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Prayer Diary June 2018

Inhaling—What about the 95% of the time we are not in church?

All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation…..

Be reconciled to God. (2 Cor 5:18, 20).

Those who have attended the Archdeacons’ Visitations this year will know that I chose to focus on these verses, reflecting on the fact that Paul’s life was transformed from ‘religion’ to ‘relationship’ after an encounter with the living Jesus Christ. A personal encounter with Christ is transformative, but needs to be an ongoing, regular ‘be reconciled to God’, not just a one-off past experience. Like the manna which fell from heaven in the wilderness, but only lasted one night, trying to hold on to past spiritual experiences alone hoping that they will nourish us for the future work we do will not suffice. It’s like exhaling without any inhaling. So how can we encounter God in the 95% of time when we are not in church?! Well, a new learning point for me is that God, who loves variety and diversity, transmits on many frequencies, but we personally have preferences which tend to ‘tune in’ to one or two frequencies more than others. Each of us ‘inhales’ differently. Having completed a questionnaire recently on preferred Spiritual Styles I’ve just had my pre-conceptions about what it is like to be ‘spiritual’ completely overturned! I feel much freer to experience God in the ways that come most naturally to me, rather than assuming my ways of encountering God were somehow inferior! And it has also helped me realise and value how other people encounter God too. Can I encourage you to ‘Be reconciled’ to God by being reconciled to the primary ways in which you encounter Him on a regular basis. And if you are unsure of how you personally best do that, then seek out Lisa Holt, our Learning Mentor for Passionate Spirituality (Lisa.Holt@CovCofE.org), or visit https://3colorworld.org/en/etests and do the questionnaire yourself. It could be very enlightening to you! PS…no guesses for where my most frequent spiritual encounters are…..

Morris Rodham Archdeacon Missioner

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Focus on Kenilworth Deanery

One of the many pleasures of working in the Kenilworth Deanery is the countryside and in most cases the local villages where so many churches are active and to be admired. At the centre of the Deanery is of course Kenilworth itself where our two largest churches St Nicholas and St. John the Evangelist are particularly active and attract substantial congregations. To the north of Kenilworth is the big little church in Berkswell where the Area Dean is also the Rector. These three parishes are lead by Stella Bailey, Andrew Attwood and Mark Bratton respectively. Around the outside of the Deanery are the local villages each of which is proud of its church and serves a faithful congregation. Meriden is led by Lynda Lilley and has a church building on the edge of the village. Nicky Moon has just become Curate-in-Charge of Stoneleigh and Ashow and is assisted by Reader Audrey Rowberry. Leek Wootton is led by Jim Perryman, and his wife Nicola is a very efficient secretary to the Deanery. Finally on the West Side lies the Ferncumbe group of parishes led by Keith Mobberley, Hatton with Haseley, Honiley and Wroxall and Rowington with Lowsonford. If you are in that area do visit these lovely countryside churches. Kenilworth Deanery works together with Coventry South Deanery when it comes to Synod. This has been an extremely interesting experiment in working together, Coventry South being a city Deanery and Kenilworth a country Deanery. We have learnt a great deal from each other. The Area Dean describes it as ""living in quasi-connubial bliss".

Mark Bratton and I are grateful to our supporting team, Nicola Perryman the secretary and Chris Powell responsible for finance. Finally our thanks go to the many Synod members who represent their parishes and who regularly report to Synod.

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Cycle of Prayer - June 2018 With a focus on parishes and schools in Kenilworth Deanery

Fri 1 All Saints' Primary School, Leek Wootton. Headteacher: Mr Morris. We pray for God's blessing on this school community and we give thanks for all the pupils, teachers, staff, parents and governors. *Justin, Martyr at Rome, c.165

Sat 2 Kenilworth St John. Clergy: Andrew Attwood, John Armstrong, Jane Mullaney, Gail Phillip. Readers: Anthony Manning, Ken Pollard, Phil Sewards, Val Whiteman. We pray for God's blessing upon the church members and the local community.

Sun 3 Berkswell Primary School. Headteacher: Tracy Drew. We pray for God's blessing on this school community and we give thanks for all the pupils, teachers, staff, parents and governors. *The Martyrs of Uganda, 1886 and 1978

First Sunday after Trinity

Mon 4 June is Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Awareness Month. Six people per day are diagnosed with MND in the UK. MND is a fatal disease that attacks the nerves that control movement so muscles no longer work. We pray for all those who suffer with MND and pray that a cure can be found. *Petroc, Abbot of Padstow, 6th century

Tue 5 Today is World Environment Day. We pray that God would help us to remember that the environment is home to all life, and that we must take up responsibility to ensure that all life is respected. We pray for Diocesan Synod which meets today. *Boniface (Wynfrith) of Crediton, Bishop, Apostle of Germany, Martyr, 754

Wed 6 We pray for a number of garden parties that Bishop Christopher is hosting over the next 2 weeks to commemorate the diocesan centenary. Today we pray for the Diocesan Board of Education and Multi Academy Trust teams who are meeting in Swanwick for a national conference. *Ini Kopuria, Founder of the Melanesian Brotherhood, 1945

Thu 7 We give thanks for the ministry of retired clergy and the support they provide in so many ways to the lives of our churches across the diocese. We also pray that new clergy and their families will settle in quickly and feel at home in Coventry diocese.

Fri 8 We thank God for all those who serve as Readers in our diocese. We pray for Bishop John who will be presiding and preaching at the Eucharist during the Readers' annual conference today. *Thomas Ken, Bishop of Bath and Wells, Nonjuror, Hymn Writer, 1711

Sat 9 Burton Green Primary School. Headteacher: Mr Morris. We pray for God's blessing on this school community and we give thanks for all the pupils, teachers, staff, parents and governors. *Columba, Abbot of Iona, Missionary, 597 *Ephrem of Syria, Deacon, Hymn Writer, Teacher of the Faith, 373

Sun 10 Today Bishop John will be joining an afternoon of fun and celebration to recognise and thank the laity in Southam Deanery for all they do in serving and leading churches in the deanery. We give thanks for all the laity in the diocese and the work they do in our churches.

Second Sunday after Trinity

Mon 11 We pray for the Bible Readathon which starts today at St James Church Snitterfield. From 1pm today until 4pm on Thursday the whole of the Bible will be read out loud non stop by different people. Bishop John will be taking a 15 minute slot today. The readathon is in aid of two charities that support orphans & young people in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Barnabas the Apostle

Tue 12 During National Carers' Week many charities gather together to recognise the contribution carers make to local communities, lobby MPs and offer support and encouragement to carers. We pray for all those who give their time to care for others and ask for God's blessing on young people who are carers.

Wed 13 All Saints Leek Wootton. Clergy: Jim Perryman. Reader: Audrey Rowberry. We thank God for the strong link between church and community in the village. Please pray that our joint church/village fete on Saturday 16 will further strengthen this link and provide opportunities to share the Gospel as well as sharing in fun and fundraising.

Thu 14 Meriden Primary School. Headteacher: Lucy Anderton. We pray for God's blessing on this school community and we give thanks for all the pupils, teachers, staff, parents and governors. *Richard Baxter, Puritan Divine, 1691

Fri 15 We thank God for the Cathedral Chaplains and their faithful work. We pray for them as they engage with, and minister to, visitors to both the new Cathedral and the ruins of the old Cathedral. *Evelyn Underhill, Spiritual Writer, 1941

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Sat 16 The Ferncumbe Group. Clergy: Keith Mobberley. Reader: Kemble Everitt. We pray for God's blessing upon the church members and the local community. We pray for the Deanery Representatives at the Support Fund Meeting today. *Richard, Bishop of Chichester, 1253 *Joseph Butler, Bishop of Durham, Philosopher, 1752

Sun 17 St Nicholas' Primary School, Kenilworth. Headteacher: Louise Mohacsi. We pray for God's blessing on this school community and we give thanks for all the pupils, teachers, staff, parents and governors. *Samuel and Henrietta Barnett, Social Reformers, 1913 and 1936

Third Sunday after Trinity

Mon 18 We pray for all the young people in the Cathedral community, particularly the choristers, as they face exams but maintain their faithful commitment to helping lead worship. *Bernard Mizeki, Apostle of the MaShona, Martyr, 1896

Tue 19 Berkswell St John the Baptist. Clergy: Mark Bratton, Lizzy Holland. Readers: Steve Bell, Richard Hollingdale. We pray for God's blessing upon the church members and the local community. We pray for the Parsonages Committee which meets this afternoon. *Sundar Singh of India, Sadhu (holy man), Evangelist, Teacher of the Faith

Wed 20 At the start of Refugee Week, we pray for all those who are separated from their loved ones and homeland; those who have fled persecution and are searching for peace and security. We pray, too, for the vital work of the Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre, and that we would find ways of supporting and welcoming refugees into our communities.

Thu 21 Today we pray for Together for Change, a joint venture between the Diocese of Coventry and the Church Urban Fund. We pray for the charity's work in setting up social enterprises and local projects that will support sustainable community transformation and tackle poverty in Coventry and Warwickshire.

Fri 22 June is SANDS awareness month. The stillbirth and neonatal death charity (SANDS) wants to offer care not only for people who have lost babies after they were born, but for women who have miscarried too. We pray for God's comfort and hope for all families who are affected by the loss of a baby. *Alban, first Martyr of Britain, c.250

Sat 23 Today is International Widow's Day, a UN ratified day of action to address the poverty and injustice faced by millions of widows and their dependents in many countries. We pray for an end to the social stigmatisation and economic deprivation of widows. *Etheldreda, Abbess of Ely, c.678

Sun 24 Kenilworth St Nicholas and St Barnabas. Clergy: Stella Bailey. Readers: Heather Alford, Karen Mottram. Children and Families worker: Ali Baxter. We thank God for all who lead Cafe Sunday and the new people we are engaging with. We pray that we will have the courage and wisdom to transfer those relation-ships from encounter to discipleship.

The Birth of John the Bap-

tist

Mon 25 Stoneleigh and Ashow. Clergy: Nikki Moon. Reader: Audrey Rowberry. We thank God for the renewed energy and the gift of faith and hope. Please pray that we be open to the Spirit’s promptings on the way forward and that we continue to grow in faith as we explore and discern the future together. We pray for the Bishop's Council which meets this evening.

Tue 26 Ferncumbe Primary School, Hatton. Headteacher: Sally Morris. We pray for God's blessing on this school community and we give thanks for all the pupils, teachers, staff, parents and governors. We pray for the Diocesan Audit Committee which meets today.

Wed 27 Meriden and Packington, St Laurence. Clergy: Lynda Lilley. Reader: Peter Wright. We thank God for all the new opportunities He is showing us, for seeds sown and signs of growth. Please pray that we may have eyes to see, ears to hear, minds to understand and hearts to love. *Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, Teacher of the Faith, 444

Thu 28 We pray for the Finance and Administration department of the diocese. We pray for the Operations department of the diocese and for the DAC. We give thanks for each of these members of staff. *Irenæus, Bishop of Lyons, Teacher of the Faith, c.200

Fri 29 Today we pray for the nine deacon and nine priest candidates who are on their pre-ordination retreat, ahead of ordinations on the 1st July. May this be a time of blessing and encouragement. We also pray for Bishop John who is leading the retreat.

Peter and Paul, Apostles

Sat 30 We thank God for those who write songs and hymns for us to use in worship. We praise God for the wide variety of music available to us and for the songs and hymns that have helped us in our faith journey. We pray that God would stir us in musical worship and bless all those who lead, sing and play instru-ments.

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The Omega Course

37 years ago I cared for a vicar’s wife who was dying young from a complication of radiotherapy. I left her room elated and confused. Her certainty and excitement of meeting God very soon was palpable and left me irritable and jealous. I walked back to the doctors’ mess trying to realign my reality. She had taken me to a realm beyond, and I did not want to return. As I write I realise the threads of heaven have never drawn me in so tantalisingly since. Teaching has said that the spirituality of dying is what the person holds dear. It may be a religious commitment but it may equally be a football team or devotion to a Ferrari. For many the focus is family and legacy, in terms of their lives having had lasting meaning. This existential end of life processing is respected by chaplains, many of whom are asked to celebrate the funerals of those who professed no religious faith. The Christian professional is, perhaps necessarily, drawn towards the liberal and humanistic to cope with a secular spirituality. In my work as a palliative physician I draw on Jesus’ understanding of bereavement demonstrated by his tears over Lazarus; and, for patients facing medical treatments with hope, yet fearing death, his prayer for deliverance in Gethsemane, accompanied by the acceptance of God’s will. In our instant society mortality is denied such that the diagnosis of a life threatening disease is described as a ‘shock’. We do not live understanding we will die and preparing for it. Few in society examine death and dying, yet when asked, many would wish to do so, and to record their end of life wishes. They don’t because no one asked or gave them the opportunity….until now. The Omega Course is just such an opportunity. In a series of friendly café based evenings attendees discuss death and dying in a safe environment. Over four evenings and a Saturday the course covers deaths experienced so far; hopes and expectations of life yet to live; planning for the future, choices in end of life healthcare; talking to people who are sick or bereaved; as well as topics raised by participants. Omega was devised by people of Christian faith but is run for adults of all faiths, or none, because everybody dies. The next course starts June 6th in Kenilworth. For information contact: courses@omega.rip

Chantal Busby

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Ministering in a Local School

I joined Berkswell as curate in July 2017 and have settled into the joys and challenges of village life, being particularly struck by the wonderful missional opportunities presented by our proximity to Berkswell Primary School. In the last 10 months we have seen exciting initiatives begin and relationships deepen, and it is my prayer that this will produce great fruit seeing children, parents, wider families and staff come to know the love of God in Jesus Christ. In April this year we held the first school Eucharist service for decades, with a really encouraging response from all involved. Throughout January and February Key Stage 2 children received an hour a week of teaching

about key elements of the Eucharist and Christian faith for four weeks. In week one we explored gathering, preparing for worship and baptism. In week two we thought about communicating with God and one another through prayer and scripture. Week three involved a focus on remembering and receiving the bread and wine. Finally, in week four we look at sending and discipleship. At the end of these preparation sessions 4 children chose to be baptised and 54 children chose to have their first Holy Communion. The service was an extremely special celebration with so many children taking

their next step in faith, and many wider family members choosing to receive the

Eucharist for the first time in many years. Seeing so many people say yes to Jesus

and choosing to take discipleship seriously has been incredibly inspiring and has

encouraged me to think about the importance of inviting people to take their

next step, however small it may be, to walk closer with Jesus Christ. It’s our hope

that this will become a regular practice throughout the school year and that we

will continue to see people responding as Jesus invites them closer. Please pray

for our mission with the local school, especially with the wider families as well as

the children themselves.

Lizzy Holland Curate at St John the Baptist, Berkswell