Thoughts from the vicar...
I am writing this article in early January as life returns to normal after a busy Christmas period and a post Christmas holiday.
Every family it seems has their traditions at Christmas and St Paul's is no exception. Once again this year we had a toy appeal at the beginning of advent for under privileged children in Sandwell which was again organised by the local police. My thanks go to everyone who generously donated so many toys to such a worthy cause. In early December we were visited by the Halesowen and District Guiding Association whose members had great fun making a giant christingle in church. In the last week of the school term we welcomed Highfields Primary School for their annual carol service and were once again hugely impressed by the playing, singing and reading that took place in the service. During advent in partnership with the Blackheath Business and Community Association we hosted the tree of life for Blackheath which celebrated the names of many local people who had died over recent years and which also raised over five hundred pounds for the Blackheath branch of the Royal British Legion. Our nine lessons and carols service continues to have a memorial theme and we were pleased once again to welcome Mel and many bereaved families who have been cared for during the year by a local firm of funeral directors T Hadley & Co. Many of the bereaved who I spoke with were comforted during the service by viewing the tree of remembrance and also by the inspiring music from our choir. I am delighted that St Paul's is able to care for and love the people of Blackheath through these traditions that have developed and I pray that this expression of care and love will always be a hall mark of our Christmas celebrations. All that I have mentioned and more of course is only possible because of the gifts, goodwill and teamwork of many different people and I am very grateful to you all for making our Christmas so special.
As we look ahead to the New Year the horizon is dominated by the London Olympics. It really will be an historic year as Britain prepares to welcome hundreds of athletes from across the world to compete in what is arguably the greatest sporting event of all. Athletes will be staying with us in the diocese and so the ripples of excitement will be felt far and wide. The Church of England is encouraging parishes to have Olympic themed events and to participate fully in the occasion and I hope that St Paul's will find a way to join in the fun too. As I have followed the Olympic story one aspect has recently caught my eye. The Olympic Park as many of you will realise is built upon a brown field site on land that has in the past been contaminated by a variety of heavy industries. This has necessitated the cleaning up of over two million cubic metres of soil in order to deliver a suitable site for the construction of the Olympic Park. Apparently over 80% of the cleaned up soil has been reused in the construction process. The reason this part of the story stuck with me is that it reminded me of the process of confession and penitence that are the hall marks of Lent. The Olympic Park could not be safely built and used without cleaning up the site first only then would the area be fit for purpose. The dirt and mess of pollution was in the way of a successful games and it was a barrier that needed to be dealt with and removed. If we substitute contaminated land for those things that prevent us living lives with the fullness of potential that God intends then there is work to be done. The equivalent of contaminated land or whatever it is that interferes in our relationships with one another and with God needs to be dealt with and cleaned up. If we have messed up then with God's help we need to clean up. Our relationships need to be rejuvenated and restored so that something new, of Olympic proportions, can take hold. Lent provides that opportunity and that hope. To quote the words of a song 'Draw near to God and He'll draw near to you' and that is my prayer for you and for me as we journey through Lent together this year.
Reverend Mike Sermon
Vicar.
