Sabbath and Freedom

by Aug 28, 2019

Luke 13:10-17

Jesus is challenged for healing on the Sabbath

A friend of mine went on a management course. He was a team leader and was always available for those who he worked with. Of course, that meant he was constantly on the phone answering their questions. In the first session they took him, and the others on the course to the lake district. They took their phones away from them, and put each of them on the side of a mountain with a little shelter, a bottle of water, some food and a limit on how far they could move from their shelter. So they couldn’t speak to one another. They stayed there for 12 hours, during which time they were able to stop thinking about all the things that needed doing and were able to be. On the bus journey home my friend’s mobile regained reception and started beeping with messages. As he looked through them, starting from the panicked ones asking questions and wondering why he wasn’t responding. He had a series of messages telling him all the issues his team had had while he was away were sorted.

When I was 4 years old we lived in Montreal in a duplex. A duplex is a bit like a house which has been converted into two flats, one upstairs and one downstairs. But it is designed like this, so there are two front doors. I think there are buildings like this on the Finchley Road. In Montreal they are popular you can recognise them because they have often have outside staircases going straight up to the upstairs entrance. We lived upstairs and Mr Teacle lived downstairs. I have no memory of Mr Teacle, though my impression was always that he didn’t like children. My memory of him was purely that at some point when I had been jumping around Mr Teacle had complained that we were very noisy and could we keep it down. As a result every time I realised I was jumping or every time I fell over or dropped something I would shout: ‘Sorry Mr Teacle.’ Which thinking back on it now wouldn’t much improve Mr Teacle’s experience of having us upstairs. Though it did temper my jumping. This reaction became so ingrained, that for years afterwards, wherever I was, if I made a big noise I would say: ‘Sorry Mr Teacle.’ In a way this programming, this indoctrination worked far beyond it’s need – it encouraged me to try and be quiet. But years later when I was living in a flat I was constantly tiptoeing around desperately worried about making too much noise.

Of course there is a need for children to learn when its appropriate to make lots of noise and when it isn’t. But there is also a danger of teaching our children that they aren’t allowed to do something that the teaching extends beyond the context, or beyond our meaning. For example, if we talk about girls being quiet and boys being rambunctious,  we potentially build up those behaviours. If we make children feel uncomfortable and restricted in church – like they aren’t really welcome, then they will remember that when they have the choice. We can limit ourselves and others, we can generate a sense of shame or unease so easily.

In today’s Old Testament and Gospel readings we explore something of the meaning of the Sabbath. In the reading from Isaiah we are reminded of what the Sabbath is for: A time to refrain from pursuing our own interests, but rather a time to delight in the Lord and the holy day of the Lord. Sabbath was the 7th day of the Genesis 1 creation story.
It was the day that God chose to rest, but also to enjoy and to delight in the creation. So God commanded his people to rest on the 7th day, to delight in God and all that God had made and be thankful. But the passage from Isaiah isn’t only about Sabbath, it also reminds us that what God commands God’s people to do is to unburden ourselves so that we can offer our food to the hungry, to care for the afflicted, and to trust in God. Among our Jewish neighbours who mark the Sabbath: It is about being with family and friends, about attending the synagogue and not relying on others to serve them.

In the Gospel Jesus heals a woman who is bent double from some ailment. Immediately the Synagogue leaders respond, so vehemently one wonders what shame they feel this act is going to bring upon them – so programmed to obey the sabbath in a specific way – perhaps they have missed the point that the sabbath is there to delight in God’s creation, and to free us from the bondage of the world. So often our knee-jerk responses, like apologising to Mr. Teacle, like that sense of imposter syndrome, like that deep down sense of unwelcome we might associate with certain places, are connected to a sense of shame.

In reality what Jesus has done isn’t shameful. Jesus honours God in his compassion. The rules around the sabbath had exceptions or allowances for when to act was a question of life or death. and yet this woman has been sick for sometime. Is her life suddenly at risk? She doesn’t even seek Jesus out. But in a way this is exactly Jesus’ point. Often Jesus reminds the lookers on that his acts of compassion are only one bit of the story. They are a visible outward sign of the much more significant grace going on inside. Jesus is not just freeing her from her ailment, but freeing her from the sin which clings to us all. Like the sacraments we celebrate at baptism, and in the Eucharist, the healing of the woman is an outward sign of the grace of God, reaching out to us with forgiveness and love, re-establishing the relationship we have with God.

And that is what the sabbath is for. We should all set aside time ideally each day, but a significant time each week, in which we can be freed from the burdens of the world and receive the grace of God,
leaning down to us as we are bent double,
reaching out to us and drawing us up into the love of God.
I hope that is why we gather together each Sunday,
in this place, to receive that renewal, to receive that grace.

A friend of mine went on a management course.
He was a team leader and was always available for those who he worked with
Of course, that meant he was constantly on the phone answering their questions.
One day he was sent on a management course and almost the first thing they did was take him,
and the others on the course to the lake district.
They took their phones away from them,
and put each of them on the side of a mountain
with a little shelter, a bottle of water, some food
and a limit on how far they could move from their shelter
So they couldn’t speak to one another.
They stayed there for 12 hours,
during which time they were able to stop thinking about all the things that needed doing and were able to be.
After their day on the mountain they had another two days of classes and exercises.
On the bus journey home my friend’s mobile regained reception and started beeping with messages.
As he looked through them,
starting from the panicked ones asking questions and wondering why he wasn’t responding.
He had a series of messages telling him all the issues his team had had while he was away were sorted.
Body
When I was 4 years old we lived in Montreal in a duplex.
A duplex is a bit like a house which has been converted into two flats, one upstairs and one downstairs.
But it is designed like this, so there are two front doors.
I think there are buildings like this on the Finchley Road.
In Montreal they are popular you can recognise them because they have often have outside staircases going straight up to the upstairs entrance.
We lived upstairs and Mr Teacle lived downstairs.
I have no memory of Mr Teacle, though my impression was always that he didn’t like children.
My memory of him was purely that at some point when I had been jumping around Mr Teacle had complained that we were very noisy and could we keep it down.
As a result everytime I realised I was jumping or everytime I fell over or dropped something I would shout:
‘Sorry Mr Teacle’
Which thinking back on it now wouldn’t much improve Mr Teacle’s experience of having us upstairs.
Though it did temper my jumping.
This reaction became so ingrained,
that for years afterwards, wherever I was, if I made a big noise I would say: ‘Sorry Mr Teacle.’
In a way this programming, this indoctrination worked far beyond it’s need – it encouraged me to try and be quiet.
But years later when I was living in a flat I was constantly tiptoeing around desperately worried about making too much noise.

Of course there is a need for children to learn when its appropriate to make lots of noise and when it isn’t.
But there is also a danger of teaching our children that they aren’t allowed to do something that the teaching extends beyond the context, or beyond our meaning.
For example, if we talk about girls being quiet and boys being rambunctious,
we potentially build up those behaviours
If we make children feel uncomfortable and restricted in church – like they aren’t really welcome, then they will remember that when they have the choice.
We can limit ourselves and others,
we can generate a sense of shame or unease so easily.
In today’s Old Testament and Gospel readings we explore something of the meaning of the Sabbath.
In the reading from Isaiah we are reminded of what the Sabbath is for:
A time to refrain from pursuing our own interests,
but rather a time to delight in the Lord and the holy day of the Lord.
Sabbath was the 7th day of the Genesis 1 creation story.
It was the day that God chose to rest,
but also to enjoy and to delight in the creation.
So God commanded his people to rest on the 7th day,
to delight in God and all that God had made
and be thankful.
But the passage from Isaiah isn’t only about Sabbath,
it also reminds us that what God commands God’s people to do is to unburden ourselves so that we can offer our food to the hungry, to care for the afflicted,
and to trust in God.

Among our Jewish neighbours who mark the Sabbath:
It is about being with family and friends,
about attending the synagogue
and not relying on others to serve them.

In the Gospel Jesus heals a woman who is bent double from some ailment.
Immediately the Synagogue leaders respond,
so vehemently one wonders what shame they feel this act is going to bring upon them –
so programmed to obey the sabbath in a specific way –
perhaps they have missed the point that the sabbath is there to delight in God’s creation,
and to free us from the bondage of the world.
So often our knee-jerk responses,
like apologising to Mr. Teacle,
like that sense of imposter syndrome,
like that deep down sense of unwelcome we might associate with certain places,
are connected to a sense of shame.
In reality what Jesus has done isn’t shameful.
Jesus honours God in his compassion.
The rules around the sabbath had exceptions or allowances for when to act was a question of life or death.
and yet this woman has been sick for sometime
Is her life suddenly at risk?
She doesn’t even seek Jesus out.
But in a way this is exactly Jesus’ point.
Often Jesus reminds the lookers on that his acts of compassion are only one bit of the story.
They are a visible outward sign of the much more significant grace going on inside.
Jesus is not just freeing her from her ailment,
but freeing her from the sin which clings to us all.
Like the sacraments we celebrate at baptism,
and in the Eucharist,
the healing of the woman is an outward sign of the grace of God, reaching out to us with forgiveness and love,
re-establishing the relationship we have with God.
Conclusion
And that is what the sabbath is for.
We should all set aside time ideally each day, but a significant time each week,
in which we can be freed from the burdens of the world and receive the grace of God,
leaning down to us as we are bent double,
reaching out to us and drawing us up into the love of God.
I hope that is why we gather together each Sunday,
in this place, to receive that renewal, to receive that grace.

The Reverend Robin Sims-Williams

Weekly Services

Sunday Mornings

8.00am Said Eucharist
10.00am Parish Eucharist with choir and Sunday School

Weekday Services

Morning Prayer Monday through Wednesdays at 9.20am
Said Eucharist on Wednesdays at 11.00am

Please note that Public worship has been suspended, you can therefore participate in these services via Facebook live stream

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Privacy Notice

Privacy Notice – General

Your personal data – what is it?

“Personal data” is any information about a living individual which allows them to be identified from that data (for example a name, photographs, videos, email address, or address). Identification can be by the information alone or in conjunction with any other information. The processing of personal data is governed by the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR) and other legislation relating to personal data and rights such as the Human Rights Act 1998.

Who are we?

This Privacy Notice is provided to you by the Parochial Church Council (PCC) of All Saints’ Child’s Hill which is the data controller for your data.

The Church of England is made up of a number of different organisations and office-holders who work together to deliver the Church’s mission in each community. The PCC works together with:

  • the incumbent of the parish (that is, our priest-in-charge);
  • the bishops of the Diocese of London; and
  • the London Diocesan Fund, which is responsible for the financial and administrative
    arrangements for the Diocese of London.

As the Church is made up of all of these persons and organisations working together, we may need to share personal data we hold with them so that they can carry out their responsibilities to the Church and our community. The organisations referred to above are joint data controllers. This means we are all responsible to you for how we process your data.

Each of the data controllers have their own tasks within the Church and a description of what data is processed and for what purpose is set out in this Privacy Notice. This Privacy Notice is sent to you by the PCC on our own behalf and on behalf of each of these data controllers. In the rest of this Privacy Notice, we use the word “we” to refer to each data controller, as appropriate.

What data do the data controllers listed above process?

They will process some or all of the following where necessary to perform their tasks:

  • Names, titles, and aliases, photographs;
  • Contact details such as telephone numbers, addresses, and email addresses;
  • Where they are relevant to our mission, or where you provide them to us, we may process
    demographic information such as gender, age, date of birth, marital status, nationality, education/work histories, academic/professional qualifications, hobbies, family composition, and dependants;
  • Where you make donations or pay for activities such as use of a church hall, financial identifiers such as bank account numbers, payment card numbers, payment/transaction identifiers, policy numbers, and claim numbers;
  • The data we process is likely to constitute sensitive personal data because, as a church, the fact that we process your data at all may be suggestive of your religious beliefs. Where you provide this information, we may also process other categories of sensitive personal data: racial or ethnic origin, sex life, mental and physical health, details of injuries, medication/treatment received, political beliefs, labour union affiliation, genetic data, biometric data, data concerning sexual orientation and criminal records, fines and other similar judicial records.

How do we process your personal data?

The data controllers will comply with their legal obligations to keep personal data up to date; to store and destroy it securely; to not collect or retain excessive amounts of data; to keep personal data secure, and to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access and disclosure and to ensure that appropriate technical measures are in place to protect personal data.

We use your personal data for some or all of the following purposes:

  • To enable us to meet all legal and statutory obligations (which include maintaining and publishing our electoral roll in accordance with the Church Representation Rules);
  • To carry out comprehensive safeguarding procedures (including due diligence and complaints handling) in accordance with best safeguarding practice from time to time with the aim of ensuring that all children and adults-at-risk are provided with safe environments;
  • To minister to you and provide you with pastoral and spiritual care (such as visiting you when you are gravely ill or bereaved) and to organise and perform ecclesiastical services for you, such as baptisms, confirmations, weddings and funerals;
  • To deliver the Church’s mission to our community, and to carry out any other voluntary or charitable activities for the benefit of the public as provided for in the constitution and statutory framework of each data controller;
  • To administer the parish, deanery, archdeaconry and diocesan membership records;
  • To fundraise and promote the interests of the Church and charity;
  • To maintain our own accounts and records;
  • To process a donation that you have made (including Gift Aid information);
  • To seek your views or comments;
  • To notify you of changes to our services, events and role holders;
  • To send you communications which you have requested and that may be of interest to you. These may include information about campaigns, appeals, other fundraising activities;
  • To process a grant or application for a role;
  • To enable us to provide a voluntary service for the benefit of the public in a particular geographical
    area as specified in our constitution;
  • Our processing also includes the use of automated systems when you visit our website including cookies to help improve your experience when browsing our website and personal identifiers from your browsing history to enable us to assess the popularity of the webpages on our website, further information about our use of cookies is available on our website (https://www.allsaintschildshill.com/cookie-policy/)
  • Our processing also includes the use of CCTV systems for the prevention and prosecution of crime.

What is the legal basis for processing your personal data?

Most of our data is processed because it is necessary for our legitimate interests, or the legitimate interests of a third party (such as another organisation in the Church of England). An example of this would be our safeguarding work to protect children and adults at risk. We will always take into account your interests, rights and freedoms.

Some of our processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation. For example, we are required by the Church Representation Rules to administer and publish the electoral roll, and under Canon Law to announce forthcoming weddings by means of the publication of banns.

We may also process data if it is necessary for the performance of a contract with you, or to take steps to enter into a contract. An example of this would be processing your data in connection with the hire of church facilities.

Religious organisations are also permitted to process information about your religious beliefs to administer membership or contact details.

Where your information is used other than in accordance with one of these legal bases, we will first obtain your consent to that use.

Sharing your personal data

Your personal data will be treated as strictly confidential. It will only be shared with third parties where it is necessary for the performance of our tasks or where you first give us your prior consent. It is likely that we will need to share your data with some or all of the following (but only where necessary):

  • The appropriate bodies of the Church of England including the other data controllers;
  • Our agents, servants and contractors. For example, we may ask a commercial provider to send out newsletters on our behalf, or to maintain our database software;
  • Other clergy or lay persons nominated or licensed by the bishops of the Diocese of London to support the mission of the Church in our parish. For example, our clergy are supported by our area dean and archdeacon, who may provide confidential mentoring and pastoral support. Assistant or temporary ministers, including curates, deacons, licensed lay ministers, commissioned lay ministers or persons with Bishop’s Permissions may participate in our mission in support of our regular clergy;
  • Other persons or organisations operating within the Diocese of London including, where relevant, the London Diocesan Board for Schools and Subsidiary Bodies;
  • On occasion, other churches with which we are carrying out joint events or activities.

How long do we keep your personal data?

We will keep some records permanently if we are legally required to do so. We may keep some other records for an extended period of time. For example, it is current best practice to keep financial records for a minimum period of 7 years to support HMRC audits. In general, we will endeavour to keep data only for as long as we need it. This means that we may delete it when it is no longer needed.

Your rights and your personal data

You have the following rights with respect to your personal data:

When exercising any of the rights listed below, in order to process your request, we may need to verify your identity for your security. In such cases we will need you to respond with proof of your identity before you can exercise these rights.

  1. The right to access information we hold on you
    • At any point you can contact us to request the information we hold on you as well as why we have that information, who has access to the information and where we obtained the
      information from. Once we have received your request we will respond within one month.
    • There are no fees or charges for the first request but additional requests for the same data may be subject to an administrative fee .
  1. The right to correct and update the information we hold on you
    • If the data we hold on you is out of date, incomplete or incorrect, you can inform us and your data will be updated.
  1. The right to have your information erased
    • If you feel that we should no longer be using your data or that we are illegally using your data, you can request that we erase the data we hold.
    • When we receive your request we will confirm whether the data has been deleted or the reason why it cannot be deleted (for example because we need it for our legitimate interests or regulatory purpose(s)).
  1. The right to object to processing of your data
    • You have the right to request that we stop processing your data. Upon receiving the request we will contact you and let you know if we are able to comply or if we have legitimate grounds to continue to process your data. Even after you exercise your right to object, we may continue to hold your data to comply with your other rights or to bring or defend legal claims.
  1. The right to data portability
    • You have the right to request that we transfer some of your data to another controller. We will comply with your request, where it is feasible to do so, within one month of receiving your request.
  1. The right to withdraw your consent to the processing at any time for any processing of data to which consent was sought.
    • You can withdraw your consent easily by telephone, email, or by post (see Contact Details below).
  1. The right to object to the processing of personal data where applicable.
  2. The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Transfer of Data Abroad

Any electronic personal data transferred to countries or territories outside the EU will only be placed on systems complying with measures giving equivalent protection of personal rights either through international agreements or contracts approved by the European Union. Our website is also accessible from overseas so on occasion some personal data (for example in a newsletter) may be accessed from overseas.

Further processing

If we wish to use your personal data for a new purpose, not covered by this Notice, then we will provide you with a new notice explaining this new use prior to commencing the processing and setting out the relevant purposes and processing conditions. Where and whenever necessary, we will seek your prior consent to the new processing.

Contact Details

Please contact us if you have any questions about this Privacy Notice or the information we hold about you or to exercise all relevant rights, queries or complaints at:

The Data Controller,
All Saints’ Church
Church Walk, Child’s Hill
London, NW2 2TJ
Email: [email protected]

You can contact the Information Commissioners Office on 0303 123 1113 or via email https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/email/ or at the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

If you have any question regarding our privacy policy, please contact us.