Cogges Parish newsletter June 2003

From the newsletter ...

Community

I know this may be pushing things a little too far - but just imagine, for a moment if you can, that your Parish church was simply the best place to be - a place where the whole community could meet, enjoy one another's company, establish friendships and have a real sense of belonging. Would this be a place which you might want to be a part of? Well, this is the sort of picture that stirs my imagination and, as a Vicar, sets my pulse racing.

I would say, humbly, that it excites God too because his aim in human history is the creation of an inclusive community of loving people, with himself as its primary sustainer and most glorious inhabitant.

There's a little book called 'The All Better Book', in which young children try to solve the world's knottiest problems: what to do about the ozone layer, how to eradicate poverty! But by far the toughest question is this: How could we figure out a system where no one is lonely? Listen to some of the children's remarkable responses:

"Make food that talks to you when you eat. For instance, it would say, "How are you doing?" and "What happened to you today?" (Max aged 9)

By far the most touching was this one from Brian aged 8, "Sing a song. Stamp your feet. Read a book" (Sometimes I think no one loves me, so I do one of these).

I believe that community is what we have been created for - it is certainly God's desire for life and an indispensable condition for human flourishing. Some statistics have proved that people who have poor health habits but strong social ties lived significantly longer than people who had great health habits but were isolated. As Christian author, John Ortberg says, "It is better to eat deep fried crisps with good friends than to eat broccoli alone!"

I've been here just a year now and my passion, along with many members of the Church, is to develop a pastoral policy that demonstrates the love of God (the Christmas chocolate was an attempt to do that).

I did say in a previous article that I would be only too happy to visit you or meet with you. From July, I aim to hold two pastoral surgeries on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. Please, if you would like to talk, then just phone the Parish Office and make an appointment. It could be for a wedding or baptism or just for a chat.

Reverend Andrew Sweeney

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