Wisdom
Dear friends,
Think of the wisest person you know. Perhaps it is a relative, a friend or someone who you find what they say makes a lot of sense. Why do you consider them wise? We don't usually mean the same thing as intelligence when we talk about wisdom – I can think (as I am sure you can) of some people I know who are intelligent but not wise!
So what makes us wise? We usually turn to people we consider wise when we are looking for advice about something – we aren't looking for a cold analysis of the facts and objectivity but some insight which we can't quite lay our finger on ourselves. We, as clergy, are encouraged to all have a spiritual director – that's someone who we can turn to regularly to talk about our own spiritual development and the challenges which we are facing.
It is, at least for me, a very valuable time and I often liken it to my children's activities with Lego: they build something, but after a while it isn't quite right so they take it apart and put it back together differently.
Perhaps you have a friend like that or someone who you listen to when you're needing a different perspective. Often we don't need to have a conversation to be inspired by someone's wisdom. Listening to them speak or reading something they've written can often be what we need. But where does their wisdom come from?
In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul writes "the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom" and "the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight". Do we ever turn to God when we are seeking after that wise friend? It can be incredibly challenging to do so – there probably aren't many of us who would say we hear a definite conversation with God in the same way we do with a friend. But yet God's wisdom is beyond any of our wisdom.
I sometimes look at what Paul writes and feel that he labours a point a bit too much – going OTT (over the top) as me and my friends used to say when I was younger. I think through the wisdom of our friends and through the wisdom or some people, we can glimpse the wisdom of God. There is a reason that God surrounds us with other people and tapping into their wisdom can help guide us along our journey with God. Our challenge is to recognise that wisdom when we see it! I pray that we can be given such discernment to recognise when it comes our way. And as always, keep the faith.
July Services
Sunday 2nd July
9:15am - Holy Communion (with Sunday Club) @ St. John the Evangelist, Littlewick Green
10:30am - God Through Music @ St. Mary the Virgin, Hurley
5pm - Evensong (BCP) @ St. James-the-Less, Stubbings
Sunday 9th July
8am - Holy Communion (BCP) @ St. James-the-Less, Stubbings
10:30am - Holy Communion @ St. Mary the Virgin, Hurley
4pm - Family Service @ St. John the Evangelist, Littlewick Green
Sunday 16th July
9:15am - Holy Communion @ St. John the Evangelist, Littlewick Green
10:30am - God in Quiet @ St. Mary the Virgin, Hurley
11am - Holy Communion (BCP) @ St. James-the-Less, Stubbings
Sunday 23rd July
9am - Come to the Table @ St. James-the-Less, Stubbings
10:30am - Holy Communion @ St. Mary the Virgin, Hurley
Sunday 30th July
10am - Parish Communion @ St. Mary the Virgin, Hurley
Pimms and Hymns
During August we will meet each week in one of our churches for a parish service. This will include Pimms and Hymns at Stubbings for which we would like you to dust off your hymn (or song!) requests. It will include an informal communion but will mostly be singing hymns! You may even find your vicar is playing the organ for this one... Do send your requests in, along with an explanation of your choice if you would like to and we will then select hymns, sing them and drink some Pimms together!
Walking Group
Do join us on Wednesday 12th July at Hurley Church at 10:15am. We will finish at the tea room at the lock so bring money for coffee or tea or ice cream! If you are not walking please feel welcome to join us at the tea room around 11am anyway.
Recorded Sermons
Apologies about the interruption to this - with a couple of weeks where I wasn't preaching, I haven't yet worked on the technicalities of recording the sermon (I used my phone when I do it!) so we should hopefully be returning to this beginning with the sermon from last Sunday if you missed it.
Morning Prayer at 9:15am
Wednesday St. James-the-Less, Stubbings
Thursday St. John the Evangelist, Littlewick Green
Friday St. Mary the Virgin
Our churches are open for private prayer:
Littlewick Green – open every day 11am – 4pm
Hurley – open every day 8am – 4pm
Stubbings – open Monday to Friday 9am – 12 noon
Parish Office
As you may be aware, our Parish Administrator Claire is having medical treatment at the moment and is in the office only occasionally. In the meantime, we will be running reduced hours in the office so the best way to get in touch is via the office e-mail (office@burchettsgreenparish.org). There should be someone in the office on Monday and Thursday morning and I will be available as many Wednesday mornings as I can. For anything which you need I can also be contacted on vicar@burchettsgreenparish.org and 01628 822974, - please note the vicar's day off is Tuesday
Blessings to you all,
Tom