There are certain words in the English language that don’t sound like they appear in written form. An alien from outer space encountering words such as ‘paradigm’ or ‘annihilate’ might struggle with its correct pronunciation until they had at least heard it said once.
Another such word is ‘hyperbole’ – can you remember when you came across this word for the first time? For most of us I’m sure it was in an English or grammar lesson at school – a word that can catch you out, but once you’ve heard it, you’ll never forget it.
Our service this Sunday is going to reflect on hyperboles – in fact, it’s going to be the greatest Sunday morning service for a million miles in any direction! See what I did there? A hyperbole, an excessive exaggeration to make a point, which is what we discover in Mark 9 when Jesus talks about cutting off hands and feet and plucking out one’s own eye.
Don’t get me wrong – it’s going to be a superb service, beautifully crafted with uplifting music, thoughtful and constructive comments and maybe a little bit of challenge (all true statements). We’ll be starting our service with a beautiful hymn, one that we haven’t sung before, but one that is probably known to many of you – ‘How shall I sing that majesty?’ to the tune ‘Coe Fen’. It’s a wonderful expression of the glory of God and a great way to begin our praise and worship.
It’s also the fifth service of the month, so one when we traditionally join together. Of course the roof renovation at St Swithun’s means we’re meeting together each Sunday at St Mary’s but I hope that everyone will make an effort to be part of our special time of worship and fellowship this Sunday. I was reminded what Revd Stephen shared at the last Learning4Life Sunday – that we attend not only for ourselves, but for the good and encouragement of others. The Bible talks about us being a body and our need of and for one another. Having been away in Scotland for the last 2 weeks or so, I’m really looking forward to catching up with those folk I’ve not seen for a while and those who I haven’t bumped into this past week. I hope you might draw strength and encouragement from others as we meet.
Speaking of the roofing work, a brief update – I’m visited the site within an hour of arriving home, such was my curiosity, and then again on Tuesday morning when I was able to chat with the contractors. Despite the inclement weather this week, we continue to make good progress – here’s a picture of the inside with protective flooring and plastic covers. The major focus has been upon the tower – a close inspection revealed that the 4 supporting beams were rotten and the structure was being held up rather precariously. These are all being replaced and I’ve also suggested that the lead cross be re-leaded at the same time. In short, it will mean we replace and renew every tile, nail, baton and piece of felt and lead on every roof (and that’s not hyperbole). It is going to look spectacular when it is finished and I’m hoping that we can still hold to being back in on Sunday 3rd November, but once I’ve had further meetings with the architects and roofers I’ll update everyone.
John Sweeting and I look forward to welcoming you to St Mary’s on Sunday.
God bless you,
Revd Paul