tmas starts with ristingle February 2017
N E E D TO K N OW
I S T O R I E S I A R E A U P D AT E S I E V E N T S N E A R Y O U
Dean’s View By Very Revd Nicholas Henshall Dean of Chelmsford WALKING over London Bridge to Liverpool Street, a man stopped me, handed me a Pret a Manger bag, and said "Give that to the next homeless person you see!" I took the bag and hurried on in the hope of still catching the fast train home. He hadn't been impressed by the bright glow of Christian charity radiating from me. He just had an uneaten sandwich, saw a vicar walking by, and thought I might have a better use for leftover food.
Ploughing a new furrow Picture: Archant/Saffron Photo
ds to light a candle ist’s birthday But it's still a surprise that in our deeply secular culture someone would see a vicar as something to do with love and service for the poor – a compliment not to me but to the whole Christian community. That's because Christian life, Christian worship, Christian service is never about solo heroes, especially people who dress up in public for a living. As Jesus would say, with deep irony, "they have their reward". It's always about Christian community. A few years ago the Chief Rabbi said
"Don't ask me to tell you what Judaism is. tmasstarts.com Let me take you to see a Jewish
community and I'll show you what Judaism is!" Christians should know that too. I came to adult Christian faith at 17 as a result of reading Acts 2.42 to the end, that CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
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