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June 2016 Number 222

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The Servant Queen

Queen Elizabeth II is 90 this year, with her actual birthday in April, but her official

birthday on June 11th.

Queen Elizabeth II is the most photographed person in the world, constantly in the

limelight and public glare. As a senior citizen she continues to work in excess of 40 hours

per week. She is a monarch, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Our Queen

has given her life to the service of this nation.

When she was born Elizabeth was ‘only’ third in line to throne and no-one expected her

to accede to it. In the words of Shakespeare “Some are born great, some achieve

greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them”. That was the experience of

Elizabeth when her uncle abdicated, and then her father died young, and, at the age of

25, she was crowned queen. She has certainly gone on to be one of the best-loved, most

respected, monarchs in the world, and one of the longest serving.

At the age of 21, in a radio broadcast to the nation, and again in her coronation vows,

Elizabeth said:

“I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be

devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we

belong”

What has sustained our “Servant Queen”? Queen Elizabeth, with every increasing

boldness in her Christmas messages, gives her service first to God, and proclaims Him as

the one who sustains her. In 2002 she said:

“I know just how much I rely on my faith to guide me through good times and

bad. Each day is a new beginning. I know that the only way to live life is to try to

do what is right, to take the long view, to give of my best in all that the day

brings, and to put my trust in God …… I draw strength from the message of hope

in the Christian gospel”.

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To commemorate her 90th birthday the Bible Society, HOPE and LICC have produced an

excellent booklet entitled “The Servant Queen”, with a shorter version for children. These

are available from the church office. This booklet highlights, in the Queen’s own words,

her trust in Jesus Christ in shaping her life and work.

6 months before her coronation the queen asked the UK and the Commonwealth to:

“Pray that God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn

promises I shall be making, and that I may faithfully serve Him and you all the

days of my life”

God has certainly honoured those prayers and we owe an enormous debt to our “Servant

Queen” for all that she has given to this nation over the years. As we celebrate her 90th

birthday this month we join with others across the nation to pray with one of the

‘approved prayers’:

Heavenly Father,

as we celebrate the ninetieth birthday of Her Majesty the Queen,

receive our heartfelt thanks for all that you have given her in these ninety years

and for all that she has given to her people.

Continue, we pray, your loving purposes in her,

and as you gather us together in celebration,

unite us also in love and service to one another;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Rev’d Canon Dave Middlebrook – Vicar

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Thy Kingdom Come

Thank you to those who took part in the Archbishop of Canterbury’s and Archbishop of

York’s prayer initiative, in the week leading up to Pentecost (8th-15th May) entitled “Thy

Kingdom Come”. Thank you to Anne Bolton and the Prayer Team, plus Neil Brookes who

created the ‘Prayer Space’, who encouraged and enabled us at St. Luke’s to take part.

I know that many people in St. Luke’s were encouraged by the way God used this time to

speak to them, and how they, perhaps even surprisingly, enjoyed the experience of

spending time in prayer.

I know that the wave of prayer that swept across the country also surprised many in the

church, including the Archbishop of Canterbury himself! Archbishop Justin, in a video

message during the week, said:

“We are seeing the Holy Spirit at work and it’s wonderful”

Emma Burton, the Leader of the Archbishop’s Evangelism Task Force, commented:

“We’ve been deeply moved and inspired to see churches up and down the country – and

beyond! – pray together for God to deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ and send

us out anew to share his life-transforming love with our families, friends, and

communities”

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At the heart of Archbishops Justin and John’s call to pray was the desire to see this nation

evangelised. Archbishop Justin wrote, in the lead up to the week:

“Our hope is …..

For all Christians to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ

For all of us to have the confidence to share the Gospel

For all to respond to the call of Jesus Christ to follow Him as disciples, to live out

the Gospel, and to seek God’s Kingdom from day to day

……. Evangelism is the work of God, and it begins as we seek him in prayer. It is always

good for the Church to pray!”

Through this initiative the subject of evangelisation is firmly on the agenda, and so it

should be, because if we have good news to share, what’s stopping us? It is easy to feel

squeamish in this post-modern, multi-cultural, pluralistic society in which we live, when it

is considered ‘wrong’ to impose your beliefs onto others.

But if the ‘good news of Christ’ is just that – “Good news” – surely we have to share it. It is

not about us ‘imposing’ our view on others, but simply sharing what we’ve discovered

about Christ, and how we have found that spiritual fulfilment in our lives.

I pray that it won’t take another initiative from our Archbishop’s, however wonderful

“Thy Kingdom Come” has been, for everyone in the church to daily want to deepen our

relationship with Christ, and grow in confidence in sharing the gospel, and want to share

with others how we have found that fulfilment and peace in our lives that can only come

through knowing Christ.

Let us continue to pray and continually to ask:

Heavenly Father,

In my life, in my home, thy kingdom come.

In our congregation, our part of your Church, thy kingdom come.

Amongst your united church in Watford, Lord, thy kingdom come.

Father, in Jesus’ name we pray for our town, for every man, woman and child

around us.

Our heart’s cry is this: Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in Watford as it is in

heaven.

Amen!

Rev’d Canon Dave Middlebrook - Vicar

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Gods Will

Greet each day with an

Obedient heart knowing our

Daddy’s love is bigger and

Stronger than our fears and

Worries of the past and future

In the knowledge of His

Living Word and Grace for our

Lives of eternal hope and joy

G Smith

The PCC would like to thank everyone at Business Energy Team for their help in recently securing new energy contracts for the Church and associated buildings. They have been able secure hundreds of pounds worth of savings, so we have no hesitation in recommending them to any business that wants to save money on their energy bills. They have years of experience and the expertise to secure the best rates available from all the major energy suppliers and their service is friendly, helpful and FREE."

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“Walk with the Lord”

(or “The Mind At Three Miles An Hour”)

Jean Jacques Rousseau, the 18th century philosopher, wrote:

“I can only mediate when I am walking. When I stop, I cease to think, my mind only

works with my legs”

Rousseau wrote many books and papers about walking as an exercise in simplicity and a

means of contemplation.

I, like many people, find walking as a time to relax, to reflect, to take in, and to hand over

to God. I find often it is the very rhythm of walking, one step in front of another, bounding

along the path, at three miles an hour(ish), that in itself helps in that process of ‘handing

over’ and ‘putting down’.

Maybe it is the activist in me but I find it far easier to mediate and reflect when walking,

and looking about, than I do when sitting still. I find it far easier to reflect on God when

out in His world, than when sat in a chair. Obviously my mind works ‘better’ at three miles

an hour (or more! - and many people who have walked with me say it is more!)

Maybe this shouldn’t be so surprising. Think how many times scripture uses phrases like

“walk in His ways”, e.g.

“What does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in

all his ways” Deut 10:12

“Teach them [God’s commands] to your children, talking about them when you sit

at home and when you walk along the road” Deut 11:19

“… love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways …” Josh 22:5

“Blessed are those …. who walk in the light of your presence” Psalms 89:15

“Come …. Let us walk in the light of the Lord” Isaiah 2:5

“ …. walk humbly with your God” Micah 6:8

“Jesus himself came up and walked along with them” Luke 24:15

“Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness” John 8:12

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I know all these passages do not necessarily literally mean ‘walking’, but they do use the

metaphor of ‘walking’ to help us understand our relationship with God.

This ‘walking with the Lord’ is also picked up in other Christian literature, none more so

than in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. Also historically walking, or pilgrimage, was an

important feature of Christian discipline and reflection, with walks like “The Pilgrims Way”

from Winchester to Canterbury, walked by some of the men of St Luke’s a few years ago,

or Camino de Santiago in Spain, and many other ‘caminos’ across northern Europe.

At the end of May I walked my own Pilgrimage along the Ridgeway, taking a tent and

spending the time walking, thinking, praying, looking, talking to people I met, or just being

quiet, with my ‘mind at three miles an hour’.

May I encourage you to find your way of ‘walking with the Lord’, whether that is actual

walking or not. How do you find time to reflect, to hand over to Him, to listen, and to ‘be’.

I can only really mediate when I’m walking, I pray that you can find your way to mediate

and ‘walk with the Lord’.

Rev’d Canon Dave Middlebrook - Vicar

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ALL-AGE SERVICE WITH BARBECUE ON FATHER’S DAY

On Father’s Day, the 19th of June, we invite fathers, mothers, children,

grandparents and everyone else to our All-Age Open Air Services, which

will take place at 9.15 am and 11.00am as usual. If the weather is fine,

we will meet in the St. Luke’s church car park to worship, pray and listen

to God’s word together. If despite our prayers for good weather it does

rain, we will move into the church.

After the second service we are going to celebrate Father’s Day with lots

of fun, games & a big church barbecue. So bring your tongs, Dads!

Everybody is invited to stay for a lunch with delicious sausages, burghers

and salads. We will also offer family games and activities for the little

ones.

We hope to welcome you at St. Luke’s on the 19th of June.

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My work experience week at St.

Luke’s

I never really understood what went on behind the scenes at churches, I only

ever got to witness the aftermath of it all. Coming to St. Luke’s for my work

experience was a decision I will never regret and I’m quite delighted I choose

it over stacking shelves at Asda. I felt very welcomed and I challenged myself

in ways I never knew that I could. On my first day I got to see rooms that I

never even knew existed in the church, I helped organise the schedule which

just showed how many activities the church really takes on and let me tell

you there is a handful. I got to create a nice poster for the children’s movie

club which you might see somewhere around the building. There where so

many visitors who were popping in and out of the office and trust me when I

say everyday was not the same I mean it.

On my second day at St. Luke’s I made a template with flowers for the kids

craft session and that took its time, and honestly I don’t even know how I

managed to finish it. However, that didn’t prepare me for my cutting out

session of about 100 or more certificates for the Queens 90th birthday and

having to put them in numerous amounts of books.

I was very nervous for my third day as I had to have staff breakfast with some

of the staffs but it went quite well as I got introduced to some of the staff and

might I add that the cupcake which Caryl made tasted spectacular as she

reminded us that the chive was not mould. Before I knew it Jenny was

coming over with a white rat with beady red eyes which had the pleasure of

sprinkling the love of poo on her. I was very grateful as Hannah an interne

from Germany prayed for my stay at St. Luke’s and that really warmed my

heart as I believe her prayers towards me were in fact answered.

I got to meet and help tidy up with the learning disability team from West

Herts College which was a pleasure. The team from West Herts where very

enthusiastic and the students were hard working as they were also trying to

get a sense of the working environment so I guess we had that in common.

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That was an experience I will never forget and it made me more aware and

confident as I’ve never really been in that sort of position before so I was

grateful St. Luke’s gave me that chance. Now may I add that everyone

should be prepared for a lot of tea and coffee drinking at St. Luke’s.

On my fourth day I got to help the kids with their flowers and a lot of dirt got

everywhere and it was quite eventful trying to stop some of the toddlers from

eating the dirt. It was a very hectic morning and I regretted not taking that

extra minute of sleep because dirt, seeds, kids and a big blue marker do not

go well. Watching the kids get excited to some of the old school classic’s ‘row,

row, row your boat’ was quite exciting and reminded me of my toddler days

and how I didn’t know the letters GCSE.

I had an amazing time getting to share opinions with the Wisdom House

group ladies during our meeting and getting to hear their opinions about

topics which are very relevant in today’s society. I was quite surprised with

myself because I wasn’t really expecting to get involved or say much but the

fact that they made me feel comfortable and welcome brought out my

communicative side.

I haven’t had my last and final day yet but I’m sure it will be momentous and

full of surprises like every day has been at St. Luke’s.

By Mary Enweremadu

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Notice Board………………………………………

Flowers Flowers for May were very kindly given by ;--

Brian and Jackie Mee in memory of Jackie's mother, Kay Wormald

Carole Garman in memory of Arthur on their wedding anniversary

Peggy Element in memory of her husband Jim

Many thanks. Myrtle

Prayer for EU referendum from the Church of England

God of truth, give us grace to debate the issues in this referendum with

honesty and openness.

Give generosity to those who seek to form opinion and discernment to

those who vote, that our nation may prosper

and that with all the peoples of Europe we may work for peace and the

common good;

for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Enjoy Knitting? Why not join us for a

knit, chat and coffee?

11.00 to 12.15 in St . Luke’s gathering area on

10th May, 7th June and 12th of July. Visit the ‘Knitforpeace’ website for patterns

and ideas.

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Discovery Day – 18th June: 9:30am – 3:00pm

I hope that everyone who considers

themselves part of St Luke’s is passionate

about who we are as a church. I trust that

everyone who feels they are part of the St

Luke’s family is interested in questions such

as:

What next for St Luke’s?

What is God saying to us?

What are God’s priorities for us as a church?

If that is the case, and this is you, then “Discovery Day” on 18th June, here at St Luke’s, is

for you. These are the sort of questions that we will be asking ourselves, and together

asking God. Please put the date in your diary and come along.

We are fortunate that Right Rev’d David Gillett, former Bishop of Bolton, is coming to lead

and facilitate the day. Bishop David is very experienced in supporting and helping parishes

to work through these type of questions. David is also known to a number of people at St

Luke’s having, a number of years ago, been a curate here, and has kept in contact with

some people and visits the church on occasions. David was also my college principal when

I was at Trinity College for my theology training, and he has, over the last year, been

assisting us as our ‘accompanier’ on the ‘vicar’s advisory group’.

Bishop David will be building on some of the work we did as a church through our Lent

series, and our “Vision and Values” sermon series prior to Easter, when we looked at

what Jesus had expected of His church, and what characterised the early church, and also

Matt Summerfield’s ‘charge’ to us at our 10th anniversary service.

Do not worry if you can’t remember what was said, or did not attend either the Lent

series or St Luke’s at that time, because the day will stand alone. Whether you have been

in St Luke’s for a long time, or are new; whether you remember the sermon series and

talks, or not; whether you hold a position of leadership, or responsibility, within the

church or not; whether you come regularly to St Luke’s, or not, the “Discovery Day” is for

you.

Please pray for the day. Please put it in the diary and encourage others to come. Please

come expecting God to speak to you and to others. Please come ready to listen to God

and to others. I believe this will be an important day in the life of St Luke’s so please do

prepare yourself and come ready to participate in our Discovery Day on 18th June.

God Bless

Rev’d Canon Dave Middlebrook – Vicar

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St. Luke’s Services Sunday 5th June – Trinity 2 8.00am Holy Communion (CW) 9.15am & 11.00am Morning Service 6.30pm Evening Service – Prayer for Healing

Tuesday 7th June 9.30am Holy Communion (CW) 8.00pm FOCUS

Sunday 12th June – Trinity 3 8.00am Holy Communion (BCP) 9.15am & 11.00am Morning Service 6.30pm Evening Service

Tuesday 14th June 9.30am Holy Communion (BCP) 10.30am Heathdene Communion

Sunday 19th June – Trinity 4 8.00am Morning Prayer (CW) 9.15am & 11.00am Open Air All-Age Service & BBQ 6.30pm Holy Communion (CW)

Tuesday 21st June 9.30am Holy Communion (CW)

Thursday 23rd June 10.30am Toddler Service

Sunday 26th June – Trinity 5 8.00am Holy Communion (BCP) 9.15am & 11.00am Holy Communion 6.30pm Informal Evening Service

Tuesday 28th June 9.30am Holy Communion (BCP)

JUNE

5 Seventh Day Adventist Church

609 St Albans Rd, Watford WD25 9JL

12 St Peter’s Church Bushey Mill Lane, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD24 7TF

19 North Bushey Baptist Church

218 Park Avenue North Bushey Herts WD23 2BD

26 Garston Community Church 816 St Albans Road, Garston, Herts, WD25 9FL

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Discovery Day

18th June: 9:30am – 3:00pm

What next for St. Luke’s?

What is God saying to us?

What are God’s priorities for us as a church?

These and other questions we will ask on this day – a day for all who consider themselves part of St. Luke’s! Please put the date in your diary and help us discover the next steps for St. Luke’s. (Please bring a packed lunch: soft drinks, tea and coffee provided)

Business Name

Business Tagline or Motto

Product/Service Information

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London Zoo

It was a bright, sunny and chilly Saturday in mid May, the day we went to the zoo.

St Luke’s Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts all joined together,

for a trip to London Zoo.

First up for 12th Watford Rainbows were the giraffes, pygmy hippos, zebras and

meerkats. The girls had great fun filling in their activity sheets as we spotted each

animal. In the Aquarium, the girls found quite a few fish even bigger than their

own heads and in the butterfly house several butterflies bigger than their hands.

We got up close to a pretty speedy sloth in the rainforest.

All units met up for lunch with the penguins. A couple of herons tried to share the

penguin’s lunch but the St Luke’s crowd were all too hungry to share theirs. The

afternoon saw a quick stop at the playground, newly refurbished lion enclosure,

gorillas and finished off watching a brilliant ‘Amazing Animals’ display, featuring

birds of prey in the warm sunshine.

Everyone had a fantastic day out and the Rainbows in particular came back

thoroughly exhausted, so great news all round. Thanks to Margaret Forester (Owl)

for organising the trip.

Rainbows is for girls aged 5-7 years. For details visit www.girlguiding.org.uk.

Beavers is for children aged 6-8, visit www.scouts.org.uk .

Kanga

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CAMEO WALK IN THE BLUEBELLS OF ASHRIDGE FOREST!

On May 14th we went in convoy from the Church up to

Ashridge Forest to be led by Tony to walk among the

wonderful bluebells – without getting lost! Even the sun

came out on occasions to shine through the new leaves on

the trees - and to warm us up as we wandered through this

beautiful forest.

We may be a

ladies club – but -

we did invite a few

extra guests this

time - including

Todd – Melanie’s

dog who came

along for the

exercise – and lots of fuss from members!!

The Serious Walkers !

Some of our more keen walkers decided

to walk down the hill to the lovely village

of Aldbury for lunch! Others went by car

where we had an excellent lunch in the

Valiant Trooper – plus lots of fun and

fellowship with Cameo members and

friends.

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Suitable for accompanied children

In St. Luke’s lounge

at 10.30am

9th August- Alvin and the

chipmunks Road chip

16th August- The Good Dinosaur

23rd August- Yogi Bear

No Charge!!

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The edition for June will be published on June 26th, any entries please

to the church office by June 15th.

You are welcome to submit an article, of not more than 450 words, to

be considered for the next magazine.

If you wish to receive St. Luke’s News regularly – either delivered to

your door or emailed – please contact the Church Office (246161).

Large print is also available. Alternatively, please let us know if you

no longer wish to receive it.

Contacts Vicar Dave Middlebrook 242208 Curate Chris Jones 445907 Reader Dave Clarke 231369 Reader in training Greg Wiley 231264 Reader in training Dave Scourfield 246161 Music Director Jeremy Cooke 246161 Children’s Worker Jenny Stromberg 246161 & Administrator Youth Director Neil Brookes 246161 Associate Youth Worker Lizzy Baron 246161 Gap Year Intern Hannah Keβler 246161 Assistant Administrator Caryl Boxhall 246161 Churchwardens Anne Bolton 212582 Graham Smith 227004 PCC Lay Chair Peter Tindale 238404 PCC Treasurer Paul Evans 260704

PLEASE NOTE (PAID) STAFF WORKING

DAVE MIDDLEBROOK off on Fridays.

CHRIS JONES off on Fridays

NEIL BROOKES contact by text on 07778 587 414

JEREMY COOKE in Tuesdays & Wednesday mornings

JENNY STROMBERG off on Saturdays

CARYL BOXHALL in Monday, Thursday, Fridays am

HANNAH KEβLER off on Tuesdays

www.stlukeswatford.org email office@stlukeswatford.org