VV_June July Web 20-compressed

of the war, which is a strong testimony to the
belief of former generations in the power of
prayer to change the course even of the history
of nations.
Please go to: https://realchristianity.org/2020/
05/14/a-sermon-for-the-anniversary-of-ve-day
Prayer to the one true Trinitarian God should
always be at the heart of the nation’s life, and
not least when it is going through a major crisis
such as a pandemic. Even a virus comes upon a
nation in God’s providence, and represents a
call to national self-examination and to seek the
face of Him who is well able to remove
afflictions from a people who humble
themselves before Him.
We read, for example, in 2 Samuel 24:25
(KJV), “And David built there an altar unto the
LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace
offerings (symbolic of prayer through Christ).
So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the
plague was stayed from Israel”.
If anyone would like to ask any questions
about the Christian faith, such as 'Why does
God allow suffering?', please email me at the
address in the first paragraph, and I will be most
happy to endeavour to explain what the Bible
teaches. Pastor Peter Simpson, www.realchristianity.org
Tylers Green Methodist Church
Lockdown! That’s where we are at the moment,
but it doesn’t mean that our worship has ceased.
At the initiative of Marlow Methodist and URC
Churches supported by the Methodist Churches
of the High Wycombe Circuit a service is
streamed live at 10.30 am every Sunday with
recorded contributions from people from many
different churches. And it is all put together by
some very skilled technicians. To date, the
Tylers Green minister, the Rev Vida Foday, and
three of our members have taken part in some of
the services. The services are not only available
online from Marlow Methodist Church website
but can also be heard on Marlow FM. Previous
services are available through the Marlow
Methodist Church Facebook page: www.
marlowmethodistchurch.org.uk.
www.pennandtylersgreen.org.uk
Village Voice June/July 2020
We are also dipping toes into water with
Zoom technology which is proving a great asset
to churches of many different denominations.
Our monthly magazine continues online from
the High Wycombe Methodist Church website
(www.highwycombemethodist.org.uk/churches/
tylers-green). Just click on Tylers Green and the
current and past issues come into view.
I am sure we are not alone in wondering what
the long-term effect of the Pandemic will be.
Even if the Government announces that
churches can reopen, will people feel ready and
confident to come back to services? Bearing in
mind the average age of worshippers this is a
very real possibility. Then there is the question
of safe distancing inside the building and, do we
sing? This may seem like a silly question but in
the reopened churches in Germany worshippers
are not permitted to sing because of the
increased air expelled from the lungs during
singing. A risk too far, says the German
Government, and as a choral singer I can
understand the need for caution.
But the lockdown has seen some wonderful
examples of human response – like the incident
reported on Facebook by Peter Brown of the
queue outside Little Waitrose at Hazlemere
Crossroad letting ambulance crew straight into
the shop and to be first to the till, where the staff
told them their lunch was on the house. Or the
‘extra mile’ service to the community by Dip at
Kings Ride Supermarket. To give an example,
my daughter was shopping for a friend who is
unable to leave home. Dip did not have one
item, so what did he do, he immediately got into
his van and fetched what was missing from his
wholesaler. There are many people in the area
for whom he has been a lifeline.
These examples can be multiplied over and
over. The Pandemic has unleashed an almost
forgotten understanding of what it means to be
human. We Christians would say that people
are just doing what the Gospels ask us to do.
All of us can say well done to all our heroes,
sung or unsung, and thank God for them.
Peter Stevens, Senior Church Steward
11