September 2011

'Thankfully there have not been too many surprises so far'.

Those words from June have come back to haunt me!  No sooner had I written so optimistically about work on the Parish Centre than our team of archaeologists made their first finds, a jumble of stones and a ditch.  And, depending on how you viewed it, it either got better or worse from there.  Better because we had further confirmation of the antiquity of the site, clearly worse in terms of cost and delay.  In the end we unearthed evidence of extensive ditch work along with some shards of pottery, a piece of dressed stone, remains of a barrel, a metal implement, a quern (a small hand grinding stone) and of course the bones.
 

'That's the Way it was' - click here to see some pictures which may remind you of good times spent in the old halls . . .

There was considerable interest in our skeletons, about 30 in all, some intact, others just scattered remains. 

Further research will determine their age but it seems there were many women and children interred. 

On a grander scale Carole and I visited another 'uncovered site', Pompey.  Again it was a deeply moving experience, especially to see the remains of men and women, even of a dog, preserved forever in the attitude they assumed when overcome by the ash from the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79.  But again it was a small personal item that was noteworthy, a wooden cross found in a house, indicating that within a generation the Gospel had reached one of the most sophisticated cities in the Roman world.  Who those believers were, we shall never know, another mystery.

So it is that the Good News is shared from generation to generation, quietly, by ordinary people whose lives are known only to God and so we take our turn, modestly, in doing the same thing.  Those thoughts are summed up by a poem by Michael Quoist which was used at the funeral service of Teddy O'Neill, 'The Brick'.

The bricklayer laid a brick on the bed of cement.
Then, with a precise stroke of his trowel spread another layer
And without a by your leave, laid on another brick. 
The foundations grew visibly,
The building rose, tall and strong, to shelter men.
I thought Lord, of that brick buried in the darkness at the base of the big building.
No one sees it, but it accomplishes its task, and the other bricks need it.
Lord, what difference if I am on the roof top or in the foundations of your building,
as long as I stand faithfully at the right place.

Thank you to all who continue to make a contribution to the Parish Centre Fund.  Our fund raising events are proving to be great occasions and not least our abseil at the beginning of June which raised over £11,000, an amazing total.  Can I remind you it is never too late to contribute?

Church Growth.  If you have been at church over these past months you will also have been aware of an increased number of baptisms.  These are occasions of real joy for the church family and signs of a hopeful future.  It also underlines once again the importance of work with young people in Sunday Groups, uniformed organisations and Youth Fellowship.  Please remember all of them in your prayers as they begin a new season.  It's not easy being a young person, the rioting in Britain in August has attracted an enormous amount of comment on the influences brought to bear on their lives, especially the role of parents.  We believe that within the church children are provided with an environment of faith in which they can thrive, but, as Canon Derek Tyney was saying in a sermon over the summer, only if they are allowed to avail of it.  Children are brought to baptism in the expectation that they will be helped 'to take their place within the life and worship of Christ's Church'.  That chiefly happens by example, the old saying still holds true that Christianity is caught rather than taught.

On Our Doorstep. At Diocesan Synod in June a report on debt entitled, 'On Our Doorstep', was presented.  It was an exploration of the issue of poverty within the Diocese, and although based on a very small survey sample, nevertheless highlighted some of the main areas of concern for many people living on low incomes.  The topic is important enough for us to hold an evening in the autumn to discuss the report and consider if we might be able to do more within our own parish boundary.  Two snippets from the report stood out in particular.  The first was that it is estimated that 25% of children in Northern Ireland live in poverty, 45000 in severe poverty and almost 1 in 5 live in persistent poverty. At the other end of the scale older people say that their 'poverty' is often one of isolation.  53% say that television was their main source of company and 1 in 4 people aged 65 and over spend more than 15 hours alone each day.  It is a situation unlikely to improve in the foreseeable future.

In June former parishioner, the Rev John Cunningham and his family, moved back into the Diocese with John's appointment as Rector of Ballymacarrett.  His move coincided with major disruption in that part of Belfast.  It is an important and difficult role he undertakes and would appreciate your prayers for his future ministry.

I look forward to seeing people return to routine activity in the coming weeks.  Can I ask you to make worship on a Sunday not just an occasional event but part of your regular routine, especially those with young people involved in Sunday Groups.  Please not our services for Uniformed Organizations and Adult Groups on Sunday 25 September.

Best wishes,
Ronnie