January 2008

VICAR: The Revd. Martin Fredriksen Tel: 694109

PARISH OFFICE (Mondays to Fridays 9.30am - Noon) Tel: 697641

FROM THE VICAR: The Church’s New Year begins on Advent Sunday, with the low-key preparations for the great Festival of Christmas. The calendar New Year starts for many with a party, followed by a few unproductive days, overshadowed by a hangover!

The pace of life rarely allows us to stop and reflect on the past – to see where things have been successful and to learn lessons from disasters – which is to the detriment of us all. Those who study history see patterns emerging – whether they are in politics, world affairs or in the church – and mankind makes the same mistakes over and over again. Do we never learn?

In this wonderful and lively parish of Broadstone, of which I feel privileged to be its Vicar, we have had another good year. I am grateful to all who have done so much to help, both practically and spiritually, in the worshipping and social life of this parish. The congregation has grown significantly over the past twelve months, with thirty adults and young people being confirmed. We have shared in sad and happy occasions together, some lives have been changed significantly, and newcomers have arrived and helped to draw us all closer together. Visitors have been complimentary about the warm, but not overwhelming welcome that they have received. Importantly, the presence of our Lord Jesus among us has been tangible.

However, we must be very careful not to slip into the trap of smugness and complacency – or to be too involved in the arguments and politics that are threatening to tear the Anglican Communion apart. These are all distractions from what the Church is really about. The Kingdom of God is growing and the ‘signs of the times’ resemble closely (and frighteningly!) those of which we read in the Scriptures.

As the writer of the Letter to the Hebrew puts it so succinctly: ‘let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Let this be our New Year resolution at St.John’s!

Martin Fredriksen.

Archived sermons :

2010 - January, February, March, April, May, June, July

2009 - January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

2008 - January, February, March, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

2007 - January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December