Vicar: Rev Duncan Carter
Vicarage, 16 Church St, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 1SE ((574822)

Licensed Lay Ministers: Trevor Lewis, Pat Lewis, Michael Forsdike

Churchwardens: Mike Hails, Hedda Bird

The Bible tells us that in beginning God made the world and it was perfect. Man walked and talked with Him on earth and never died. However, God didn't make us like robots. He gave us freedom to choose whether or not to obey Him.

Turing away from God meant that man drew far away from God's presence and lost his immortality. Today, most people don't care overmuch about God and have little awareness of Him. Even religious people hardly seem to know Him. It is natural selfishness which is the problem; to Bible calls it "sin". This represents anything that separates us from a perfect God - wrong actions, words and thoughts as well as things which we should do and say but fail to do. The trouble is that no-one is perfect or good enough to be with a perfect God in heaven. But God loves us so much that He has given us a way to reach Him and overcome our weakness and offences.

Jesus was and is the answer. His life story is told in four books in the Bible - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

He worked as a carpenter for most of his short life but during his last three years on earth, he preached and performed many miracles. He said that the world would one day come to an end and that God would judge everyone according to how they had lived, but that despite all the sin and evil in the world, there was a way in which people could know and be with Him.

Jesus said that it was by his dying that we could reach God. His death would bridge the divide between man and God. Ironically, the religious people of the time has Jesus put to death because they believed that only God could decide who would go to heaven and they did not believe that Jesus was God.

However outragous such words might seem, Jesus showed them to be true by coming back to life again after dying on the cross. The tomb was empty - and no one could produce a body. 500 people saw him at different times. From a small group of disillusioned disciples sprang a world-wide movement which grew despite terrible persecution from the authorities.

Christians believe that Jesus is still alive today and is our only way of knowing and being with God. He calls us to believe in Him and put our faith and trust in Him. The New Testament speaks of Jesus' death as the equivalent of an Old Testament Jewish sacrifice which takes away the sins of the people. But Jesus' sacrifice never has to be repeated; his work has been completed. If we will trust him, he will stay with us and will change us. We can talk to him through prayer.

Prayer may seam strange to us: it feels as if we are talking to ourselves, but when we pray. God is always there, and will answer us.

If you invite Jesus to take control of your life, you soon discover that life begins to change. As you learn more about him, by reading the Bible, going to church, and talking to him in prayer, you will begin to know him better, and discover that your faith is growing.

When you invite Jesus to be at the centre of your life, you experience a new power working within you, which the Bible refers to as the "Holy Spirit". He continues to change you, helps to understand the Bible, and gives a deeper relationship with God. As we allow the Spirit to change us, He also gives us special abilities to serve God and the church, and gives us a guarantee of life with God, in heaven.

It is always the right time to respond to the message of God's love. He calls us to invite Jesus Christ into our lives by praying to him.

Here is a suggested prayer.

Faith in God grows as you learn to trust Him with ever detail of your life. It is necessary to do three things in order to mature as Christians:

• Pray daily, If possible find a friend to join you.

• Read your Bible regularly.

• Meet with other belivers for worship. We need the help and encouragement of one another.

Find a church where you feel happy and can belong, and remember that God is always with you, and all that we have comes from Him. Give thanks to Him at all times.

Return to Front page.