July 2021 – Christchurch United Church

Minister’s Message – Sunday July 25th, 2021

July 25, 2021

“The problem with Chinese food is that it fills you up nicely but lets you down later. Halfway through the evening you start to feel hungry again”. I wonder if you’ve ever said that, or heard anyone else saying it? It’s probably not true, anyway – it’s more likely that eating Chinese food is simply a different culinary experience to fish and chips, roast beef with all the trimmings, pizza or chicken tikka masala.

Virtual Worship

Virtual Worship – Sunday July 25th, 11am

July 25, 2021

During the Coronavirus pandemic, ‘virtual’ worship will be posted on the Christchurch United Church Facebook page. These videos will also be available on the website shortly afterwards. Please click on title above.

Minister's Message

Minister’s Message – Sunday July 18th, 2021

July 18, 2021

I wonder if you’ve ever heard about the “Right to Disconnect”? It’s a campaign being waged by “Prospect”, the trade union for scientists, civil servants and other professionals. They claim that remote working has led to people working for longer each day, which increases their risk of stress and burnout and makes it harder for them to draw a clear line between ‘work’ and ‘leisure’ time. The union is calling for the government to give employees a legally binding “right to disconnect” which would ban bosses from routinely emailing or calling their staff outside set working hours. It could even lead to messages sent at these times being automatically deleted in order to deter off-duty staff from constantly checking their inboxes.

Virtual Worship

Virtual Worship – Sunday July 18th, 11am

July 18, 2021

Minister's Message

Minister’s Message – Sunday July 11th, 2021

July 11, 2021

I’m sure we’ve all made promises which we’ve regretted and have come back to haunt us. You know the sort of thing I mean: there’s that boring couple you met on holiday and rashly invited for lunch “if they’re happen to be in the area”; there’s the offer of a car and driving lessons dangled before your son or daughter if they do well in their A-levels; there’s even the threat that “we won’t go to the pantomime if you’re naughty” which we might make to a small child, even though we’ve already bought the tickets. What do we do if that couple does show up, or our teenager excels in their exams, or if that toddler keeps on having its tantrums? We may feel we want to break our promise – but we’ve given our word. To go back on it may seem to be sensible, but we don’t want people to think that we’re weak or can’t be trusted. So we take a deep breath, put on a brave smile, and keep the promise we’ve made.

Virtual Worship

Virtual Worship – Sunday July 11th, 11am

July 11, 2021

Minister's Message

Minister’s Message – Sunday July 4th, 2021

July 4, 2021

Although the Scottish actor Richard Wilson had done a lot of work on stage and screen – notably as the rock band manager in the drama “Tutti Frutti” – he was relatively unknown to most people until 1990. For that was when the series “One Foot in the Grave” began, starring Wilson as the irascible character Victor Meldrew. Wilson had initially turned down the part, thinking that at 53 he was too young to play the 60-year-old Meldrew; but it brought him national recognition. The series ran for over 40 episodes until Wilson decided that he “was getting a bit fed up of trying to find ways to be angry”. In the poignant final episode, Victor Meldrew is killed in a hit-and-run car accident.

Virtual Worship

Virtual Worship – Sunday July 4th, 11am

July 4, 2021

Month: <span>July 2021</span>