J
July 2008
Dear Friends
This will probably be the last letter I write
for Wath Parish Church Magazine – certainly with
retirement just round the corner I expect there
will be lots of other things to do!
So, first, let me say how much Moira, Hannah and
I have enjoyed our time here. It’s been a great
dozen years or so, and we are sorry it’s coming
to an end. We’d also like to say thank you to
the people here – especially the church people –
for making us so welcome and ensuring that we
have always felt at home.
All Saints Wath is a great church and we feel
privileged to be part of it. People I meet from
other places sometimes ask what it’s like – how
would I describe Wath Church. It’s a good
question, and I sometimes wonder how you, or
other people, would describe it. Not just the
building of course, super though that is. What
is the church really like?
I reckon that All Saints Wath is a loving,
happy, hard working church - and above all it’s
an open church – open in just about every
meaning of the word. The fact that the building
itself is usually open, at least during the day,
is a reflection of the church as a whole. I feel
it’s not just that the place is accessible, but
even more important - so are the people and what
we do together.
An open church is one where everyone and anyone
can feel they belong - feel at home and welcome.
There have always been open policies for
baptisms and weddings and this reflects the
belief that the church is for the whole
community. I believe Wath church is really
inclusive, where everyone is included and
involved as much as they wish to be. People of
all sorts of different views on all sorts of
issues; people who prefer traditional worship
and theological ideas happily share with those
who have much more liberal and modern views;
people of differing ages and backgrounds, with
varied relationships and lifestyles are clearly
welcome and accepted: new families say how
easily they are able to fit in, and people in
the community seem to be pleased with the way
they are welcomed and encouraged
Being open also means being open minded,
thoughtful and forgiving: it means giving time
for serious consideration of new ideas and
developments; ready to make changes where things
can be improved.
Of course, being open, does inevitably have its
problems from time to time. Trying to keep the
building open sometimes attracts the wrong sort
of attention; and balancing traditional and
progressive views in study and worship; trying
out new and different ideas can sometimes create
tensions. But in general it seems that openness
is a characteristic we value very highly.
And, of course, this openness also implies being
open to God – to go where he leads us – to live
the life of Christ not just in church matters,
but also in our lives in the community. People
need the love of God in their lives, and the way
we live, the way we behave, can be one way in
which that love reaches into people’s lives.
So, I believe that Wath Church is an open church
– a community church – and it is certainly a
Church I am proud to have been part of.
We wish the church and the community all the
best for the time ahead, conscious that there
will be some difficulties and issues and
challenges to face. But, we have every
confidence that they will be faced, and the
openhearted spirit of the church will enable it
to always be a living and lively part of God’s
church in this community.
With best wishes
Tim
