Weekly Blog
Here our minister shares a weekly reflection:
Sunday 7th April - Forgiveness – The Way to Peace
This week in our Gospel reading (John 20:19-31) Jesus appears to the disciples. First, he becomes present with them on the evening of his resurrection and then he appears again the following week, so that Thomas can not only see him, but touch him too.
Jesus, in his resurrection life, bears the scars of the cross. Yet, it is clear he is not the only one scarred by the events of Holy Week. It has a lasting effect on the disciples too. They hide away in fear of those who had killed their leader, they have experienced the hurt of betrayal, and they feel the pain of separation and grief.
Yet, Jesus goes to them, and in the midst of their anxiety, uncertainty, and despair, he shares his peace. He breathes the Holy Spirit upon them, ensuring that his presence with them will continue beyond his ascension, and then he starts to speak of forgiveness.
At first this might seem like a sudden change in theme, but Jesus’ followers did have a great deal to forgive. They needed to be able to forgive those who had turned Jesus over to die, forgive their betrayer Judas Iscariot, and forgive themselves for their own flakiness and disbelief. Forgiveness in the light of the resurrection is important, as it becomes part of our response to knowing and seeing Christ with us. If we know forgiveness through Christ, then we are expected to share it with others.
In this sense, it is also the basis for peace. There can be no peace where we hold onto animosity, no peace where we seek after vengeance, and no peace where our starting point is judgment rather than sharing forgiveness. If there is no willingness to forgive, and act restoratively to overcome the harms we experience, then they hold the potential to consume us, leading to further conflict and violence. Nowhere is this more starkly visible in our world at present than it is in Gaza and Israel. Vengeance reigns as the loving, merciful and compassionate nature of God is overlooked, in part due to the inability or unwillingness to forgive.
In light of this, we continue to pray for peace. Peace in Israel and Palestine, peace in Ukraine and other nations at war, and peace in our own communities and the wider Baptist Union of Great Britain.
The words of our Psalm for the week seem incredibly poignant at this time. Sadly, they seem long forgotten, but we may say them today as a prayerful act of defiance and a mark of longing for peace in our world:
How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! – Psalm 133:1
Sunday 31st March - Good Friday — God persists in revealing His love for the world
This week, the ultra-runner Jasmin Paris has been in the news following her exploits in the Barkley Marathon. She became the first female runner to complete this brutal, wild, and near impossible 100-mile race since it was created back in 1986. There’s a 60 hour cutoff to complete 5 laps within Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee, collecting pages from hidden books as you go. Jasmin finished with 99 seconds to spare, before collapsing in a heap, gasping for much needed oxygen.
In an interview, not long after she’d got her breath back, Jasmin was asked what it was that got her to the finish line. She replied that she had persisted in pushing up the final hill because she knew that if she narrowly failed and came up short, then she’d have to return and do it all over again. She persisted, because if she didn’t, the 59 hours of pain, struggle, and clambering through briars and over rocks would have been wasted.
One of the most powerful write ups of the race that I came across took inspiration from a phrase given prominence by the feminist movement in the United States as it recounted all of the challenges Jasmin Paris faced; nevertheless, she persisted. In 2017, Senator Elizabeth Warren was silenced by the US Senate for repeatedly drawing attention to the ways in which the candidate to become Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, had previously obstructed civil rights for women and people of colour. In censuring her, Mitch McConnell remarked that Elizabeth Warren had been warned to stop; ‘nevertheless, she persisted.’
This is something that struck a chord with me this week. There is much in our own lives that can be a struggle, and at times the temptation to give up and walk away is very real (sometimes, of course, this can be a necessary and healthy right decision). Yet, particularly in situations where we strive for justice, and seek to live restoratively as we follow Christ together, there is often a need to be persistent.
All justice-oriented movements that I can think of demanded persistence, even if at times that persistence could only mean stubbornly going on being present despite being unwanted or facing prejudice. Like the persistent widow, who kept on returning to the judge to seek after justice in Luke 18:1-8, persistence was required in movements to end the slave trade; from the Suffragettes as they sought the right of votes for women; and from the likes of Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela as they campaigned for equality and the end of apartheid respectively. Persistence continues to be required of us, in issues justice regarding race, gender, and sexuality (especially relevant within the life of our Baptist Union at present), but also as we seek after peace in our world, and as we honour the human dignity of refugees, asylum seekers, the homeless, and those most affected by the climate crisis and the rising cost of living.
Yet, all this persistence that is required of us can be overwhelming. From where can we get the sufficient energy, willpower, and the hope to enable us to persist in bringing hope, justice, and restoration? Sometimes, like Jasmin Paris, we find that energy to keep going by being inspired by what has gone before, and because we don’t want what has been achieved and endured up to now going to waste. However, if we’re honest, much of the time, with our limited time and resources, we are unable or unwilling to persist.
As we remember the journey of Christ towards the cross, we see Jesus cry out to God, seeking another way. In Him, we can see a thoroughly persistent approach. He wants to stop, but the love of God for all of creation drives him on. Where we might run out of steam and lack in persistence, in Christ we see one who will always persist. We praise the one who walks alongside us, lifts us up and carries us on towards the finish line, even if we have lost the capacity to get there ourselves. For this is the nature of our God, who continues to reach out in love, persists in pouring out grace and mercy, and keeps on shining light on the dark forces in our world that seek to hold onto oppressive, life-sapping, and wealth-hoarding power.
Through Holy Week, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, we share the remarkable story of God’s persistent love. A love so strong that it takes on the sin of the world, overcomes it, and overpowers even death itself. Even when we give up hope, run out of energy, and have stop running the race before us – Christ persists – and does so in order that the gloriously restorative love of God is revealed to all people, in all times and all places.
Sunday 24th March - Bound
This week, we have the second of our art exhibitions from https://pepperstreetfoundation.com/, which helps artists who might not otherwise get a chance to display their work and supports initiatives in deprived communities. This week we had an exhibition by Pepa Yordanova, who is an artist, educator and religious narrator. On display were stunning icons and beautiful paintings, and there was a children’s corner as well as a string quartet performance at 12.30 on Saturday.
Here’s a little more about Pepa:
The essence of Yordanova’s work lies in the dedication to unveiling the subtleties, the often-overlooked nuances that create profound meaning within art. As an artist, she doesn’t merely paint; she translates emotions into colors and shapes, breathing life into her canvases. Her brushstrokes speak volumes, telling stories of cultures, traditions, and spiritual connections.
From brush to canvas, from the classroom to spiritual realms, Pepa Yordanova embodies a multifaceted dedication to art, education, and spiritual exploration. Her work isn’t just about the visual; it’s about the essence, the hidden, the profound. It’s about peeling away the obvious to discover the extraordinary.
Sunday 17th March - A peek into the week of our minister and NRBC
I’ve had one of those weeks that have reminded me of how there are so many different things taking place, very much connected to the life of the church, that could easily be overlooked.
On Tuesday evening, I was part of what will probably be the final meeting of the Charlton Fund Committee (there may be one more meeting to discuss reports from projects that received grants). The remaining funds from the sale of the chapel at Charlton on Otmoor have now been allocated. Over the past few years, the fund has supported a wide range of different projects, including outreach in Barton, a toddler group in Wolvercote, Deb’s chaplaincy with Oxford United Women’s Football Club, the Mint House, and Just Oxford. The way in which New Road partnered with the Southern Counties Baptist Association to distribute these funds to support a wide range of innovative and creative projects has been heartening and cause for thanksgiving. James Grote will be providing a report on the fund in the near future, and we are thankful for all who taken part in the committee over the years.
On Wednesday, on behalf of Churches Together in Central Oxford, I was able to introduce a newly appointed chaplain to the homeless, Cassandra Swick, to staff at The Gatehouse. The collaboration between churches in supporting such valuable work in our community is essential and makes a lasting difference to those who find themselves with nowhere to live.
Also on Wednesday, we met with representatives from St Columba’s and Wesley Memorial to finalise plans for advertising for the role of Student Outreach Worker. We plan to start advertising the post in April, with the expectation that interviews will take place in early June.
On Thursday, we had a meeting with Memory from New Life Covenant Church, who have been worshipping at New Road for over 20 years, to catch up and discuss things such as storage and the like. We heard how New Life have been working alongside community police officers to try to build good relationships and overcome the lack of trust young black people have in the police and to tackle the sometimes prejudicial behaviour that they face. We hope to hear more about New Life’s work in the local community as the year progresses.
I took part in the trustee meeting for the Mint House, which continues to champion restorative practice in Oxfordshire and beyond. There are exciting projects upcoming, including ‘Building Bridges’ that will explore different ways in which restorative practice can be helpful in community groups (including faith communities), and the work that is being facilitated with LEAF and Matilda House to introduce restorative practice to help overcome disputes between tenants and staff there.
The last thing I want to draw your attention to is that we are hosting two art exhibitions, one this weekend and another next weekend (Friday & Saturday). This week, we highlight the art of Slobodan Marceta ( https://slobodanatoxford.com/ ), exhibited under the title Troubled. Much of the artwork is inspired by troubling events in our world, with his early pieces reflecting on the Yugoslavian (Serbo-Croatian) conflict, but more recent pieces influenced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Some of the pieces highlight the abuse of Christianity and religion by those in power (particularly the Orthodox Church linked to the state), whilst others display the hope made real by Christ and the joining of heaven and earth.
Next week, we will host Pepa Yordanova (https://pepaatoxford.com), whose artwork, inspired by iconography, ‘peels back the obvious to find the extraordinary’.
Both artists have been assisted by Pepper Street Foundation https://pepperstreetfoundation.com/ ) who are trying to assist local artists in displaying their work in affordable ways in order to fund social initiatives in deprived communities.
Sunday 10th March - International Women’s Day & Mothering Sunday
This week our image for Lent has been provided by Erica. As the artist, Zane Saunders, painted this crucifixion scene for his mother, it seems particularly relevant this weekend, as we celebrate both International Women’s Day and Mothering Sunday.
She writes the following about it:
This picture comes from a book of Christian Art by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders of Australia called Our Mob, God’s Story. Mob is the term widely used by the Aboriginal community for their individual tribes.
The book was sent to me last Easter by friends in Sydney and was compiled to celebrate Bible Society Australia’s 200th Anniversary. It contains many and varied interpretations of Bible stories, a large majority of them being the traditional dot artwork which goes back millennia. It looks simple but is incredibly complex and symbolic. Each piece of art has the Bible verse reference which inspired it.
I have chosen the only one I have actually seen “in the flesh” which is hung in a tiny Anglican Church in the small tropical rainforest village of Kuranda, in the Atherton Tablelands, west of Cairns, Queensland. The Crucifixion was painted in 1997 by Zane Saunders, a well know local artist who painted it for his mother who gave him the symbols he used, and their explanation. I love the symbolism of this painting, which is so intricate and depicts the true meaning of the cross.