letter

Rapidly rising fuel prices in recent months have resulted in many of us reconsidering our car use. I heard that one car expert, when asked what advice he could give to concerned motorists, said quite simply: "Don't drive!" I can't quite believe that he was from the AA!

So I decided to try out public transport this morning. It was Thursday morning and I had an 8.30am appointment at Bishop's Lodge. London Road is notoriously congested at this time of morning, so I set off early to see if the bus could get me to the Bishop on time. As I turned the corner at the end of Hill Field, I was delighted to find one at the bus stop already. I ran to catch it, much to the amusement of Felicity and her friends who had suddenly emerged from a house, ready for the one mile leisurely walk to Manor School,

A return ticket cost me £2,60 but I could use that all day. The bus was new and the service was prompt and efficient. It happened to be First rather than Arriva but I wasn't bothered.My children have more precise views about which company offers the best service and the best value. but I am a rookie when it comes to using the buses and I have no experience on which to base such views.

So what did I make of the bus journey to Bishop's Lodge? Well, it was first rate! The bus went down the A6, then down London Road, past St. Peter's, up The Parade and then rejoined the A6 by Asda. By then the bus was half full. Three stops later it was completely full. But the real advantage in choosing the bus in the rush hour was on that part of London Road which now has a bus lane. It was immensely satisfying to sit in the bus as it passed the grid-locked cars in the other lane. The only anxiety that I had was that the bus lane seemed to double up as a cycle track and I feared for the brave cyclists as the bus edged every nearer to them. I got out at Springfield Lodge 20 minutes later and was 10 minutes early for my meeting.

When the meeting ended at 9.45am. I thought I might have to wait some time for a bus to bring me back to Oadby. But no! Another First bus was about to draw up to the bus stop. What divine timing! I made my way quickly across London Road and hopped on. By then I was delighted at the service provided. I would like to say that the journey back to Oadby was uneventful, but it wasn't. When the bus stopped hurriedly, a woman who was sitting close to the front, fell off her seat. The lady who helped her back to her feet, explained to another passenger that these new buses slope downwards towards the door, and that you have to hold on tight. "The person who designed these buses should be shot!" she pronounced categorically! So holding extra tight on the many grab rails, I safely made it off the bus a few minutes later in the centre of Oadby and made my way to the Parish Office.

So what did I learn from my journey? First, that public transport works and at times works very well indeed. it was probably quicker than if I had used the
car, And nowadays it may actually be cheaper (though that is harder to
quantify). Secondly. society is going to have to get stricter about car use. As I attended the public consultation meetings about Pennbury, I heard it stated quite correctly that at rush hour London Road is grid-locked. That is quite right. But there is a solution. Get the cars off the road! Most of the cars that were in the grid-lock that morning had only one passenger in them. Ways must be found to get people out of cars and using public transport. What actually makes someone decide to leave the car at home and use the bus instead?

I suspect there are several factors that can bring about that conversion, One is economic the cost of motoring is increasingly prohibitive and that sets people thinking. While we might have the freedom to drive wherever we want, in actuality we cannot afford to exercise that freedom. Increasingly our wallets will curb that illusory freedom.

Secondly, public transport must provide a viable alternative. Getting down London Road is relatively easy by bus. But what would it have been like if my appointment had been in Wigston? There needs to be considerable investment in providing excellent bus services right round the city so that public transport becomes an attractive alternative.

Thirdly, preferential treatment - such as bus lanes, designated cycle tracks, free bus passes for the over 60s, is very important in swinging the balance towards choosing public transport over against private transport.

Fourth, cars really do need to be got off the roads at peak rush hour. The waste of time, the environmental damage, the sheer unpleasantness of grid-lock Britain needs to be tackled head on. How we do that is not easy II may mean the creation of park and rides which means car parks on the outskirts of the city in places like Oadby (and that in itself is likely to be immensely unpopular for the residents living nearby). It will mean that train lines - long forgotten and probably now in private ownership need to become central to strategic transport governmental planning. What we have to imagine is a future where the car plays a much less dominant part in our lives. Quite simply we may not be able to afford motoring as we have known it and secondly we may find public transport (particularly buses and trains) actually creating a more desirable alternative that is much more environmentally friendly.

But what has all this to do with Christianity? Quite a lot really! The way Oadby has been created and shaped has been primarily because of the motor car. The A6 dual carriage way: the bumps along Rosemead Drive; the trapping of St. Peter's Church on a traffic island at the intersection of London Road, Leicester Road, and Wigston Road all contribute to the lack of communal identity that is so prevalent in the suburban sprawl that we call Oadby. The ear is the outward manifestation of a highly individualistic culture where people actively choose to be cocooned from the outside world. It is this culture with which the Church is invited to engage to weigh up its merits and challenge its shortcomings, and to suggest an alternative vision cf. God's kingdom which is about the creation of communities of love and transformation. The call to repentance is not just spiritual: it is a call to live life in a radically different way. The choice between taking the car or the bus; choosing to catch a plane or to take a train - these are all deeply spiritual and ethical questions. And what is becoming increasingly clear is that if we choose the wrong answers then there will be a fearful judgement in the form of the catastrophe of global warming. So what Christians have to say; and what they actually do; and how they engage and campaign on these matters is hugely important. Next time you are heading into Leicester, catch the bus and see if that brings you a little closer to heaven.

Michael Rusk

June Letter

May letter from Revd Mandy Flaherty, Team Curate

Dear Friends,

"Maybe Rosebud was something he couldn't get, or something he lost."

If you're any kind of film buff, you may know the quotation above as a significant one from near the end of Orson Welles' 1941 film, `Citizen Kane'. The film, in its time, was ground breaking in its cinematography but also in its portrayal of a man who had failed, despite being loaded with material possessions and fame. It is a deeply exposing film about loss and loneliness as well as a reflection on how important childhood and family are. The Children's Society is prominent in its work at the moment in raising awareness on 'What makes a good childhood?' highlighting the very disturbing fact that `the UK fares very badly in bringing about the well-being of its children.' Britain is not a good place to grow up in, according to new research cited by The Children's Society, and there is much loss and loneliness, of various kinds, experienced among our children today.

I have been mulling over these thoughts and ideas about a good childhood versus the loss of that childhood for a few weeks now, both on a theological level in preaching and leading services and last month's Peter's Place, but also on a personal level as I prepare to adopt my 16 month old son, Jayden. Having a fulfilled and well connected childhood that extends into adult life is so important to be able to deal with all the pressures that modem life throws at us. And, of course, it's something I want to be able to provide for my children, no matter what disadvantages they face, now or later.

As Christians, we search for what God says to us about how to be fulfilled so that we can take that into our lives and give it to others. As we near Pentecost, one scripture comes to mind that offers some answer to this searching and yearning. In Ephesians 5, just as he warns against filling your life with other things, Paul says, `... be filled with the Spirit'. Instead of the huge number of alternatives that the world offers to fulfil our lives and take away the loss and loneliness, Paul urges, 'be filled with the Spirit.' This is the real alternative and the tool needed to ensure we don't feel the huge loss and loneliness depicted in Citizen Kane or inferred in the research done by The Children's Society. A more accurate translation of this phrase is actually `keep being filled' or ' be continually filled' with the Spirit and this is the principle we are urged to live by: to continually ask God to fill us with his Spirit so that we can live an alternative life to the consumerist and addictive modern life that takes up so much of our time and energy. By being filled with God's Spirit we can have a deeper energy and fulfilment that keeps us happy and contented. May God fill us again this Pentecost with his Holy Spirit that we might know and share the satisfying love of Christ. Amen!

On a personal note: I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone in the parish that I have got to know over the last four years in my role as Curate here. I have met many people; listened to and enjoyed many people's stories and friendship and all are valuable. Grace and I are looking forward to our lives changing over the next few weeks as Jayden arrives as son and brother and as my role changes. We will still be living in Oadby for the foreseeable future and I will be moving into a teaching role after my adoption leave but hope to continue my ministry as a non-stipendiary priest at a suitable point in the future. Thank you for your prayers and support. See you around.... With a double pushchair!

Every Blessing -

Mandy

April Letter from Revd Simon Harvey, Team Vicar at St Paul's

Dear Friends,

What makes you angry?

Go on, think about it. What are the big things that make you livid? And which tiny, almost trivial things get you fuming?

For me, the big things are injustice, oppression, unnecessary suffering, the abuse of power, the conspicuous enjoyment of excessive wealth, and bullying. I suspect that I'd probably agree with your list of the big things that make you angry too. But what about the little niggly, specific things that make you seethe? Here are my current top five:

The arrogance of people who take a disabled parking space that they're not entitled to.
Vandalism that makes a lot of work for those who have to clean up afterwards (some personal experience here!)
Queue jumpers.
The fake sincerity which tries to cover up for appalling customer service.
Big corporations who are glad to take my money but can't get my bills right.

Granted, these are not really such a big deal. They don't have the capacity to spoil my day but, in the moment, each can make me feel angry and annoyed. I can feel the surge of indignation inside, perhaps even getting physically hotter as I take a deep breath to keep my cool. You might look
at my list and wonder what my problem is but I bet you've got your own "hot-buttons" too.

Christians have traditionally had some difficulty with anger. The Church's teaching through the centuries has emphasised the gentle virtues – kindness, humility, forgiveness and self-control. Certainly, the Bible urges us to practise these. So what are we to do with our anger?
I've met many people who are afraid to be angry, in case it develops into fury. Certainly, anger mismanaged can lead to behaviour that's hurtful and aggressive. The outworking of anger can be deeply destructive of relationships, bringing misery and pain. We're right to be careful with anger.
But anger can be just as damaging if it is directed in more subtle ways too. Many a marriage has ended because anger has led to a quiet hatred rather than full-blown rage. It may look self-controlled, but to turn away or avoid or to silently despise another, can inflict as much mental pain as brutal aggression.

Popular psychology tells us now that we mustn't suppress our anger. In the last century, following Freud, many counsellors, therapists and kindly advisers have told us that denying what we feel, or bottling it up, can lead to personally destructive consequences. Instead, we are encouraged to "let it out", so that the potent energy of anger can be spent. "Anger management" is all the vogue, and much of the advice is practically helpful and positive. Certainly, nursing our anger or even denying it to ourselves, can be a recipe unhappiness and difficulty. I've known a number of people who have been helped by anger management therapy.

But for Christians who are aware of a relationship with God, what is the appropriate way to deal with anger? Specifically, how should we handle anger in prayer? Does anger spoil our praying or does Christian spirituality offer creative possibilities when it comes to anger?

Our brains are hard-wired for emotion. We're learning more in recent years about the ways that our reactions to situations trigger emotional responses, "gut reactions" if you like, that precede our rational thinking. So in response to the driver who dangerously cuts in front of us on the motorway we can feel threatened, even attacked. A fraction of a second later, our rational thought processes catch up and remind us where we are and begin to reason what's happening to us.

The wiring in our brains that served us well in the small-scale hunter-gatherer communities of the prehistoric savannah don't necessarily help us so effectively today in Tesco, in the busy office, or on the train. And our world is so complex. Each day we make trivial interactions with countless strangers with whom we have no prior relationship of trust and understanding. And at Work with colleagues, with our neighbours, and even at church, we negotiate significant issues in which we are personally vulnerable with people who are barely known to us outside that particular context. Here is much potential for misunderstanding, disappointment, frustration and anger.

We cannot remain for very long in this environment and be immune to anger. People vary in their capacity to feel the whole range of human emotions but all of us will, at some moment, experience anger. Whether it's a regular twice-a-day rage an occasionally "flip", is there a better way to handle anger than aggression, suppression or denial?

The Psalms point us where we might go with anger. Alec Motyer suggests that a credible way of summarising the vastly rich and different perspectives of the psalms is this, "Take it to the Lord in Prayer". The psalms are the collection of prayers of the Old Testament which have been prayed by Jews and Christians, including Jesus himself, through thousands of years. They are a uniquely accessible part of the Old Testament because their starting point is the range of feelings, hopes, and fears that are common to all people in every age.

All prayer demands of us a basic honesty; we cannot pretend in prayer. If we feel anger, but pretend to God we do not, who do we think we are kidding?

But the prayers of the psalms offer us something even more radical for our darker moods than simple honesty. They model for us how it's possible to pour out everything we feel to God in prayer – all our glorious thoughts and all our shameful thoughts too. There are certain psalms which petition God to do terrible things to enemies and opponents. It's shocking to think of the way that the wrath of God is called down.

Yet this points to a surprisingly positive conclusion. By refusing to personally bring vengeance on those who anger us and instead making a petition to God himself, the power of our anger to hurt others is spent. These psalms (sometimes called the imprecatory psalms) draw the sting of anger, taking into God himself all the darkest wishes of the one who prays them.
We should not rush to be angry. But when anger arises inside us, particularly those surging passions which create a desire for vengeance, the best place for it is prayer. God is big enough to handle our anger. An honest faith relationship with God in prayer is the safest place for our darkest feelings. It makes possible what Ephesians 4.26 encourages, "Be angry, but do not sin."

Simon Harvey

(St Paul's' Church has a series of services on the Psalms from the 8th of June)

March Letter from Revd Mark Battison, Oadby's Ordained Minister in Secular Employment

Dear Friends,

Business as usual:

What better role model could I wish for when considering Christian Minister: engaged in the world of business and commerce, than St. Paul? Well, during a recent visit to Canterbury Cathedral I may have found another example of an ordained Priest having a 'day job' and combining ait with an unpaid, non-stipendiary role, in the Church of England.

Soon after entering the Cathedral I spotted a monument on the wall to William Agerst who was described as a `Businessman and Priest' and who died at the age of 81 in the year 1765. He was for many years thhe Chaplain and Secretary in embassies around the world whilst involved in his daily business life. From the age of 41, until his death, he was the Prebend at the Cathedral and continued with his various business interests until the end.

As many of you will know, I felt God calling me to a ministry in Oadby that would combine my ordained life with my business life and so, after some months of discovery, here I am. I currently have an office on The Parade, above Age Concern, and use this as my base to run my Companies.

In addition, I have lived in Oadby for many years and socialise largely within the village (I still think of it as a village!)

I am getting involved with Churches Together in Oadby as I believe that we all have a vital part to play in helping shape the Oadby of the future which, as we all know, may very well have a totally different feel and look to it in 5 and 10 years time, than it does today. In addition I am looking to help launch a new initiative called `Breathe' which will offer all those working in Oadby an alternative to the 'early doors' drink in the pub on the way home, or the frantic rush around the village during lunch breaks.

The idea will be for our Church to give something back to those who contribute so much, on a day to day basis, to make our village life what it is today. Our gift to anybody and everybody who works within Oadby will be gift of S P A C E. I hope to recruit a team of volunteers to work with from me to provide space for people to wind down and share fellowship as they move from one busy area of their life to another.

Who knows, within this space some may hear the voice of God calling to them and their lives may be changed as they feel the love that you and I already know.

So look out for the invitation and come share with me in this exciting new ministry.

Mark Battison

February Letter

January's Letter