Tales from Sherwood - Bishop's Blog

20th March 2009

Yesterday we shared together in a memorial service for Jack Wheeler.  He was a goalkeeper for Notts County Football Club: he stayed with the Magpies for 26 years, and never missed a single game.  He was happy to do anything to help with the rise of Notts County under the legendary Jimmy Sirrel as the club went from the 4th to the 1st division.

He received a glowing tribute from Notts County chairman John Armstrong-Holmes: "Jack was an absolute gentleman who devoted the best years of his working life to Notts County".

He will be missed by Notts County fans, but he will be missed most by his family.  He was married for 66 years, and his family remember happy times with other players and their families when the children were young.

It's not easy being in the public space and enjoying a balanced family life, but it's so important that family does not get left behind in the rush, or that the need for the approval of the crowd distorts simple values.

If you speak to young people, and ask them about their hopes and dreams for adulthood, many say that they want to be "famous": the bright lights, the red carpet, the media scrum, at first glance seem so attractive. But there's usually a cost, and it's often a chaotic private life.  The problem is that the bright lights eventually fade, the red carpet is gone, and the media scrum find another victim.

Jesus learnt in his short life that the roar of the crowd, recorded in the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, "Hosanna, Hosanna" can quickly turn into shouts of "crucify, crucify".

The roar of the crowd can be very seductive, but it can quickly turn to abuse.  A stable loving family is more precious than gold.

God Bless

+TP

13th March 2009

Two weeks ago my wife Lucille and I spent a fascinating afternoon in Nottingham with over 300 other people.  We went to listen to an inspiring presentation by “Christians Against Poverty”.

CAP was born in the conviction that those who have received God’s grace through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ at Calvary have a responsibility to bring God’s transformation to the community, by scratching where it itches, by bringing added value to the community, especially the marginalised.

The impact of the credit crunch is horrible.  It may be possible one day to find a scapegoat to allocate blame, but that’s not a big help at the moment to those who are struggling. There’s all the difference in the world between a fence at the top of a cliff and an ambulance at the bottom.  Of course we need to create better fences in the medium and long term, but Lucille and I are putting our weight behind “Christians Against Poverty”, who are making a significant difference to those being strangled by debt.

Perhaps the main reason for the impact of ‘CAP’ is that the founder, John Kirkby, has been there, done it, and got the t-shirt.  In his book, “Nevertheless”, he explains: “In early 1992 my whole world fell apart..I might have looked fine on the outside but inside I was a broken, lonely man…virtually everything had been lost and I found myself with huge debts totalling over £78,000 and nowhere to turn”.

To show our support, we’ve visited their headquarters in an ex-mill in Bradford, and were deeply impressed by their professionalism, compassion and realism.  As a Christian community, we have to be where it hurts, and the ministry of ‘CAP’ makes us proud to be associated with them.

Take a moment to look at their website….. www.capuk.org

It will inspire you.

God Bless
+TP