Statement re the decision to sell the building of St John’s Church, Stone The Revd. J Neil Adams, minister of St John’s Church, Stone says: “On Sunday, 20 May, the congregation of St John’s Church, voted to leave its current building on Granville Terrace Stone, and put it up for sale. We have asked the West Midlands Synod of the United Reformed Church to sell the property for us – and are now looking for an alternative temporary venue to worship in while we wait to see where our permanent home will be. “The decision to sell the building has the total support of both of the church’s parent denominations: The Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church. It was not an easy decision to make but we feel it was the right one. “For many years the congregation at St Johns has struggled to maintain the premises adequately – and it has estimated that the cost of renovation would exceed the value of the property. We would need to spend almost a million pounds on essential repairs, and much more than this to modernise the building fully. Like almost everyone else, our overheads are stretching us to breaking point – and we simply cannot afford to keep the building on. “We believe that the people are the Church not the buildings – and the great news is St John’s is growing and thriving and is looking forward to living out its calling as the faithful people of God in its community.” The Revd. J Neil Adams, minister of St John’s Church, Stone 30 May 2012

The Revd. J Neil Adams, minister of St John’s Church, Stone says: “On Sunday, 20 May, the congregation of St John’s Church, voted to leave its current building on Granville Terrace Stone, and put it up for sale.  We have asked the West Midlands Synod of the United Reformed Church to sell the property for us – and are now looking for an alternative temporary venue to worship in while we wait to see where our permanent home will be. 

“The decision to sell the building has the total support of both of the church’s parent denominations: The Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church.  It was not an easy decision to make but we feel it was the right one. 

“For many years the congregation at St Johns has struggled to maintain the premises adequately – and it has estimated that the cost of renovation would exceed the value of the property.  We would need to spend almost a million pounds on essential repairs, and much more than this to modernise the building fully.  Like almost everyone else, our overheads are stretching us to breaking point – and we simply cannot afford to keep the building on.

“We believe that the people are the Church not the buildings – and the great news is St John’s is growing and thriving and is looking forward to living out its calling as the faithful people of God in its community.”

The Revd. J  Neil Adams, minister of St John’s Church, Stone

30 May 2012

The Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama when asked what surprised him most about humanity answered,‘Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.’

I read that quote this week and not for the first time was struck by the deep wisdom of this man. Too often we do exactly that, we miss the beauty of the moment because we can’t stop fretting about tomorrow and the great god of our world, the pursuit of money and things.

We tread over others in our race for bigger better faster shinier things; our families often paying the cost of our commitment to work and bettering ourselves because we are never truly there for them.

Reading this quote made me reflect on the number of times I have spent hours visiting those facing the prospect of their death. I hear so often of opportunities to be still and spend time with loved ones lost, of the endless pursuit of stuff and things so thoroughly irrelevant now that death looms large.

Why don’t we notice the futility of the rat race that our lives become sooner I wonder?

Why do we build palaces on the sand of things that will pass away instead of upon that which will last forever?

Hear the challenge today to stop running around and wasting the opportunity God has given you to live for the moment. As we prepare for the summer make the most of every chance to live simply and humbly before God; take time to smell the freshly mown grass, to hear the children playing, to stop and admire the beauty all around us.

In simple blessings such as these you will find the heart of heaven, if you slow down long enough to notice it right in front of you.

God bless you

Revd Neil