ISSUE 48 / OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2020
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VOX.IE OCT - DEC 2020
EDITORIAL
On a Mission ver the years, my husband has built up a collection of T-shirts with quirky and often thought-provoking slogans. We picked up his Blues Brother’s shirt in a charity shop when we spotted the words, “We’re on a mission from God.” It appealed to us. You have heard of wearing your heart on your sleeve; what about wearing your calling on your chest? The word mission comes from the Latin “missio” that means “to send”. Someone on a mission has a purpose; they have been sent to do a job. But I wonder what springs to your mind when you think of “mission”? From the stereotypes of jungles and hard hats, soup runs or bush clinics for malnourished babies to holiday Bible clubs or parish missions, our understanding can be as diverse as our background.
O
I wonder what springs to your mind when you think of “mission”? And that is the point. If we are talking about God’s mission, then the Scriptures record how God sends His people to do all sorts of things: to feed the hungry, bind up the broken-hearted, preach good news to the poor, set captives free and heal the sick (to mention just a few). Like a delicious stew that is made up of different ingredients that combine for a wholesome meal, so when we each fulfil our unique calling something wonderful happens; His Kingdom starts to come on earth as it is in heaven. We sometimes approach a new edition of VOX with a specific theme in mind but this time the theme presented itself. Different contributors provided articles independently from one another and so our understanding of mission is enriched with glimpses of Spirituality at the School Gate (page 12), Mission, Metaphor and Imagination (page 22) and Rebuilding a Village of Peace (page 36). And we hear more about the inspirational work of Christian Aid (page 16), Team Hope (page 30) and Biblica (page 32) in these challenging times. It is so inspiring to be reminded that no pandemic or lockdown can stop people who are on a mission from God, however Gloriously Ordinary (page 40) they may be!
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www.vox.ie Ruth Garvey-Williams Editor (editor@vox.ie)
OCT - DEC 2020 VOX.IE
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CONTENTS 12 14 16 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 40
October - December 2020 Issue 48 ISSN: 2009-2253
Features and Interviews
EDITOR Ruth Garvey-Williams editor@vox.ie
Spirituality at the School Gate - the importance of encounter Come as you are but stay in the car - drive in worship Big Walk 2020 - fundraising for Christian Aid during the pandemic Helping the most vulnerable together - Irish charities unite for global coronavirus appeal Mission, Metaphor and Imagination - finding fresh responses for changing times Sharing Heartache, Rejoicing in Victory - one woman’s journey with coronavirus My Story: Meet Paul Fletcher Father to the Fatherless - Could Irish Christians fill the gap in foster care? The Annual Team Hope Christmas Shoebox Appeal Goes Online Introducing Biblica - making the Bible accessible A Schizophrenic Life - Ana Mullan continues her inspirational series Rebuilding a village of peace - bringing life to leprosy sufferers in India Gloriously Ordinary - the new book from Praxis Press explores mission in contemporary Ireland
06 08 10 19
Regular features VOX: Shorts
Your VOX: Inbox VOX: World News Musings with Patrick Mitchell
21 43 45 46
LAYOUT, ADVERTISING & DISTRIBUTION Jonny Lindsay jonny@vox.ie SUBSCRIPTIONS Ireland & UK: Min. €12 for four issues Overseas: Min. €20 for four issues Subscribe online at www.vox.ie. All cheques should be made payable to ‘VOX Magazine’. VOX Magazine Ulysses House 22 - 24 Foley Street Dublin 1 Tel: 089 415 4507 info@vox.ie www.vox.ie DISCLAIMER The views expressed in letters and articles are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the VOX Team or our partners. The acceptance of advertising does not indicate P32 endorsement. PRINT Ross Print, Greystones, Co. Wicklow VOX magazine is a quarterly publication, brought to you by a passionate team of volunteers.
Confessions of a Feint Saint Music Reviews
OUR PARTNERS:
IRELAND
Book Reviews VOX: PS with Seán Mullan
16
TM
36
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Sun
VOX SHORTS
RESOURCES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
EVENSONG
Award-winning Christian hymn writers, Keith and Kristyn Getty have announced the release of their latest project, a collection of 13 original and traditional hymns and lullabies. Born out of a family tradition, the Evensong (Hymns and Lullabies at the Close of Day) includes thoughts, songs and prayers that Keith and Kristyn Getty use with their daughters. Though initially set in motion early in 2020, the global pandemic meant that an album intended to bring comfort in homes was itself recorded during a shelter at home season. Kristyn Getty says, “These are lullabies and hymns we have sung to and for our four daughters. Singing God’s truth into the more quiet and vulnerable moments of the day has been a centerpiece of raising our own kids. I know I need true words spoken into my heart and mind to help de-clutter all that presses in upon me. I hope these songs help people dwell on the Lord and His promises; to release a burdened mind, to calm a restless heart and point us towards real peace in Christ.” “The Bible has long encouraged believers through the ages to sanctify the night to the Lord,” Keith Getty says. “And the church’s ancient tradition of evensong is for spending time before the Lord in prayers and songs at the end of the day. The album is an echo of that tradition; the songs and the album were born out of the thoughts and conversations, the prayers and songs that fill our home, particularly when the sun goes down.” See the Music Reviews on page 43 for more. 06
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With many young people struggling to adapt to the sudden changes that have taken place and restrictions on youth groups across the island, Youth for Christ has developed a range of resources to provide support and input - see www. resources.yfc.ie. Rock Solid TV features engaging videos that can be used as discussion starters for youth groups wanting to connect online with relevant and thought provoking Biblical content. And DASK a new App from Youth for Christ enables ten to 14 year olds to ask questions about life and faith in a safe online environment. “Young people with burning questions about faith and life may find all sorts of answers online. The idea behind DASK is for the young people to download an app that is a fun (they can create their own Avatar and play games) but also enables them to ask questions and receive answers from trusted youth leaders,” explained YFCs Liam Burke. Youth leaders who have been approved by the national administrator can film themselves giving answers to tough questions and these answers will be reviewed before they are posted to the app. “In the world we live in, there are so many ideas and opinions floating around and young people experience a lot of uncertainty,” Liam said. “This is a way for young people to find answers that reflect Christian values on a secure app - there is no messaging service and users cannot access one another’s personal information. We are also working on resources for parents so they can understand how the app works.”
TEACH SOLAS: A NEW ONLINE CHRISTIAN BOOKSHOP
Cork-based teacher John Moriarty launched a new online Christian bookshop for Ireland on 9 September. The idea for Teach Solas (lighthouse) came during lockdown when John was wondering how to use his talents for a Christian business in Ireland. “I wanted to try and bring Christian resources to Irish people and to encourage and equip the Church as a whole. I began thinking about Christian books and did some research into what was already available. We currently have just over 180 titles in stock, ranging from Bibles and Apologetics to Christian Living and children’s books. We can offer our customers same-day dispatch on orders made before 1pm, and free shipping on orders over €25. We also want to help churches by offering discounts on bulk orders for Bible studies, small groups and book clubs,” John said. The hope is not only to sell books but to create a community around the Teach Solas online platform. “We want to interview church leaders on what books they would recommend, to promote Irish Christian authors and be a space where Christians from different denominations can come together to discuss the Bible and Christian books,” John explained. “We chose the Irish name Teach Solas for our business because the lighthouse is an important symbol in Ireland as an island nation. It represents a safe haven, a source of light and it stands on rock, which is a firm foundation. We want to be a resource in bringing the gospel and the hope we have to every citizen on this island.” Visit www.teachsolas.ie to view the catalogue or get in touch with John to request specific titles.
VOX MAGAZINE
ONLINE SERVICES FEARLESS WOMEN ONLINE: LIVING FAITH
Fearless Women Ireland is going online this year for “Living Faith”. Since 2018, women from all over the country have gathered together at a conference in Dublin to “fear less and do more.” This year the conference is moving online but with many of the same elements of worship and teaching. Visit www.fearlesswomen.ie to register for two free Zoom webinars on Saturday 10 October: 10am-12pm and 7.30-9.30pm. These two sessions of two hours will include worship in God’s presence and inspiring teaching on “Living Faith” in these challenging times. There are workshops too - one on Worship, Prayer and Intercession in the morning and another on Church in the Home in the evening. And there will be an update on our Compassion children from Compassion Ireland.
SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER
Praxis began with a group of people gathering monthly to share, pray and learn together as “a collaborative and relational network of individuals, communities and churches driven by the desire to see God’s kingdom come as we reimagine mission.” During lockdown, the Praxis network facilitated seven learning communities over Zoom. This meant over 60 people from across the island were gathering, brainstorming, sharing ideas and encouraging one another. The Learning Communities have now started back for the autumn with a focus on learning how to navigate change, reimagine mission and adapt during this time. Susan, a participant, described her experience, “I have enjoyed listening to the differences and similarities across gender, age and roles in our Learning Community. I enjoyed the laughter, smiles, insights and suggestions. There was great honesty and breadth of experience. It was a relaxed and open setting, which really helped me in my
With restrictions continuing to affect the ways we are able to meet and worship together, a number of websites provide helpful resources and links to online services. Check out: The Evangelical Alliance of Ireland Online Church Service Directory www.evangelical.ie/online-church-servicedirectory The Church of Ireland produce details of broadcast and online church services on Friday of each week. www.ireland.anglican.org/news The Irish Methodist Church provides a range of resources for Church at Home including downloadable service sheets for those who cannot access online services. www.irishmethodist.org/church-home The Presbyterian Church in Ireland releases the Moderator’s Service on Vimeo with messages from the Moderator the Rt Rev Dr David Bruce: www.vimeo.com/presbyterianireland
anxiety and nervousness for my next step. I’m still not there but a heap load more grounded and ready.” Alongside the Learning Communities, there are three new “cohorts” with more specific and directive learning, trying to help the church reimagine mission. These are helping leaders think about issues such as creating small networked churches, pioneering new missional initiatives and creating a discipleship culture in our churches and communities. “We want to help enable people through training, webinars, the Seol Course, Coaching Course and more. Through Praxis Press and the Mission Disco podcast, we want to lift up Irish voices and Irish stories. Praxis also seeks to emphasise the importance of prayer with various prayer gatherings throughout the year,” explained Simon Kilpatrick. Find out more at www. praxismovement.ie.
OCT - DEC 2020 VOX.IE
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YOUR VOX
Star Prize of VOX we In each issue of a €25 ize pr a d awar r for our he uc One4all vo email r, tte le ite ur favo ent. It m m co or online u! yo be d ul co
Finding Creative Ways To Show Care As a church we need to start thinking creatively to reach out and support people especially with the prospect of new government restrictions this autumn. During lockdown I used the An Post postcards (my local Post Office was able to give me extras) to write colourful messages to all the children from the church More recently, we have been going door to door doing pastoral visits (staying two metres from the front door or meeting someone in their garden) but it is lovely to be able to bring something. We had a box of VOX magazines sitting in the church and so I took the opportunity to hand them out to families. We were visiting around 25 church families as well as 15 or so families in the local community. I wanted to deliver a care package for the children as they were preparing to go back to school so I would say, “The care pack is for the kids
and the magazine is for the parents”. It was good because the July edition of VOX was filled with stories from the Finding Faith Tour and so it was easy to understand. We need to do whatever it takes to maintain contact and to model compassion to those around us. I sometimes get the chance to pray a blessing over someone’s home as I leave and in that way, I can bring God’s word into my visit. Our Rector, Trevor Stephenson grows beautiful dahlias and on another occasion I brought flowers to all the mums. He spent time phoning our senior members and he would ask them for their favourite colour. Later that day, he would visit and take them some flowers in their favourite colour.
Olly Adams Children’s Pastor at Crinken Church
FOCUSING ON WHAT MATTERS
What an excellent article by Sean Mullan in the July/September edition - Measuring what Matters. For many of us from a business background or worse, like me, from an accounting background, church can become all about the ABCs “attendance, buildings and collections”. How relevant to be reminded that a better operating slogan might be “justice, mercy and humility”. Well done, Editor on another excellent edition.
David McCabe Blackrock, Co. Dublin
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09
WORLD NEWS
THE HIDDEN GENOCIDE OF NIGERIA’S CHRISTIANS
2020
has been a year of overwhelming suffering for Christians living in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region as attacks by Muslim Fulani militants on their villages continue relentlessly. Latest estimates are that over 1,200 Christians have been killed in such attacks this year and that around 50,000 have become Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) seeking refuge in IDP camps or moving in with family members in other areas because their villages are either unsafe or have been taken over entirely.
WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING?
Reports of the attacks follow a grimly familiar pattern: the attackers are usually heavily armed young men who enter a village in the middle of the night riding motorbikes and proceed to go house to house shooting defenceless victims – men, women and children. Survivors report masked men speaking the Fulani language and shouting “Allahu Akbar” and “destroy the infidels”. Many of the attacks have taken place during a curfew imposed to tackle Covid-19. Most of the attacks have been in southern Kaduna and Plateau states. In one incident, the herdsmen shot and killed 34-year-old Matthew Tagwai, pastor of an Evangelical Church Winning All congregation, in his home. He left behind a widow, Rose Matthew who was seven months pregnant, and two daughters: five-year-old Esther and two-year-old Joy. Rose was among the recipients of aid distributed by Church in Chains partner Stefanos Foundation shortly afterwards. She told Stefanos, “As my husband was making plans to move our family to a safer location, this incident suddenly happened and his life was cut short. Now I am just here, waiting to see what God will do with me. I don’t know what to do. My husband was my strength. Now I totally depend on God.” Three members of Pastor Matthew’s congregation were also shot dead in their homes.
WHY IS IT HAPPENING?
The attackers are Fulani militants (Fulani are an ethnic group of between 25 and 40 million people spread throughout West and Central Africa, over 90% of whom are Muslim). Many Fulani are cattle-herders and the militants are seeking to take over land for cattle grazing. The victims of the attacks are predominantly Christian farming families. Tension between nomadic cattle-herders and arable farmers has been going on for decades in the Middle Belt region, but in recent years Fulani militants have linked up with the Boko Haram terrorist group, gaining access to heavy weaponry.
WHY IS THE VIOLENCE NOT STOPPED?
Rev Stephen Panya, President of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) denomination, commented, “It’s as if the lives of Christians no longer matter.” He called on state governments and the Federal government to show more commitment and sincerity to ending the killings. Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai (a Muslim) has been accused by community leaders of “looking the other way” and taking no action. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is Fulani and many believe he is unwilling to take action against the Fulani militants because they share his ethnicity. Indeed, his government has put pressure on police and government officials to refrain from mentioning Fulanis in describing attacks. In line with this, some state governors have described the attackers as “heartless criminals”. However, Benjamin Kwashi, the Anglican archbishop of Jos, said, “The violence is systematic. It is planned. It is calculated.” He added, “The world doesn’t want to hear that, including the Nigerian government. Every time we had to raise our voices to say this is going on [government officials and human rights advocates] always produce a political narrative to say that it is farmers and herders clashing.”
IS IT REALLY GENOCIDE?
A report titled “Nigeria – Unfolding Genocide?” issued in 10
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June by a UK parliamentary group found that a key factor driving this violence is the growing power and influence of Islamist extremism, which drives some militant Fulani herders to target Christians and symbols of Christian identity such as churches. Plateau state’s Christian Association of Nigeria chairman, Dr Soja Bewarang (who spoke at the Church in Chains conference in 2016) says churches have lost many pastors and leaders in the attacks and that he is concerned about the future of Christianity in the state. He described the conflict as an “unholy act of systematic genocide… a deliberate attempt to destroy the cultural heritage of Plateau people”. In January human rights group, Christian Solidarity International, issued a genocide warning for Nigeria and called on the Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council to take action.
Pastor Matthew Tagwai
CAN WE DO ANYTHING HERE IN IRELAND?
Irish charity Church in Chains has taken a number of initiatives in 2020 in response to the relentless violence. It has channelled over €24,000 to its partner organisation, Stefanos Foundation, to be used in assisting Christians forced to flee to IDP camps and those in need of emergency aid during Covid-19 lockdown, and in supporting the organisation of a trauma healing course for those who have gone through dreadful ordeals. During the summer, Church in Chains supporters sent hundreds of postcards to President Buhari c/o of the Nigerian Embassy in Dublin calling on him to “Stop the Slaughter of Nigeria’s Christians”. Church in Chains has sought a meeting with the Nigerian Ambassador to Ireland and has urged the Department of Foreign Affairs to raise the issue with the Nigerian government. Church in Chains has also decided to focus on Nigeria for this year’s International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church on Sunday 15 November – more details at www.churchinchains.ie.
Rose Matthew
THE VICTIMS OF THE ATTACKS ARE PREDOMINANTLY CHRISTIAN FARMING FAMILIES. OCT - DEC 2020 VOX.IE
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FAITH
Spirituality at the
School Gate THE IMPORTANCE OF ENCOUNTER BY DIANE JACKSON
O
n a dull, drizzly day in early April 2020, a UPS delivery man pulled up at our gate. So far so very normal during Covid-19 lockdown, as online shopping was the only way to buy any goods that weren’t groceries or medicine. Except it wasn’t another Amazon delivery of books or toilet brushes and exercise mats; it was 100 much anticipated, but unannounced and hot-offthe press copies of my very own book. During the academic year of 2018-19, I completed a Masters in Applied Spirituality from Waterford Institute of Technology, which is hosted and supported by the Spirituality Institute for Research and Education (SpIRE) in Dublin. My new book Spirituality at the School Gate: The Importance of Encounter is the result of my research dissertation. Spirituality is one of those words people struggle to define, and in this instance, simply put, spirituality is the lived experience of Christian faith. In the context of my research, I described School Gate Spirituality as how mothers of Christian faith experience, express and practice their spirituality in the specific, everyday location of their children’s school gate. In the foreword, Dr Gladys Ganiel from Queen’s University writes that the book, “…makes a compelling case that women’s experiences as they deposit and collect children at school gates can be sites for meaningful human (and divine) encounters.” The school gate needs little introduction to most of us; we all have an experience of it. Whether it is your own memories of skipping out to meet your mum or dad full of news of that day’s highs and lows in the classroom; or you are now a parent, or grandparent who, (prior to the current global pandemic which necessitated schools to close in Ireland since mid March) seemingly spend a good portion of your day negotiating parking in stressful conditions, throwing forgotten lunch boxes and hockey sticks out of windows (just me?), organising lifts and regularly getting soaked in a badly timed downpour at the allocated pick up time. Most of us, if we’re honest, think of the school gate routine as just one of the necessary, but less rewarding, parenting tasks. But here’s the thing: when you consider that a family of three children born over a five year period equates to parents spending 16 years just getting those children through pre-school and primary school, the way you view the school gate should really adjust!
For me once the ‘early years mist’ had cleared and the schedule of pick-ups became less punishing, as a stay at home mum (a reductive term I hate, but it is what we all use) I often struggled to find wider meaning in my role. On dull, dreary days where mundane, repetitive, thankless tasks threatened my sense of self, I questioned if, apart from raising my children, I was contributing anything to society or as a Christian, to God’s loving purpose here on earth. But over the years, as I described to my husband my encounters with other mums at the school gate and how relationships were developing and deepening, he encouraged me to begin seeing this as work for God’s kingdom: quiet, compassionate, holy work that I was increasingly equipped to do. The sacred does not merely belong in church, or during times of private or corporate prayer, or to those dressed in clerical collars and robes. There is divine possibility everywhere we inhabit and the space we take up is the space we bless; whether it is an office, a supermarket checkout till, a classroom, a building site, a nursing home or a school gate. Of course I know this but for too long I was prone to separate my life in to unwritten categories of ‘church stuff’ and ‘life stuff’; while in reality as a Christian, all parts of our lives are sacred and holy. Encounter with others is how we express our faith and where the compassion of God bestowed with grace upon us can be shared with those we meet in our daily lives. Encounter was central to Jesus in His earthly ministry and as an itinerant preacher. He often taught His disciples more about the kingdom of God through His interactions with those He met on His journeys, than by His sermons. In her book The Tenderness of God Gillian T.W. Ahlgren says that, “When done in the conscious presence of the love of God, encounter creates sacred space in the human community. Encounter moves us from observers of life to collaborators with God, in the building up of the human community, the creation of a common home.” My research sought to discover if the school gate community can be a sacred place, if those who acknowledge the dwelling of God within them see encounter in their everyday lives at the school gate as potentially sacred. Over a period of a number of months, I read academic books from the ‘everyday religion’ section of the library, which
THE SACRED DOES NOT MERELY BELONG IN CHURCH, OR DURING TIMES OF PRIVATE OR CORPORATE PRAYER, OR TO THOSE DRESSED IN CLERICAL COLLARS AND ROBES.
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showed me that women’s experiences of religion have long been overlooked and undervalued. So far so unsurprising. US sociologists of religion such as Nancy Ammerman and Meredith McGuire, who formed the backdrop for my research, look at individuals and their experiences and practices, rather than creating mountains of quantitative sociological data focused on affiliation and organisational participation. While their work is wide ranging and fascinating, I discovered that when focusing on women and their spirituality the home or the workplace was addressed but no one had looked at the school gate as a site of spiritual engagement. Background research completed and armed with the knowledge that this was an under-researched area of spirituality studies, I interviewed five mothers of faith (myself being one of them) on the impact their faith makes on their school gate experience. They all came come from the Protestant tradition and had children who all attend or had attended Church of Ireland primary schools in Dublin. Eight key themes emerged from these interviews: • school gate dynamics • time • links between the local parish church and the school • personal faith and sources of spirituality • outworking of spirituality at the school gate • stories of encounter • communication • perceived impacts of spirituality at the school gate. The bedrock of my findings established that those interviewed accepted the presence of God within us, and therefore by natural extension, in their everyday lives. This personal spirituality flowed from participation in small group fellowship, private prayer and bible study, church attendance and a love of nature and the outdoors. The outworkings of spirituality at the school gate were mostly stories of encounter and compassion. From turning up a little bit early so that they were available to chat to someone who had recently been bereaved, to offers of practical help with lifts and food for another mother who is seriously ill, or a simple follow up enquiry of how that tricky situation with a child is progressing; stories of love and care for others were manifold. The use of
group and personal texting was almost unanimously viewed as a useful tool for communication and showing care for others, with only one co-researcher preferring to avoid its use in favour of face-to-face interactions. In the book I feature a number of ‘stories of encounter’ from the school gate. Here is one of them: I was sitting at the school gate in a new friend’s car and having asked how she was, she burst into tears and told me about her dad, completely out of the blue. Actually, that morning I had been thinking of her and thought I had to go and say hello to her, so I felt led just to talk to her and… I really only listened, I didn’t have advice, I couldn’t do anything to make things better… but she told me about it, and I said I’ll be thinking of her, I’ll pray for her and she told me about a month later that she’d never been able to tell anyone about that and that it meant a lot that I was there on the day. I feel God was in that. He made me think of her that day and I often try and fix things for people and give some advice and I didn’t that day. I think I just knew she needed to talk and there was nothing else I needed to do. I do think God helped me to just keep quiet and listen… and give a hug in the end. This story exemplifies spirituality at the school gate perfectly, as I see it. A Christian mother who listened to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit and acted upon it was able to provide a non-judgmental, non-intrusive, listening ear to a friend in need by being firstly available to listen, and then being compassionate in her response. God can and does use us in our encounters in daily life and if you are someone who is (pandemic permitting) regularly standing outside a school gate, I urge you to be more intentional in your interactions there and see how God can show up in that mundane but holy place. From personal experience I promise that it will bring enrichment to both your own spiritual life and the lives of those around you. If you would like to find out more about Spirituality at the School Gate and read more about the importance of encounter please go to my website: dianejackson. ie for more information and for links to purchase the book from online booksellers.
MY RESEARCH SOUGHT TO DISCOVER IF THE SCHOOL GATE COMMUNITY CAN BE A SACRED PLACE.
Diane Jackson lives in Dublin, with her husband and three daughters. Having worked in theatre, event management and as a researcher and writer before having a family, she recently gained a Masters in Applied Spirituality.
OCT - DEC 2020 VOX.IE
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“COME AS YOU ARE BUT STAY IN THE CAR”
Drive In Worship During the Pandemic BY REV DR STEPHEN SKUCE
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VOX MAGAZINE
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hile churches across Ireland and Northern Ireland have been discovering the benefits of online worship, a number of Methodist churches in the North West District chose to organise “drive in” services in several northern counties. District Superintendent Rev Dr Stephen Skuce told VOX magazine how this came about and the new opportunities that have emerged. The pandemic has been as horrible as you could possibly imagine for people across Ireland. Members of our church have died. Funerals have been terrible with only a handful of family members able to gather. But we realised that what we can do is to bring life and community. God is at work. Instead of worrying about what we could not do, we found a way to look at what we could do. “Drive in” services offered an opportunity for inclusive worship - anyone with a car could come, no matter what their age or underlying health condition. Turning up in a car and hearing someone preach from a lorry platform has worked for such a time as this. Specific legislation in Northern Ireland enabled “drive in” services to take place starting in May. A lot of work had to go in to preparing for each service. Most of our churches do not have suitable car parks so we had to find public venues such as sports fields, farmers’ marts, public car parks and even a caravan park. We followed a host of safety protocols and enforced two-metre distancing. The process was much more collaborative than a normal Sunday service. You often need a team of up to 12 people to set up a “drive in” service and obtain permission from the local authorities. It was not always straightforward. Not everyone was thrilled with what we were doing and we did have some opposition in a small number of places so we had to go back to the Northern Ireland executive to clarify the legal situation. At its peak in the North Western District of the Irish Methodist Church, we had 12 or 13 “drive in” services taking places each week from as few as 12 cars up to more than 100 cars. At times, we were attracting more people than would normally be in church on any given Sunday. We found that some people who
had no connection with any Christian church were starting to come. It is extremely difficult to walk through the doors of a church for the first time, particularly in smaller communities where everyone knows each other. People are curious; they can experience something of Christianity without taking the big step of entering a church building. At the first service where I preached on the first Sunday possible, 25 cars turned up. I noticed a very elderly lady sitting inside her car wearing a facemask and a visor. This was in May when the death rate was high and things were extremely difficult. Clearly she was concerned but I realised that she really wanted to worship with other people and she was able to do that as part of a drive in service. “Drive In” services were particularly popular in the western counties of Northern Ireland. Most churches were doing stuff online but in rural communities many people do not “live” online as much as they might do in cities. So we found the “drive in” services were particularly popular, especially in parts of Fermanagh. In Irvinestown, we have been meeting in a caravan park and found that we had a larger congregation than we would normally have meeting in our two churches in that area. In some cases people in the caravans were coming along, some who were on holiday and would normally go to church but others who would have no connection with a church. Some of them would move their cars the night before and park them in the front row of where the service was going to take place. So we had people queuing up the night before to attend Methodist worship! For Methodism in Ireland, that is not our everyday experience. It has given us renewed confidence that God is at work. We stumbled across this opportunity and found that we are reaching out to others in the process. Through online services the world is peering in through our windows but through our “drive in” services people are making an effort to be part of our worship physically. The Methodist church is currently not the most dynamic denomination in Ireland and yet in some places we have been leading the way with “Drive In” services. It has
been an interesting opportunity that has given us renewed confidence that we can make a difference. Who knew? Over 100 cars have been attending the Donaghcloney Together drive in services in county Down. This was a join initiative between the Methodist, Presbyterian, Church of Ireland and Elim churches in the village. The slogan for Sunday afternoons was, “Come as you are but stay in the car.” We met in the Presbyterian Church car park, which could have been designed for a drive in service - it was ideal. In September and October, a number of our harvest services have been held as Drive Ins. Normally for a rural harvest service you decorate the church and invite people to come. We could not do that this year but what can we do is have a lorry decorated with harvest themes,
PEOPLE ARE CURIOUS; THEY CAN EXPERIENCE SOMETHING OF CHRISTIANITY WITHOUT TAKING THE BIG STEP OF ENTERING A CHURCH BUILDING. invite others, share in the open air and celebrate God’s provision. It’s all about what we can do, not bemoaning what we can’t. We could not mill around as we might do normally but we could invite people to share and celebrate God’s blessings to us in the midst of a global pandemic, recognising that God is still good. We could support one another. It was not just a pale version of a harvest service. We did something different that perhaps we will talk about for years to come.
Rev Dr Stephen Skuce is the Superintendent for the NW District of the Irish Methodist Church covering churches in Derry, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Armagh and parts of Down as well as Donegal, Sligo, Monaghan, Cavan and Longford.
OCT - DEC 2020 VOX.IE
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Big Walk 2020
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or 11 years the annual Sheep’s Head Hike has attracted hundreds of walkers and raised tens of thousands of euro for Christian Aid’s autumn appeal. Come rain, hail or shine walking enthusiasts and beginners alike gathered in the west Cork village of Kilcrohane before setting off for a hike along the Sheep’s Head Way. Similar fundraising events usually take place across the Ireland with “September Strolls” attracting walkers to enjoy a less strenuous route for the same good cause. But with Covid-19 restrictions still in place, such large-scale fundraising events were impossible this year. So instead, Christian Aid encouraged people to organise small, socially distanced walks wherever they are. Walks took place across the island throughout September and more are planned for October. Dawson Stelfox, the first Irish person to climb Mount Everest, launched the Big Walk 2020 by climbing Cave Hill overlooking Belfast. The well-known mountaineer, who stood at the top of the world in May 1993, said, “Walking, especially in nature, is a proven way to
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boost our physical health and mental wellbeing, especially after months of lockdown. But taking part in a walk for Christian Aid allows you to go one step further. By raising funds to help the world’s poorest people, we can improve their health and life chances too. “I’m proud to be involved in an initiative that combines healthy outdoor exercise with raising money for a good cause, especially as Christian Aid is responding to the coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis in more than 20 of the world’s poorest countries.” The fundraising campaign invites people of all ages and fitness levels to take part in sponsored walks with small groups of family and friends, from ambitious hikes in the hills to leisurely strolls through local beauty spots. The aim is for all these walks combined to total 2,142km (the
length of the Nicaraguan border). “We wanted to encouraged something that would be beneficial for churches helping small groups to come together and connect with one another safely,” explained Michael Briggs, Christian Aid Church and Supporter Engagement Officer. “And we wanted to benefit the partners in Nicaragua at the same time.” “Our autumn appeal is raising funds for people in crisis around the world including people like Angela in Nicaragua. Angela’s coffee farm used to provide a good living for her family. But the changing climate means her harvests are shrinking. Now Angela’s community is coming together to share resources and protect their livelihoods. Christian Aid’s local partner, Soppexcca supports the cooperative by helping farmers to shift to climate-resistant crops.
WE WERE DOING IT FOR ENJOYMENT AND FUNDRAISING BUT SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO WALK FOR THEIR LIVES.
VOX MAGAZINE
Christian Aid
Groups find innovative ways to raise funds for those most in need
“We are so grateful to all of our supporters,” Michael added. “People are feeling the pinch here but our supporters and the churches we work with have been brilliant. And we know that the poorest communities in the world are worst affected by this global pandemic.”
KILCROHANE, WEST CORK
Gillian Kingston joined one of the smaller walks organised by Andrew Coleman in place of the Sheep’s Head Hike. “I have been wanting to do the Kilcrohane walk for a while. There were about seven of us in total: Andrew and his wife Caroline and five others. It was fabulous,” she told VOX magazine. “Kilcrohane is a charming village and we drove to a point about 4km further on. It was a tough, mountainous walk of about eight kilometres. What was particularly interesting was seeing some of the history of the area.” The walkers passed The Crimea’ (pronounced ‘cra-may’) where there are copper mines and the ruined cottages that once housed mine workers. “The walk took us about three and
a half to four hours and we slithered and slid our way over some sections,” Gillian said. “It was worth it just for the scenery but I also reflected on those who tackle such tough walks because they have to. We were doing it for enjoyment and fundraising but some people have to walk for their lives. We returned to the safety of our cars (and stopped for a socially-distanced coffee to finish our outing). But some people have to walk much further in order to reach a place of safety. From that perspective, I thought the Christian Aid walk made you think about those who are less privileged than we are.”
ANNASCAUL, KERRY
Canon Jim Stephens from Church of Ireland parish in Tralee organised a walk along the Dingle Way. He told VOX magazine, “My wife did the Sheep’s Head Hike last year. Even though we are small in number, we gathered eight people to walk from Annascaul. We met at the South Pole Inn, named for local hero Tom Crean who took part in three Antarctic Expeditions in the early 1900s. Linda Woods (from Ireland Walk Hike Bike) was our guide. She does
these walks regularly and she was so knowledgeable. “We walked for about two hours and in that time we covered about five kilometres but it wasn’t about the distance. I love the outdoors and I got to see another part of The Kingdom that I did not know. It was lovely. We were fortunate that local parishioners, the Hoffman family, welcomed us in and treated us to a (socially distanced) cup of tea. We raised about €200 but hope to increase that amount with a collection at our harvest service.”
WALK WHERE YOU ARE
There are still opportunities for groups of walkers to run their own fundraiser during October. You can register on the Christian Aid website www.caid.ie/ BigWalk and receive a fundraising pack. Christian Aid Ireland’s Chief Executive, Rosamond Bennett said, “Maybe you’ve been doing a Joe Wicks work-out every day during lockdown, or maybe the only path you’ve beaten is the one between the sofa and the fridge. Either way, by getting involved you will help us bring hope to the world’s poorest people.”
OCT - DEC 2020 VOX.IE
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FEARLESS PRAYER IRELAND The blessing of lockdown DR. MIRIAM O’REGAN
"THIS IS ONE BLESSING OF COVID-19. THERE IS SUCH A HUNGER FOR PRAYER AS CAN BE SEEN IN THE MANY PRAYER INITIATIVES STARTED DURING LOCKDOWN."
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O
n St. Patrick’s Day March 17 2020, we were in lockdown. Unable to go to parades or pubs, there were many calls for a day of prayer. And so at Fearless Women Ireland, we shared an image of 2 Chronicles 7:14 on our Facebook page - “If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land”. It garnered an astonishing number of engagements for us – over 1,000, more than we had ever seen! Sensing people’s need and desire for prayer, a Facebook group called Fearless Prayer Ireland started that afternoon with ten members. That weekend we held our first online 24-hour day of prayer based on Psalm 91, calling people to join us on Facebook and sign up for an hour with SignUp.com (a strategy we copied from OneHOP, Omaha Nebraska House of Prayer). Astonishingly, people signed up and prayed passionately in the comment boxes on Facebook! The following weekend we called for 46 hours of prayer based on Psalm 46 via Facebook with SignUp.com, and even more people joined us from Ireland and from all over the world. For Easter week we held 24/7 prayer vigils with various individuals leading live worship and prayer online morning and evening. And then we had 40 days of Prayer to Pentecost from April through May, covering our island in prayer from 6am to 8pm using a different psalm for each day with live times of worship. From September 1-8 we started back, praying the eight beatitudes over eight days in eight watches night and day. And more and more people, men as well as women, keep joining the group. We have prayed for healing from Covid-19, and thankfully have seen some seriously sick people make it out of ICU. We have prayed for sick infants who didn’t make it, but whose families were saturated in the love of God. We have prayed for families and children, grandparents, mothers and fathers, the homeless and the jobless, students and teachers, doctors and nurses, the elderly and care workers, those in addiction or in domestic abuse. We have prayed for the government and the civil service of Ireland, the churches, priests, ministers and pastors. I have never prayed so much in my life! This is one blessing of Covid-19. There is such a hunger for prayer as can be seen in the many prayer initiatives started during lockdown. We can only thank God for the work of Holy Spirit among us in this season when we have time to reflect and wait on God. I am grateful for the gifts of deep repentance, forgiveness, and healing of relationships as the Lord has used this time to heal the memory of past offense, hurt, pain, and disappointment. I believe this is a time of grace to root out bitterness, overcome jealousy and let go of anger by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are asking God to awaken a deeper revelation of love in our hearts, to awaken greater hope in the Lord, greater expectations of His power made manifest in us and in our churches. The Lord is building His church, in His way, in His time. And this is my prayer: Grant us patience Lord to wait on You as You create new wine within us by Your Spirit and by Your word. Help us to be gracious with each other as new wineskins are being formed in these days. Lord, let us see You. AMEN.
Musings...
VOX MAGAZINE
Why not keep doing church from home? With Patrick Mitchel
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he local church I belong to has not met physically together since March. Since we don’t have our own building and there will likely be further lockdowns, we don’t really know when we will meet face-to-face again. Since these are musings, allow me to explore a provocative question: “Why not keep doing church from home?” Let’s be honest, there’s a lot going for it. First, hasn’t it been an unexpected blessing actually to have Sunday as a day of rest rather than another day of frenetic activity? Church leaders have a Sabbath too – the preaching is recorded during the week. Isn’t it a pleasure to curl up on the sofa, cuppa in hand, to watch church online? It’s also so much more flexible given how many people’s work commitments include weekends. If you can’t make ‘live church’, you can always tune in at a more suitable time. Second, isn’t online church still ‘real church’? There is worship, prayer, preaching and even communion. Community is built as people connect over video before or after the service. There can be virtual Bible studies and youth events during the week. The calling of all Christians to witness, to serve and to love God and neighbour isn’t changed by how they meet on Sundays. Indeed, maybe online church can help to free us from equating ‘church’ with a couple of hours per week on a Sunday morning. Third, online church seems much more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than traditional church. Just think of all those car journeys saved. Just think of the millions spent on church buildings and the cost of construction, heating, insuring, equipping and maintaining them. Might online church help us to re-evaluate our expensive attachment to bricks and mortar? So, what do you think? Is the Coronavirus pandemic a time for a radical reimagining of church? Are we better off staying virtual? I think my answers to those two questions are ‘Yes’ and ‘No’. ‘Yes’, this is a good time to think hard about traditional church – to ask why we were doing what we were doing. What lessons can we learn for doing church differently in the future? It would be interesting to hear different readers’ answers to that question. ‘No’, despite what I’ve said so far, online church feels second-best. Theologically there is an essential physicality to the Christian faith. The Word became flesh and came to live
among us. We are embodied people made by God to relate to one another, and that happens best in person. A central thread of the Bible story is that of God’s people, together as a body called to worship, love and follow their God. Jesus’ command to break bread and drink wine in His memory is best obeyed sharing the communion meal together around the Lord’s table. If love includes caring for others, it’s hard to do that well via a screen. Young children, I suspect, come off worst from the shift online – they need physical relationships, play and learning with friends. But there are other problems with online church. It all too easily ends up being a product designed to fit the personal preferences of its ‘customers’. It encourages individualism and erodes the difficult calling of genuine community. We can choose whom we hang out with and when. It generally suits those with comfortable homes, internet access and who are relatively self-sufficient and makes invisible those who don’t. My guess is it will weaken a church’s commitment to mission. And it also enforces an already powerful trend where worship, teaching and even Bible reading is all mediated via a screen. This tech take-over of church is now almost complete and, I think, has profoundly dehumanising results – it narrows further our worship of God to listening passively to a screen. So, while I’m grateful we have been able to continue to ‘meet’ as a church, my hope and prayer is that we will be able to worship together again ‘in the flesh’ once more - as Christians have done from the very beginning of the church.
This is a good time to think hard about traditional church – to ask why we were doing what we were doing.
Dr. Patrick Mitchel is Senior Lecturer in Theology at the Irish Bible Institute. You can follow his blog at www.faithinireland.wordpress.com.
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Helping The Most Vulnerable... Together Irish charities unite to launch global coronavirus appeal
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Photo: Fabeha Monir/ActionAid
ix of Ireland’s leading international aid charities are teaming up to respond to the worsening global coronavirus pandemic and to save lives in some of the world’s poorest countries. Many countries facing rising coronavirus cases are already struggling to cope with the impact of conflict and displacement as well as widespread poverty, increased rates of hunger and poor health care. The agencies have combined forces to form the Irish Emergency Alliance for a coordinated response.
The coronavirus appeal will focus on: Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lebanon and the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. These countries are home to more than 17 million refugees living in camps or slums. The coronavirus appeal will fund food, water and medical care, and provide soap, masks and vital information to prevent the spread of the virus. The Irish Emergency Alliance is made up of ActionAid, Christian Aid, Plan International, Self Help Africa, Tearfund and World Vision, aid agencies with programmes in 85 countries and the global presence, expertise and experience required to respond quickly to this and future crises. “The launch of the Irish Emergency Alliance marks a milestone for Ireland’s international aid response,” said Sean 20
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Copeland, Acting CEO of Tearfund Ireland. “Working together with other leading Irish charities will enable us to increase the impact we can have on the ground; save more lives and help more people in times of emergency. This IEA Coronavirus appeal is the first of what I hope will be many opportunities for us to combine forces and benefit from economies of scale in helping those in desperate need. “It has been great to work with a group of like-minded individuals to create a more efficient way for the Irish public to give in an emergency and to bring relief and help quickly to where it is needed most,” Sean added. Helen Keogh, Chair of the Irish Emergency Alliance, said the unprecedented scale of the global coronavirus pandemic motivated the six charities to come together. “We have all seen the devastating impact of the crisis in Ireland, so you can imagine how much harder it is for people living in countries without enough doctors, nurses, ICU beds or ventilators. Without the safety net of furlough schemes, many who lost their jobs are now struggling to feed their families. The situation is even more critical in countries already struggling with conflict and massive refugee and displacement crises,” Keogh said. “Some of the world’s poorest people are being pushed even further into poverty and disruptions to farming and supply chains risk severe food shortages.” Expressing his support for the Irish Emergency Alliance, Minister of State for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora, Colm Brophy TD, said, “I am proud to see these Irish agencies combining their strengths at this critical time to reach some of the most vulnerable people in the world. Through the Irish Aid programme, my Department has already provided the
member agencies of the Irish Emergency Alliance over €16m in 2020 to provide humanitarian and development assistance.” By working together, the Irish Emergency Alliance can reduce fundraising costs to make donations stretch even further and has pledged to work together in this way in response to future humanitarian crises. A Syrian refugee family from Aleppo, now living in a one-roomed tent in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon received soap and other hygiene products from Tearfund’s local partner MERATH (Middle East Revive and Thrive). Grandmother Aida* said, “We are very afraid of the virus, especially for the children and for us as we are old. If we were to catch the virus, we would never be able to get proper treatment.” A refugee mother and son from Afrin, Syria also received soap and other hygiene products from MERATH. Khadija* said, “The situation is very hard on everybody. There is no work and we cannot buy as much food as we used to. We are not allowed to go out, unless it is absolutely necessary. We never mingle with others so that we don’t catch the virus. We could not bear the cost of any treatment in case one of our family members gets infected.” Dr Aowfee Khan works in a Christian Aid supported health centre in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. He said, “When the refugees heard that there had been cases of coronavirus in the camps they were really scared. Some refugees think that if an ambulance takes a patient away that they won’t ever return.” Anowara who lives in a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh was trained by ActionAid so she could make masks to help keep her family safe from coronavirus. *names changed
Please donate at www.irishemergencyalliance.org, by calling 1 800 939 979 or by texting IEA to 50300 to give €4.
CONFESSIONS OF A FEINT SAINT
VOX MAGAZINE
Loving my neighbour By Annmarie Miles
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was never a great one-to-one evangelist. For someone who can tumble out ten words a second, I always got tongue-tied when talking about Jesus to an audience of one. Put me in front of a crowd and my confidence was limitless. Bring me face to face with a seeking individual and I would struggle to form a meaningful sentence. It’s not that I didn’t want to do it; I just couldn’t get the words out. It’s not that I didn’t believe in Jesus and His wonderfulness; I just didn’t have any faith in me. It took years to stop feeling guilty about it. It felt like a pride issue and, as I write, maybe it still is. But I’m doing the best I can with the opportunities I have. Since Mr Feint Saint became Rev Saint Feint, evangelism has taken on new shapes. Our church is not in a housing estate full of young families. We’re surrounded by sheltered accommodation units. There’s a lot more of making sandwiches and leek and potato soup in my life these days. (The Welsh love their leeks). Alongside a wonderful team, I help pensioners to their seats, line up the trollies and walking frames, pour tea, whip cream for the scones, or dish up the soup. I usually get to sing a song or two and always get hugs and hand squeezes as folk are leaving. The team then spend an age washing dishes, and when I get home, I wash tea towels and tablecloths. You know something? I love it. I’m blessed to get to show love and hospitality to our neighbours. When I do have a chance to sit and chat one-to-one, quite often it turns out they came to our church as a child, or their parents were married here, or their husband’s funeral was held here. So many of these dear people have a historical link to a church they haven’t stepped into for years, until we put on the kettle and the soup. I have learned so much about what it means to connect with an individual: to show and tell the love of Jesus. To help them re-establish their connection with our church, so that they may make an eternal connection with God. We haven’t been able to do much this year with all the restrictions but I can’t wait to get that kettle on again. In the meantime, I have neighbours to check in on...
“I'm blessed to get to show love and hospitality to our neighbours.”
Annmarie Miles is originally from Tallaght and now lives in her husband Richard’s homeland, Wales. As well as VOX articles, she writes short stories, and is working on a book about her journey with food, weight gain, weight loss and God. Visit her blog at www.auntyamo.com. On Twitter she is @amowriting.
OCT - DEC 2020 VOX.IE
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Mission, Metaphor and Imagination BY ROY ANGLE
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good question often precedes a good answer. We are all asking new questions these days as we face the fallout of the pandemic. Regardless of the current situation, what shapes our thinking and guides our steps as we live out the Jesusmessage here and now? This article will propose that metaphors in Scripture can help us think imaginatively and craft questions that allow for fresh responses, specifically geared for our current life contexts. The question above has two sides: thinking and doing. Both are required. Doing without thinking is to wander
people of God to live out the good news in their world. Jesus knew that farming images about sowers, seeds, and soils would carry lessons across cultural and linguistic differences into the future. By understanding how Jesus used metaphor to help His disciples see and do gospel engagement, we can mimic this process to help us to ask good questions and imagine mission for our cultural moment. In talking about sowing, watering, and harvesting Jesus appeals to the agricultural world as the farmer actually experienced it. He used growth factors of farming of which His audience were familiar. A ‘growth factor’ is anything that influences the growth process between sowing and harvesting. While the growth factors of the agricultural metaphor are many, not all factors are used in every parable. Jesus selects specific ones to match the purpose of any particular parable. The following is a sampling of how the farming metaphor can help us use factors that highlight a farming principle which in turn helps us devise good missional questions. One such growth factor is the matter of direction. With farming, who or what initiates movement? Does the farmer sit and expect the soil to come to him? Obviously, the farmer moves to the field and the seed is taken to the soil. It would be a strange farming practice indeed if he or she were to truck the soil to the seed. If the farmer sowing seed represents the believer sowing the gospel into our world, upon whom is the onus for moving towards the other? In light of this direction, we could ask these questions: How are we showing up in our
WE ARE CALLED TO BE FAITHFUL TO SCRIPTURE WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY ENGAGING OUR CURRENT CULTURE. blindly without clear direction. On the other hand, it is often in the doing that we are required to retro-fit our thinking. Being a representative of how Jesus is making all things right in the world is no exception to this principle. We are called to be faithful to Scripture while simultaneously engaging our current culture. But how do we remain faithful to a first century text while doing mission in a 21st century context? What tools are available to help us navigate that tension as we live in this cultural moment in Ireland? One such tool is metaphor. A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two unrelated things that nevertheless share some common characteristics. There are many metaphors in Scripture describing Kingdom, Church and mission. Church is often compared to body, marriage, family, and building. Jesus and the apostles leveraged the agricultural metaphor in particular to teach the 22
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neighbourhoods as good news? How are we moving into relational networks of the non-Christians? Many of these networks already exist and require only our participation: relational networks such as family, work place, sporting clubs, volunteer groups, a favourite café or pub, etc. We go to them, onto their turf, on their terms. A second growth factor could be depth. The seed must be in the soil versus on the soil to grow healthily and produce fruit. In the parable of the sower, Jesus explained that the seed that fell onto rocky soil was short-lived due to the lack of a deep root system. The deficiency of nutrients in that soil prevented healthy growth. Translating that growth factor into questions about engaging others might be: What am I doing to gain deeper understanding of the current culture so I can talk to people with greater understanding and insight? Another could be: What popular perceptions of Jesus and the gospel are superficial caricatures instead of being deeply accurate and true? How do then we address that issue? A third growth factor is continuity. Continuity describes the need for the seed to engage with the surrounding soil in an on-going fashion in order to sprout and grow. No seed germinates if it is inserted into the soil one day, pulled out the next, re-inserted the following, etc. The habitual contact between seed and soil optimises growth. That observation could lead to such questions as: How am I engaging non-Christians repetitiously? What groups or people do I cross paths with on a regular basis? Would my demeanour in that initial engagement create space for a second and third encounter? A fourth factor is to realise what I can control and what I cannot control. What can the farmer control? Can they control the weather? Can they guarantee
VOX MAGAZINE
the amount of yield? No, as these are beyond their command. In 1 Corinthians 13: 6, 7 Paul summarises capacity as ‘the farmer sows but only God grows.’ Questions derived from the control issue may be: What am I responsible for in representing Jesus and the good news? What is God responsible for? How do we measure ‘success’? How does this realisation aid in preventing burnout as we give ongoing witness about Jesus? The final growth factor we will consider is the conflict factor. Growth and life in the agricultural world are often confronted with hostile forces. Jesus speaks of His followers representing wheat sown in a field, which also yields weeds sown by the enemy. Both are to grow together until the harvest. We are wheat living among the weeds. Conflict is also highlighted when Jesus speaks of His message being eaten by birds, choked by thorns, and
scorched by the sun. To farm is to go to war. The reality of conflict in the life of a Christian provokes questions such as these: What rival ‘good news’ stories are present in my culture? Am I aware of how demonic forces are at work in my world? How is prayer a habit of my being battle-ready? Note the process we went through in each of these examples. We noticed a variety of growth factors from the metaphor. We also made observations about farming and how they taught truths about engaging the world and mission. Then we used our imagination to craft insightful questions. But we are not done yet. This mission, metaphor and imagination process is not complete. The questions need to be answered. Then those answers need to be turned into action. Those answers and the actions are for you (and your church) to devise with
NO ONE KNOWS YOUR TOWN LIKE YOU DO.
your neighbourhood, your turf and your town in mind. This invites you to come up with strategies and activities that fit your context. No one knows your town like you do. No one will invest missional sweat like you are doing or will do. While the questions that were crafted from the metaphor are universal and can be asked by any of us, the answers and actions must be localised to fit your situation with all its particularities. Mission begins by thinking like a farmer. What would God have you imagine?
Roy and his family have lived in Ireland since 2003. Their role is to join with the Irish church in laying foundations for new churches. They currently work with 24/7 Prayer, Dublin.
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LIFE
Sharing Heartache, Rejoicing in Victory One woman’s journey with coronavirus
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lready suffering from a chronic lung disease, when Rosemary Sheldon contracted Covid-19, her doctors warned it could be extremely serious. Here is Rosemary’s story: Rosemary and Colin Sheldon arrived in Ireland in the early 1970s from Canada and the UK. It was here that they met and married in 1975. About five years ago, Rosemary developed a terminal, chronic lung disease called Sjogren’s Disease. “Every time, I came down with a slight cold, it would quickly develop into a breathing problem that needed strong antibiotics, steroids, nebulisers and usually a five-day stay in hospital,” Rosemary said. During 2019, Rosemary and Colin were praising God that she had not been hospitalised all year but on 28 December, she was rushed into hospital. She spent most of January struggling to recover from a bout of flu.
WHEN GOD IS IN CONTROL, WE CAN TRUST HIM, EVEN IF THE WAY IS DIFFICULT.
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“By February, I was beginning to get my strength back, and was once again involved in my church activities among ladies. By the middle of March, the pandemic virus was beginning to take root here in Ireland, and I sensed with my underlying health condition, it was necessary to self-isolate, which I did on 11 March,” Rosemary explained. She seemed okay until 23 March when she became ill and was eventually sent to Accident and Emergency in Tallaght Hospital on 26 March. Unaware of her health condition and concerned that she might catch the virus, the doctor on duty sent her home. But by that same night the symptoms of Covid-19 were evident. The following day Rosemary was sent back to hospital and within 24 hours, the test came back positive for coronavirus. “The amazing thing was during my brief time in A and E, a young Christian doctor whom we both know came and prayed with
VOX MAGAZINE
me. When God is in control, we can trust Him, even if the way is difficult,” Rosemary shared. “I last saw Colin when he left me at the front door of A and E, as he could not come any further. 24-hours later, after the positive diagnosis, I told Colin on the phone I was in God’s hands, so not to worry. If I came home healed, it was God’s doing, and if God chose to take me home, my healing would be complete. Later on, my diabetic consultant came to see me, and explained the seriousness of the situation. He also phoned Colin, and our son Stephen. I told him what I had told Colin.” Rosemary was put into a small room in isolation. On the Sunday morning, as she watched the Church service on TV, the speaker spoke from Ezekiel 37, about dry bones coming back to life. He also referred to the raising of Lazarus in John 11. “As I thought through this message later, I believed in my heart, God was saying to me, ‘I will bring you through.’ God is in control, and He never fails,” Rosemary added. However by Tuesday 31 March, Rosemary’s condition was deteriorating, and causing concern. Colin was told to keep his mobile phone on overnight. Immediately, Colin phoned two mission organisations in the UK and Canada for urgent prayer. Already there were many people in Ireland praying. To Colin’s amazement, from right around the world, people began telephoning, emailing and texting, and putting messages on social media platforms. So many people took up the challenge to pray, and Colin was uplifted by this groundswell of prayer. The doctors, nurses, carers, cleaners, and people bringing in food were like ministering angels. Even though they were covered from head to foot, they brought words of cheer. By 7 April, Rosemary was at a low ebb and began to feel “enough was enough;” maybe it was time to go home to the Lord. “He is there with a place waiting for me. It is not fair all this prodding with needles. It’s too much,” she thought. What she didn’t realise was the medication had started working. That same night, she woke at around 3am with the realisation that something had changed. “I felt different. I even sent a message to Colin at that time to wake him up with the news. Prayer was being answered and God was at work. “Would you believe, God gave me a Christian nurse? She came from Australia two years previous to find out more about her Irish family. Taylor was God’s choice to encourage me through this dark period. We later discovered Taylor is a distant relative of our neigh-
bour, two doors down the street from us. It can only happen in Ireland.” Moved to a new ward, Rosemary found herself in a bigger room with four large windows. As Colin could not visit, they stayed in touch by WhatsApp, putting on the camera so they could see each other. “On occasions Colin would put his phone on the piano, and play songs of faith to encourage me. I had daily chats with my family. The Bethany Church family in Dublin came up trumps, providing hot meals for Colin each day. In all of this, our son Stephen came down with the virus too. As he is younger and healthy, he got through it quicker through sleeping and self-isolation. By the time the results came through, he was over the virus, and back working from home. Colin kept well, and did not suffer from any of the symptoms. “ On Colin’s birthday Rosemary came home from hospital. Some of the staff clapped as she was wheeled out of the ward. Colin had arranged for a stair lift to be installed in their home, and he was able to get the oxygen she needed. “The amazing thing about all of this is that Colin and I were spectators of what God did through people who took up the challenge to pray. We have a song we sing in Bethany Church,” Rosemary said.
COLIN AND I WERE SPECTATORS OF WHAT GOD DID THROUGH PEOPLE WHO TOOK UP THE CHALLENGE TO PRAY.
I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God, I’ve been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood! Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod, For I’m part of the family, the family of God. When one has a heartache, we all share the tears, And rejoice in each victory in this family so dear. As each day passed, Rosemary began to gain strength first to do things around the home, and later to go for short walks. In early June, she was taken off 24/7 oxygen, and only needed it when going out for walks. “I was asked to write my story of my Covid19 experience for a ladies group in Canada. Within a short space of time I was receiving messages from families and friends in Ireland and from around the world, thanking me. But really it is God’s story because people took up the challenge to pray. So we continue to give thanks to our Heavenly Father for all His care. “However, we are conscious that for some people, the outcome has been different. Our prayers are with their families at this time, that they will know God’s strength and comfort.” OCT - DEC 2020 VOX.IE
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MY STORY “My Story” is an opportunity for ordinary people living in Ireland to talk about their journey to faith or the impact God has in their daily lives.
MEET PAUL FLETCHER Twenty-three-year-old Paul Fletcher grew up in the Nazareth community in south Dublin. As part of a youth group during secondary school, he wanted to follow Jesus and live his life for the Lord but moving on to university made him question his faith. Paul shared his story with VOX editor Ruth Garvey-Williams.
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU STARTED UNIVERSITY?
I went to DIT (now TU) to study social care and worked with Crosscare in Dublin city supporting the homeless. College promised new opportunities and new experiences. I was really excited about that and I was willing to put that above my faith. I started dating my girlfriend at that time and she was really respectful of where I was at and started asking a lot of questions. I realised I didn’t know my stuff. I knew when to stand up, kneel down and sit down and all the Christian buzz words but I didn’t know why did we these things. I began asking myself, “If I don’t know why I do this, does it even make sense?" My relationship with my girlfriend started creating a huge tension. I was in love with her but I also love my parents. Whenever I went to see her, my mum would cry. If I spent too much time at home, my girlfriend would get upset. We kept dating for another eight months but eventually broke up. I blamed my faith and my parents’ faith for ruining something that I thought was so good. I was heart broken and started going out more and more and getting involved with casual relationships to try and numb how I felt. I followed the yellow brick road of satisfaction that the world promises.
HOW DID YOU RECONCILE YOUR QUESTIONS WITH YOUR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY? I wasn’t ready to close the door on 26
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Christianity because of the experiences I had had through youth group growing up and the witness of people loving me. But I gradually started walking further away from it. All the while I kept going to University Christian Outreach (UCO) meetings. I was lying to all of my Christian friends. They didn’t know what was going on because I didn’t want their judgement and I didn’t want to change my lifestyle. Eventually I was lying so much that I started to lose who I was. I was chasing the next relationship, party or night out just to make me feel okay.
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU GRADUATED?
I had reached the point where I was thinking, “I’ve had enough. I don’t want to be a Christian any more.” That was when one of my Christian friends texted me and said, “We are doing a summer programme for two weeks ten of us will live together, do service projects during the day and have teaching and worship in the evenings. Do you want to come?” Obviously I did not want to do it, but the morning he texted me I was so hung over that I had no recollection of replying to text. I said I would do it. I was so annoyed at myself. Lying was taking so much effort.
TELL US WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
A couple of days before we started I was thinking, “If I am going to stop being a Christian in two weeks, what is the point of me waiting? What am I still lying for?” I went into the house that night and went to the pub with one of the guys and told him everything. I laid all my crap on the table and I was expecting, “Oh my gosh, how could you do this?” - condemnation, fire and brimstone. I was pretty scared of that. But that is not what he said. He heard everything that I said and he looked at me and said, “Paul, I can’t be the one to choose for you to be a Christian. It is your life and you need to be the one to decide. But what I can say is that all the guilt you have, all the ways you have been hurt and have hurt people, that can be washed away and forgotten tonight if you want to live your life for Jesus.” That was the first time I was really able to hear that message in a long time. I was kind of at rock bottom. I was seeing things for what they were. My lifestyle wasn’t providing the fulfilment and satisfaction that it promised. It really hit home that I had hurt a lot of people and I had been hurt a lot of times. The possibility of having that washed away was massive. What I had been doing was taking the cross, Jesus’ sacrifice and all the
I WAS KIND OF AT ROCK BOTTOM. I WAS SEEING THINGS FOR WHAT THEY WERE.
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grace and beauty and smashing it into a book of rules. When you look at the rules and ignore the grace, beauty and sacrifice of what Jesus did for us, it becomes futile.
SO WHAT CHANGED?
Over the next couple of mornings I prayed for the first time in a year. I decided to stop ignoring grace and salvation and to start accepting it. That process is still going on. From there I realised my life needed to look different and that was pretty scary. I was living at home with my parents and that was the place I had made all my mistakes in. I thought if the temptation comes to go out and get drunk I’m going to give in to it at some point. So I began to pray about moving away and that was when the idea of mission work began to come up. I started to hear a call from the Lord to use my story, the struggle and the pain, to bring people back to Him in the same way my friend had brought me back. Nobody is too far gone for the Gospel. People need to hear that.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR WORK WITH UCO
That was when I began thinking of joining Christian organisation, University Christian Outreach, and going to work in the USA. I would have the opportunity to be around people who would support my faith. My parents were confused and excited for me. They had been praying for me for a long time. Eventually I decided to try and I went
about fundraising. The Lord provided what I needed and even the visa arrived just five days before I flew out to Lancing, Michigan. I arrived with my suitcases, my story and a lot of passion to see people come to know Jesus. That is two years ago now.
WHAT DOES YOUR WORK INVOLVE?
We do Bible studies on campus and support students in living for Christ. We have men’s and women’s groups and talk about faith and life together. During lockdown everything shifted online and so I’m on Zoom for three or four hours each day. More recently I’ve decided to continue working for UCO in North America for the next three years. It is difficult not being able to visit home but I know that this is what the Lord has for me and I’m seeing Him at work every day.
long. I would love to see this be the catalyst for change that is needed. In our ministry, we are trying to give voice to those who are not normally heard, to stand for equality and be advocates for those who are marginalised.
WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN TO YOU NOW?
He is my friend and healer. There is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends. That is what Jesus did for me. He is able to fix the self-inflicted wounds that I have and fill me with His grace. My journey took me into a lot of different situations. I think the Lord protected me because He has a purpose for me. Even when I was walking in the opposite direction, He was steadfast through it all.
AS WE ARE TALKING, THERE ARE DEMONSTRATIONS AND RIOTS GOING ON IN THE US. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?
I did not grow up here so I have not been a witness to the systematic racism that people have experienced. I am also a white guy who speaks English. Recent events have opened my eyes to the systematic injustices that are undercurrents in society here. I’m trying to talk to some of our African American students to listen to their experiences and allow them to voice how they feel about all of this. People have been struggling for so
University Christian Outreach Staff
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REALITY
Father to the Fatherless
“A FATHER TO THE FATHERLESS, A DEFENDER OF WIDOWS, IS GOD IN HIS HOLY DWELLING. GOD SETS THE LONELY IN FAMILIES.” PSALM 68:6
Could Christians in Ireland fill the gaps in foster care?
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hurches in Ireland are considering how they can get involved after a senior Irish social worker highlighted the urgent need to recruit more foster carers. Here VOX magazine brings an introduction to the subject of fostering and a webinar planned for November will provide opportunities for individuals and churches. To register interest in the Fostering Webinar on Tuesday 17 November at 8pm please email info@vox.ie or find further details on www.vox.ie/events. There are 6,000 children in care in Ireland with 92% of them cared for in a family setting (by relatives or foster carers). Although there are over 4,000 foster parents in Ireland there is a constant need for new foster parents, both to replace those who have retired or to help out where there are gaps, either geographically or with particular types of care. Traditionally it is hardest to place older children, sibling groups or children with health issues or disabilities. A recent article by TheJournal.ie cited a case in which a toddler was deemed high risk but without available foster parents was left in her home where she experienced further abuse before finally being taken into care. “Family is the place for children to grow and thrive but we are experiencing increasing difficulty in finding new foster parents… We are frequently forced
to place children far from their home, family and friends increasing the trauma they are already experiencing. We are keen to ensure we have local carers for local children. We are open to people, married, single, young or old, who feel they could provide a loving and caring home for a child, for however long or short.” - Senior Social Worker, Tusla This social worker recognised that in the busyness of modern life, Christians have a value system that means they might be more open to becoming foster carers. You can find out more at www. fostering.ie. Rev Andy Carroll from Donabate Presbyterian Church said, “Christians believe that everyone who follows Jesus Christ becomes part a new family; we become children of the living God. There is a particular call on Christians to make their homes and families available to children who find themselves without family to live with. Not every Christian family will foster or adopt but there is a role for everyone who is part of the church to support families who do. Local churches are units of God’s big family and we treat everyone in the church as a brother and sister, including a child who has been fostered or adopted. By God’s grace the church can work together to support and care for parents and children who become family through these processes.”
MYTH BUSTING
There are many different types of foster care including long-term and short-term placements, emergency care and respite care. You can choose what best suits your situation.
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Long-term placements are suitable for children who need permanent foster care and involve caring for a young person until they can live independently at the age of 18 years. Marital status is not a barrier. There are lots of single foster parents. Age is not a barrier although very young children requiring long-term care would not be placed with older people. Foster carers do not have to be homeowners; they just need a stable home environment. Training is provided. You decide whether or not to take a placement and there is support from Tusla every step of the way.
HOME FOR GOOD
UK Charity Home for Good in Northern Ireland has seen significant developments in recent years as the authorities have recognised the value of working alongside churches to identify and support new foster carers and adoptive families. “In Northern Ireland, around 70 children come into care every month, which equates to needing a further 250 foster carers to meet the demand.” said Northern Ireland Lead, Malini Coleville. “Our message is, ‘The church can be part of the solution,’” Since lockdown, Home for Good has moved all its training online, which opens up opportunities for churches and individuals both in Northern Ireland and in Ireland. Visit www.homeforgood. org.uk/connect-locally/northern-ireland to find out more. Speaking at the New Wine conference in Sligo last summer, Home for Good founder Krish Kandiah challenged Christians to see fostering and adoption as an opportunity to demonstrate the Gospel. “When God adopted you, what was His motivation? He did not adopt you because He needed you. He adopted you because you needed Him. He stepped up and became your heavenly father because you were a vulnerable child in need of His love,” Krish said. “For many people, the main driver into adoption is infertility but so often the children in the care system are not the children that most people want to adopt. What would it look like if people came forward to adopt or foster not because of their own needs but because
of their love for vulnerable children?” This was the motivation for one family in Mullingar when they began their fostering journey 20 years ago.
35 BABIES IN 20 YEARS
Terrie Coleman-Black and her husband from Mullingar have been fostering for 20 years. She is passionate about encouraging Christians to see the potential for providing a loving home for children in the care system. We had adopted our daughter from a Romanian orphanage. Then a friend from church asked whether we would consider fostering. We went for it and our lives just changed. We are emergency carers for babies and over the years we have cared for 35 babies. We can get a call at a moment’s notice and they can stay with us for up to ten months. From the beginning, we embraced it. We continued even after our second daughter came along. It is a family affair. We always felt that if any of the four of us wanted to end it, we would because we are in this together. I’m a strong believer that if God calls you, He equips you. When I started in the 1990s, God equipped us all the way. We take little ones who are experiencing huge difficulties. They may have been born addicted to drugs. With addicted babies, you are dealing with that for months but when things begin to turn around, I could just go out and sing. It does your heart good to see them developing and becoming healthy and strong. This early intervention is so important to make sure that they go on from us to become secure and grounded. You cannot put the benefits into words. It is just wonderful to see the change that takes place. We have had to be prepared to deal with loss. After we say goodbye, we never see the babies again. Each time as a family, we have to work through that. Only once or twice in all those years, someone has approached us in a supermarket and that has been joyous. Our faith gives us strength when times are difficult. Fostering is not easy. But if you have something to stand on it makes all the difference. I can’t imagine being without it. From day one, we have
had support from our church family. The myths are huge. People are often scared to step into fostering. It has had a lot of bad press. We want to break down the negativity and present the positives. Some people think that you will get a
OUR FAITH GIVES US STRENGTH WHEN TIMES ARE DIFFICULT. FOSTERING IS NOT EASY. BUT IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO STAND ON IT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE. child who is so damaged that they will wreck your home. But you always have a choice. Our social worker spent a long time writing about our family and trying to represent us fairly. We wanted our Christian faith to be represented and he embraced that. Everything we said was respected and taken on board. Even one more foster carer would be a bonus. We know one family that fostered 60 children over many years but they have now retired. New carers are needed all the time. If anybody would like to step forward, I’m always willing to talk to people. The process takes a while but my advice to people is to make a start. You can choose how much of a commitment you are willing to give. To get in contact with Terrie, please email us at VOX magazine (editor@vox. ie).
Lucy, Sian, Terrie and Sean Coleman-Black
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REALITY
THE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS SHOEBOX APPEAL IS BACK ... and it is going online!
For ten years, Irish charity Team Hope has sent thousands of gift-filled Christmas shoeboxes to vulnerable children in Africa and Eastern Europe. Now faced with the challenges of Covid-19 the 2020 appeal has had to change.
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ast year, Team Hope delivered its two millionth shoebox to children living in poverty. An impressive 270,488 shoeboxes were sent to Africa and eastern Europe for Christmas - a feat that was only possible with help from people like Debbie Maher from Westmeath. For the past few years, she has been working with Team Hope coordinator Alison Murphy, sorting through boxes before they get sent out - and doing a bit of busking with her ukulele group to drum up support. In 2019, Debbie and five others took to Longford Shopping Centre in aid of the cause. They sang, played, and gave out leaflets encouraging people to fill their own shoeboxes. “The music gets people’s attention. A lot of people don’t actually know what the charity is so it’s a great way to tell people what we’re doing it for and about all the wonderful work Team Hope do,” Debbie said. Stylist and mother-of-two Ruth Sheridan got involved in the shoebox appeal following the tragic death of her
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first child. Every year since 2015, she and husband Eamonn have helped their local County Cavan team, ensuring that hundreds of shoeboxes reach the main Cavan team sorting centre on time. “I wanted to get involved, get busy and give back. It’s such a good feeling to know you’re making a difference,” Ruth said. Founded in 2010, international Christian development charity, Team Hope is best known for the Christmas Shoebox Appeal, but it also provides longer-term development work with children, their families and communities in Africa and Eastern Europe. Every year thousands of individuals in Ireland donate shoeboxes filled with gifts. It is an opportunity to share a little joy and excitement with children who live in circumstances where these can be in short supply. Shoeboxes are given to children who are most vulnerable, identified with the help of charities, local churches or the local government. They may be: • Children from families affected by poverty (i.e. low income or
unemployed households) • Children from single parent families, or with ill parents • Children with no living parents • Children living with disabilities or illness • Children from ethnic or social groups facing discrimination • Children living in institutions (e.g. orphanages, groups homes etc) • Children suffering from illnesses
LEAH IN KENYA
After receiving her shoebox Leah from Kenya wrote, “I was as happy as a king when I went to receive my shoebox. I got items like colouring pencils, pens, soap, socks, sweets and other things. I pray God would bless the person who gave me these items. When I went home I gave my brother the colouring pencils and he was very happy. He enjoyed the beauty of his picture.”
DANIEL IN UKRAINE
Daniel’s mother wrote, “I am a mother of a special child with a physical
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disability. I want to thank you for the shoebox, which my son got and was very happy with. Most of all Daniel liked the toothpaste, pencils, notepad, small cars and figures of animals. If there were more people like you, the world would be so much better. Thank you so much.”
TEAM UP FOR TEAM HOPE
Owing to the effects of Covid-19 restrictions and wanting to ensure the safety of supporters, the Team Hope Christmas Shoebox Appeal has gone online for 2020. It is an opportunity for schools, families, friends, communities and businesses to #TeamUpForTeamHope by donating gift-filled shoeboxes online at www. teamhope.ie. CEO Peter Heaney says, “The Covid19 crisis has presented huge challenges for people throughout Ireland, so you can only imagine the immeasurable impact that Covid-19 has had in countries where basic sanitation and access to education is far from universal. This year, more than ever, every shoebox counts.” Team Hope is encouraging people across Ireland to work together in any way they can to purchase shoeboxes online for €20 each in the build up to Team Hope Christmas Shoebox Appeal Week, 9 - 15 November 2020. Online shoebox donations will be accepted until 23 December 2020. The donations will allow Team Hope’s network of local partners in Africa and Eastern Europe to purchase items for shoeboxes, which will then be wrapped and delivered directly into the hands of children.
Often these shoeboxes are the only gift that a child will receive at Christmas and the joy that they deliver is incredible. Donors can personalise their shoebox online by uploading a picture or image and will also be able to select gift items from the 4W’s that they would like to add to their box, for example: • Something to Wear - Socks, underwear, gloves, hats • Something to Wash with – Hair clips, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap bar • Something to Write with – Exercise books, pencils, pens, pencil sharpener • Something to Wow - Cuddly toy, colouring book, toy ball, sweets The online shoeboxes will be given to children, aged 2-14 years, in Africa and Eastern Europe. A new Shoebox Counter also will allow donors to follow regular updates on Team Hope’s social media pages.
Daniel in Ukraine
SO HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?
Start by donating a shoebox for €20 on www.teamhope.ie and encouraging your family, business, school, church or sports club to do the same. You can team up with family, friends, neighbours or colleagues to run a fundraiser and raise money to donate shoeboxes online. New Volunteer Packs show you how you can run your fundraiser as well as how to promote the appeal online. See the website for ideas and guidance or contact the Team Hope office at info@ teamhope.ie. Christmas Shoebox Appeal Coordinator Jonathan Douglas said, “Unfortunately, Team Hope cannot accept physical shoeboxes for the 2020 Shoebox Appeal. If you do have shoeboxes already packed we’re very grateful for your support! We’re encouraging everyone to keep them somewhere safe until next year. If they contain sweets, please check the sell by date on these to ensure they are still in date to March 2022. Thank you all for your support for the Christmas Shoebox Appeal as we make the move online this year!”
Leah in Kenya
"IF THERE WERE MORE PEOPLE LIKE YOU, THE WORLD WOULD BE SO MUCH BETTER."
Nazar in Transnistria / Moldova
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FAITH
Introducing
BIBLICA
Making the Bible accessible BY GARY O’ROURKE
With a passion for the word of God, Biblica - the International Bible Society, continues to find innovative ways to help people engage with the Bible. Gary O’Rourke shares some of their latest projects in Ireland, the UK and around the world.
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or over 200 years, Biblica - the International Bible Society, has been helping people engage with God’s word. It started back in 1809 when a group of Christians gathered in New York, to discuss the city’s spiritual needs. Together they formed the New York Bible Society (NYBS), an organisation that grew quickly. In 1810, the NYBS helped fund William Carey’s pioneering trip to India to translate the Bible into Bengali, beginning a long history of Bible translation work around the world. Driven by a passion to make the Bible available and understandable, the Society became the translation sponsor and ministry publisher of the wellknown New International Version (NIV), which when completed in 1978 became the best-selling contemporary English translation of all time. In 1988 the NYBS changed its name to the International Bible Society to better reflect its widening scope of ministry, and in 2009 the name changed to Biblica. Today Biblica seeks to provide the Bible in accurate, contemporary translations and formats so that more people around the world will have the opportunity to be transformed by Jesus Christ. Working in partnership with other ministries and organisations, Biblica has delivered millions of Bibles, New Testaments, Gospels and Bible portions. A customised Bible has proven
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to be an effective way of reaching people with God’s word in many different contexts. Recent examples include: • A New Testament for truck drivers, distributed at service stations and to drivers in the UK and Ireland • The Life, an account of the life of Jesus Christ by Luke with a forward by the Archbishop of Canterbury, distributed by the Church of England • A unique edition of the Psalms for the Girls’ Brigade in Northern Ireland As Biblica continues to produce relevant and reliable Scripture translations and resources that minister to people on the margins of the Gospel, it does so around a three-part strategy: Gateway Translations: The focus for Biblica is on the top 100 strategic languages for Bible translation, working to accelerate the growth and impact of first language translation efforts within the illumiNations Movement. It is distinguished from other organisations by an integrated translation and publishing approach to developing Scripture resources and programmes. Rising Generations: Resourcing partner churches and ministries who serve children and youth. Frontline Church: Recognising that the Church is God’s primary agent working on the “frontline” to reach those on the edges of society, Biblica creates Scripture outreach resources tailored
toward those who desperately need God’s Word – the unreached, unengaged, unchurched, unwanted, and unseen.
TRANSLATING GOD’S WORD
Biblica prioritises the translation and publishing of the full Bible into the major spoken languages in the world. Incredibly, Biblica’s top 27 translations have the potential to reach four billion people! Translation is carried out by a locally-based team, which works from the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic texts, and each translation goes through rigorous review to ensure maximum accuracy and readability for the target audience. Would you believe that Ukraine, the second largest country in Europe does
UKRAINE, THE SECOND LARGEST COUNTRY IN EUROPE DOES NOT YET HAVE A CONTEMPORARY TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE FOR UKRAINIAN SPEAKERS.
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not yet have a contemporary translation of the Bible for Ukrainian speakers? Pastors and believers in Ukraine are using either a Russian translation or a 19th Century Ukrainian translation, which is really difficult to understand. The current generation of children are no longer learning Russian in school and so there is an urgent need for a new Ukrainian translation. Biblica began the translation project in 2018. You can find out more about supporting this project at www.givetotranslate.com.
INTRODUCING THE NIRV ACCESSIBLE EDITION
Sometimes language is not the only barrier to reading - the format in which the text is presented is also important. For many of us reading the Bible is a simple daily activity, but for millions of individuals accessing God’s Word can be a real challenge. Launched in 2017 Biblica’s NIrV Accessible Edition has begun to address this gaping hole in access, specifically amongst those with learning disabilities, visual impairments and those who face other barriers to literacy. Developed in partnership with Livability, Torch Trust and Urban Saints, the NIrV Accessible Edition features a single-column format, tinted paper, simpler navigation, bespoke illustrations and a speciallydesigned clear font, along with audio and digital editions. A mother of one lady with Down Syndrome who is now able to read God’s Word for herself says: “Over the years, I have spent a lot of money, trying to find a Bible that would be right for my daughter but none were suitable for her – until now! I am so thankful that God
has given Biblica a heart for learning disability. Thank you!”
DEAR THEO
Another unique resource developed by Biblica is Dear Theo – an edition of Luke-Acts with specially commissioned illustrations aimed at encouraging children and young people to read and engage with God’s story for themselves. Dear Theo is an epic journey with Jesus, the Son of God, and His first followers. Features include: • the New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) with shorter sentences and simpler language • a specially designed clear font • unique illustrations, by Jason Ramasami • single column-format with no verses or chapter numbers, for ease of reading • audio and print format
record dramatised Bible readings for use by churches during online services. Their impromptu recordings soon grew into a new ministry. Aware that Biblica holds the license for the New International Version, they made contact. Biblica are now partnering with Living Breath Videos, working together towards an online launch of a dramatised reading of the book of Ruth in October, along with plans for the Christmas story. This kind of project is exciting for Biblica as it is clear there is great benefit for individuals that may struggle more with the Bible in a written form. You can find out more about Living Breath at their website livingbreath. co.uk or livingbreath.ie.
LOCKDOWN
HOW CAN YOU HELP BIBLICA?
Like many organisations, Biblica adapted during the Coronavirus pandemic and worked with partners to assemble relevant resources in multiple languages
You can support the work of Biblica by: • Spreading the word – tell those you know about Biblica’s work. • Ordering copies of Biblica’s unique resources for your ministry through our distribution partner 10ofthose. com • Praying – pray that Biblica will know God’s wisdom in moving forward with projects in Ireland, the UK and across the world. Pray that many lives will be impacted by God’s Word as a result. For more information on the work of Biblica visit biblicaeurope.com or contact Biblica on europe@biblica.com.
that can be downloaded from their website. However, one exciting project developed during lockdown when videographer Ben Driver and actor Susie Garvey-Williams found themselves as unlikely housemates and started to
Gary O’Rourke is the Administration and Communications Officer for Biblica Europe based in Belfast.
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LIFE
A Schizophrenic Life
I
have been living in Ireland for 36 years and have been an Irish citizen for the same amount of years. I got my citizenship at the Irish embassy in Buenos Aires a few weeks after I got married. No ceremony, no singing of national anthem, just the secretary of the embassy, Seán and I. But even though it was not a glamorous occasion, I am always thankful for it. Even after all these years, I still have my distinctive accent that makes people wonder where I come from or if I am here as a tourist. When I tell people that I have been here 36 years, several have replied, “So, you are one of us.” That is an expression that I treasure very much, to be accepted and to be part of the country, which I love and call home. However, there is the other side of me, the Argentinian brought up by Italian parents. That side is not that obvious while I live here but it emerges when I go back there. For a start, I speak a different language, Spanish. Also the volume of the voice goes up and the talking is done not only with the mouth but with the hands as well. Some time ago when I was chatting about this with my good German friend, she said, “We are a bit schizophrenic”. I think it is
BY ANA MULLAN
After a week, I begin to get used to most things. To the rest of the people, I am not a foreigner. I look like a porteño, a native of Buenos Aires. I speak the same language. I have the same mannerisms. But despite all these similarities, I don’t see things in the same way; my years of being away have changed me. Though I fit perfectly outwardly, I am a different person inwardly; I don’t feel I fully belong. This made me think about a letter describing the first followers of Jesus, written probably in the 2nd century: the Epistle to Diognetus. In it, there is a depiction of these first followers who puzzled a lot of people at the time. “Christians are indistinguishable from other people either by nationality, language or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. Their teaching is not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity of people. Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in, whether it is Greek or foreign. And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labour under all the disabilities of aliens. Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country.” This is a wonderful description of the tension that these followers experienced in their everyday, ordinary lives. They did not detach themselves from their homeland. They lived with their feet well grounded wherever they were. However, their hearts and minds were focused on what they considered the real homeland, a homeland shaped by the God they could call Father and the values of His kingdom, demonstrated in the life, death and resurrection of His son Jesus. Some people reacted to them with admiration and puzzlement, others with hatred and disdain. In a world where power and authority was imposed by
THIS IS THE TENSION OF THE TWO CITIZENSHIPS, PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE ON EARTH AND RESPONDING AS A CITIZEN OF HEAVEN. a funny way of describing those of us who might find ourselves in the same situation. Last July, I went back to Buenos Aires, for a special reunion. Every time I go there, there are new things to learn. My friends and relatives are very good at telling me all the things that are different since the last time; the card that I need to buy for the metro and buses, the changes in the streets and some neighbourhoods, where the supermarket is and areas where I shouldn’t go. 34
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violence, where the rich lived as if the poor didn’t exist, where people could be bought and sold, where defeated enemies were paraded through the streets to show Rome’s power, Jesus and His followers were considered weak. How could someone teach that you should love your enemies? How could men and women be considered equal, regardless of background or race? And how could one follow a leader who was crucified like a common criminal and think that the death was a victory? Despite all this, these followers were passionate about the message and its power. They might not have had much learning or training in communicating but they had one thing: they didn’t know about God, they knew God in the person of Jesus. Even when they didn’t have the Scriptures to read, they remembered together the stories of what Jesus had done. They entered those stories and became part of them. They could identify themselves with the characters in the stories. In all of these stories there was a common thread: Jesus’s compassion. They were able to have compassion for others because they themselves had experienced compassion. So out of hearts that were full of their Master’s love for them, they were able to live their lives for Jesus and for others, and people joined them not out of compulsion but out of attraction. When Jesus gave His manifesto, the Sermon on the Mount, He repeatedly used these words: “You have heard that it was said… but I tell you…” This is the tension of the two citizenships, paying attention to what is happening here on earth and responding as a citizen of heaven. In the conflicted world that we are living in, when our ways of understanding how to follow Jesus, have been disrupted, I ask myself: what is it that I have heard and what is Jesus telling me?
Ana Mullan is from Argentina but has lived in Ireland for 35 years, the last 18 in Dublin. She is an artist, a spiritual director, retreat facilitator and an enthusiastic grandmother.
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REALITY
Rebuilding a
Village of Peace An Irish charity is bringing life to leprosy sufferers in India
Sami contracted leprosy when he was just 16 years old. Faced with the stigma, his family tried to hide his illness and by the time he finally received any medication, it was too late. While she was alive, his mother did her best to care for her son but when she died, his family put Sami out of the house. “If I committed a crime, they would put me in prison but I would still have a family to visit me. With leprosy nobody wants you. You are thrown aside and abandoned,” Sami said. Eventually he found a home in Shanti Gramam (meaning Village of Peace), a care centre for leprosy patients connected with Karigiri Hospital in Tamil Nadu, south India where he has been a resident for 30 years. Now in his 60s, Sami has an adopted family in Ireland, thanks to People’s Church in Dublin. Pastor Sian Fitzgerald told VOX about the work of the David Ware Trust and the ambitious project they have embraced even in the midst of lockdown.
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Contracting leprosy is like a type of death because they lose everything. We want to give them a sense of self worth, security and love the life abundant that the Lord Jesus promises.
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hen the Apostolic Church in the centre of Dublin had a vision to reach out and help the poor and oppressed overseas in 2004, they began in India by forming partnerships with local ministries providing education, food, water, medicine and housing to people who were destitute. This ministry grew into the David Ware Trust, a small Irish charity (CRN 7580) with a vision to work for long term transformation in the lives of those they serve. One of their main partnerships is with the Shanti Gramam residential centre for leprosy sufferers. “We are closely connected with the Karigiri Leprosy Hospital in Tamil Nadu,” said Sian, “Sometimes they would treat patients and when it was time for them to be discharged, they had nowhere to go. There is so much stigma and fear surrounding leprosy, even today. The hospital set up Shanti Gramam for former patients but they were struggling to keep up with the running costs. When we first got involved, there were around 16 residents. The David Ware Trust took on the responsibility for the running costs and for providing anything they needed - from goats to mattresses!” Groups from Ireland visit Shanti Gramam each year (at their own expense) and have built up deep friendships with the residents. “To us they are VIPs. They are incredibly special people,” Sian explained. “When one of them dies, the chaplain there calls it their ‘second death.’ Contracting leprosy is like a type of death because they lose everything. We want to give them a sense of self worth, security and love - the life abundant that the Lord Jesus promises. We seek to minister with respect and cultural consideration rather than imposing our western values.” Frequent visits have forged deep and loving relationships with all the residents. Sian and her family have a special bond with Sami, writing letters and speaking over Face Time even during lockdown. “We have adopted him into our family and he says I am like a mother to him, even though I am younger than he is,” Sian smiles. “He has been complaining about Covid-19 and keeps asking when we will visit.” The church had to cancel plans to visit Shanti Gramam during 2020 but have still been working on a new project to renovate and improve the accommodation. “We’ve been concerned about the condition of the OCT - DEC 2020 VOX.IE
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buildings. Some of the residents have been falling over because the ground is uneven, there was asbestos in the roofs and the bathrooms were in a poor state. One elderly man even found a cobra in one of the bathrooms and had to beat it to death. I hate the thought of them being in any sort of danger or need. We began raising funds and started work earlier this year on the refurbishment of some of the buildings. We want to keep everything to the highest standard possible while remaining sensitive to what they are used to,” Sian said. The first stage of renovation has just been completed but it has become clear that brand new houses are needed for the remaining residents to ensure everyone is kept safe. During lockdown, one church member raised €5,000 through a sponsored weight loss (losing two stone in 100 days). The new buildings will cost around €104,000 and will include communal areas where the residents can sit and talk with one another. “This is the biggest project we have ever taken on,” Sian admits. “One of the things that breaks my heart is that so many of them suffer from chronic depression and many of them have attempted suicide at times in their lives. We’d like them to have a seating area where they can enjoy spending time together.” To date, the church has raised €24,000 (a quarter of their target) and some members are planning to run the VHI mini marathon to raise more. The David Ware Trust ensures that 100% of funds raised are given to the projects overseas (the church covers the full cost of administration). While the fundraising target seems daunting, Sian and the team at People’s Church are determined to see it through. “We take on one project at a time and work at it until it is complete, no matter how long it takes.” And while the pandemic has caused so many challenges, Sian is confident that they will soon be celebrating with the VIPs of Shanti Gramam. “When we visit, there are always tears but they say to us, ‘Don’t cry. God has blessed us!’ They still have each other and they have us here. They are not forgotten. They are loved and treasured.” To find out more or help support the re-development of Shanti Gramam for Sami and his fellow residents, visit www.thedavidwaretrust.com
They say to us, "Don’t cry. God has blessed us!" 38
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LIFE
VOX MAGAZINE
reverie
Leaving Cert student publishes a book of visual poetry
E
ighteen-year-old Tara O’Neill from Navan started writing poetry when she was 16 years old. Faced with the challenges and changes of lockdown she decided to create the book on her iPad and eventually took the step of self-publishing. “I finished my leaving cert this year and actually had a scholarship to head over to Florida to study political science with a minor in graphic design,” Tara said. “But I’ve had to postpone that until next year because of Covid-19. When my plans for America were cancelled, everything was stripped away but the one thing that remains is Jesus. “Jesus is everything to me. He is the hope of my life; the One I depend on. There is so much freedom in knowing that I am complete and whole in Him. I feel so rejuvenated and excited about what God is doing. He is the anchor in my life.” For the coming year, Tara has enrolled in the online Leadership College with Green Pastures Church in Ballymena. And she is passionate about promoting her new book and the small business she set up as a mini company during a Business Studies course at school. “I have always loved being creative. About two years ago, I launched (The Sunshine Co) online. That inspired me to look at how to take an idea and develop it to help people. I find ways to support the work of Compassion through my business and have used that platform to launch my book,” Tara explained. “The title of my book ‘Reverie’ is an English word from the early 1900s. It means to be in a daydream. All of these poems take you on a journey through issues like anxiety towards the end where God brings healing.” The daughter of a pastor, Tara made a conscious choice to follow Jesus during the children’s programme at a CCI (Christian Churches Ireland) conference when she was in sixth class. “I have always loved church but this wasn’t because of my parents. Jesus is real and tangible. There have been bumps along the road. There have been times when I have doubted. I have learnt that it is okay to cry out to God. He wants to hear our heart and He loves us. I am so glad God put people into my life who shaped me and that I have an incredible Christian community around me. Sometimes it is assumed that pastors’ kids have to have a rebellious phase. It doesn’t have to be like that!” Find out more about Tara’s book on social media @sunshine_co (Instagram and Facebook) or visit her etsy shop to buy a copy: www.etsy.com/ie/shop/ ShopTheSunshineCo. OCT - DEC 2020 VOX.IE
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FAITH
Gloriously
NEW BOOK FROM PRAXIS PRESS EXPLORES MISSION IN CONTEMPORARY IRELAND Launched in 2019, Irish Christian Publishing House Praxis Press seeks to ‘publish Irish voices for the Irish church’. Fraser Hosford explained, “We have a clear focus on Ireland and seek to serve the Irish church. Ireland has its own distinctive history and culture. This means that mission in Ireland is different. We need our own vocabulary and approaches to talking about Jesus. Theologies and practices from England, America and beyond, while meaningful, will never
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hen we look out over our beloved island, with all its beauty and brokenness, its diversity and dysfunction, how should faith communities respond? What does it look like for individuals and churches to be good news and to share the good news of Jesus in contemporary Ireland? Written by people seeking to live out the kingdom of God in Ireland, Gloriously Ordinary weaves together stories and reflections from the grassroots, looks at the way Jesus ministered and invites you to consider your own context. Gloriously Ordinary - Embracing Incarnational Mission In Contemporary Ireland is a collection of the stories, experiences, learning and reflections of people living and ministering in different parts of Ireland. What emerged and came into even clearer focus in the process of writing are six principles that underpin and inform the approaches we have embraced. These have grown at grassroots in response to the realities of contemporary culture and our local contexts. The principles represent so much of our shared learning both as individuals and in our faith communities. This is not to say that these principles are the key to mission in Ireland but rather to invite you to enter into the conversation, to reflect on whether and how these principles might apply in your context and to consider what you would add. My co-authors, like Andrew and me, are marathon runners in Christian ministry; we are in for the long haul. We have this “treasure in jars of clay” and seek to live out the gospel in all of life. We represent a wide range of different denominational and church backgrounds and we are deeply embedded in our different contexts. Our methods, focus and styles vary but each one is seeking to follow Jesus and to see His kingdom come and His will be done in Ireland as it is in heaven.
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be exactly right for Ireland.” Following Fraser’s own book Down With This Sort Of Thing, the new book from Praxis Press was written and edited by VOX magazine editor, Ruth Garvey-Williams and is due out at the beginning of November. Here Ruth shares a taste of her book, which was co-written by William Hayes, Chloe Hanan, Marian Edwards, Emma Bolster Rodrigues, Joe Donnelly, Robert Holden and Andrew GarveyWilliams.
The book was written during lockdown amidst the chaos brought about by a global pandemic. With routines overturned and careful plans hastily shelved, all of us were scrambling to adjust in work, family life and in our church communities. The constant, unchangeable truth of the gospel is a person - Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday, today and forever. But as we have learnt, everything else is subject to change, even things we may have once considered rock solid. It seemed somehow appropriate to be writing at such a time. We have all been forced to reflect, adapt and change, to ask tough questions and to learn new ways of doing things
but, for us, this process has reinforced the principles we identify here. We would love you to journey with us as we unpack what it means for us to embrace incarnational mission in contemporary Ireland and to consider what it might mean for you as an individual or in your parish, church or faith community.
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Ordinary WHAT OTHERS SAID ABOUT GLORIOUSLY ORDINARY: THE RT REV DR FERRAN GLENFIELD, CHURCH OF IRELAND BISHOP OF KILMORE, ELPHIN AND ARDAGH
Ireland is a land of stories. Arguably, the greatest story ever told is about God coming among us in Jesus Christ. Throughout the story of Ireland, generations of people have embraced the Christian story. The words and presence of Jesus Christ have given faith, hope and love to countless Irish people. Gloriously Ordinary is a book that tells the stories of some ordinary Irish Christians. These ordinary yet extraordinary people not only talk the talk but walk the talk in their witness for Christ. These bighearted people tell of their faith and failures, longings and love, daring and disappointments. Ruth Garvey-Williams who has drawn the collection together is uniquely placed to frame these stories. As editor of VOX Magazine, she has the pulse of the changing landscape of Irish cultures and a sense of the Christian communities, which are represented in contemporary Ireland. This is an encouraging and essential read for our unpredictable times.
REV DR TREVOR MORROW, FORMER MODERATOR OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND This is a book that tells the story of mission in Ireland ‘the Jesus way’ in the 21st century. Each chapter underlines the key aspects of the ‘missio Dei’ fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus. It is an inspirational read as these ‘gloriously ordinary’ people relate incidents and moments from their everyday lives, which reveal God at work as they live ‘in step with the Spirit’. Here you will discover profound missiological reflection earthed in the actions and speech of people like you and me who are learning to be non-judgmentally
present in their community. Instead, they have become humble listeners who practice hospitality and so discover opportunities to preach and to practice grace. A great read.
JAMES REILLY, NAAS COMMUNITY CHURCH, CHRISTIAN CHURCHES IRELAND
Every one of the contributors to this gripping book made a journey of discovery into their own locality and found the most unlikely mission opportunities. Things did not turn out as they had intended but, by responding to each situation as they found it, they saw the kingdom of heaven come in unexpected ways. Their experiences can open our eyes to see the possibilities that may be hiding in plain sight in our own gloriously ordinary situations.
REV JOHN ALDERDICE, DIRECTOR OF MINISTRY, THE METHODIST CHURCH IN IRELAND The title says it all really… ‘Gloriously Ordinary’! This is an extremely accessible journey of possibility and adventure for anyone interested in Kingdom mission in contemporary Ireland. It is packed with powerful images of ordinary people doing extraordinary things for the Lord. The interplay of theological thinking and practical insight along with great questions offers hope and possibility for anyone wondering what they can do to grow the Kingdom in their local place.
PASTOR TREVOR HILL, TEAM LEADER OF PLUMBLINE IRELAND MINISTRIES Gloriously Ordinary is a refreshing look at mission in an Irish context written by God’s agents living and serving Him in
different parts of our nation. It is both encouraging and challenging, and for me emphasises again the need for all followers of Jesus to still their souls, to listen carefully, to discern correctly and to obey promptly. The “Time to Ponder” questions at the end of each chapter is an important part of this book. If we don’t pause to think through some of these questions, we are in danger of just reading another book on mission without allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to us and perhaps change how we look at mission in our own context.
DR ANNE FRANCIS, SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR AT THE GALILEE SPIRITUALITY CENTRE IN BOYLE, ROSCOMMON
“This book is a small treasure for those involved in mission and ministry. Offering principles rooted in experience, story and reflection, (rather than theories or impossible standards), Ruth and her co-authors invite readers to find their own 'gloriously ordinary' place in the many-coloured picture of ministry they describe. With its 'time to ponder,' at the close of each chapter, this is a great book for ministry teams to share, pray and discuss. It will take them beyond 'what shall we do?' to a deeper conversation about how and why.” OCT - DEC 2020 VOX.IE
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Need some help with your children's school fees? The Secondary Education Committee (SEC) grant is available to help Protestant families attend Protestant Secondary schools. We can help with tuition and boarding fees. 2021/22 grant application process opens October 2020 For eligibility and how to apply see www.secgrant.ie Queries? Call or email our grant advisor info@secgrant.ie 䰀椀瘀椀渀最 䈀爀攀愀琀栀 椀猀 愀 戀爀愀渀搀 渀攀眀 洀椀渀椀猀琀爀礀Ⰰ 挀爀攀愀琀椀渀最 瘀椀搀攀漀 爀攀猀漀甀爀挀攀猀 昀漀爀 挀栀甀爀挀栀攀猀 愀渀搀 椀渀搀椀瘀椀搀甀愀氀猀 ⴀ 瀀攀爀昀攀挀琀 昀漀爀 漀渀氀椀渀攀 猀攀爀瘀椀挀攀猀℀ 匀甀瀀瀀漀爀琀攀搀 戀礀 䈀椀戀氀椀挀愀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 瘀椀搀攀漀猀 愀爀攀 搀爀愀洀愀琀椀猀攀搀 䈀椀戀氀攀 爀攀愀搀椀渀最猀Ⰰ 琀栀愀琀 戀爀椀渀最 琀栀攀 猀挀爀椀瀀琀甀爀攀猀 琀漀 氀椀昀攀 椀渀 渀攀眀 愀渀搀 挀爀攀愀琀椀瘀攀 眀愀礀猀⸀ 匀甀戀猀挀爀椀戀攀 琀漀 琀栀攀 眀攀戀猀椀琀攀 昀漀爀 漀渀氀礀 ꌀ㌀㔀 愀 礀攀愀爀Ⰰ 最椀瘀椀渀最 愀挀挀攀猀猀 琀漀 愀 最爀漀眀椀渀最 氀椀戀爀愀爀礀 漀昀 瘀椀搀攀漀猀
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眀眀眀⸀氀椀瘀椀渀最戀爀攀愀琀栀⸀椀攀
01 5514693
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church Sunday 15 November
Mass grave for Christian victims of targeted attacks
Join churches all over Ireland to pray for the church in Nigeria during your worship service.
Order resources for your church Bookmark with Prayer Points for each person in church Information Sheet for those leading prayers Video two minute presentation CHURCH IN CHAINS PO Box 10447, Glenageary, Co. Dublin, Ireland T 01-282 5393 E info@churchinchains.ie W www.churchinchains.ie Charity No: CHY15443
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MUSIC REVIEWS
Influencer EMMA GRANT
Meet Emma Grant, a wife, mum, worship leader, singer/ songwriter, and proud Liverpudlian. Emma’s new album Influencer was my album of the week on UCB Ireland back in August, and Emma joined me on my programme to speak about her life and faith, and the stories behind the songs on the album. She is a breath of fresh air in a music scene that is dominated by praise and worship songs; a songwriter of the highest calibre. She writes songs about important issues that most Christian artists would shy away from, such as domestic violence. The title track of the album Influencer poses a few thought provoking questions in these days of social media and the influence it has on the world. “It’s not about my hair or where I buy my clothes but who I am when nobody knows.” Social media once again comes under scrutiny in the track I don’t hate you. Here Emma takes issue with how platforms such as Twitter and Facebook can become a battleground, where debate turns into a full-on war of words. The song Fake News urges caution in accepting at face value much of what is presented to us today as news. I was bowled over by Emma’s honesty, directness and authenticity; attributes that pour out of the songs on this album. When she talks about self-worth in the song Born To Be, she once again takes issue with how we seek approval and endorsement through posting on social media rather than be who we are born to be. This is a remarkable album from a remarkable songwriter who has the courage to say what most of us are thinking ourselves. Brilliant songs and flawless production - a must hear album.
Church Arise KAT MILLS
Kat Mills is a very talented and gifted songwriter. She is also an advocate for people with autism, a condition both Kat and her young son live with. I have known Kat since receiving music from UK based
VOX MAGAZINE
worship collective Homegrown Worship last year. Her music has been regularly listed on UCB Ireland’s playlist ever since. Kat’s latest album Church Arise is a remarkable work of music and ministry. Kat explains the concept behind the album, “[It] is a prophetic cry to the church to arise, to go to the hurting and broken, and be Jesus to the world. But Church Arise is the last song on the album because to get to a place of being sent out and being released in your ministry you have to be secure in your faith... “ The album opens with True Majestic King, which brings us into the presence of Jesus the king, who is faithful to us always. Kat brings the tempo down in God my refuge - a beautiful song that tells us that God is and desires to be our refuge no matter what. I’m grateful speaks of the need to foster an attitude of gratitude. It is a positive and uplifting song, written by Kat while in hospital waiting on surgery. A strange time to be feeling grateful for sure, but proof that focusing on the good things we have in our lives and being consciously thankful for them, can give us a tremendous boost in confidence when facing loss, disappointment, or major surgery. My standout track is Thy will be done, which opens with a beautiful piano and strings arrangement before Kat sings a prayer, “Lord may broken hearts be renewed, may anxious minds hear your truth. Lord may the restless wanderer who’s gone astray, find their home in you”. The journey concludes with the album’s title track Church Arise. This is a cry to the church to stand with the broken and the lost, and to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this crisis-torn world. Church Arise by Kat Mills is one of the finest and most complete albums I have heard in a very long time. www.katmills.co.uk
Stained Glass Stories PHILIPPA HANNA
Philippa Hanna’s musical odyssey has taken her through 17 years of extensive touring and performing. She has clocked up a staggering 1,500 gigs in 25 countries during that time. With the release of this album, Philippa Hanna has raised the bar a notch higher, and I expect a serious assault on the Christian music charts as she releases singles from her Stained Glass
Stories, from the Integrity Music label. It features eleven tracks that showcase the authenticity, creativity, the quality and brilliant song writing talent of one of the finest Christian singer/songwriters around today. There are a few standout tracks that you will probably want to play over and over again. My Hope Is in The Blood is probably the track that worship leaders will want to include in their Sunday services. You’re Still God is a powerful ballad with raw lyrics that clamour for hope and the realisation that, “this one truth will be my story, you still reign and You are still God”. If I had to choose a favourite song on the album, it would have to be Oh the power. I was out in goose bumps with the lyrics “I’m trading slavery for sonship. And I’m trading shackles for the keys, my inheritance the kingdom where my father is the King.” When the Covid-19 restrictions are finally lifted, I for one will look forward to seeing Philippa Hanna perform these songs live. Stained Glass Stories by Philippa Hanna is a must hear album.
Evensong
KEITH AND KRYSTIN GETTY
During the lockdown, Irish husband and wife hymn-writing duo, Keith and Krystin Getty performed and led worship to millions of people across the world from their living room in the USA. This new collection of 13 songs is simply beautiful. If I said that I found it difficult to stay awake while listening to the album, you would be given the wrong impression. The fact that I found myself drifting off is actually indicative of how effective the album is. A collection of soft songs, hymns and lullabies, Evensong is a very special album. Evensong, Hymns and Lullabies at the End of the Day is an album that will be enjoyed by all the family, young and old.
Albums reviewed by UCB Ireland Radio producer/presenter Vincent Hughes. Listen to his programme 124pm Monday to Friday and 11am3pm on Saturdays on Virgin Media Channel 918, on Sky Channel 0214 or via the smartphone app. You can contact Vincent at vincent@ucbradio.ie | www. ucbireland.com.
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Have you reviewed your pension lately? rement? How much will you need at reti How much can you co ntribute? ? gh ou Is it en Trillium Financial Services can go through all your options and find the pension that best suits you. We provide pension advice tailored to each individual’s financial aspirations.
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When a client meets with us, we carry out an assessment, review their current pension and discuss in detail their expected retirement objectives. Once we have a clear picture of our client’s retirement fund, tax liability and retirement goals, we can determine which type of pension is best suited to achieve those goals. The desired outcome is to have a financial plan that outlines the appropriate steps for the client and serves to guide them towards a financially secure retirement. James Garza, QFA, of Trillium Financial Services, has over 17 years experience in the financial services industry. Mention this advert to avail of a free one-hour pension consultation with James Garza, QFA. Contact James Garza at james@trillium.ie or 086 073 9902 or 01 442 9950.
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Bride’s Glen Farmhouse
Church Insurance
Shankill, Co. Dublin
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We are a Christian insurance brokerage in business since 1984 and church insurance is an area in which we take a special interest. In addition to the usual cover (property etc) we can also arrange the following: -
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Bethany at Bride’s Glen
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Whether you are a large or small congregation, operate from a private home, rent space or own your own building we can protect you by providing advice and solutions for your insurance needs.
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These facilities can be booked together or separately. Contact us and we will do our best to accommodate you. Betty Stevenson | 01-2822510 |bettystevenson2014@outlook.com
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For your quotation please contact Rodney Croly at: Email: Rodney@crolyinsurance.com Phone 01-2989166 | www.crolyinsurance.com R J Croly & Co Ltd is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland Registered in Ireland no. 108865. Registered office 4 Finsbury Park Dundrum Dublin 14 Directors Rodney Croly QFA FLIA , Sylvia Croly QFA
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BOOK REVIEWS
VOX MAGAZINE
Serenity – Celtic poetry to bring you closer to God
Finn and the Wild Goose
This collection of Celtic style poetry is the first release of new Irish publishing house Wild Goose. The poems stilled my spirit and drew me closer to God. There are themes of the Trinity, journey, creation and seasonal rhythms; of letting go and following God who is ever with us; and of finding Him in unexpected places. God will speak through these words in different ways to each of us. Poet Craig A Roberts is a New Zealander, and there are some references to southern hemisphere birds and trees, for which there is a short glossary. Rather than write any more, here is Craig’s poem about the Wild Goose, the Celtic symbol of the Holy Spirit:
Even before seven year old Finn arrives on holiday at his grandparents’ house in County Wexford, something rather odd happens. Finn loves to listen to his Granda’s stories, as he weaves together myths and legends and magical creatures. But what does Granda mean that not everything is what it seems? Then Finn’s sister Evie, who is twoand-a bit, starts to behave strangely. Astonishingly, Granda spots that the real Evie has been kidnapped. So Granda and Finn set off to the rescue. Finn has to be brave as they meet all sorts of strange creatures and dangers on their quest. The battle becomes fiercer until all seems lost. Only then does the Wild Goose appear and rescue them. She explains: “Sometimes I like to remain hidden, although I am never far away. Best of all, I love to surprise you by being the very thing that you least expect.” While this truly is a wonderful story for younger children, I believe that it is much more significant than that. Like most Irish people, I grew up with the tales of ‘the little people’. But those cunning little beings always outwitted the slightly gullible humans. I realise now that this had subtly affected my mindset about the power of evil. I appreciate how that this tale redeems our Irish mythology. It reminds me that Jesus Christ has overcome every evil power, and that the Wild Goose, the Holy Spirit, is always near to help.
Heart of the Wild Goose Upon the wind He comes. The heart of the wild goose seeks me, desires me to fly with Him, to follow. Listen, listen, hear His call. My heart moves, pumps quick, I search sea and stormy skies, my soul hears His call, my mind amazed with wonder, His presence becomes my strength. Once more wild wings fly upon the storm seeking you who wait in hiding. His breath comes with words of love touching souls with gifts of hope.
By Sammy Horner
Celtic blessings This beautiful little hardback is a compilation of blessings, prayers, and Scriptures from the Celtic tradition. Some are from the Irish saints of old and brief details about these saints are included. This prayer seems particularly apt in this time of coronavirus uncertainty: Saint Brendan’s Prayer Help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown. Give me faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with You. Christ of the mysteries, I trust You to be stronger than each storm within me. I will trust in the darkness and know that my times, even now, are in Your hand. Tune my spirit to the music of heaven, and somehow make my obedience count for You. Celtic Christians were aware of God’s ways in creation. So an inspiring photo, often of nature, accompanies each prayer, blessing or Scripture; the bow of a weather-beaten sailing boat compliments Saint Brendan’s Prayer. Whether you read one blessing a day or dip in and out, this compilation will inspire. It would also make an ideal gift to encourage a friend from any church tradition or from none. Its purchase supports an international charity working with people affected by leprosy.
Book reviews by Julie Carvill of christianbooks.ie, from where you can order these and other inspiring titles: info@christianbooks.ie or +353 (0)86 839 1870
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VOX PS
IMPROV DAY BY SEÁN MULLAN
G
roundhog Day is a 1990s Hollywood romantic comedy. The main character is a TV weatherman called Phil, played by Bill Murray. Phil is rude, arrogant, egocentric and radiates disdain for everyone else. Phil is sent to the town of Punxsutawney in Pennsylvania to report on Groundhog Day, February 2. Both Punxsutawney and Groundhog Day are, I have discovered, real. The film shows Phil going through the day with his usual blend of arrogance and contempt. At the end of the day he and his crew get blocked in by a blizzard and have to spend another night in Punxsutawney, much to Phil’s disgust. Next morning Phil wakes to discover it is still February 2 and he has to re-live Groundhog Day again. Everyone else behaves as though this is the first time; only Phil is aware that he is reliving it. The film cycles through the same day dozens of times. Phil gets ruder with each day. Eventually he learns that he can do what he likes since, no matter what he does, he will be back where he started next morning. He thumps people, seduces a woman, robs a bank, wrecks cars, kidnaps the groundhog, all with no consequences. Slowly a shift occurs. The reason? Well it’s Hollywood, so inevitably it’s a woman. Phil starts to be attracted to his colleague Rita. At first all he wants to do is get her in bed. But as he cycles through the days and learns more about her, he begins to care for her. His behaviour changes. He begins to use his knowledge of how the day will
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unfold to help people in different ways. And it’s hardly a plot-spoiler to reveal a predictable Hollywood ending. Phil and Rita lived happily ever after in Punxsutawney. There are times when our days feel like Groundhog Days. Lockdown produced a daily rhythm for many that was so repetitive we had to check the phone to know which day it was. But even on the most boringly repetitive days, none of us knows what others will do or say, what circumstances might arise, and even what we might do or say. The possibility of living a day over again might look like a great offer at the end of certain days. It would be like those “change your mind” clauses you get when you purchase something expensive. Imagine having this option each night, “How was today? Are you happy with it or would you like to do it over again tomorrow?” One day, I’d like to make a film called “Improv Day.” Improv or improvisation is a form of theatre where actors go on stage without lines, without a plot and not knowing how it’s going to go. The idea is that they work off each other and that together they produce a unique piece of theatre, a one-off performance. They literally make it up as they go. They’ll never do the same thing again. My “Improv Day” storyline would feature two people going through one day, facing the expected and the unexpected and doing their best to deal with each situation before moving on to what’s next. I know that’s any day for most people. “Improv Day” would likely be one of those serious art films where you admire the cinematography and the acting while you wait for something unusual to
happen. It would be so close to normal life I’d never persuade anyone to make it. You couldn’t call it “reality TV” either. In real reality, there are no cameras recording what you do. In real reality, every day is “Improv Day”. No one knows what it will deliver or how we will respond. Even in lockdown, days didn’t always go as expected. Who would have planned to have that row? Or make that comment that was clearly a mistake before it reached the full stop? The wisest man there ever was once said: “Don’t worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will worry about itself.” Worrying about tomorrow or next week, next month next year is daft for two reasons. It will not change tomorrow one iota. And, more importantly, worrying about tomorrow stops you giving today the attention it needs and deserves. Rule number one of Improv is “Everyone on stage is a genius.” When it comes to real life everyone you will meet in your day is a genius at being themselves. In my worse moments, I reflect that it’s a pity that people are so bad at being like me. If only more people could behave more like me. But then I watch my son, a great mimic, “being me” for a few moments to realise how bad that would be. We are each geniuses at being ourselves. And today is our improv day. Your role is to be you; mine to be me. Forget tomorrow; pay attention to what today is dishing up. There’s a lot to be learned. Unlike Phil, we won’t get a second chance.
“HOW WAS TODAY? ARE YOU HAPPY WITH IT OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO IT OVER AGAIN TOMORROW?”
Seán Mullan has been working in church leadership for many years. He has developed a project in Dublin City Centre called “Third Space”.
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