Since my last entry, I have managed to successfully rewrite one of the exegeses required for section B (the second of 4 sections A,B,C,D which make up the entirety of Faith and Worship). I am now almost ready to submit Section C at the end of this month. Today I gave an assessed service at my home Church, Gillingham Methodist Church, which was received very positively. The comments afterwards were very encouraging, and I am grateful for both assessors for their constructive critique afterwards. The worship group again sparkled, the sermon was clear and succinct. The prayers were relevant. It seemed clear to me that the Holy Spirit was present, especially with the contribution of the congregation and their mood after the service. One person came to me after, and said he had come to Church this morning fearful for the state of the world, and was leaving re-assured. Praise God.
Getting back to Eden
We live in a world that to all intents and purposed doesn’t work in the way that it should. We only have to look at the news sources to see new ways that humans find to damage others. Most often it is the poor and weak who are taken advantage of, sometimes sold into slavery, often victims of ideological conflict in one shape or another. How then can we preach the Good News, in the face of illness, of poverty, of hatred, of fear, of dishonesty? We see this incongruity in Psalm 82, where the psalmist calls out to God, “How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?” The psalmist continues to berate God, reminding him of his responsibilities to give justice to the weak, to look after the orphan, to rescue the weak and needy. As usual with the psalms, it is an open and frank relationship enjoyed with God. The closing lines can be seen as an affirmation of God’s lordship over all the earth, whilst conversely, the psalmist ...
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