TO LOVE AND TO SERVE

The Covenant between St Giles’ and the URC marked its 29th anniversary on 28th April, and Rev Ken Tombs was in St Giles’ with members of both congregations to celebrate it.  Comparing the Covenant to a secure marriage, Ken joked, “A friend of mine has been married for over 35 years and, in preparation for this sermon, I asked him the secret of his long marriage.  He told me that he and his wife go to a restaurant twice a week; a little candlelight dinner, soft music and a slow walk home.  Apparently he goes on Tuesdays and his wife on Fridays!”

“But in the Covenant between the churches it is the things done together that make it work.”  Describing himself as a practitioner, who can see and solve pitfalls in any new proposition before it even starts, rather than as a visionary, Ken told us that organisations need both kinds of people.  Fortunately, there were people of vision within the URC and St Giles’, who realised that the churches were not in competition but could strengthen each other by sharing resources and undertaking activities together in the name of God.  And so, 29 years ago, the Covenant was born.  Happily, there were also practitioners in the churches who made it work and put the words of the Covenant into practice.
           
Ken believes the Churches now have the perfect opportunity to renew and refresh the Covenant when the new Rector is installed in St Giles’ in September and when, hopefully, the URC will eventually have a new Minister.  “In the reading from Genesis, God said, ‘I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.’  This tells us that a covenant is forever and also that there must be a sign that it exists, a sign as bright and radiant as a rainbow.  I ask you this, to people outside the churches, what is the sign that the Covenant exists and is working?”  Let us hope and pray that the Covenant will grow and continue to be successful in the future.

FUN AND FUNDRAISING AT THE URC

The URC's Spring Bonanza was blessed with appropriately sunny weather and an excellent turnout for both the plant sale in the morning and the auction in the afternoon.  Our plant sales have built up an excellent reputation, with many of the customers now regulars, and whilst some of the lots at the auction were being sold on a commission basis most were donated by the ever-generous folk of Ickenham, either for the auction itself or for our jumble sales.  Whilst the latter are high quality events some of what we are given, like two snooker tables, cries out to be held back to find its level amongst the fun and drama of the auction!  The day was enjoyed by all and raised £1,700 for the Church and the charities that we are supporting this year.  Thank you!
Richard Piper