In
my first sermon at St Giles' on Sunday 17 July 1999, nearly 4 years ago, I
remarked that the pulpit looked precarious.æ
The base curves in like the stem of a wine glass (see photo).æ Although the pulpit never collapsed on me,
it did turn out to be a precarious place to be.æ The Gospel passage set for that day was about judgement and the
dangers of us 'falling away' from our faith.æ
What a way to start.æ Since then
I have preached another 148 sermons - in fact by the time you read this it will
be 149!ææ I have attempted each time I
was there in the pulpit to be true to the teaching of the Bible and also to try
make my preaching relevant to life today.æ
This involves on most occasions sharing something of myself, as it is
essential that I am living out the claims of the gospel if I am to preach it to
others.æ There have been many occasions
when I have climbed the steps with fear and trepidation.
Our last Sunday in Ickenham will be the 22nd of June.æ Ali, Chris, James, Suzy and I will then move out to Penn where I will take up the appointment of Priest-in-Charge of the Parish of Penn and Tyler's Green.æ I will be in charge of two churches, Holy Trinity in Penn (just opposite 'the Crown' - for those who think in such terms) and St Margaret's in Tyler's Green (ditto 'The Old Queens Head').æ We are very excited at the prospect of the move and all that God has in store for us there.
The author C S Lewis likened life to the pages of a book.æ For us a new chapter is about to begin.æ This new chapter will contain some of the existing characters but many new ones as well.æ The plot will have some unexpected twists and turns and we do not know the outcome.æ Thankfully God is the author of this particular book and we can be confident in his plans for us.
We have made so many good friends at St Giles‰ and the United Reformed Church.æ I have also been privileged to have met many of you through weddings, baptisms, funerals and school assemblies.æ I have been enriched, personally, by these meetings and hope that I have been able to bring something of the love and comfort of God.æ We will miss you all greatly and you will continue to be remembered in our prayers.
Blessings.
Revd. Mike Bisset
Only
a short piece from here this month to allow my colleague Mike space to bid us
all farewell. I would simply wish to record the appreciation of Mike's
ministry as Curate among us for the past four years. He and his family
settled quickly into St Giles' and the Ickenham community when they arrived in
July 1999. The whole family will be much missed but we wish them well and
pray for them all as they move to Penn and Tylers Green for a new phase of
ministry. Thank you Bissets for being with us and for what you have given.
Early in July we shall welcome a new colleague to join the team as Curate at St
Giles'. Adrian Guthrie will be Ordained in St Paul's Cathedral on 5thæ July and we look forward to having him and
his family among us. Adrian will introduce himself to you all in the July
issue of ICN.
Greetings and peace to you all.
Philip
æ
May 11thæææææ Thea-Lily Burgess
æææææææææææææææææææ Thomas James Robert Roker
May 3rdæææææææ Mervyn James Patrick Moran and Joanne
Clare Crew
Apr. 22ndææææ Eileen Allen, aged 91 (after service in St. Giles‰ Church).
Apr. 29thæææææ Ernest Worsley, aged 87
May 8thæææææææ Patricia Cheesley, aged 64 (after service in St. Giles‰ Church).
15th Mayæææææ Joyce Kathleen Dell
17th Mayæææææ Audrey Billett
We recently shared with St Giles' in
the annual memorial service, reading out the names of those whose funeral
services have been taken by ministers of our two churches during the past year.
The number who attended shows that it meets a real need. The Revd. David Varcoe
of Trinity Church, Harrow, reminded us that Jesus wept at the death of his
friend Lazarus, showing us that tears are a good expression of our feelings and that, as God, Jesus shares
them too.
æ
A Pastoral Support Group is drawn from our two churches, and offers help to all who have been bereaved, as well as a monthly "drop-in" at St Giles' Church Hall - the next ones are on 19thæ May and 16thæ June at 2 p.m. All are welcome who might find it helpful.
æ
Sometimes no announcements of weddings or funerals at the U.R.C. appear in this column, and I have been asked whether we have them! Yes, we do - but they are mainly requested by those who have a direct connection with us, so there are fewer than at St. Giles'.
æ
Another
recent joint service marked the anniversary of the Covenant made between the
U.R.C. and St Giles' in 1985. The General Secretary of the U.R.C., the Revd Dr
David Cornick, preached, reminding us of what the risen Jesus has called his
church to do. Our two churches serve him in complementary ways, and often
together. It was a joy for us all to hear at that service that Anne Dove,
Pastoral Assistant at the URC, who many of you will know, has been accepted to train
for the ordained ministry of the URC. We wish her well in her training and
future service.
With best wishes.
RICHARD
P.S. Since my letter last month, white marks indicating potholes to be repaired have appeared in Court Road, and in the road immediately outside my front drive! Coincidence?