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Barnes in Commonthe magazine of Churches Together in Barnes
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Pastoral LetterRevd. Joseph Ayok-Loewenberg
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Dear Friends,
"Exploring Sudanese Christianity" is the theme of our Lent talks in the Anglican churches in Barnes this year. Of course, anyone from the other churches is welcome too.
So I thought it would be a good idea if I could introduce myself to you and also give you an idea about our Lent course.
I was born in Southern Sudan into the first civil war which started in 1955. I have seen and experienced much of the suffering and destruction of the war as a child and throughout my adult life. That is to say that my whole life has been shaped, marked and influenced by the suffering of my people and country, just as it is for most of my fellow Sudanese. The civil war has in fact not only shaped me as an individual, the way I reason and look at the world around me, but it also shaped my Christian faith and belief in one true God. It has also shaped the Sudanese Church regardless of her denominations. This is what I hope to share with you as I lead our Lent study groups in Barnes. These five studies were written by a friend of mine, Rev. Canon Andy Wheeler, who has worked and taught as a CMS mission partner in the Sudan for many years. I believe that this course which was produced by CMS is relevant today more than ever. The Christian Church in the Sudan has been in conflict with Islam for over 600 years. The Christians in ancient Nubia in Sudan and Egypt were the first to taste the wrath of Islamic fundamentalism which is knocking at the doors of "the West" today as we have seen through 9/11, the London bombings and recently the outrage over the cartoons of Mohammed. It is worth mentioning that the Sudanese Christians have been at the receiving end of this for centuries. So I invite you along to explore with me the stories of your Sudanese brothers and sisters and how they have turned the story of suffering into a story of triumph through Hope which is real in Christ.
"As Western Christians we often fail to realize how much our own faith has been shaped, limited and distorted by the cultural assumptions of our own society. This series introduces us to the contemporary experience of the Sudanese Church, which by its suffering and resilience has drawn the committed support of the Christian Church in recent years. People study and reflect on the nature of the Sudanese encounter with the Gospel and explore one of the characteristics that have contributed to the dynamic growth and witness of the church in that war-torn nation. As the Western Church attempts to build a more holistic sense of Christianity we can share in the life of our Sudanese neighbours and draw richly on their experience of the Christian faith." (from the introduction)
I will be putting together a short history of the Sudan which will help us to understand the background of the conflict.
An hour's session will contain an introduction, discussion, response and prayer which will be followed with informal sharing over Sudanese food cooked specially for you by me.
So let us pray that God speaks to us as we come together to seek Him throughout Lent leading us to the victory of Easter.
The talks will take place over five weeks, every Thursday at 8.00pm, beginning on March 9th at St Mary's.
Week 1: A prayerful church (Ephesians 6, 18)
Week 2: A creative church (1 Samuel 2, 7 – 8)
Week 3: A church in debate with the surrounding culture
(1 Peter 1, 15)
Week 4: A communal church (Romans 12, 5)
Week 5: The Under Tree Schools: a vision for the future
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