Articles
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Minister's letter for May
Minister’s Letter – May 2012
“A place for everything – and everyone”
Have you been caught up with the enthusiasm of Antiques Roadshow and sold all your treasured possessions? If not, I guess you will have many treasures tucked away. The “ideal home” has a place for everything, and everything in its place. Some of us hoard more than others; some feel happier with lots and lots of memories on show. But as years pass, new experiences come, new friendships begin – and we displace long displayed treasures in favour of new ones.
And it’s not just in the home that we keep things on display. We do the same in our hearts. Loved ones who have passed on, long term friends who have moved too far away for us to visit; dear ones who are now too old or too infirm to travel. Even those with whom we may have had a serious fall-out, more years ago than we can now remember. Those who have helped us in our learning and growing.
Chris Byrne – 26 April 2012 - 8:40am
Minister's letter for March
“Keeping Pace with God”
One of my earlier memories is of train journeys across the Isle of Wight. Journeys taken at such a slow pace, that you really did have time to jump off, pick the flowers along the way, and jump back on again – in complete safety.
I am writing this the night before a week’s holiday. Holidays are times when you are supposed to slow down a bit, step down from routine and pick up the flowers of relaxation that come your way. Now I can understand that – but I have always been one to try and make the most of every minute, ensuring that no time is wasted, for it is far too precious. I have to admit that this habit has more than once made me late for meetings. The very idea of adjusting my pace downwards is anathema – what will I miss if I don’t keep going?
But the other day nature – that is, God – truly caught me out.
Chris Byrne – 27 February 2012 - 11:38am
Minister's letter for February
Minister’s Letter – February 2012
“Truth and balance on the high wire of life”
How balanced are you? If your bodily centre of gravity is, like mine, pretty high, you are more likely to find balance harder to achieve. I once attended a canoeing course in Dover harbour – the morning saw me underwater no less than 6 times! Ad my attempts at a “canoe roll” were positively out of this world! I find even a low level attempt at balance – on one of those long narrow planks – quite nerve racking. Possibly my most nervous experience was when our family took on the high ropes course at Porthmadoc. Now the zip wire was fine – but when it came to what seemed like a good 30 feet above ground, albeit safely harnessed and in no real danger, I found myself almost hyperventilating as I tried to cope.
Chris Byrne – 23 January 2012 - 2:51pm
Minister's letter for December
“Hard-wired love”
It is one thing to put your ideas in the hands of someone else. It is quite another to put yourself in their hands. Christians believe that was what God did in the birth, life and death of Jesus. From start to finish the Bible story is about how people like you and me began to realise that God was not one of many, one of a group of distant dictators doing little more than playing with human fate. God has never sat on the sidelines and fiddled, while humanity tore itself apart. God has wept bitter tears of despair; demonstrated angry jealousy over us his children, when we have fallen under destructive influences. God has, through his chosen leaders and spokespeople, appealed to us, all but begged us to go his way.
The writers of the Bible believed that, throughout history, God had continued to speak to his people through prophets, priests, and kings. And ask great things of them. Things they could not possibly achieve by themselves.
Chris Byrne – 2 December 2011 - 5:10pm
Minister's letter for September
DEESIDE PASTORATE
Minister’s Letter for September 2011
“Love never gives up”
Have you ever considered how amazing it is that this world continues to exist? Given the old Indian proverb, “when elephants fight, the grass gets trampled”, isn’t it almost a miracle that some parts of the world have survived the effects of mortars, shells, semi-nuclear attack? Why was the poppy was chosen for remembrance? Because on the battlefields of Flanders, after fighting had ceased, the poppy was the first thing to spring up into life and blossom. A sign of love from a source beyond time?
And what of “Weed-Power?” No – not a mild version of “Day of the Triffids” (for those who remember the film in which super growing trees seemed to threaten to take over the world). I’m thinking of the way a single weed can, given time, break through solid concrete up to a foot thick. At Harvest time we tend to think of flowers, fruit and vegetables, grown in specially prepared ways and places.
Chris Byrne – 20 September 2011 - 3:31pm
Minister's letter for August
DEESIDE PASTORATE
Minister's letter for August 2011
"The voice of God goes out to all the world"
It was Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, who said it: 'this loan is good for us and for the euro. It will come back to us in time". The countries of the Eurozone finally came up with a rescue package of nearly £200biliion, to save their almost bankrupt companions in Greece. And for once the banks are actually going to help! Yes - they had to do it to save the euro, and themselves, but maybe a seed of biblical truth has somehow forced its way into the debate. Just like the tiny irritant that causes the oyster shell to produce the pearl, that we were thinking of at our Cafe Worship on 24th July. The simple truth that, ultimately, we all stand or fall together. Or, it is better to do good than to do evil by doing nothing, whatever the situation.
Chris Byrne – 2 August 2011 - 9:17pm
Rivertown and Garden City URC Unite
Garden City URC has decided to close after many decades of witness in the Garden City and Queensferry area. There is much to celebrate in the work the fellowship have achieved over the years and the service they have provided to the community. Now the time has come to open a new chapter and unite with Rivertown URC in Shotton. Both congregations agreed to this at their respective church meetings and we are now all looking forward to a faith life together for more decades to come.
A special 'uniting' service is to be held on Sunday 17th September.
Chris Byrne – 16 July 2011 - 1:46pm
Minister's letter for July
Minister’s Letter – July 2011 "The Price is Paid?"
Fairtrade has come a long way from its fledgling beginnings with coffee and tea. Yet there are still millions of producers who exist at the breadline level. Public opinion has a long way to go before we are all fully committed to paying a fair price for goods from faraway – to considering and respecting the people behind the products whose availability we take for granted. Perhaps that’s because behind what we buy lies a multi million pound industry, dedicated to perfecting our ability to choose what we want. We don’t have to do anything – just walk in and take it off the shelves!
We are now well into the holiday season. What did you - will you - and I - value most about our holiday? The food, the beach, the sights – the peace, the abolition of the alarm clock, the quality time we are able to spend with our nearest and dearest, and maybe those we haven’t seen for so long.
Chris Byrne – 16 July 2011 - 1:44pm
Minister's letter for April
Minister’s Letter – April 2011 - “It had to happen”
How do you respond to overwhelming evil? Tragedy? There are some things in life that are inevitable. What goes up must come down. Blue and yellow make green. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Love will find a way. We human beings were created - by whatever process - by the One whose power gave us life and love. Our two tasks – as human beings - to care for the world and all its people. As Christians to work with God for the salvation – that means the preserving – of all life, through faith in Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit.. Not all will not work with God. So many seeds of human life landed on stony paths, in shallow and hostile soil, among weeds and thorns bushes. Amongst great wealth, or poverty. Turning many to destructive, violent, and desperate measures, visiting on others what they themselves have received.
Chris Byrne – 26 March 2011 - 2:53pm
Minister's letter for March
Minister’s Letter – March 2011 “Living Waters”
Water – isn’t it amazing?! It comes flying through our pipes, at a pretty high pressure, just with just the quickest flick of the tap. It keeps us, our houses and gardens and the whole planet, both clean – and alive! In these days of climate change – which I for one do not doubt – the condition and levels of water across the world provide an instant health check. Yet recent years have shown us water’s power of destruction and devastation. Prolonged heavy rain, high tides, sometimes aided by commercial logging, huge deforestation and undersea volcanic activity, and now fears of Arctic and Antarctic ice melts, simply takes everything – homes, livelihoods, whole towns – creating lakes as large as France and Germany combined.
I have never visited a water treatment plant. The one in Milford Haven was quite smelly.
Chris Byrne – 26 February 2011 - 2:34pm
