publicising the problem of people who are not allowed to practice their faith.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide is one of the charities already supported by St Paul’s and it will be good to have this possibility of supporting their actions.

Celebrating Easter

Our young people took a major role in a packed main Easter Morning Service yesterday. The service was led by our youth worker, Lou McGoldrick. There were young people in the music group. The Bible readings used a video recording, and one of the young people gave the talk, pre-recorded on video.

There was an Easter egg hunt for the children, within the church, where each plastic egg contained a word which together made up a verse. For the prayers, everyone made a paper dart and put a prayer need on it. When the dart was thrown, someone else picked it up and prayed for the original person’s prayer request. This was repeated three times.

The service concluded with Holy Communion, using the shortest and most responsive communion prayer.

It was a time of great celebration, which makes all the sadder, the attacks on Christians around the world, who have also been celebrating Easter. Our hearts go out to the family of the Muslim shopkeeper who was killed, apparently, for wishing his Christian customers a happy Easter.

The news that Jesus Christ is not dead, but is indeed risen, is a cause of great joy.

Wellspring – The Persecuted Church.

Both the Archbishop of Canterbury’s and the Pope’s Easter messages included their concern for the problems of the persecuted church. Particularly disliked by the Islamic State, but much more widely persecuted than that across the globe, Christians are being much persecuted – with beheadings, bombings, killings of ordained ministers and their congregations and abductions of their children.

Each month, the Oadby churches hold a Sunday evening alternative worship service called Wellspring, which this month was held at St Peter’s Church. The service was led by our rector, Michael Rusk, and one of St Paul's readers, Colin Chettle.

The service included accounts of Christian persecution – both historical and current and a video highlighting the seriousness of the current situation.

There was also music, silence, meditation and prayer.

A retiring collection was taken for the churches which had recently been bombed in Lahore.

Two Rows by the Sea

At a time when many Christians are paying for their faith with their lives, I was very struck by this poem, published by the Egyptian Bible Society. It relates to the execution of Egyptian Coptic Christian workers in Libya by the Islamist extremists.

Two rows of men walked the shore of the sea,

On a day when the world’s tears would run free,

One a row of assassins, who thought they did right,

The other of innocents, true sons of the light,

One holding knives in hands held high,

The other with hands empty, defenceless and tied,

One row of slits to conceal glaring dead eyes,

The other with living eyes raised to the skies,

One row stood steady, pall-bearers of death,

The other knelt ready, welcoming heaven’s breath,

One row spewed wretched, contemptible threats,

The other spread God-given peace and rest.

A Question...

Who fears the other?

The row in orange, watching paradise open?

Or the row in black.

Our prayers are with all those who are being persecuted for following Christ. May we never take our freedom to worship for granted.

Solidarity with Christians Worldwide

At our Sunday morning service, we were privileged to hear from Revd  Stuart Windsor the National Director of Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and we also saw one of their short videos.

Stuart challenged us to follow the calls of the Christians in the early church be prayerful and concerned for other Christians across the world who are suffering for their faith. He highlighted particular problems in Eritrea, Northern Nigeria and North Korea. In North Korea, people are put in prison without trial, simply for having friends or family who are Christians and they may bear children who reach adult life without leaving prison.

Christians may be in very difficult positions, needing relief and assistance, but that is not the role of CSW. Theirs is one of advocacy – of claiming the Human Rights of religious conviction and conversion. They interact with government leaders, UN organisations and NGOs. Whilst a Christian organisation, CSW upholds the rights of all religions to choose and practice their faith.

CSW is currently running “Operation 18”. This relates to article 18 in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights,” which guarantees the rights to choose and to change one’s religion. CSW is organising a petition upholding the right of everyone to choose and practice their faith. The Operation 18 petition will be delivered to: Baroness Warsi, UK Minister for Faith & Communities, Eileen Donahoe, US Mission to the UN in Geneva, Baroness Ashton, High Representative for the EU, and to the Heads of Mission to the UN for Australia, Brazil & Canada.

All church members were encouraged to sign postcards which were part of this petition. If you wish to know more, there are links as follows:

  Christian Solidarity Worldwide. Homepage
  The “Operation 18” petition.

We pray this petition may influence world leaders such that the plight of many, including Christians, may be alleviated.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ – When One Suffers, All Suffer

The Christian Church in the Middle East dates right back to the time of Christ. With the coming of Islam, it was much reduced in size, but in many countries it still has a substantial presence. However, recent events have had a devastating effect on it. The consequences of the Iraq war have decimated the Christian Church there. Many refugees fled to Syria, where they joined the substantial Christian minority which, for all the problems of the Assad regime, had been tolerated there. Now, they have come under fire from the rebels.

In Egypt, the “Arab Spring” revolution has resulted in increasing persecution of the Christian Church there. Christians have been murdered and churches destroyed.

 It’s right that Christians should support and pray for our brothers and sisters who find themselves in this terrible situation, especially when our governments seem to support those who are oppressing them. One organisation that is concerned to raise support for the persecuted church is Christian Solidarity Worldwide. It’s role is to stand in solidarity with the Christian Church worldwide, wherever it is persecuted, and encourage others to do so.

 On the 1^st September, a representative of Christian Solidarity Worldwide will be speaking at our morning service. It will be a good opportunity to learn of the tragic complex situation.

 Do join us then.

 Link to Christian Solidarity Worldwide