What is communion and why do we observe it?

Remember, remember the 5th of November or so the nursery rhyme, "The Gunpower Plot" begins. 

November is now upon us. The clocks have gone back, and it is getting darker earlier. The loud whizzes, bangs and colourful flashes of rockets and fireworks will soon begin to light up the blackness of the night sky to commemorate when Guy Fawkes tried to blow up King James and the Houses of Parliament. 

Then in complete contrast, on Remembrance Sunday on or around 11th November, we will unite together as a community around the war memorial in Headcorn High Street to silently remember all those people who have been injured or have given their lives in wars past and present to bring us the relative freedom we enjoy today. November then is all about remembering.

The communion meal instituted by Jesus at the Last supper is a sacrament that we observe on the 3rd Sunday of each month. The bread and wine we share are symbols of remembrance – the bread represents Jesus’ broken body and the wine his poured-out blood during his crucifixion on Good Friday. In sharing the meal together we remember Jesus with grateful thanks for the ultimate sacrifice that He made dying for us on the cross and then being raised again for the forgiveness of our sins, which also paid the price for our freedom.

As a local Baptist church of Jesus Christ, we are a covenant people and communion is a way of recommitting ourselves to His Holy service. We also have the comfort and reassurance of a wonderful saviour who is at work in our lives and hearts through the Holy Spirit; changing us and moulding us into the people he wants us to be. 

We share an open table, and visitors are welcome to share the meal with us. 

Best wishes Pastor Robert and the church family

Is our church perfect?

C H Spurgeon, the famous Victorian preacher, minister and theologian, once said this about finding the perfect church: 

If I had never joined a church till I had found one that was perfect, I should never have joined one at all; and the moment I did join it, if I had found one, I should have spoiled it, for it would not have been a perfect church after I had become a member of it. Still, imperfect as it is, it is the dearest place on earth to us.

I love our church (that is the people) and the way in which they love and support one another and show a loving and warm welcome to visitors at our Sunday morning worship services at 10:30am; and at other times of community fellowship during the week (e.g. Meeting Point coffee mornings 10:30am-12pm on Tues, Arty Crafts 2pm–3:30pm on Weds, and Prayer and Bible Study 10am-12pm on Thurs.). Our desire and mission is to make the love of Jesus known to you, our neighbours, through our words and actions.

But maybe our welcome banner over the front door of the chapel should include the words: “not for perfect people.” That’s because being Christians does not mean we are perfect. We are still fallible human beings like everyone else and not immune from making mistakes. While all of us mess up (sin) sometimes and fall short of the required standard of the Kingdom of God, we always try to do our best to live as Jesus wants us to do: to love one another and to love our neighbour.

Our focus is on Jesus’ loving example, as we seek to do God’s will in Headcorn. So, I guess I’m with Spurgeon, while our church isn’t perfect, it is the dearest place on earth to us. So why not give us a try? A warm and loving welcome awaits you not only on a Sundays but also during the week. 

Best wishes, 

Pastor Robert and the church family.

Dedication or Christening

One of the joys I have in being a minister is to dedicate (bless) infants. We do this because we believe in the loving example that Mary and Joseph set us 2000 years ago when they entered the temple courts in Jerusalem with the infant Jesus (Luke 2:21-40). In those days it was customary, and a legal requirement, for all Jewish infants to be dedicated to God. They would be blessed in the temple (the house of God) by a Rabbi or Priest in the presence of family and in the sight of God, .

Mary and Joseph, chosen to be Jesus’ surrogate parents, trusted and obeyed God to fulfil His future salvation plan. But they also did what was legally required of them as responsible and loving parents. Jesus Christ is a very special person. He is God’s son, who came down as a tiny baby as an act of God's love to save us from the bad things (sin) we sometimes do and to show how we should live and love one another. An infant dedication is not a christening or baptism because we believe that believer’s baptism by full immersion should be up the individual to decide whether it is for them when they are old enough. Nonetheless it recognises the important commitment to God and to one another that is being made.

In this special act of dedication all are invited to participate through the spoken promises made to show that God’s love is for each of us. It does not matter who we are, how old we are or where we come from. We just have to believe and trust that it is true and then choose to accept it for ourselves. 

Smile!😊God loves you! 

Best wishes, 

Pastor Robert and the Headcorn Baptist Church family.

Photo by Multimedios Del Sureste from Pixabay