From the Vicar...

Over the next couple of weeks we will reach the climax of our celebrations of the 150th anniversary of St Matthew’s Church. On 28th June we will welcome the Bishop of London and many old friends of St Matthew’s to our 150th Celebration Eucharist, and on the weekend of 4th/5th July we will welcome our local community to our Fun Day and Flower Festival.

As I write this, we’re in the middle of rather hectic last-minute preparations, and the place seems to be swarming with all sorts of contractors finishing the glass doors, tuning the organ, landscaping round the war memorial, finishing the decorating and putting countless things back in their proper place. It’s amazing how a deadline like the visit of the Diocesan Bishop concentrates the mind and increases our productivity rate, isn’t it?! I imagine stress levels will rise a bit as we get ready. Perhaps it was therefore timely that our Gospel reading for the Sunday before the Bishop’s visit was about Jesus stilling the storm (Mark 4: 26-34)! In this hectic period we all (including me, as much as anyone else) need to hear the words of Jesus in the midst of the busyness: ‘Peace, be still’.

At the end of a long and tiring recent evening planning the Fun Day, I was therefore so pleased when someone said ‘It’s really exciting, isn’t it?’ And they’re right. It’s exciting that we’re able to celebrate the fact that over 150 years St Matthew’s has been a focus for Christian worship and mission in the heart of Yiewsley. It’s exciting that we’re able to celebrate through inspirational worship as well as a weekend of fun with our local community. But it’s also exciting because this year of celebrations seems to offers the possibility of a springboard for what God has in store for us in the months and years ahead. All sorts of opportunities are opening up and many new relationships are being developed as a result of the 150th anniversary programme and its focus on celebrating with our community. On page [ ] of the magazine is our Mission Action Plan 2009-2012. This was recently agreed by the PCC and sets out our detailed plans to continue the momentum of this year through to 2012.

And so our prayer needs to be that we go forward after the 150th anniversary celebrations, not with a feeling of anti-climax, but with a renewed vision of God’s purpose for us, the current generation at St Matthew’s.

With my love and prayers, and many thanks for all the hard work that is going on.

Richard Young
Vicar

The print edition of St Matthew's News is available from church: news, notices, handy hints, puzzles, recipes and more. Pick up your copy today — it's only 30p!

Our Parish Prayer
Heavenly Father,
help us here at St Matthew’s Church
to serve you with joy
and to support our community with love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.