Category: Thought for the week

When we watch the current TV news we might be tempted to think “I wish!”, or “What a hope!” but, according to the Bible, the birth of Jesus was accompanied by a promise of “peace on earth”.
Could there perhaps be a kind of peace that does not depend on the absence of war and violence? Some might wish to stay indoors and disconnect the TV, but I wasn’t thinking of any form of escape! The Bible promises “the peace of God that transcends all understanding”. I believe that it means a peace of mind irrespective of the surrounding circumstances.
Many years ago I was walking home from primary school on a snowy day, along with a crowd of other lads, some on each side of the road, when a snowball fight started between the opposite “armies”. The groups grew smaller as the boys turned off towards their respective homes, but my side decreased faster until I was left alone, heavily outnumbered. I felt scared – it just wasn’t fair; but suddenly my Dad appeared and caught me up (he too walked home for lunch). With my Dad beside me I now felt secure and all my fear was gone.
The Bible portrays God as a devoted Father who delights in the wellbeing of His children, and who wants a personal relationship with us; so getting to know Him, through Jesus, could produce that special kind of “peace on earth”. It already has for many people, myself included.
JEFF TRIMINGHAM
KLCF

Worry, fear and anger, three feelings for me that I’ve always seemed to struggle most with, three things you could say I’ve felt captive to, like they’ve always had something of a hold over me! There are lots of different things that can have that same affect on people’s lives.
Whatever the issue, if you know that feeling, then you no doubt have the same desire I did, the desire to be free from them. Yet I struggled to ever find the freedom or peace I craved. That was until I met Jesus who came He said ‘to proclaim liberty to the captives’, freedom!
The world is filled with great people who can offer us help to try and find ways of living and coping with the things that have a negative hold over us but Christ says He offers us liberty!
Liberty is a beautiful word, defined as ‘freedom from control, interference, restriction, hampering conditions.’ More than having to try and live with and cope with these things, Christ offers us liberty from them in every meaning of the word.
Are you in search of real freedom and peace? John 8:36 says ‘if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed’ and Rom 15:3 tells us we are filled with all joy and peace as we trust in Jesus.
Friend, you can end your search right here, true freedom and peace can be yours today, through a relationship with Jesus Christ!
Darryl Mallet
Assistant Pastor – KLCF

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: “I am blind, please help.”
There were only a few coins in the hat.
A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat.
He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.
Soon the hat began to fill up.
A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognised his footsteps and asked, “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?”
The man said, “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way. I wrote: “Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it.”
Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so blessed that they were not blind.
The second sign was more effective as people gave because they were thankful.
Look around you today, realize how much you have got to thank God for
Why not go to church this Sunday and join with others who are grateful and thankful too.

Pastor P. Randerson
King’s Lynn Christian Fellowship

A recent poll found a worrying statistic that nearly 1 in 10 people do not have a single close friend. Previous studies have linked loneliness to a range of health problems, from high blood pressure and a weakened immune system to a greater risk of depression, heart attack and strokes. The evidence is clear – people who live in healthy relationships are healthier. Family life is key to the health of our communities and society as a whole. God’s intention in creating mankind was that we would be in relationship with Him and with one another. He created family and community. This is his plan and design for us. I’m sure we would all agree that the foundation of our family relationships is love. Jesus’ teaching was radical – he told us not just to love those close to us, but to love our enemies. What a difference this kind of love would make in our world today! But how can we love like this? This kind of love is not natural – it is spiritual. We can only give this unconditional love when we have experienced it ourselves and the only person who loves perfectly is God. The Bible tells us that God loves us so much that even though we didn’t want anything to do with him, he allowed his only son Jesus to die, so that he could be friends with us. That’s true love. This is the love that will transform our lives and relationships.
Wendy Hill
King’s Lynn Christian Fellowship

An old fisherman once said to me, “Anyone who’s been in a storm at sea in a fishing boat believes in God.” It’s a natural response to pray when we’re terrified.
A boat was the first symbol of the Christian Church. Just as Noah built a boat to rescue the animals and his family from the great flood, so, at a time when, for Christians a death sentence could be as imminent as drowning in a small fishing boat on a raging sea, the Church seemed like an ark to rescue people from the storm. And hearing about the disciples in a small fishing boat caught in a storm on the Sea of Galilee when Jesus calmed the storm, must have been a great encouragement. One time, when Jesus was exhausted and asleep while the disciples struggled to stop the boat capsizing, they shouted at him, “do you not care, we are drowning!” Another time the disciples were in a boat during a gale. Jesus came to them walking on the water, “Take courage, it is I, don’t be afraid,” he said.
Jesus didn’t say, “It’s okay, it’s only me.” His actual words mean, “I Am, do not be afraid.” It wasn’t just for those in the boat then, that he said it, but for everyone, always – for you and me now: “I am, don’t be afraid.” Maybe when we’re afraid we turn to God, but, if we do, it’s not our fear, but his love that will rescue us.

Chris Ivory
Kings Lynn Minster

We would all like to see a high quality service at the new Tapping House hospice which is being constructed at Hillington and which will contain in-patient beds. Descriptions of a high quality service might include the following: skilful; knowledgeable; up-to-date; compassionate; respectful; confidential; safe; transparent; adequately resourced, cost effective; openly accessible; well-staffed; sensitive; listening; supportive; communicative; integrated. In fact, in a recent report by the Commonwealth Fund, the UK NHS was ranked first out of the health services of 11 western countries on five measures: quality of care, access to care; efficiency; equity and healthy lives (Ref: BMJ 2014; 348:g4080).

But the church teaches us that we are flawed and recent NHS scandals confirm this. We must face up to this truth and pray so that God can shine through the cracks and transform us. Conversely, being judgemental damages relationships and destroys creative networks.

In 1995, after the scandal at Bristol children’s cardiac unit, the NHS introduced the concept of clinical governance. Staff undertake a number of tasks against which they are formally assessed. These tasks show that they follow guidelines, keep their knowledge and skills up to date, produce acceptable outcomes, co-operate between departments, investigate and change after errors and change the service to meet the views of patients and their relatives.

This work is effective prayer. Jesus said ‘Ask and it will be given to you; search, and you shall find; knock, and the door will be opened to you’ (Matthew 7:7).

Peter Coates Kings Lynn Catholic Church

How often do we hear people say, ‘Have you changed your mind?’ Sometimes this is not an easy thing to do. There is the matter of pride, habit, even family and tradition. Each one of us is called daily to change some aspect of our life, to take more exercise, to eat healthily. Requests to change come through the media, our family, friends and others.
But often we receive a gentle nudge to do something good: to help others by volunteering, by donating to charitable causes, by speaking a word of praise instead of criticism.
The rough treatment by God of St Paul, as told in the Bible, when he was journeying to Damascus to hunt down Christians , was not a gentle nudge. Paul was thrown to the ground, blinded and heard a voice from heaven asking why he was persecuting Him. The voice was that of Jesus. Paul then was changed completely to serve Jesus.
Others, perhaps ourselves, have experienced gentler calls. St Ignatius of Loyola in the 16th century, recuperating from a serious wound received in battle was gently changed from dreams of war and chivalry to becoming a soldier of Christ. He taught others to recognise the voice of God and distinguish that from other feelings and impulses.
So, what should we do? Why not say ‘Speak, Lord, I am listening’. If we are quiet we may hear that ‘still, small voice of calm’.

John Cairns, King’s Lynn Catholic Church

Half Full or Half Empty? – John Belfield, Catholic Deacon, king’s Lynn

As I reached down for my glass of gin and tonic (occasional and just the one!) I rejoiced that I still had some left! – rather than being sad that I had drunk so much of it already!

A silly example I know but it illustrates a basic attitude to life of which I was reminded of when I read some of the letters concerning the flowering in Lynn. As I look at these decorations around our town, I rejoice at the colour and the beauty. I always marvel at French towns and villages as they put so much effort into enhancing their environment for the benefit of all – and even in places that are not a natural tourist area.

Our town is a draw for tourists. How much they must appreciate what has been done. What a lovely town. Sadly, others see the cost and complain about it. Their glass, half empty.

How often do we look for the negatives. Yes we may be stuck in a supermarket queue – don’t moan but engage others in friendly banter, say a silent prayer for the person on the till coping with sometimes grumpy customers or just wait patiently, grateful you can afford to shop in the first place!

Monty Python’s Eric Idle sums it up: Always look on the bright side of life. Go on, sing it if you know the tune! And if you don’t, do it anyway! Have a good week.

John Belfield Kings Lynn Roman Catholics