Handsacre Methodist Church

05/06/2026

What is hope? Is it just as wishful thinking or can it have a deeper meaning which could provide an anchor in times of suffering? For many hope is a daily lived experience, waiting for results of tests or operations to happen. For those taking exams, it is a season of waiting and hoping as results often determine the future in many areas of our lives. Is your glass half full or half empty or perhaps broken somewhere along the way?

There are many stories of hope to be found in the ministry of Jesus Christ. Here's a couple:-

'While Jesus was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, ‘My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.’ And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples.

Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.’ Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was made well' (Matthew 9)

Two very different situations, yet both riddled with hope. One fused with privilege, the daughter of a synagogue leader and the other a woman on the edge of society. Jairus kneels before Jesus, surrendering his status and despite the mockery from the professional mourners, the young girl is raised to life. Hope restored life.

The woman, on the other hand, finds a different way to express her hope in Jesus. This is a not life and death like Jairus, but an act of great faith, pushing through the crowd despite her status and her rejection by the religious community. Her long particular suffering is not welcomed and seen as ritually unclean. Hope restored life.

How do we express our hope? Are we advantaged in many ways so we choose to use our status to get to the front of a queue or do we recognise our marginality which gives us an impetus through the back door of life?

For some people the glass is always half empty, so filling it doesn't really bring recognisable hope, whereas the half full glass people are waiting in hope for the glass to be filled.

Paul expressed his understanding of hope by linking together the nature of suffering with endurance, character leading to hope which never disappoints.

'We also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us' (Romans 5)

Hope might at times feel like wishful thinking and vacuous, in purely human terms, yet there is a dimension which changes the nature of hope. Hope is about basking in God's sunlight, The Holy Spirit poured into our hearts. Prayer will open the sunlight of hope.

What are you hoping for today? Is it just wishful thinking or is it rooted in suffering, endurance, and character? Hope is not just a quick win or lucky gain but a deep longing for peace, joy and love through the hard times.

As we pray today, we ask God to plumb the depths of our souls with hope so that we know that His love 'has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us'

Amen.🙏

29/05/2026

Have you ever used 3 in 1 oil? As a child, I recall needing it regularly for my bike in order to ensure that the chain and other moving parts of the bike mechanisms were working well. After all it does claim to lubricate, clean and prevent rust. How might these qualities present in 3 in 1 oil harbour a deeper meaning for our lives?

In the closing chapter of Matthew's gospel, Jesus speaks to his disciples about how the power of 3 in 1 is going to work in the lives of those choose to follow Him:-

'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age'.

The evidence of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit is found embedded in various texts across the old and new testaments yet the word Trinity does not appear in the bible. Jesus speaks with authority from his perspective as 'Son of Man' a title drawn from the old testament book of Daniel. This authority is genuine and contrasts with the kind of power which Jesus was being offered by Satan when he was fasting in the wilderness.

Our commission from Jesus aligns with the way prophets were commissioned by God. There are 3 commands perhaps chiming with the threefold nature of the Trinity. Go and Make disciples; Baptise in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and Remember that in doing so Jesus is always with you.

The nature of our going is not just to be busy doing lots of worthy or pious acts, but to be focussed on going for a specific purpose. It is going in the knowledge that as disciples, Jesus is calling us into His purpose. Once we make that decision to be focussed, we are then equipped in the power of 3 in 1 to reach to the ends of the earth.

3 in 1 oil is indeed great for bikes, but can we see now how its qualities might be applied to the oiling of our lives? Lubrication, Cleaning and Preventing Rust.

Lubrication is about enabling things to work together well and this can apply to how we integrate our time and money, how we meet the needs of others and how we live as a member of the Body of Christ (the Church) so that every bone and sinew is in tune with God's Grace, His longed purpose for our lives.

We are tarnished by the world's dirtyness, so our confession of sin is part of a cleansing process.
Our cleaning simply comes about by saying sorry for wrongdoings, the sin which clogs up the work of God in our lives. Baptism is then that outward sign of wanting to be clean so that the inward transformation can take place.

Finally there is preventing rust. Jesus talked about people who would store up treasures on earth which become moth eaten and rusty. Only you know the kinds of treasures you are storing up and whether the rust that is inevitably gathering is distracting your faithfulness.

So many areas of our lives can benefit from lubrication, cleaning and rust prevention, yet we don't always seek this experience on a daily basis. We let things slip, bad habits prevail and our need for 3 in 1 oil becomes evermore required to align us with God's will for our lives.

Let's pray today that the Trinitarian nature of God's love, poured into us like oil, can lubricate, clean and prevent rust in our lives and remind us that Jesus is with us always until the end of the age. Amen. 🙏

20/05/2026

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17/05/2026

Opportunity to explore Paul's letter to the Philippians in June in small groups.

Bible Month is an annual campaign that invites the whole Methodist Connexion to feast on one particular book of the Bible together.

15/05/2026

There is a wry phrase which says that 'Nostalgia ain't what it used to be'! The very process of turning back and wallowing in the past has both light and dark sides to it.

There is a dark and self destructive part of nostalgia which cannot allow people to move forward in a constructive way without the reminder of how good things were in the past and that things will never be as good again.

Everything was allegedly more thriving, more successful, more fulfilling and yet those rose-tinted spectacles, used in the practice of nostalgia, have somehow distorted the very reality of life.

In the field of working with dementia, the power of nostalgia is positively expressed as reminiscence. This process is able to shed light on dark parts of brain activity.

On the brink of Dementia Action Week, we reflect on the constructive place of nostalgia which opens up channels of reminiscence for the purpose of affirming a time in life when everything seemed brighter and less confusing. The 'Forget Me Not' Appeal brings brightness, when the lights of personal life are being switched off.

When Luke writes about the Ascension of Jesus, it is with the intention of emphasising the mission oriented life of Jesus, always looking forward, bringing light into darkness.

'Jesus replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’ (Acts 1: 6-14)

The very nature of God's Kingdom was not a political triumph as many had hoped for, but rather a place in which the Holy Spirit could shape its ongoing purpose as an outpouring from God The Father and Jesus, His Son. This is the build up to the moment at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit would be released in power.

There is no place for nostalgia, as the disciples are called to shape the future through prayer and actively living together as an inclusive community. The Mission is a pressing task which requires a forward gear.

I wonder if you find yourself wallowing in nostalgia or colluding with the idea of 'managed decline', a Club that caters for its current members, rather than a Church which knows its mission is open, unexpected, led by the Holy Spirit which 'blows where it wills'.

Nostalgia is always a downward trajectory of events mis-remembered, whereas real reminiscence draws from the joys of the past, so that we remain in the present looking to the future.Why are we gazing up to heaven when there is so much to do here on earth? What are we doing to switch lights on rather than turn them off?

We are called to be witnesses 'to the end of the earth' in whatever way God wills this for each person? Let's pray today for open and forward looking mission in our personal lives and as part of the Church, allowing the Holy Spirit to have its way in Jesus' name. Amen. 🙏

08/05/2026

What is advocacy? According to the organisation 'Mind', 'advocacy usually means getting support from another person to help you express your views and wishes and to help you stand up for your rights. What kind of support is this and how will having an advocate make a difference to our lives?

In John's gospel, the word advocate is used to talk about the work of the Holy Spirit and derived from a Greek word 'parakletos'. The word is translated in a number of ways indicating how the Holy Spirit operates in our lives.

'If you love me,you will keep my commandments and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you'. (John 14)

What is the nature of this advocacy? Do people need support or representation to express their views or does someone need comfort from a counsellor or helper as some translations will suggest? How might the true sense of parakletos be evident in our daily lives?

One writer suggests that the idea of us needing to be presented to God by an advocate in a legal context is misplaced. This kind of advocate might plead our case seeking to gain a favourable judgement, but does God need persuading to love and forgive and to accept us for who we are?

Do we need an advocate to change God's mind or is it preferable that the advocate, The Holy Spirit, is here to change our minds about ourselves and others? The Advocate is not there to represent us before God but rather to represent God to us. Jesus did say that 'The Advocate will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I said to you'.

We all need an advocate to remind us of all that Jesus said and did and his ultimate sacrifice on the Cross. In times of uncertainty, when our lives are in a mess, when we are lost or uncertain, angry or frustrated, sad or grieving. Jesus reassured his disciples that they would not be left without his presence but instead this Paraclete would come to be with them.

‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. (John 14)

When we feel like we are orphans in this world, The Holy Spirit is available to speak to us and to provide comfort. After both my parents died, I jokingly said to my siblings that we were orphans now in the sense that orphans present themselves without parents, but as we were adults ourselves with children, this portrayal of orphans is not strictly true.

Can we think of ourselves as God's advocates living in the knowledge that the Spirit of Truth is dwelling in our hearts and this is our witness to others that the presence of God in Jesus is alive today. What might this look like in each of our lives?

The sense of Parakletos is present when we reach out in compassion to others. None of us can get through life alone so we need to look around for places of connection where our lives can be shared with others.

At the heart of Advocacy is Love which longs for the best in every situation and every person and it is the Spirit of God seen in Jesus which continues today as our witness.

Let's draw upon the power of the Holy Spirit today so that we can find ways to advocate for others and allow The Holy Spirit to change our minds as we love and serve others. Amen.🙏

04/05/2026

Happy Star Wars Day! This is my John Wesley bobble head and my husband’s R2D2 French press. 😆😆

01/05/2026

Have you come across a fossicker? You may be wondering what on earth a fossicker is so in simple terms, it is someone who can look at rocks or stones and admire the beauty in each one. Whilst rocks and stones have their own natural beauty, what do we make of 'living stones' and where can these be found?

In Peter's 1st letter we read the following:-

'Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ'

Many of us might only feel like ordinary stones each day, carrying out our usual routines and activities and yet God views each of as precious and unique 'living stones' who are being built into His Church.

Many churches seem to be wedded to their buildings as if the very stones which created the building have some life of their own.Some church buildings are indeed a testimony to decades of building and housing congregations and some have extraordinary beauty which the fossicker and others can admire. Whilst there is something to be admired, some beauty in this, let's not be engulfed by this, but rather by the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, The Cornerstone, upon which The Church is built.

The status of large churches and the treasures within including organs can be a distraction from the life of faith. After all, there were no organs around at the time of Christ, so why should they hold particular significance for us today? Our focus should be about becoming Living Stones.

Living stones are not just randomly gathered and cemented together but central to our building Church is the 'Cornerstone', Jesus, without which the Church will not stand. The wise man did indeed build his house upon the Rock, but this Rock or Cornerstone had firstly been rejected by the builders. Jesus died so that He could become the Cornerstone on which His Church is built.

So what does being a 'living stone' mean to you? Do you know how the beauty of what you bring fits into the Church? Is there a place for you to be built alongside others into a house of spiritual stones with the purpose of proclaiming the mighty works of God?

In the song from West Side Story 'Somewhere', we hear these lines which in some way echo the Christian call:-

'There's a place for us, somewhere a place for us. We'll find a new way of living, we'll find a way of forgiving, somewhere'. Without this way of living and forgiving, we have nothing redemptive to offer to a broken world.

However, we can become 'spiritual fossickers' admiring the beauty in each living stone, knowing that we are being built into an amazing heavenly temple, free from preoccupation with earthly trappings.

Let's pray today, longing to be living stones, to offer 'spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ'. Amen

24/04/2026

What do you understand by the word 'safeguarding'? How can we all behave in ways which provide safe places for people to be together, knowing that within any diverse group of people there may be a propensity for harm or abuse?

The picture we have of shepherds might be part of a rural idyll, yet the very role of shepherding is the archetype of protection and providing safety. Whilst this usually refers to caring for sheep, we extend the metaphor to caring for people, where true safeguarding is less about 'box ticking' and more about real care, concern and collective responsibility for the safety of others.

In John's gospel there is a story about The Good Shepherd, which describes as one of John's 'I am' statements about Jesus.

'I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep'

In Jesus' day, the typical sheep fold was a pen with a wall built of rocks which surrounded the mouth of a cave to provide shelter from challenging weather. Plants with thorns grew over the wall to deter wolves and other predators. There was a gate in the wall which provided access to the gold and this could be used by other shepherds and their flocks.

Gatekeepers were hired to guard the sheep or A shepherd would lay across the gate as a door. Particularly sheep recognised their shepherd by his voice or whistle. This parable paints an evocative picture of a shepherd’s care for his flock, in the face of the risks and dangers from predators, thieves and bad weather.

What can we glean about shepherding which might inform our own behaviour in our relationships and pastoral situations with individuals?

The parable tells us that Jesus, being the Good Shepherd, knows his sheep, cares for each one and provides authentic safeguarding without all the bureaucracy!

The idea of Jesus laying down served as a means of protection for the sheep as well as the more profound theological implications of the Cross. Shepherding means knowing, healing, sustaining and keeping safe. Those who trust in Jesus to provide will feel an intrinsic security in the wider world and in feeling safe and secure, followers can live the best possible life.

The Vine Cafe in Handsacre provides a place of diversity where real safeguarding is taking place and where lives can be changed by shepherding. Experienced volunteers observe and facilitate conversations and interactions such that everyone can feel safe at all times.

In many Churches there are 'gatekeepers' who can be self appointed and may see themselves as protectors of the Church. However this parable about the Good Shepherd firmly puts any gate keeping as the gift from Jesus, who has laid down his life for the sheep.

Let's create safe places for people to thrive and trust in the shepherding of God's son, Jesus, alive today in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.🙏

22/04/2026

Join the debate. Hymn books or internet? Live music or YouTube?

That’s ok, I’ll stick with a book.

By Dave Walker.