Words from Bede Circuit

21st July 2020

Dear Friends,

I hope you are keeping well and safe. In the introduction to their book, “So, what’s the Story…?” last year’s President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, Rev Dr Barbara Glasson and Dr Clive Marsh (respectively) wrote:

“Stories help us to better understand the world around us, our relationships with other people, and even ourselves. We use them in our daily life and work; churches and other communities use them to build from within and to reach out to others; and stories enrich our knowledge of God and help us grow in faith.”

We all have a story to tell. You may have listened to people telling their stories (or testimony) of life and faith and those times are usually truly inspiring! Until lockdown and the temporary closure of our churches, I was encouraging people to value their story of faith and to find ways to share it with others. Since lockdown, I have been using Facebook social media platform to tell, usually a children’s story and then relate it to everyday life. Storytelling has always been a powerful tool. Jesus was a master of stories and, through His parables in the Bible, we can learn something new about God and our relationship with Him.

Many of our hymns tell stories too: the story of creation, God’s faithfulness, patience and care, Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem, His life and ministry, His death, resurrection, ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Like many of you, I am missing singing hymns and the possibility of returning to worship in which we cannot sing hymns feels strange to me. I was brought up singing hymns and even sang duets with my sister at Sunday School Anniversaries! One of those was written by Maria Matilda Penstone:

God has given us a book full of stories, Which was made for His people of old, It begins with the tale of a garden, And ends with the city of gold. But the best is the story of Jesus, Of the babe with the ox in the stall, Of the song that was sung by the angels, The most beautiful story of all. There are stories for parents and children, For the old who are ready to rest, But for all who can read them or listen, The story of Jesus is best. For it tells how He came from the Father, His far-away children to call, To bring the lost sheep to their Shepherd— The most beautiful story of all.

Thank you to those of you who have returned answers to the questions set by the circuit staff to try and ascertain expectations about reopening the circuit churches. Within those I have received back, I have been most touched by answers to the final question, “What is it that God has been doing/showing you during this lockdown time?” Answers have included “I have felt closer to God”, “The church is the people not the building”, “I think God is doing a new thing amongst us”, “I have rediscovered my Bible and the stories within it”. My hope and prayer is that, as churches begin the journey to eventually reopening, we will not lose sight of the ways in which we have all lived with loneliness and isolation and survived to tell the tale! So, what is YOUR story? And how will you share that and “the most beautiful story of all” with others?

Zoom Bible studies are taking a short break this week but Sunday worship at 10.30am and Wednesday Morning prayer at 10am will continue on Zoom. There are other services on Why Pay Telephone Conference Please contact the Senior Church Steward (Brenda Wallace) for more details: wesleymemchurch.pr@gmail.com and please do use the Sunday service sheet as we continue (for now) to worship at home.

Please continue to look after and pray for each other.

Every blessing

Revd Deborah Wainwright, on behalf of the Bede Circuit staff team.