All Saints Highertown
  • Home
  • Safeguarding
  • All Saints Church
    • Blog
    • Sermons
    • Transforming Mission
    • Anti-Racism
    • Hall & Room Hire
    • Truro Lifehouse
    • Our vision
    • This Sunday Rotas
    • Who we are >
      • Staff Team
      • Ministry Team
      • Church Council
    • Where we are
    • Churches Together in Truro
    • Baldhu Church
  • Church Life
    • Life Events >
      • Weddings
      • Baptisms
      • Funerals
    • ASH Youth Club
    • Christians in Politics Course
    • Sunday Services
    • Toddle
    • Home Groups & Bible Study
    • Fellowship Groups
  • Community
    • Hall & Room Hire
    • Acts 435
    • Cornwall Children's Clothes Bank
    • The Foodbank
    • Christians Against Poverty
  • GIve
  • Contact Us

Our poverty

20/9/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
One day a wealthy father took his son on a trip to the country so that the son could see how the poor lived. They spent a day and a night at the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "Very good, Dad!" "Did you see how poor people can be?" "Yeah!" "And what did you learn?" The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden; they have a river that has no end. We have imported lamps in the house; they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front drive; they have the whole horizon." When the little boy was finished, the father was speechless. His son then added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are!"
 
Any conversation about poverty inevitably leads us to talk about wealth too. And both can make us feel deeply uncomfortable as we reflect on our own place. But it's not all about material things. Jesus’ words ‘blessed are the meek… the poor… and the broken-hearted’ were said for a very good reason, since humanity has always been very good at trying to fix the problems in the lives of others, whilst forgetting that all are in need of the riches of Christ’s kingdom. Maybe we should learn to see those in need through the lens of Christ’s own poverty, then we might finally see all people as brothers and sisters in God, instead of treating others as simply needing our generosity.
 
Realigning our own sense of perspective and seeing poverty as a spiritual issue is one thing, dealing with material poverty and the social injustices of our world is another. At All Saints we try our best to support organisations that directly tackle frontline issues of poverty such as the Cornwall Childrens Clothes Bank founded by Candy Coates; or the Truro Foodbank; Acts 435; or the Kernow Credit Union. Around this time of year we often think about Harvest and what we might offer in the way of gifts to those in need. As with previous years any food donations at our Harvest festival will go to the Foodbank; but maybe this year there is an opportunity to think about one of the other organisations running at the church too.
 
The Kernow Credit Union is set up primarily to help people avoid the growing number of short-term high interest money lenders, that cause people to end up in a crippling spiral of debt. A credit union is similar to a bank, but unlike a high street bank or payday lender it is run and owned by its members and serves the community rather than working purely for profit. Archbishop Justin Welby says “Our faith in Christ calls us to love the poor and vulnerable with our actions… We must help credit unions to become bigger, better known and easier to access if we want them to compete effectively with high interest lenders.”
 
Why not open a Credit Union account this Harvest? You can find out more information on their website www.kernowcreditunion.co.uk or come along to the access point at All Saints Church on Tuesday afternoons between 2pm and 4pm.

Blessings and peace to you all.
Jeremy.

0 Comments

Why we should help refugees.

3/9/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture


Written for the Quaker gathering at Friends Meeting House, Truro
 
How we see the refugee is how we see ourselves.
It seems to me we live in a world full of fear at the moment. Fear that is bred from a misunderstanding of ownership. We are educated and nurtured in this country to understand ownership in a very personal way. There are a number of cultural goals that are set for us from a very early age. Goals such as status i.e what position in society we should achieve, property i.e. what place we should occupy in society, and relevance i.e. what role we should take within society. We are conditioned to believe these are our goals, and that they will in turn give us all that we need to live a healthy and valued existence. In fact, our own identity is formed and given value by these three indicators of status, property and relevance. Our very identity is intrinsically connected to what we own in society, where we are in society and who we relate to in society.

This is where fear creeps in; when we believe that these three pedestals of our existence are deemed to be under threat in some way. The fear comes from knowing that there are some in the world who do not conform to this understanding of value and purpose. It is the case, I think, that those who do not attain these goals are not as valued in society as those who do. In fact, to give people such things as status, property and relevance with no forseen effort on their part, would mean some kind of break down in social order. Why should we give them anything when we have worked so hard to achieve these things ourselves? Rhetoric, such as that of Nigel Farage, the self-proclaimed ambassador for the decent hard working individual, is an example of how fear disregards compassion for the sake of these three pedestals of our modern culture.

The refugee crisis is the tragedy of our modern time, it is a redefining moment for Western Culture. It is redefining because it calls into question the three indicators of value and worth in our society. It threatens to breakdown what has built the culture that we live in.
Our response to the refugee, if compassionate, self-sacrificing and life-giving subverts what has helped establish our own identities, and national identity. But this is critical, since it is indeed reshaping and reforming our identity for the good.
Our identity should not be formed by status, property, or relativity; but instead be formed by mutuality, justice and righteousness. 
 
In our current system - status is a product of capitalism and competition. Neither are inherently bad things, but taken too far they quickly entertain the idea that those who succeed are worth more than those who fail.

Mutuality is a product of compassion, empathy and support. Which assures us that there are some things more valuable about every human being. With mutuality as an indicator of worth, the refugee becomes us – we choose not to be fearful, or under threat but instead see ourselves in the pain and hurt of the refugee, because of mutual love. Mutuality gives no time for ‘us’ and ‘them’ terminology but only entertains the truth that if you are hurting then I am hurting too. In a world of individualism, egoism and self-aggrandisement – the refugee reminds us of our vulnerability, our susceptibility and our weakness, and therefore in mutual love we should look to offer ourselves as they have done. Mutuality breaks down any barriers of status and encourages us to look into the eyes of one another to see who we are really are. When we do so we learn that those who are said to be our enemies are in fact our brothers and sisters.

In our society, property is seen as an indicator of value and worth, a measurement of success. We work hard to obtain the material things in life, and therefore they become icons and trophies of our labour. Working hard is a virtue, the part we play in building up society is important – and there is nothing wrong with being rewarded appropriately. However, we have switched the purpose of our hard labour from the building up of society to the obtaining of possessions. And our identity has switched appropriately. Celebrity is celebrated. Wealth is the goal. Property is the target. Community orientated vocations are way down the pecking order. Refuse collection, primary care staff, education, the health service, farming and fisheries, manufacturing have succumbed to the powers of banking, footballers, and energy company execs.

Instead of property being the target of our existence and the shaper of who we are, maybe justice would form our identity instead. Justice is a word that is so easily misunderstood. The word Justice has been damaged over time by our own society. It is now a product of fear. Justice has become a word associated with judgement, punishment, penal discipline and sentencing. The Ministry of Justice is more to do with law and order than actually to do with justice.

Justice is more to do with fairness, equality, likeness and impartiality. If there was one outstanding theme in the bible, for example, then I would say it is justice. Time and time again the objects of concern for God’s people were the widow, the orphan, the immigrant and the poor. Justice is seen in the bible as the defender of the most vulnerable, irrespective of their status, property or familial relativity. However, it is not because they have no status, property or familial relativity that they are deemed to be in need of justice it is because they are simply in need, and that they are human beings.
For the refugee justice should look the same – their status as human beings and that they are in need is the only excuse we need.

​When we share the struggles of our refugee brothers and sisters, we are not giving them status, property or relevance, we are simply treating them as human beings, in mutual love and with justice. If we make status, property and relevance our gifts then we are just creating disharmony and an unhealthy power dynamic (we are the giver, they are the receiver), and we are in danger of making the object of our task our egos, and satisfaction. True justice bypasses any social markers of value and disregards our own ego desires, and challenges us to give all that we have to protect the humanity of the other.

Lastly the word relevance is concerned with how we relate to one another, but its goal is concerned with obtaining prestige and respect. When I am introduced to someone else I am often announced as ‘this is Jeremy and he is a vicar’. What I do is an important part of who I am. How many times have you heard someone say when asked what they do – ‘oh I’m just a house wife.’ Or ‘I’m just bricklayer’ or ‘I’m just this or just that.’

​The role we play in society has a level of importance if we are to be concerned with status, property and relevance. In this model the refugee challenges the position we have because the fear we are supposed to feel undermines our own worth. If instead we thought of righteousness as the indicator of worth and value then the way we would see the refugee situation would be very different.

Righteousness is another word that is misunderstood in today’s society. In the past it has been associated with piety, purity, and church going. It has been in the same camp as religiosity, and often, pomposity and self-importance of the church. However, the true meaning of righteousness is about being in a right relationship with one another, and with God. Being in the right kind of relationship with your fellow brothers and sisters means that righteousness is more to do with peace, equity and even-handedness than to do with religious piety. Righteousness is better named as primary justice. Since if we had the right relationship with our brother and sisters in Syria, Eritrea, Sudan, Afghanistan, Palestine then we would have no need for the kind of justice I described just now. The quartet of the vulnerable (orphan, poor, widow and immigrant) would not exist. When a van carries aid to Calais, or you put £10 on justgiving account for homeless of the refugee fund you are living righteously. When you occupy your mind with the sufferings of your brothers and sisters in Greece, Lebanon or Jordan – you are living righteously.

I believe, we need to build a society that is formed and shaped not by our goals for status, property and relativity – but for mutuality, justice and righteousness. The refugee crisis is the greatest tragedy of our generation, it is redefining us – we have to decide in which world we belong. The celebrity, materialistic self-serving world, that is hell bent on protecting and defending our achievements of status, property and relevance. Or, the one that retains a humanity of mutuality, justice and right relationships. 


0 Comments

    Authors

    A collection of thoughts and reflections from the people of All Saints. 

    Archives

    January 2021
    November 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    April 2015

    Categories

    All
    Activism
    Acts 435
    Advent
    All Saints
    All Souls
    Alzheimers Society
    Ascension Day
    Ash Wednesday
    Babel
    Beginnings
    Bible
    Black Friday
    Black Lives Matter
    Blessing
    Brazil
    Brexit
    Brokenness
    Caasar
    Calais
    Calm
    Change
    Chaos
    Chartism
    Child
    Children
    Christlike
    Christmas
    Christmas Day
    Christ The Redeemer
    Churches
    Churches Together In Truro
    Civil Partnerships
    Climate Change
    Clothes Bank
    Community
    Compassion
    Connection
    Coronavirus
    Course
    Covid19
    Creation
    Creationtide
    Credit Union
    Curse
    Daily Mirror
    Daniel
    Darkness
    Desert Fathers
    Desert Mothers
    Discipleship
    Division
    Domestic Violence
    Easter
    Education
    Election
    Emmanuel
    Empire
    Environment
    Environmental Theology
    Epiphany
    Equality
    EU
    Faith
    Faith And Family
    Festivals
    Foodbank
    Football
    Freedom
    Funding
    Fundraising
    Gap
    Garden
    General Election
    Generosity
    Genesis
    George Floyd
    Giving
    Giving Up
    God
    God With Us
    Gogglebox
    Gospel
    Government
    Grace
    Halloween
    Harvest
    Headship
    Healing
    Hero
    Hole
    Holy Spirit
    Holy Week
    Homeless
    Homelessness
    Home Schooling
    Hope
    Immanuel
    Imperialism
    Incarnation
    Isaiah
    Jeremiah
    Jesus
    Justice
    Kavanaugh
    Kernow Credit Union
    Language
    Learning
    Lent
    Life
    Lifehouse
    Light
    Listening
    Live Godspeed
    Love
    Loved
    Love Your Enemies
    Luke
    Marriage
    Martyr
    Mary
    Mary Magdalene
    Media
    Midnight Mass
    Migrants
    Ministry
    Mission
    Monastery
    Monologue
    Mother
    Mutuality
    Nativity
    Nuns
    Olympics
    Oppression
    Orphans
    Parenting
    Parliament
    Passion
    Pastoral
    Paul
    Peace
    Pentecost
    Politics
    Pollution
    Poverty
    Prayer
    Prodigal Son
    Protest
    Protesting
    Psalm 139
    Psalms
    Racism
    Recycling
    Referendum
    Reflection
    Refuge
    Refugees
    Refugee Week
    Religion
    Remembering
    Remembrance Sunday
    Resistance
    Resurrection
    Righteousness
    Rights
    Romania
    Rome
    Rough
    Running
    Same-sex
    Samuel
    Sermon
    Shared
    Sharing
    Silence
    Sleepers
    Smartphones
    Society
    Stewardship
    Stories
    Study
    Suffering
    Suffragettes
    The 10 10 Project
    The Ascension
    The Cross
    Transition
    Tree Of Life
    Truro Methodist Church
    Unique
    Unity
    Valentine
    Victory
    Vision
    Vote
    Walking
    War
    Weather
    Wholeness
    Wilderness
    Witness
    Worship
    Young People
    Zero

    RSS Feed

SAFEGUARDING
Ensuring that children and young people as well as adults are kept safe whilst in our care is an integral part of our church life. If you have any concerns about safeguarding please contact:

Our Parish Safeguarding Co-ordinator, Mrs Irene Mortimore who can be contacted through the church office on 01872 495121. | And our Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser, Sarah Acraman who can be contacted on 01872 274351.
​Out of Hours for after 5pm and weekends: 01208 251300

In emergency situation:
Local Authority Children’s Social Care: 0300 123 1116 | Local Authority Adult’s Social Care: 0300 1234131
Picture

​Reporting hate crime:

You can do this by: Contacting Devon and Cornwall Police   
​or Stop Hate UK
or Stop Hate Crime / Stop Hate UK BSL service 
​or CrimeStoppers
​

GIVING

Picture

PARTNERSHIP LINKS


​Transformation Cornwall
Churches Together in Truro
Transforming Mission Cornwall
Cornwall Refugee Resource Network
Truro Foodbank
​Acts 435
Christians Against Poverty
Cornwall Childrens Clothes Bank
Alcoholics Anonymous​
Singing for the Brain
Truro Memory Cafe
Cornwall Hugs
Kernow Credit Union
Inclusion Cornwall
Cornwall Faith Forum
A Million Acts of Sanctuary
Open Hearts Open Borders
Cafe Disruptif
Climate Vision
​
Transition Truro
Penn an Dre Residents Association
St Petrocs Society
​Cornwall Womens Refuge Trust
​Truro Street Pastors

SOCIAL

TOGETHER

Picture
Picture
Picture

CONTACT US


​All Saints Church
Tresawls Road
Highertown
Truro TR1 3LD

01872 495121 | office@asht.org.uk
The Parish Office is open
Mondays 1pm to 4pm
Thursdays 8am to 5pm

THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF HIGHERTOWN AND BALDHU is a registered charity and has the registered charity number 1179768.

​Visiting
​
Meeting Software
PCC Forms
Staff Team
Ministry Team
Church Council

Data Protection Privacy Policy
Safeguarding Policy
Anti-racism Policy
Environmental Policy
Lettings Policy
Health & Safety Policy
​
Equal Opportunities Policy

Room Booking Terms and Conditions
Room Booking Data Policy
  • Home
  • Safeguarding
  • All Saints Church
    • Blog
    • Sermons
    • Transforming Mission
    • Anti-Racism
    • Hall & Room Hire
    • Truro Lifehouse
    • Our vision
    • This Sunday Rotas
    • Who we are >
      • Staff Team
      • Ministry Team
      • Church Council
    • Where we are
    • Churches Together in Truro
    • Baldhu Church
  • Church Life
    • Life Events >
      • Weddings
      • Baptisms
      • Funerals
    • ASH Youth Club
    • Christians in Politics Course
    • Sunday Services
    • Toddle
    • Home Groups & Bible Study
    • Fellowship Groups
  • Community
    • Hall & Room Hire
    • Acts 435
    • Cornwall Children's Clothes Bank
    • The Foodbank
    • Christians Against Poverty
  • GIve
  • Contact Us