St Johns Church
Felbridge
Welcome
A young couple who live locally recently came to one of
our Sunday services and, over a cup of coffee afterwards,
they said to me:
We had no idea there was anything going on here!
They had driven past the church every day for about five
years and assumed it was quiet and empty, lacking any of
the life that I think is so evident from the community that
forms the church within. The people who come and go on
a Sunday and for various groups and activities during the
week are largely out of sight as they use the car park and
entrances to the side and rear of the church. So one small
thing we decided to do in reaction to this was to put up a
big banner now displayed on the side of the church to try
to give a slightly different impression.
The message on the banner says we are a church for all ages.
The richness that comes from all ages meeting together
is so important to us: the younger members learning from
the older ones and vice versa. This diversity is a unique
ISSUE 7
Designed by The Sign Company
and vital part of the life of a church. As well as meetings,
groups and meals spanning the ages, we also have groups
and activities specifically for children, teenagers, students,
young adults, women, men, the retired and the elderly.
Most of the details can be found on our website.
The banner also says we are a place to explore life to the full.
When he was on earth, Jesus said he has come for this
purpose: to bring life to the full. You can read about this
in John chapter 10 of the Bible. At its best, this life to the
full means freedom from fear, regret, guilt and loneliness
and the incredible experience of living with a purpose far
beyond our own lives and of living in a real relationship
with the God who made us, loves us more than we can
imagine and wants only the very best for us. We are always
looking to learn more about what this means and how to
live it out in our lives. The doors are wide open for any who
want to explore this with us.
MARK FRANCIS (vicar)
WELCOME TO OUR
NEW YOUTH MINISTER
WE ARE DELIGHTED TO HAVE APPOINTED LUKE AS OUR YOUTH MINISTER
AT ST. JOHNS, HAVING BEEN SEEKING TO FIND THE RIGHT PERSON FOR
THIS POSITION FOR A LITTLE WHILE NOW. LUKE WILL BE WORKING WITH
TEENAGERS, STUDENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS, AND WE THOUGHT WED
ASK HIM A FEW QUESTIONS TO FIND OUT A BIT MORE ABOUT HIM.
HI LUKE, THANKS FOR AGREEING TO
BE INTERVIEWED. FIRSTLY, TELL US A
BIT ABOUT WHO YOU ARE:
My names Luke Markham, Im 24, Im
married to Miriam and we live in East
Grinstead, and I have just started as the
new Youth Minister at St. Johns.
AS JOB TITLES GO, YOUTH MINISTER
SOUNDS A BIT GRAND! WHAT IS IT
THAT YOULL ACTUALLY BE DOING?
Well, ministering basically means to look
after or help, so I will be looking after
and helping the young people here.
That looks like a bunch of different things
from organising what we do at our youth
groups and putting on fantastic events, to
spending time getting to know the young
people in the area. Ill also be dabbling
in some of the music at church as Miriam
and I both sing and play instruments (Ive
been involved playing the guitar with
the music group quite a bit already at
church), as well as getting involved with
the young adults.
HAVE YOU DONE ANYTHING LIKE
THIS BEFORE?
Yes I have a couple of years ago I
worked as an Intern in a large church in
Guildford, mostly doing children and
youth work, but I have been involved with
the youth at every church I have been in
some capacity or another. My most recent
job was working in finance for a company
in London as a Project Manager, having
previously done a law degree at the
University of Surrey.
OKAY GREAT, SO WHEN WAS IT THAT
YOU JOINED ST. JOHNS?
Miri and I got married in October last
year and moved to East Grinstead. My
grandpa used to be the vicar here some
forty years ago (those who have lived
here for a long time may remember
himRevd. Roy Boff) so we had a
connection to the church that drew us
here at first. But it was the welcome we
received that made us stay! Half a dozen
friendly people introduced themselves
and chatted to us throughout our first
Sunday and we felt immediately at home.
their fame. Id love to know how they do it
HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN A
CHRISTIAN?
Yes, I would say so. I was brought up in a
Christian home with lovely parents and
family and went to church throughout
my childhood. Once I hit my early teens I
went through a bit of a rebellious phase
and, although I still believed God was
real, I didnt act like it made a difference.
It was at a summer camp with the youth
group that I was really challenged about
how I was living and I was captivated by
the message of forgiveness for what Id
done wrong and the offer of a personal
relationship with Jesus.
WHAT IS AN IDEAL EVENING FOR
YOU? WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN
NOT WORKING?
My ideal evening would be something
nice and quiet! I love cooking with Miri
and trying out new recipes, and Ive
always got some new interest or project
on the go. I suppose that means my ideal
evening would be in the kitchen rustling
up something adventurous, followed by
surfing the internet to research my latest
hare-brained idea! Im an avid reader
too, so simply vedging on the sofa with a
good book would suit me just fine.
HERES ONE TO GET YOU THINKING:
IF YOU COULD HAVE FOUR PEOPLE
ROUND FOR DINNER THEN WHO
WOULD THEY BE?
G. K. Chesterton, Martin Luther, Ed
Sheeran, and Jennifer Lawrence. G.K. is
hands down my favourite author because
he thinks in such a different way to anyone
Ive ever read. Hed make fascinating
conversation and had a great sense
of humour. Luther is another one who
could bring the laughs! He led such an
interesting life so it would be amazing to
chew the fat with him. They were also both
pretty portly so there would be no issues
with leftover food! Ed Sheeran and JLaw
are both very talented at what they do but
seem to be really down to earth despite
(and maybe sneak in a little guitar lesson
from Ed after dessert!)
FINALLY, WHAT ARE YOU MOST
LOOKING FORWARD TO ABOUT
GETTING GOING IN THIS NEW ROLE?
Im really excited about the new
weekday evening youth group that we
are launching next term the details are
coming out soon so watch this space!
Im also looking forward to our teaching
series on prayer at the Sunday evening
groups where we will be looking at what
prayer is and why we pray. The fact that
we have a living God who hears and
answers our prayers changes everything,
so I cant wait to get stuck in. Theres a few
more details on the opposite page about
whats going on and what to expect.
AND ONE MORE TOTALLY RANDOM
QUESTION (I HEARD SOMEONE
ACTUALLY GOT ASKED THIS IN A JOB
INTERVIEW): WOULD YOU RATHER
FIGHT ONE HORSE-SIZED DUCK OR
100 DUCK-SIZED HORSES?
Its funny you should ask as this is
obviously a question I have dedicated
much thought to over the years. I think
its unlikely that I could win against either:
the tiny horses would overwhelm me with
superior numbers and the massive duck
could fly out of reach and peck me to bits.
But I at least want to put on a good show
and go out in glory, so I choose the horse-
sized duck on the off chance I can land a
lucky strike and be a hero! Of course, the
size of the duck may mean its so slow I
could just run away...
We kick off with our Sunday evening series for the autumn
with the theme for the term: Dangerous Prayers!
As always, we will be meeting in the church hall
at 5:30pm for games, music and plenty of food
for tea. After joining in for part of the 6pm service
we will be splitting into age groups for creative
and open discussion about some of the biggest
questions about life, Jesus, and the Bible.

We will be using the Lords Prayer as a launching

pad into the various topics it raises and to delve
deeper into what praying is really all about (the
Lords Prayer is the prayer that Jesus gave to his
first followers when he was on earth and they went
to him and asked him to teach them how to pray).
We will then take a look at five different Psalms
from the Bible and take some tips from some true
prayer masters, with a special focus on how to pray
when life gets tough.

If youre ages 11-18 then it would be great to

see you there. If youre not but know someone
who is then please give them a warm and
friendly invite from us!

We are launching a brand new weekday evening group for ages

11-14 starting in the autumn term the details will be out soon so
keep your eyes and ears peeled for the big announcement!
If you would like to know more about whats on offer for youth please contact
Luke at luke.markham@stjohnsfelbridge.com or contact the church office on
01342 314027

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
Congratulations to our final year students
on their A level results and university places.
Hannah Jones - York St. John University
Becca Mowbray - Royal Holloway,
University of London
Rowan Saunders - Portsmouth University
Tarun Zachariah - Leicester University
Supporting our university students is a
part of Lukes new role. The university
preparation sessions they have been
doing together have sounded really
interesting with the chance to discuss
lots of big topics from clubbing, making
friends, societies and church to studying,
stress, cooking and being away from
home. The sessions included dinner
cooked by the students!
Luke writes: University is such an exciting
and unique time and we want to help our
students to make the most of it! Taking
the time to think through and chat about
some of the challenges and opportunities
that university offers is so valuable.
Please pray for our students in their first
year at university - you may wish to use
this prayer below.

Dear Lord, you are powerful, loving and ever-dependable. We pray for our students at university. Help them as they
adapt to life away from home, provide good friends for them and help them to fulfil their potential as they go about
their studies. Keep them going strong in their faith and not ashamed to be known as followers of Jesus Christ but to live
courageously for you. Amen.
CONGRATULATIONS AND
CELEBRATIONS
Congratulations to Becca Mowbray
on her baptism at St. Johns
HERES WHAT BECCA SAID ABOUT WHY SHE DECIDED TO GET BAPTISED

Although I was taught about Christianity at primary school, it has only been
in the last year and a half that Ive been regularly coming to church and have
started to really understand what Christianity means. Through Youth Group
Ive begun to learn more than ever about the Bible and what it means to be a
Christian, and Ive decided that this is the path that I want to take for the rest of
my life: repentance and belief. Through being baptised Im making a public
declaration of what I believe, and committing myself to Christ and Im really
excited to be building a relationship with God both now and in the future!

Celebrations at our Summer BBQ

Connections
Outing on the
River Thames
CONNECTIONS IS OUR MONTHLY
MONDAY AFTERNOON GROUP
FOR SENIORS AND THE SUMMER
OUTING IS ALWAYS A HIGHLIGHT!
Bible by the
Beach event in
Eastbourne
A group of over 50 of us from St. Johns
headed to Eastbourne for this Christian
conference with challenging talks
opening up the message of the Bible,
awe-inspiring music led by the All Souls
Orchestra, childrens and youth work
thats second-to-none and plenty of
opportunities for fish and chips and ice
cream on the beach.

However, this year will be remembered

for the adventures on the coach that
took people to the Sunday Evening
Celebration. It burnt out and broke
down and had to be abandoned on
the Ashdown Forest at nearly midnight
on the way home! However, everyone
made it home safely in the end having
had a great time.

Congratulations to Natasha Rayan on her new World

Mission role at All Souls Church in London
WITH THIS NEW ROLE, TASHA WILL NO LONGER BE ONE OF OUR OFFICIAL MISSION PARTNERS AT ST. JOHNS
ALTHOUGH WE WILL OF COURSE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AND PRAY FOR HER.

Tasha
writes:
Dear Friends,
I have worked with UCCF supporting
Christian Unions in London for nine years
and with IFES based in St Petersburg,
Russia for seven years prior to that.
Christian Unions are student-led mission
teams that operate at the heart of university
campuses and I have loved seeing
students creatively and boldly share the
good news of Jesus.
Students are open to grappling with big
questions about life and to considering
the claims of Jesus. London also has more
international students than any other world
city. I love the thought of students going on
from their university years and out to varied
professions and places, carrying with them
the hope of the gospel.
I cant emphasise enough just how grateful
I am for your partnership over so many
years and for making it possible for me
to serve with IFES and UCCF. I have very
much appreciated your encouragement
and support and the many ways you have
expressed your care and love. Thank you!
My last UCCF Leadership Team meetings
took place in mid-June and were an
opportunity to say goodbye to the Field
and Office Team Leaders from across the
country. Then the London Team met for
our last London team days of the year. It is
hard to leave and I will very much miss the
UCCF family.
World Mission at All Souls
Daniel and I have been part of All Souls
Church for many years and are grateful for
the fellowship of the church family. I am
excited to be part of such an international
community right at the heart of a dynamic
and ever-evolving multicultural city and
to take on this role at a time of ongoing
change for the whole area of world
mission. I am looking forward to getting
to know, learning from, and serving with
mission partners and all those involved in
world mission at All Souls.
Please pray as I start and for Daniel and I
as we move to a new part of London. The
dynamics of working for a church will be
new for us.
Thank you for your generous support,
partnership and encouragement over the
years. I am truly grateful for you all. I will
no longer be sending out regular prayer
letters in my new role but I would very
much love to stay in touch!
With much love,
Tasha

We value the strong partnerships we have with the following people and organisations:

Gift and Kathryn Asiku in Uganda (Wycliffe Bible Translators), Andrew and Maria Leake in Argentina
(CMS), Tearfund in Cambodia, Church Army, Welcare, St. Catherines Hospice and CPAS.
THE 500TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE REFORMATION
OCTOBER 31ST MAY HAVE YOU THINKING OF PUMPKINS, SKELETONS AND TRICK
OR TREAT, BUT THIS YEAR IT HAS A PARTICULAR SIGNIFICANCE MARKING THE 500TH
ANNIVERSARY OF THE EVENT THAT SPARKED INTO LIFE THE REFORMATION OF THE CHURCH
What was it and why is
it important?
The young monk, Martin Luther, had no
idea just what he was starting 500 years
ago on the 31st October 1517. He walked
out of his monastery in Wittenberg in
northern Germany, crossed the city and
nailed a poster to the door of the main
Castle Church. On the poster he listed 95
statements (or theses) that he felt should
be considered by the authorities. They
were criticisms of various practices and
beliefs promoted by the Church of his
day. Posting a list like this was actually a
common way of inviting public debate at
the time but even Luther himself could not
have imagined the waves of change that
would happen across the whole of Europe
originating from this one act.
Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the
door of Wittenberg Church
Luther hoped to stimulate religious reform.
He wanted a return to a revitalised and
more Biblically-based form of religion. But
his rather provocative act led to something
so much more momentous. It was a key
episode possibly the key episode
in a significant chain of historical and
theological events called the Reformation.
Luthers very public protest and the
subsequent defence of his allegations
kick-started a seismic upheaval in belief
and practice, the end result of which was a
rediscovery of long-lost Christian truth and
the establishment of the Protestant Church
in Western Europe.
Many protestant churches and Christian
organisations worldwide are remembering
the 500th anniversary of the Reformation
this year and thinking through the many
issues involved.
What was at stake and
why does it still matter?
The Reformation asked fundamental
questions about the true nature of
Christian belief; about how Jesus has
done everything that was needed for our
salvation (Christ alone); about how we
are put right with God not by our own
efforts but by a free gift of God (grace
alone); about how this can come to us
only through faith in Jesus Christ (faith
alone); and about how the Bible should
be the sole source of authority for what we
believe (the Bible alone). In making these
assertions the Reformation leaders boldly
challenged the misguided teaching of the
Church at that time that had developed
over the centuries to stand in place of
these essential truths found in the pages
of the Bible.
Something provoked Martin Luther to
take the risky step of confronting the
authorities. However, he didnt set out to
be a rebel. Quite the opposite. In 1505,
terrified after surviving a near miss by a
bolt of lightning, he made a grateful vow
to God there and then that he would enter
a monastery. From the outset he threw
himself into the monastic life. It gave him
the perfect opportunity, or so he thought,
to impress God with his religious zeal in
order to earn his love and favour. But a
life of repeated chapel services, diligent
fasting and seemingly endless confession
of his sins gave him no peace whatsoever.
The more he tried to impress God the
more he felt he was failing. Even worse,
he came to regard God as a loveless
taskmaster who demanded perfection
and handed out nothing but punishment.
Luthers religion, far from being a strength
and comfort, was leading to despair. Just
how would he ever find peace with God?
The answer came one day while he was
reading the Bible in his room and his
whole world was flipped inside out. The
Church taught that acceptance by God
depended on living a good life, following
its rules and obeying its teaching. But
as he studied the Bible, Luther came
to realise that God does not ask us to
earn his love and respect. Rather God
offers acceptance and forgiveness as
an undeserved gift because the death
and resurrection of Jesus has opened
the way for us. We deserve rejection by
God because of our rejection of him but,
through faith in Jesus Christ, he accepts
us and offers an open-armed welcome
instead. It was a revelation!
Instead of his own efforts to be a good
person, Luther saw he could simply
accept Gods word of promise. All his
struggles and anxiety could be replaced
with confidence and peace. Here, he
said, I felt I was altogether born again
and had entered paradise itself through
open gates! It was a life-changing
discovery. Or rather, as Luther would
argue, a rediscovery of the foundational
truths established by Jesus that had
been obscured by church authorities and
practices for far too long.
A ray of hope
As Luther continued reading his Bible,
he realised that many of the things the
Church deemed important were not
found there. Worse than that, some of the
things stipulated by priests were actually
in opposition to what the Bible taught!
Shockingly, the good news of forgiveness
of sins and new life in Jesus had actually
been obscured by what the Church was
teaching to people. The free offer of
welcome through faith in Christ was being
contradicted by the burden of religious
demands, with the uncertainty that they
brought of never being thought good
enough to be accepted by God.
Against this misguided teaching, the
Reformation shone a revitalising light
of hope and assurance into the gloom
of 16th century religion. The rallying cry
was that justification (our acceptance
by God) is by grace alone through faith
alone in Jesus Christ alone. And we know
this because Gods word, the Bible, the
only authority we should depend on,
makes it clear to us. It is a book full of
liberating good news! As the Reformation
theologians proclaimed in the Latin used
by scholars of the day, Sola gratia, sola
fide, sola scriptura!
Is the Reformation still important? If
we want to understand how to know
God, to be accepted by him, and to
hear him speak to us today then it most
certainly is. In a culture that says nothing
is certain, truth is only relative, we can
believe whatever we want and only the
here and now matters, we need to hear If you would like
again what it was that gripped the hearts to read more, this
and minds of Martin Luther and many readable little
others. The message of Christian hope, book is a good
joy and assurance that they rediscovered place to start: The
changed their lives forever! And in Unquenchable
that bloody period of human history, Flame by Michael
many of the Reformers faced death for Reeves.
proclaiming to people such a message
of love and acceptance by God. Andy Brown

Two English Reformers

DURING THE TIME OF THE TUDORS, TWO EXCEEDINGLY DARING AND
DEVILISHLY HANDSOME ENGLISH REFORMERS WERE LEAPING INTO ACTION.

THOMAS CRAMNER WILLIAM TYNDALE

Birth: Nottinghamshire in 1489 Birth: Gloucester in 1494

Death: Burnt at the stake in 1556 Death: Burned at the stake

in 1536
Best known for:
Supporting Henry VIII in his Key contribution:
annulment of marriage to Translating the Bible into
Catherine of Aragon. English (an act strictly
forbidden by law).
Key contribution:
Driving forward the Protestant Reformation in England from his These first-ever English Bibles were printed in Cologne in
position of influence as Archbishop of Canterbury. 1526 and illegally smuggled into England.

He reworked the Latin Mass and put an English Bible in every parish
church.
During Edwards reign he was able to accelerate change in the
church and his 1552 Prayer Book marked the arrival of Protestantism
in England with services now being taken in the everyday language
of the Prayer Book.
When (Bloody) Mary took the throne in 1553, Cranmer remained in
England when many Protestants fled abroad. He was captured and
imprisoned where he cracked and recanted his Protestant faith. But
he recanted his recantation at death as he stretched out his right
hand (the one that signed the recantation), pushed it into the fire,
and shouted: Forasmuch as my hand offended, writing contrary to
my heart, my hand shall first be punished there-for.
Tyndale passionately believed that the Bible should
determine the practice and teaching of the church and that
all people should be able to read it in their own language.
He spent many years in hiding (his hiding place remains
a mystery to this day) but was eventually captured,
imprisoned for 500 days and burned at the stake by order
of Henry VIII.
As Tyndale died, he cried out in prayer: Lord, open the
King of Englands eyes! That prayer was answered just 3
years later as the political tide turned and Henry VIII legally
published Tyndales English Bible for the nation.

Five benefits
CHURCH SERVICES WE CAN RELIGIOUS GUILT AND BURDENS
UNDERSTAND LIFTED

of the Then, services were conducted in Latin

Reformation
today
ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS
GUARANTEED
Then, indulgences (certificates of
forgiveness by God) were being sold
by the church at great cost, but the
Reformers opened up the teaching of
the Bible so that today we can know and
experience the love of God who freely
forgives all who come to him.
even though the congregation couldnt
understand what was going on, but all
that changed with the Reformers and
today people are meeting with God in
services as they grasp and understand
all that God has done for us and
promises to us.
BIBLES WE CAN READ OURSELVES
Then, the power lay with the church
authorities to teach their interpretation of
the Bible a power which was abused
but the Reformers provided Bibles in the
common language of the people so today
we can read and understand it for ourselves.
Then, acts of penance or other religious
rituals were stipulated by the priests
to gain acceptance from God, but the
Reformers liberated the church from
such practices so today we can discover
the joy of living in relationship with God
through his grace alone.
OPEN ACCESS TO GOD
Then, the priests and church authorities
claimed access to God was only if
people approached him through them,
but the Reformers opened up the
message of the Bible for us so that today
the way is open for all to come to God
through Christ.
 TEACHING TOPICS
Recent talks on a variety of different topics at St. Johns have included: The Bible and the Paranormal, Studying Science as a
Christian, Going through Suffering as a Christian, Abortion & Assisted Dying, LGBT, Terrorism, The Evidence for God, How the
Bible was Put Together. These are available under the Explore > Talks Archive section of our website.
Studying Science as a Christian
ELLIOT GROVE WRITES ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES, SUMMARISING A TALK AT THE 6PM CAF CHURCH SERVICE IN JULY.
How on Earth did that evolve?
Its the autumn of 2011, my first year of
university. My fellow biology students and
I are in a lecture and sharing a laugh at the
expense of a rather unfortunate wasp. The
insect in question is trying to mate with what
looks and smells like a female Thynnid wasp,
but is actually the flower of a hammer orchid.
He tries to fly away with her but instead finds
himself swinging on the end of a hinged
arm, smacking into the flowers anthers and
getting covered in pollen. Not only is this
hilarious to watch, its also a vital part of the
orchids life cycle. In all likelihood, this is
neither the first nor last time that the male
Thynnid will fall for this prank and it will lead
to many hammer orchids being fertilised as
he transfers pollen between them. Everyone
in the room, including the lecturer, is at a
loss to explain how the elegant, refined and
often brutal process of natural selection could
produce something so outlandish.
The hammer orchid is an organism that
reminds us of the incredible diversity of life
on this planet. To my mind, it also tells us
something about God. He has a fantastic
sense of humour! This should hardly surprise
us. Humans love to laugh and were made
in Gods image. The emotions we feel are
reflections of His character. When you are
moved to laughter at the hammer orchid
or to tears by a beautiful sunset; when your
heart soars as you stand on top of a mountain,
or melts when you see a puppy, you are
reflecting the God who looked at his creation
and saw that it was good (Genesis 1). I
love science because I love Creation. I love
Creation because God made me to love it.
However, not everyone sees it that way.
Science has long been a battle ground in the
Theist vs. Atheist debate, with Cosmology
and Evolutionary Biology raising questions
Childrens Groups for 0-11s meet during our 10am service.
Youth Groups (11-18s) meet during our 6pm service.
Visit the website for more information.
about Gods role in creating the universe and
the life that inhabits it.
I first encountered this debate myself at the
age of 11. Some of my classmates conducted
a survey where they asked, Was the universe
created by God or the Big Bang? I answered
both without hesitation and later discovered
that almost everyone else had too (it was a
church school!). Yet still the debate continued
beyond primary school. All through my
secondary education, I was challenged by
my peers to defend my faith in the face of
various scientific principles. It was a strange
experience, as I never disagreed with the
principles themselves, merely the conclusions
people drew from them. Often it seemed
my peers were not defending a scientific
standpoint so much as using science to justify
pre-existing unbelief. I believe this is what lies
at the heart of the debate: not science itself,
but how you use it.
In his book The Blind Watchmaker, Richard
Dawkins states that Darwins Theory
of Evolution made it possible to be an
intellectually fulfilled atheist. In other words,
there were atheists before Natural Selection
was discovered, but they had no answers to
the question of where life came from. Once
On the Origin of Species was published,
atheists had the credible alternative to God
that they had been looking for. This led to the
(in my opinion) mistaken view that knowing
how life was created removes the need for
there to be a creator.
Loving God and science
As a result, Christians can be tempted to shy
away from the sciences out of fear that their
faith may be undermined, while those with a
love of science may dismiss faith as outdated
superstition that stands in the way of scientific
reason. This is a shame. As someone who
loves both God AND science, I have found
that scientific study has made me (to use
Dawkins turn of phrase) an intellectually
fulfilled Christian. Its one thing to know that
God made the stars. Its quite another to know
that those tiny pinpricks of light in the sky are
in fact enormous balls of exploding hydrogen,
millions of times the size of our planet, many
of which are so far away that they have died
long before their light reaches us. The
office@stjohnsfelbridge.com
www.stjohnsfelbridge.com
heavens declare the glory of God; the skies
proclaim the work of his hands. (Psalm 19:1)
Trying to imagine creation on such mammoth
scales can make our heads hurt! But its
possible to be just as awestruck when looking
closer to home; in our own bodies, for example.
Psalm 139 praises God for his perfect knowledge
of us; how he knows everything about the
people he created. For you created my inmost
being; you knit me together in my mothers
womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and
wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:13-14)
You are unique!
You are made of over 30 trillion cells. That in
itself is staggering, but becomes even more
so when you remember that there was a time
when you were nothing more than one. A
single cell, roughly 0.1mm wide and carrying
DNA from both your parents. The chances
of your parents genes combining in the
exact way needed to make you is around 1 in
70,000,000,000,000. You were unique before
anyone even knew you existed!
Science will never prove nor disprove the
existence of God because that is not sciences
job. Thats important to remember, particularly
for those of us seeking to make the amazing
news of Gods love for us known to people
we care about. Ive never seen anyone come
to faith after hearing a Christian explain
their views on Darwinism. But it is a personal
encounter with Jesus Christ that changes
peoples hearts. Those dont often occur
among lofty ideas and abstract concepts, but
in seeing Him at work in the joys and sorrows
of our everyday lives.
The most important thing that anyone
can know is that the one who made the
universe loves us more than we can possibly
understand. That knowledge is worth more
than anything else well ever learn. And for
those of us who like to take things apart and
see how they work, scientific study can be a
wonderful way of glorifying God. Regardless
of whether youre a scientist or not, there is
great value in taking time to look at creation;
to really LOOK at its beauty and majesty and
be overcome with admiration for the one who
made it all. He deserves nothing less than that!
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