15

CONTENTS · 2014. 9. 1. · CONTENTS Church Office St George’s Church Spencer Road Normanby Middlesbrough TS6 9BH Tel: 01642 281182 Email: [email protected] Magazine

  • Upload
    others

  • View
    6

  • Download
    0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: CONTENTS · 2014. 9. 1. · CONTENTS Church Office St George’s Church Spencer Road Normanby Middlesbrough TS6 9BH Tel: 01642 281182 Email: admin@christchurchandstgeorges.org Magazine
Page 2: CONTENTS · 2014. 9. 1. · CONTENTS Church Office St George’s Church Spencer Road Normanby Middlesbrough TS6 9BH Tel: 01642 281182 Email: admin@christchurchandstgeorges.org Magazine

C O N T E N T S

Church OfficeSt George’s ChurchSpencer RoadNormanbyMiddlesbroughTS6 9BHTel: 01642 281182Email: [email protected]

Magazine designed and edited by Paul Wilson

1 FIRST & FOREMOST

2 THOUGHTS ON KESWICK

4 BAGGAGE

6 FORGIVENESS! A WAY OF LIFE?

8 CHRIST CENTERED

10 CHILDREN ARE IMPORTANT

12 PUZZLE CORNER

14 LAUGHTER LINES

16 JACOB LLOYD INTERVIEW

20 PRAYER FOR BEGINNERS

22 WHAT’S ON

24 CONTACTS

AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE cb

Page 3: CONTENTS · 2014. 9. 1. · CONTENTS Church Office St George’s Church Spencer Road Normanby Middlesbrough TS6 9BH Tel: 01642 281182 Email: admin@christchurchandstgeorges.org Magazine

Welcome to the new bi-monthly edition of The Ambassador. This move was born out of necessity really and also a realisation that even professional magazines, with full time writing, editorial and design teams, sometimes only release an issue every two months. This new and bigger bi-monthly edition will mean that there will no longer be breaks in August and January and instead you will have regular issues every two months. I would like to thank all those people who contributed and helped me get this issue ready before I went away on holiday during a time when other work loads and commitments had reached a critical high. Thank you especially to all those who prayed for my work load situation and to those who helped me tackle it. It made me realise how important a church family is. It is easy to forget sometimes that they are more than just people you attend church with. The wonderful thing about family is that you are committed to each other, to love each other no matter what. That’s how it is with the Church.

The Church is God’s family. God adopted you as one of His own children, making all other Christians your brothers and sisters! Matthew 12:49-50 says, “Pointing to His disciples, [Jesus] said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’” Isn’t it amazing that Jesus would include us in His own family! I like the ESV translation of Romans 12:10-13 which says, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”

Peace

AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE 1d

Page 4: CONTENTS · 2014. 9. 1. · CONTENTS Church Office St George’s Church Spencer Road Normanby Middlesbrough TS6 9BH Tel: 01642 281182 Email: admin@christchurchandstgeorges.org Magazine

We personally choose which things we want to attend and have plenty of time to enjoy Keswick itself with its two lovely parks, unusual shops, and of course the lake (Derwentwater). We actually walked round two lakes, and also parts of Derwentwater (yes really!) while we were there, and had the benefit of gorgeous weather, and enjoyed meeting old friends.

Just walking around Keswick itself, it seems that everyone you meet, or talk to, is a Christian, and so lots of good conversation goes on, and we always come home with plenty to talk and think about. For the “bookworm” there ia a book shop at the convention which is really well-stocked, and some of the books are recommended by the speakers in the meetings. There is usually a “special offer” book costing one pound, this year’s was entitled

“Grace Unfolding”.

The convention itself is free (unlike most Christian conventions) so that nobody is unable to go because of finance, but we were all asked to give a donation of whatever we could afford. The tent is part brick, and is not in a field but is positioned at the end of streets of typical Cumbrian cottages and B&Bs, so no wellies are needed and no camping involved, unless people choose to camp outside the town.

So we hope this has given people an insight, and maybe whet your appetite to “give the Keswick Convention a go”. But you will have to book accommodation soon as it very quickly gets snapped up, people tending to book while they are there for the next year.If anyone would like to know more, come and ask us.

God Bless

We have just come back from the lovely town of Keswick in Cumbria, which has many attractions including, at this time of year, the Keswick Convention. It runs for 3 weeks in July/August every year, and we have been quite a lot of times now.

The slogan for the convention is “All One In Christ Jesus”, and to worship alongside 5000 adults in the tent and see hundreds of teenagers and children attending their venues is a real blessing, without any thoughts of denominations.

There is also a unique itinerary for people with special needs, who come and join us on one of the evenings. The music is a mixture of traditional and modern (some of which we sing), and is always very uplifting. During the course of the week there are Bible studies, seminars, a special lecture, evening celebration each night and much much more.

AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE 32

Attendees at The Keswick Convention in 1933

Page 5: CONTENTS · 2014. 9. 1. · CONTENTS Church Office St George’s Church Spencer Road Normanby Middlesbrough TS6 9BH Tel: 01642 281182 Email: admin@christchurchandstgeorges.org Magazine

I like to travel. Over the last few years Margaret and I have enjoyed visiting a number of European countries, seeking out wildlife to watch and photograph. Every time we travel l have to deal with my luggage, lots of it. I don’t just have the usual holiday stuff, but a bag load of camera equipment as well. It’s bulky and it’s heavy. I have to carry it with me and sometimes it’s a real pain.

As big a nuisance as it can be at times, this remains a physical problem that can be easily managed. A much more difficult problem for me is the baggage that I carry around in my head. Most of the time I don’t even think that it’s there, but it is. I can give it a nice name such as ‘inclination’ or ‘preference’ and forget about it. But I it’s always lurking somewhere nearby. And I don’t think that I’m alone in this. When I look at God’s word I try to take special care to be aware of my prejudices (I don’t want them to affect my understanding). I find it

helps to keep a few critical things at the forefront of my mind:

I don’t know everything.I can be wrong.

Jesus came up against prejudices time and time again during His ministry. There was the misguided woman of Samaria (John 4), who He tenderly led to drink of Living Water and refreshed her soul; Nicodemus, the leader blinded by his own prejudices (John 3), was gently guided into a revolutionary understanding of the need to be born again; the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees that He so harshly criticised in public (Matt 23) and even His own confused disciples (Acts 1:6), who had misunderstood God’s idea of a timetable. What hope then is there for me? Plenty. Because I also keep in mind two more critical facts that help me

on my way to understanding God’s word:

I can know God’s word.God’s word is truth.

While my intellectual baggage is always around, it can be set aside. Before I fly my bulky baggage is safely stored in the plane’s hold and my carry-on (camera) bag is secured in an overhead locker. I can do something similar with the intellectual baggage in my head. By deliberately taking steps to avoid looking only for what I want to see, God’s word opens up before me and His truth is revealed. How I respond to the truth that God reveals to me is a different matter altogether, but by putting my prejudices and biases on a tight leash, I will at least have the opportunity to handle God’s truth rightly (2Tim 2:15).

AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE 54

Page 6: CONTENTS · 2014. 9. 1. · CONTENTS Church Office St George’s Church Spencer Road Normanby Middlesbrough TS6 9BH Tel: 01642 281182 Email: admin@christchurchandstgeorges.org Magazine

‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ (Matthew 18: 21)

What would have been our re-sponse? Here is Jesus, speaking about forgiveness and the part that the Church has to play in the releasing (the ‘loosing’) of unforgiven people. The disciple Peter comes back with his question - imagining that you can quantify forgiveness, not under-standing that forgiveness is a way of life. Jesus puts him straight.

1. Real forgiveness never gives up. It even takes the initiative in looking for reconciliation (v.15) – for the aim is to ‘win’ the transgressor. So, no whispering campaign, no let-ters or accusing e-mails. Learn from Jesus! 2. Real forgiveness never goes soft (v.15-20). Sin is the most expen-sive thing in the universe – for how can God, in the face of appalling deeds, say, “It doesn’t matter; let’s say no more about it”? It cost the Cross of Jesus to make it possible for us to be put right! Even so, there are many who don’t wish to receive

forgiveness. For our own part, we should be more than ready to for-give, but realise that no one is forgiv-en in fact until they have repented. 3. Real forgiveness never keeps count. Some Jewish teachers had said that you could forgive three times. Peter thought that he was be-ing generous! Jesus says, Stop count-ing! (v.22). Archbishop Anthony Bloom has written, ‘To forgive one’s enemies is the first, the most ele-mentary characteristic of a Christian. Failing this, we are not yet Christian at all, but are still wandering in the scorching wilderness of Sinai.’ For-giveness means total cancellation; you don’t then record it in a book! 4. Real forgiveness never looks back. In verses 23-35, Jesus tells the terrifying story of a man who, having been forgiven his debt, continued as an extortioner himself – and ends up in a prison of his own making.

“I never forget a friend or forgive a foe.” So said a certain sea-captain once to John Wesley. The preacher replied, “It is to be hoped, sir, that you have never sinned against God!”

Once we have been forgiven at the Cross, forgiveness is to be our new mindset.

AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE 76

Page 7: CONTENTS · 2014. 9. 1. · CONTENTS Church Office St George’s Church Spencer Road Normanby Middlesbrough TS6 9BH Tel: 01642 281182 Email: admin@christchurchandstgeorges.org Magazine

Ultimately, the Bible is all about Jesus. The 39 Old Testament books all look forward to His coming while the 27 New Testament books reveal His arrival, ministry, sacrifice and look forward to His return. As his disciples this should also be the case for us, we should be living Christ-centred lives. But how do we do that? How do we live as all-for-Jesus-Christians?

It’s quite normal for us to try and work out what it is we must do. But when I think about it I find myself realising that this isn’t mainly a doing thing at all. First and foremost, it’s more of a seeing thing. God isn’t asking us to follow a hard and fast formula or set of rules; He has something much better than that for us. Instead of giving us something to do, we have someone that He is inviting us to see.

Jesus entered His creation and came to our world. Or as the Gospel of John so awesomely declares, “The Word became flesh”. Jesus didn’t

just come to be with us, He came to be one of us; to live, breathe, work, sweat and walk among us. Upon completion of His ministry He returned back to the Father and we won’t physically see Him again until His return. But He hasn’t gone. Even though we can’t physically see Him He is still here.

Something that I have occasionally dabbled with is watercolour painting. One of the techniques I learned is called aerial perspective. This is used by artists to give depth to a scene. Distant objects are rendered smaller, with less detail and washed out. This faded look is what gives painted scenes their third dimension.

If we think of Jesus as being distant from us He, too, will appear to be smaller and fading from our sight. This is why we are called to see Him with eyes of faith.

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (ICor 4:18).

Here Paul is encouraged when he placed what he was doing into the larger context of things. He puts the moment in the context of eternity and the visible in the context of the

invisible and it gave him a different perspective.

From the perspective of faith, when we look at the overall scene we can see Jesus in the foreground, bright and clear. It is everything else that looks small and faded by comparison. And when He takes that centred place in our lives, becoming an all-for-Jesus-Christian is less of a mountain to climb. In fact it’s no mountain at all, but simply our reason for living.

As I was thinking about this I found myself mumbling the chorus of a favoured old hymn of mine. Perhaps you know it…

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.

AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE 98

Page 8: CONTENTS · 2014. 9. 1. · CONTENTS Church Office St George’s Church Spencer Road Normanby Middlesbrough TS6 9BH Tel: 01642 281182 Email: admin@christchurchandstgeorges.org Magazine

One of the greatest gift we have are our children. “But I don’t have any”, I hear some of you say. If you’re reading this then you probably belong to either Christ Church or St. George’s church fellowship. All the children that you see each week in church are part of the family of the church and as adults it is our responsibility to teach, nurture and pray for them.

Proverbs 22 v. 6 says “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it”. I believe this verse is not just for parents, but all adults. As I say we have a responsibility.

Our fellowship has been very blessed again this year to have working in our church young people who have gone into our local schools to tell about the joy and happiness that having Jesus as their savour and friend can make. Anyone who met them can’t have helped but be impressed by their love for Jesus and openness in sharing.

These ‘children’ have had the opportunity to meet with God and give their lives to Him. I know we all want that joy for our children.

Children and teenagers deserve a life of joy and safety. Some of you may say that “Children these days don’t know how lucky they are”. You may well be right in some cases, but do children without

difficulties really understand the hardship others have? Would we want them to? I’m sure your answer is NO.

In this country there are over 65,000 children living in care. In 1979 the proportion of children in poverty was 14%; by 2012 this figure had risen to 27%. It is expected that by 2020 one-in- three children in the UK will be living in poverty.

Every day tens of thousands of young carers are missing out on vital education and play because they care for disabled or chronically ill family members.

Of the 100,000 children who run away from home each year, 1 in 12 will be harmed. Even one night on a park bench is one too many.

These children need workers and advocates prepared to help them re-adjust, turn their lives around and sometimes just be there to listen.

At this point you may realise I’m after your money!

In both our churches we have people who care, pray for and are willing to give to this work.

This year The Children’s Society box collection raised £444.82, which is an amazing amount from the few boxes that are held. Sadly each year the number of box holders falls, but the amount still increases year on year.

I believe God is blessing this work. We are an ageing bunch, but still young in heart. There are many demands on our pockets, but I ask you to consider prayerfully if you would become a box holder.

Just as every child is important so is every penny and pound we collect.

Thank you.

For further information you can contact Gill using the following details:[email protected] Tel: 01642 326171

AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE 1110

Page 9: CONTENTS · 2014. 9. 1. · CONTENTS Church Office St George’s Church Spencer Road Normanby Middlesbrough TS6 9BH Tel: 01642 281182 Email: admin@christchurchandstgeorges.org Magazine

CROSSWORD

LAST MONTH’S SOLUTIONS

SUDOKU

Clues Across1 ‘Through [Christ] we have gained — by faith into this grace’ (Romans 5:2) (6)4 Deprives of sight (Deuteronomy 16:19) (6)8 The words of a hymn do this (mostly) (5)9 Faithful allegiance (1 Chronicles 12:33) (7)10 Belgium’s chief port (7)11 Where John was baptizing ‘because there was plenty of water’ (John 3:23) (5)12 Imposing height (Psalm 48:2) (9)17 Jesus’ tempter in the wilderness (Mark 1:13) (5)19 Comes between Amos and Jonah (7)

21 ‘Your will be done — — as it is in heaven’ (Matthew 6:10) (2,5)22 Gale (Matthew 8:24) (5)23 Axle, eh? (anag.) (6)24 ‘Out of the — I cry to you, O Lord’ (Psalm 130:1) (6)

Clues Down1 Popular Christian author and humorist, — Plass (6)2 Transparent ice-like mineral (Revelation 4:6) (7)3 Method of compelling surrender by surrounding target of attack (2 Chronicles 32:1) (5)5 Expose (Isaiah 52:10) (3,4)6 Lonny (anag.) (5)7 Utterance (1 Timothy 1:15) (6)

9 Husband of Deborah, the prophetess (Judges 4:4) (9)13 Burial service (Jeremiah 34:5) (7)14 What Christ threatened to do to the lukewarm church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:16) (4,3)15 ‘Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net — ’ (John 21:11) (6)16 His response to Jesus’ decision to return to Judea was ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him’ (John 11:16) (6)18 ‘There will be weeping and gnashing of — ’ (Matthew 8:12) (5)20 Walkway between rows of pews in a church (5)

PUZZLE CORNER

AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE 1312

Page 10: CONTENTS · 2014. 9. 1. · CONTENTS Church Office St George’s Church Spencer Road Normanby Middlesbrough TS6 9BH Tel: 01642 281182 Email: admin@christchurchandstgeorges.org Magazine

When the service was over, I went to greet people at the front door. Three adults apologized for going to sleep in church, promising it would never happen again.

Heaven?My sister’s dog had been deaf and blind for years. When she started to suffer painful tumours, it was time to put her down. As I explained this to my seven-year-old son, he asked if Dotty would go to heaven. I said I thought she would, and that in dog heaven, she would be healthy again and able to do her favourite thing: chase squirrels. Jacob thought about that for a minute, then said, “So dog heaven must be the same as squirrel hell.”

What they sayWhen my older brother was very young, he always walked up to the church altar with my mother when she took Holy Communion. On every occasion, he tugged at her arm and asked, “What does the priest say when he gives you the bread?” Mum would always lean over and whisper something in his ear. Imagine his shock many years later when he learned that the priest doesn’t say, “Be quiet until you get to your seat.”

First day backIt was the first day of school. As the Head made his rounds, he heard a terrible commotion coming from one of the classrooms. He rushed in and spotted one boy, taller than the others, who seemed to be making the most noise. He seized the lad, dragged him to the hall, and despite his protests, told him to wait there until he was excused. Returning to the classroom, the Head restored order and lectured the class about the importance of good behavior. Now,” he said,” are there any questions?” “One girl stood up timidly, “Please sir,” she asked, “May we have our teacher back?” “Where is exactly is your teacher?” “He’s in the hall, sir.”

Back to schoolYoung James finished his summer holidays and went back to school. Two days later his teacher phoned his mother to tell her that James was misbehaving. “Wait a minute!” protested his mum. “I had him here for weeks and I never once called YOU when he misbehaved!”

Hymns for People Over 50Give Me the Old Timers’ ReligionPrecious Lord, Take My Hand, And Help Me Up Just a Slower Walk with TheeGo Tell It on the Mountain, But Speak UpNobody Knows the Trouble I Have SeeingGuide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah, I’ve Forgotten Where I’ve Parked The CarCount Your Many Birthdays, Count Them One By OneBlessed InsuranceIt Is Well With My Soul, But My Knees Hurt

When Adam met EveThe topic for my class was

palindromes, which are of course words or sentences that are the same read forward and backward. I asked the question ‘What is the first thing Adam said to Eve?’ I was looking for ‘Madam, I’m Adam’, but one student had a better reply: “Wow.”

Listen upWhile giving a sermon one Sunday, two teenage girls at the back giggled and disturbed people. Finally I interrupted my sermon, spoke up and announced sternly, “There are two of you here who have not heard a word I’ve said.” That quieted them down.

AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE 1514

Page 11: CONTENTS · 2014. 9. 1. · CONTENTS Church Office St George’s Church Spencer Road Normanby Middlesbrough TS6 9BH Tel: 01642 281182 Email: admin@christchurchandstgeorges.org Magazine

At just seventeen years old, Jacob Lloyd is already a sought-after singer and songwriter. Combining real life, heartfelt lyrics with a laid-back acoustic feel, Jacob possesses a level of depth and maturity rarely found in others his age. When I heard he was coming to St George’s Church to perform I was excited at the prospect of meeting this young man of God and hearing his story. I got the opportunity to

spend a quiet Sunday afternoon with him and we spoke about life, music and having a relationship with God. He told me about his childhood. “I’ve always lived in Wednesbury, which is a little town that borders West Brom”, he told me. “I grew up in a Christian home with both my parents involved in youth work. I can’t remember not going to church. My Dad, though, suffered from violent outbursts. I only have five memories of my Dad and four of them are hurting either me or my Mam. He left us when I was

about seven years old for a member of the church. It is the only point I remember that I struggled with my faith. I got angry at God. I had been brought up to believe that He was this all loving God, that He wanted to do right by me, and I couldn’t understand why, if He loved us, He had let this happen. I think the one thing that got me through was my Mam. She stayed so strong in her faith and just prayed all the time. My Mam eventually remarried and, at first, I was scared of the same thing happening again but I had seen God at work through my Mam and by the time I was eleven I really wanted to make a commitment to God.” I could tell that this had been a painful experience for Jacob but I could also see a strength within him and that he was now at peace with his past. He continued to tell his story. “When I was twelve I began to get bullied at school. In some ways that was harder to deal with than when my Dad left because you feel you have to deal with it on your own. The bullying was physical, day after day. I never fought back because I didn’t want to become violent. It then spread into cyber bullying and a social networking webpage was set up called “Jacob Goody Two Shoes” because I was a Christian. When I eventually decided to speak

to my family about it they went online and found the webpage. They never told me what was on it but about 100 people were members out of 250 in my year group at school. I was at a real low point but I found help through music and after learning some chords from my stepdad I wrote my first song called ‘I’m Me’.” Jacob smiled as he recounted those early days of song writing. “The song writing really helped. At first I thought I was the problem and I looked for what I could do to make things better. I tried to fix myself. Then I wrote my first song, “I’m Me”, and the lyrics are me realising that I am not the problem and that I was actually good enough. As hard as all those times were, I’m thankful that they’ve happened because if they hadn’t, I would not be the person I am now.” I asked Jacob if there was a point in his life when God became more than just a belief. “There’d never been any doubt in my head that there was a God, and that Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins: those fundamental Christian beliefs had always been there,” he said, “But that personal relationship with God really developed when I started to write music at about thirteen years old. Rather than going to church

AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE 1716

Page 12: CONTENTS · 2014. 9. 1. · CONTENTS Church Office St George’s Church Spencer Road Normanby Middlesbrough TS6 9BH Tel: 01642 281182 Email: admin@christchurchandstgeorges.org Magazine

because Mam and Dad went, I went to church because I wanted to, because I wanted to learn more. I then started gigging and going to other churches. I got used to sharing my testimony and my story and I began to realise that other people related to them. By sharing what God had done for me I continued to develop that relationship and I grew closer to God.” It was obvious to me that Jacob’s relationship with God was important to him but I wondered just how much of a difference it made to his life. “My relationship with God means a lot to me. It’s constant. It’s always there and it’s personal. It will not be the same as anyone else’s relationship with God. When I meet people I talk a lot about the struggles I have faced but I always try to talk about my day to day

relationship because I know that I can’t get through a day without God. Sometimes I just sit and lose myself in God’s presence. It’s a constant, reliable, complete and utter dependency. There is nothing else that comes close, and it’s the thing that completes me.” Jacob went on to explain more about experiencing God’s presence. “Everyone’s relationship with God is different. We all connect with God differently. I think being in God’s presence is just opening yourself up and not doing things in your own strength. Just take a minute, bow your head and pray, or put some music on or whatever it is that you do to unwind and just let God in. It’s in those times that I think you start to feel His presence, and sometimes it’s such a tangible thing.” I wondered just how much of a part prayer played in Jacob’s relationship with God. “I pray at least once a day. Praying is something that feels natural to me. I don’t necessarily have a regular prayer time or a schedule I stick to. I usually pray on an evening before I go to bed, but I tend to pray generally throughout the day too. I don’t tend to just sit with my hands together. My prayer life is just talking to God as I go about everything during the day. I feel like I have conversations with

God a lot more than sitting down and praying.” So how exactly does Jacob hear from God when he prays? “I hear from God in a lot of different ways. Sometimes it is like a sense in your spirit. I think it is important too, when considering decisions you have, to get other people to pray. I’ll often take an issue to my Mam and Dad when I have a big decision to make as well as praying about it myself. My Mum is really good and she will often know for definite where God is leading. God doesn’t always speak to me directly and often it is through other people.” Jacob gave me an example of how God had used someone else to convey His will for Jacob’s life. “My Mam always had dreams of me becoming a Doctor but in recent years she believed that God wanted me to pursue my music and evangelism. For my Mam to say God was saying that medicine was not my path anymore, something contrary to her dreams for me, was a big deal. So I am going to finish my A-levels and then do a part time degree in theology whilst working as an evangelistic musician and then see where God leads me.” It seemed that song writing came so easily to Jacob and, being a budding songwriter, I wanted to

know how he tackled writing a new song. “When I’m writing songs I tend to start with chords,” he said. “I know a lot of different people work in a lot of different ways because there are so many ways to write a good song, but I start with chords. My phone is full of little audio clips of melodies and lyrics. I’ve also learned to keep coming back to songs and make them better and not to get too precious over something you’ve written. Let other people have a listen and see what they think. I’ve just written a song called “One in a million” and I’ve gone back to that 3 or 4, maybe 5, times and I’m still not quite happy with it. An artist called Adam Young of Owl City once said, “A song is never finished, it’s abandoned”.” Having seen his father walk out at an early age and having been severely bullied at school, Jacob’s mission is to show others that “whilst there is pain and there are questions in life, even from such an early start, they can be overcome.” Later that day I got to hear Jacob sing some of his songs as he led an evening at church. My prayer is that God continues to use this young man in a mighty way and that his witness will bring many people to realise God’s love for them.

AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE 1918

Page 13: CONTENTS · 2014. 9. 1. · CONTENTS Church Office St George’s Church Spencer Road Normanby Middlesbrough TS6 9BH Tel: 01642 281182 Email: admin@christchurchandstgeorges.org Magazine

Prayer is a basic part of life as a Christian. We pray in church, at home, together, on our own… We offer thanks to God, ask His forgiveness when we get things wrong, pray for people we care about and much more. Often we pray ‘on the spur of the moment’, responding to situations as we meet them. Choosing to pray in a disciplined way, though, is a step further in life with God. There are lots of patterns of prayer which we can use, and I’ll try to write a bit about some of them over the coming months. Please do share any ideas that have helped you to pray – we’re all in this together, and have a lot to learn from each other. One thing is vital if you’re going to build a pattern of prayer – time. It doesn’t need to be a lot, but you need to set aside at least a few minutes regularly, and to make yourself do it – even if that means leaving some other things undone for the moment. Get yourself comfortable, and don’t feel that you need to rush straight into praying. Often it helps

to spend a few moments being still and breathing deeply to let your mind slow down a bit. Then comes the praying part. If you’re trying to get started in this, why not use the prayer Jesus taught us? It’s both a wonderful prayer in itself and a great pattern for our own prayers. From early on in the church, it’s been recommended that we stop to pray the Lord’s prayer at least three times a day – on rising, at mid-day and in the evening. Try praying it slowly and thoughtfully this way for a few days. Then take a bit longer, and perhaps once a day, stop after each line to think and pray about the kind if things the prayer mentions. So after ‘Our Father in heaven’ just take a moment to think about God – what do you believe He is like? Ask Him to help you to know. After ‘Hallowed be Your Name’, think of three things to praise and thank God about. Think through what each line of the prayer means, and spend a few moments praying about those things. Try this for a week, and see how you feel about prayer then!

AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE 2120

Page 14: CONTENTS · 2014. 9. 1. · CONTENTS Church Office St George’s Church Spencer Road Normanby Middlesbrough TS6 9BH Tel: 01642 281182 Email: admin@christchurchandstgeorges.org Magazine

AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE 2322

Page 15: CONTENTS · 2014. 9. 1. · CONTENTS Church Office St George’s Church Spencer Road Normanby Middlesbrough TS6 9BH Tel: 01642 281182 Email: admin@christchurchandstgeorges.org Magazine

Parish Office and Administration

Spencer Road, Normanby, Middlesbrough. TS6 9BH

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 01642 281182

Parish Rector: Rev Julian G. Blakeley

Parish Readers: Dianne Colbert / Jason Robinson / Keith Allison

Parish Pastoral Worker: Joy Brunskill

Parish Secretary: Carol McIntosh

Parish Magazine Editor: Paul WilsonA Warm Welcome awaits you should you wish to join us at any of our

Services and if you require any further information then please do not hesitate to contact the church office.

AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE - THE PARISH OF ESTON WITH NORMANBY - CHRIST CHURCH AND ST GEORGE24