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Many thanks to the Coates family for adding a plaque to our lovely new garden. The wording on the plaque is a verse from the gospel of Matthew, it’s Matthew chapter 11, verse 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” 

Amen

For her next series of blogs Jane Coates has chosen to ‘step into’ the accounts of Jesus’s encounters with different individuals and to re-write the account from the perspective of that person or from a bystander at the scene. The words are clearly not words that you will find in the Bible account itself and so I trust that you will forgive me for taking such license.

Encounters 1 Luke 13 v 10-17:   

I see feet and not faces. It has been this way for as long as I can remember. I look down at the dirt, the stone path, the mud, the dirty feet and sandals of those who pass me by. I do not look up to the trees, the birds, the sky, the window, the doorway or the eyes of those who pass me by. I am unseen though a familiar presence, a non-person, nameless, insignificant and of no value. My world is small. Every simple task poses new challenges of pain and inconvenience. I cannot lift, I cannot carry, I cannot reach up high and I cannot contribute. I am invisible yet a target of children’s jokes and laughter. I am humiliated, sorrowful, ashamed, a burden to others and the burden of my shame and weakness has been with me for most of my life-for eighteen whole years. I shuffle silently into the synagogue each Sabbath and hide with the women at the back. I do not want to be seen. My hiding is almost complete as I stand among the flowing robes and scarves. 

But I am seen. There was One whose grace and compassion saw me in my hiding place though I could not hope to see His face. I was called forward. It was an invitation that I could not avoid. There was a stunned silence as I was guided to the front to where the gentle voice had called me. I had no expectation, no understanding of what might happen, or desire to meet this new teacher. I was in the familiar place, the safe place – hidden in plain sight.

His words came as a shock. “Woman you are set free.” There was no pre-amble, exchange of introductions, announcement to the gathered or the synagogue leader. Those simple words only and a gentle touch. And I was released. How it happened I cannot say. I only know that my back grew stronger, my weakened and limp muscles were renewed and for the first time I could stand tall. I was straight and I could see faces. Those faces changed and there was a surge of joy, praise to God, gasps of wonder and for the first time in many years I opened my mouth and I publicly praised and glorified God for my release. 

The synagogue leader was not pleased. I could see his scowl of disapproval and dismay. For the first time I could read the faces of others. And for the first time I saw His face, the face of Jesus. I was no longer the nameless one, the ignored, the cripple but I was now ‘the daughter of Abraham’. I was significant, valued, part of a community with a contribution to offer. I was changed. But I was not the only one who was changed. The whole synagogue erupted with praise and thanks. I was released, set free, rescued and redeemed. I can never forget that day. But there were others there that day who were also released. 

Sunday the 25th of July 2021 will, as far as Moortown Baptist Church is concerned be a day that many of us will never forget. The reason being not just that our Paris based BMS Mission Partners John and Sue Wilson (below) will be joining us, nor that after all this time we will actually be taking communion together. No, it’s even more than that. It’s the day that after more than sixteen months of two meter ministry, zoom house groups and over a hundred different online offerings we are finally able to fully reopen our building.

However, for those expecting to pick up where we left off we have a word of warning. And that is to try and put new wine into old wineskins i.e. to gloss over everything that the last year and a half has taught us would be downright foolish. 

Having said that we are thinking more evolution than revolution as at this moment in time and even with lots of irons in lots of fires both our staff and our Interim Leadership Team are reluctant to suggest a whole new way of being church. Primarily that’s because after so much disruption their hope for the future is that based not on their thoughts but on prayer and on the spirit of grace and truth that Jesus modelled MBC will become a fellowship of believers so devoted to one another and to building the Kingdom of God that as the body of Christ in this part of Leeds the words of Acts chapter 2  verses 42 to 47 will become its watchword.

So, despite the huge amount of optimism that exists it is for now at least a case of little steps. Such as this first 11am Service will still be streamed online for those who would prefer it that way. However, if you would like to join us live and in person you will need to let us know you’re coming. Please do this by emailing your details asap to ILT@moortownbaptistchurch.onmicrosoft.com. Once you’re with us whilst we will be singing it is still important that while doing so you wear a mask. Oh and although MBC isn’t providing post- service refreshments you may if you wish bring your own and stay in church, or under the gazebos until 1pm. 

Also the afternoon of the 25th (2pm till 4) sees our Romania Support Group’s annual Cream Tea, an event to which everyone is invited. John and Sue will be still be with us for this so it will be a another great opportunity to chat with them and hear more about both their connections to MBC and about the work they do with BMS.  

In between, if anyone wants to stay around you can always walk across to King Alfred’s Field and have a picnic. 

So whilst our impression of back to the future may be nothing like that portrayed in Robert Zemeckis’ 1985 movie it is fitting: July 25th 2021 is a new beginning, it’s the start of a new future, a date that has the wherewithal to unite a community of believers and crucially it’s a date that presents Moortown Baptist Church with an opportunity to embrace the future in faith, with courage and most of all with confidence. 

John S 

There’s nothing quite like a day at the seaside; sun, sand, ice cream, deck chairs and if you’re very lucky even fish and chips… and with the aid of the brilliant team from Engage Leeds this is what MBC’s Lunch Club enjoyed last Wednesday.Meeting all together for the first time in almost 16 months, 21 seniors gathered under our gazebos whilst Carole Smith and her team of 9 volunteers served up a real seaside treat. The Engage Leeds team (below left) who brought their ‘Seaside reminiscence pod’ with them are a housing support organisation in Leeds who use this type of event to get themselves known in the community. They support people with memory problems to remain in their home, to move house or to deal with complex housing needs. In fact besides handing out some of their literature on the day they left lots of information with us so if you or anyone you know might benefit from their support just speak with Carole, Kate, any member of the Interim Leadership or contact them direct by going on line and visiting www.engageleeds.org.uk As Senior’s Lead our thanks go to Carole for organising such an innovative session, which also included prize bingo, word searches and a free to enter raffle. However, Carole being Carole she insists on passing her personal thanks not only to Engage but also to our fabulous volunteer befrienders and kitchen team, to Holbeck Together for again allowing us to use their minibus and driver and last but by no means least to the Talk of the Town for serving up 30 portions of the tastiest fish and chips this side of Scarborough. 🐟🍟

Established here at MBC in 1986 the Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store has recently taken delivery of two new vans. Since the mid sixties the Store has quite literally helped thousands and thousands of people to turn houses and flats into homes. Their simple mission of collecting your unwanted furniture and passing it on free of charge to people in need has earned the charity a reputation of being one of the city’s most respected support projects.

Apart from the odd year Moortown Baptist Church has made regular financial contributions to the Store as well as also providing somewhere around a dozen or so trustees. In fact, right now John Gamson is the charity’s manager and Steve Morris a staff driver whilst John Sherbourne, Gareth Davies and Steve Wylde all serve as trustees.  

Sadly the need for furniture is no less acute than it was when Hilary Willmer and a few friends began picking up unwanted items, storing them in garden sheds and cellars and delivering them in their own cars. 

If you or anyone you know is moving house, downsizing or simply replacing old for new please give LMFS a call. It will be their pleasure to help. 

Some interesting stats from the last full year of uninterrupted operation (2019/20). In the 12 month period to 31 March 2020 LMFS completed 964 deliveries. This equates to 6,512 separate items of furniture weighing a total of 146.27 m-tons, and 1,532 collections made up of 7,985 items/182.95 m. All these figures relate to domestic furniture such as sofas, chairs, tables, wardrobes etc. etc. which without their intervention could well have ended up being fly tipped or incinerated. The Store employs 6 permanent staff and benefits from the services of an amazing bunch of volunteers. It is based in a 10,000 sq ft warehouse in Seacroft and controls a trading company (LMFS Trading Ltd) which sources, supplies and in most cases installs new furniture and white goods to a growing number of social housing projects. 

You can contact the Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store by calling 0113 2739727, sending an email to info@leedsandmoortown.org.uk or by going online and visiting www.leedsandmoortown.org.uk

In 2003, I joined a small team of people from MBC who spent two weeks at Chandraghona Hospital, Bangladesh and the nearby village of Jhum Para, where most of the families had been leprosy patients over many years, and had been sponsored by MBC families for food, school fees and clothing. In addition to spending time at the hospital, I also had the chance to visit local primary and secondary schools, the Treatment Centre for leprosy patients and the local Blind School. It was quite a life changing experience for me. This lovely gentleman in Jhum Para, whose body had been damaged by leprosy, possessed nothing but his simple hut, a few cooking pots and a Bible. Yet he was filled with the love of Christ. I was very much affected by this lovely individual. There are many people in our society and world today who are on the very margin of life. Jesus wants to reach these people.In Matthew 8 we read that Jesus came down from the mountain with the cheers of the crowd still ringing in his ears. Then a leper appeared and dropped to his knees before Jesus, praying, “Master, if you want to, you can heal my body.”  Jesus reached out and touched him, saying, “I want to. Be clean.” Then and there, all signs of the leprosy were gone. Jesus said, “Don’t talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed body to the priest, along with the appropriate expressions of thanks to God. Your cleansed and grateful life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done.” Then, in the country of the Gadarenes Jesus and his disciples were met by two madmen coming out of the cemetery, victims of demons. The men had terrorized the region for so long that no one considered it safe to walk down that stretch of road anymore. Seeing Jesus, the men screamed out, “What business do you have giving us a hard time? You’re the Son of God! You weren’t supposed to show up here yet!” Once again, Jesus dealt with the situation and the men were freed from their horrible bondage.

Mental ill health, leprosy and other skin diseases came with terrible consequences. Each of these men were regarded as unclean, defiled and were shunned and isolated from any community. They met with isolation, rejection, prejudice, and stigma and they were treated as if they were dead. They would experience great need and desperation. A person with leprosy had to keep 2 meters away from any other person-this was social distancing in Bible times. It would be a desert existence for them. The men among the tombs in the graveyard, were forced to live quite literally among the dead.

We read that this leper came and worshipped Jesus. His need was impossible and yet he came with a simple request. “If you are willing” you can heal me. He was not doubting that Jesus could heal him, “I know you can do it”, he was questioning whether Jesus was willing to do this thing. With an overwhelming act of love and compassion, Jesus touches him. The first human touch that this man had felt in a very long time, and he is healed. His changed and thankful life would witness to the power of Christ in his life.

There are many people in our society who may feel marginalised or ostracised, and left out in a ‘desert’, and yet the compassion of Jesus needs to reach them through us. We are the ones who can bring the touch of Jesus to them. As we begin to come out of the harshest of restrictions may we not simply be glad to meet up with our friends, those ‘who are like me’, my social group, but may we look out for those who are on the edge of things and bring them in from the desert.

An ancient prayer

We ask you, Master, be our helper and defender. Rescue those of our number in distress; raise up the fallen; assist the needy; heal the sick; turn back those of your people who stray; feed the hungry; release our captives; revive the weak; encourage those who lose heart. Let all the nations realize that you are the only God, that Jesus Christ is your Child, and that we are your people and the sheep of your pasture.

(1 Clement c. 96)

Jane Coates