For information on room bookings and information for the weekly notice sheets please contact Mike Bush - 01344 483862 - .
Before training for ministry at Queens College, Birmingham, Robin worked for 18 years in the Banking sector, including 3 years as an area trainer. Prior to training for ministry in Birmingham he lived in Eastbourne and was an active member of the circuit there. He is a very keen football and cricket supporter, and also plays squash, table tennis and will try virtually any sport. His passion is for social ministry and has a strong concern to build community.
Robin is married to Mandy, and they have two children, Jonathan and Christopher. Mandy is a qualified accounts manager and has worked for several years in the manufacturing industry.
Robin was ordained in July 2009 at Worcester Cathedral, and quite a few members of Bracknell Methodist Church attended the service. More information and pictures of this occasion can be found here.
As I am writing this I have just preached on the command of Jesus for us to love one another.
As Jesus was preparing to leave his disciples this is the one thing he commanded his followers to do. It occurs to me that Jesus could have left many other things as his last command. He could have told us to organise the church in a certain way or to worship in a particular style or to make sure that an important doctrine is kept. The fact that he told us to love each other must make this the key factor in everything else - if we get this right then presumably everything else will fall into place as well. What would happen if we really put love for others first - in our world, in our community, in our local group of churches, in our own church, in our homes? Would our world be more understanding than confrontational, would our community contain less needy people, would we want to be with other Christians more (whatever their denomination), would more church decisions be based on what others want rather than on what we want, would our homes be places where love is immediately felt by others?
The more I think about how important this command was to Jesus, the more I realise the challenge it poses to all of us at every level.
King Solomon is reported to have once said: "Like the reflection of a face in water so is the heart of one person to another."
To love one another is a difficult thing - especially when our experience of love is flawed, especially when we are unaware of how much we are loved, and most especially when the reflection in the water is full of anger or bitterness or resentment - as so many are.
Love is hard sometimes but As Christians, love should become our second nature.
I wonder How many of you have ever ridden a bike? Were you able to just get on the bike the first time you saw it and ride it? Probably not, it probably took work and effort. There might have been times you fell off. Maybe some of us might have used stabilisers but we still fell off many times. But with effort and practice eventually you probably were able to easily jump on it and just ride away. It became as natural as walking.
In a similar way It takes practice to love. But once we learn it - we need to practice it - until it becomes second nature.
So just as natural as it is for a seagull soaring through the clear blue sky - so Christians ought to love one another. Just as natural as a fish swimming in water - so Christians are to love one another. Just as natural as human beings riding a bike - so Christians are to love one another.
Love one another. Practice it. Learn it. Make loving others a natural act. It's what we are called to do.
God Bless, Robin
