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FROM THE URC MINISTER

What are we celebrating in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee?  What is the significance for you of her 60 years as Queen?  For me, her reign somehow contributes stability to my own sense of identity, and the value of holding diversity in unity.

I was three when the Princess, visiting Kenya with her new husband, received news that her father had died, and she flew back to London as Queen.  I was five by the time of her Coronation.  During that period my parents bought a television for us to watch the Coronation at home with friends.  They hung bunting from bedroom windows to street lamps, and hoisted a Union Jack on a flagpole.  They helped me make a model of the golden carriage with horses, footmen and beefeaters.  This stood alongside a perspective map of the route up Everest, which we heard on Coronation morning had been conquered by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing.  Maybe the excitement kindled my interests in news and geography, which have been formative throughout my life. 

While my family and I have grown and developed under changes of government and the rise of a multicultural global society, Elizabeth has continued as Queen and Head of the Commonwealth.  Living in different countries I became aware that two significant parts of my identity are Christian faith and British nationality.  Looking back I realise that some stability in both of these is represented by the Queen, who has been in office during the whole of this varied lifetime. 

Her values and sense of purpose are expressed in the Coronation Oath.  She promised to govern the peoples of her realms according to their respective laws and customs.  She promised to cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all her judgements.  And she promised to the utmost of her power to maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel.

The significance of the Queen’s reign may be very different for you.  Appreciation of the differences and the importance of living together are features of her commitment and essential to build into our experience.

Identity and diversity held together in unity can be explored in the Ickenham Festival.  Every stall and float on Gala Day, every event and open place during the week will have its own distinctive character.  You may find common threads, continuity with the past, and links to the theme of Jubilee, but there will be a diversity of insights and expressions, displaying the multiplicity of interests and passions amongst us: the kaleidoscope of our community.  The churches offer worship at the start and finish of the week for you to join in, as well as a range of prayer times and activities, to praise God for setting creativity in motion and inspiring unity.

Bernie

FROM ST GILES’ CLERGY

With every job, there are certain things that ‘go with the territory’.  One is that people seem to feel obliged to explain to me why they don’t come to church!  The last thing I want to do is make people feel guilty, although I would be delighted to see them here!  But why do I think church worship is so helpful particularly as many people tell me that they believe in God anyway?   Here are my top three reasons: 

1. It helps us keep God in focus in the ‘busyness’ of life;
2. A local church is part of the worldwide community of Jesus, and God loves it when we worship him with other members of the Christian community;
3. It helps develop our knowledge of God and ourselves, by encouraging us to put our faith into action and by providing support in difficult times.

I don’t expect many people will disagree with these, but some still don’t find attending church easy.  Perhaps the service is at the wrong time, or too long; unintelligible, or the music too traditional, too modern, or too loud.  At St Giles’, we are taking a good long look at our services this year to see how we can provide greater variety to meet different preferences.

But what if you would like to attend church, but just don’t feel able?  We realise that walking into church the first few times might be difficult, particularly if you’re on your own, so if you would like to meet someone outside church and come in and sit with them, please give me a ring.  Others might feel that they are not good enough, or their faith not strong enough, or they don’t know enough to come to church.   Be assured that we are all ‘work in progress’, saved by God’s grace, not our own goodness!

Each year, many churches participate in ‘Back to Church Sunday’ in September, but any Sunday could be ‘Back to Church Sunday’ for you!

Finally, I know that the pace and practicalities of life can make it difficult to come every week.  So come when and as often as you can.   We will welcome you at our special festivals and at yours (baptisms and weddings), as well as in times of bereavement and pain.   There are no special criteria to fulfil – just come as you are.  We will welcome you always.

During Ickenham Festival week you don’t even have to attend church to meet with Christians from both Ickenham churches – look out for the Fairtrade Café (with live music) on Gala Day and the Open Air Service at 11.15am in Swakeleys Grounds on 24th June.  Details of these and other church led events can be found elsewhere in ICN, and of course they are listed alongside details of all the other exciting events in the Ickenham Festival programme.

                               God bless
                                                                                                                                                             Adrian