PATRONAL FESTIVAL 12 10 26
Old Testament reading: 2 Samuel 23. 1-5
New Testament: 1 John 4. 13-16
Gospel: Matthew 21. 12-17
This Sunday is our Patronal festival. We are named after the great St. Edward King and Confessor. Edward was born in the year 1002 and his parents were King Ethelred and Emma. He had a difficult time as he had to go in exile. Later he was invited back to England in the year 1042.
When he was made a king, he was a different kind of a king. He was a devout Christian and he was very keen to put his faith in Jesus into practice. He was not interested in waging wars and conquering other lands. He was very keen to maintain peace and justice all over his reign. He was generous to the poor people and was hospitable to strangers, perhaps the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ had a major influence in his life and in the way he reigned as the king of England. He had a great desire to go on a pilgrimage journey to Rome but could not make it. Instead, he uses his resources to establish the Westminster Abbey where he is finally resting.
St. Edwards’s day is observed on the 13th of October every year. And our church building was dedicated on the 8th of October 1958. Therefore we thank God for the life of St. Edward King and Confessor and we give thanks to God for our Church which is named after this great king. We dedicate ourselves that we will be a worshipping and witnessing community to the people in New Addington.
The first building for public worship (two Army huts joined together) was erected during the ministry of Captain T. F. Reeman, Church Army, by Canon F. W. Greenaway, Vicar of Addington, and dedicated on 11th October, 1956, by the late Bishop B. C. Roberts, in honour of St. George. This building was eventually destroyed by fire on 12th March, 1958, and a last service was held on the site on Passion Sunday afternoon, 23rd March.
On 11th December, 1949, the Rev. B. T. Page was licensed as Minister and New Addington became a “Conventional District.” During 1950 the present Church site was purchased in place of the former (a gift from Mr. Still of Addington) and on 20th March, 1954, the Archbishop of Canterbury dedicated for worship the permanent St. Edward’s Hall, which has been used for Sunday and weekday worship as well as many social and club activities since then.
The Church is a sacred mystery, while the word Church instantly brings to our mind, the building but is the people who gather in the name of Jesus is the church. One of the very beautiful imageries we find for the church is given by St. Paul, who said that the Church is the body of Christ. Jesus himself is the head of the body and we are brought together to be members of the body. In a way we are meant to be the visible presence of Jesus in our context.
A church is always established in a particular place for a particular purpose. Here we remind ourselves that God has planted us as a church here in New Addington to be a sign of God’s abiding presence, to be a place from where prayers are offered to the people living and working at New Addington and to be a house of prayer and fellowship for all people.
The Church is also our spiritual home where we come to listen to the voice of God and as a community to be in fellowship with God. We have our major life events held at the church such as Baptisms, Weddings and funerals.
As we celebrate our patronal and dedication anniversary, we give thanks to God for our church. We express our thanks to all those who hold responsibilities in the church and serve the church as volunteers. We seek the continuous guidance and inspiration of the holy Spirit as we strive to be the body of Christ where we find the life that Jesus gives so that we can reach out to the people amongst whom we are placed with the love and grace of God.