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Showing posts from 2014

Birth pangs of the Kingdom - the first steps after Christmas

Well, Christmas is sort of over.   At least for the secular world where the focus is now well an truly on the new Year parties and the annual game of reviewing the previous twelve months and making promises or resolutions that the next twelve months will bring a new us. Of course in the Christian Calendar, today is the first Sunday of Christmas.   So we still get the chance to sing Christmas Carols and to consider the immense action of God who we are told in John 1 v 14 in the message version, “became flesh and blood and moved into the neighbourhood” The two readings today help us to reflect on the particular nature of Christmas; Psalm 148 is cleverly set up mirroring the Genesis order of Creation; so we see God praised in the heavens and then on earth, in the sea on the land, by plants, animals and finally humans.   The key is the linking together of heaven and earth.   All that is in heaven praises God, and everything that is on earth praises God.   The Psalmist is clearly t

So what is the meaning of Christmas; when outreach gets real

For a year now, with a group of volunteers I have been leading a Listening Ear Programme which incorporates a Chair Exercise/Relaxation class for people who suffer from Chronic Pain.  We also offer counselling sessions for those with a need for more formal emotional help. All our services are free and depend solely on donations and the free giving of time by volunteers in the Church at GMC. On Friday 19th, we are hosting a Carol Service for the people who use the service, many of whom do not necessarily attend church regularly; in fact for some of them the only experience they have of a church is when they come to our group on a Friday. Our Message for the day is included below, I hope you enjoy it and find it helpful,  God Bless                                          What is the meaning of Christmas? Well, why do we do this every Christmas?   We have a pagan festival that the early Christian Church adopted, so we have an odd mix of Christmas Trees – you can’t really miss

Success

Yippee!   at the weekend I found out that I had passed all the final academic parts of my Faith and Worship course.  Just 3 days after successfully surviving the final interview at the Local preachers meeting with the outcome that the Methodist Church is now happy to recommend me to be an accredited Local Preacher. it has been a long journey, some of which I have shared on this blog.  One of the parts of the interview was to share my growth as a Christian in the last 3 years.  I would like to share with you all now, especially as I have been humbled by the knowledge that this blog has been read internationally. Those who have read this in the past, you will be glad to know that I mentioned you in my interview! Well, here is my story I shared: My journey towards being a local preacher has led to a deepening of my personal relationship with God to a level that I had never felt possible when I started even though back then I was arguing in my initial statement before being accept

Psalm 23 revisited

It was my pleasure to assist today for the afternoon session of our Churches youth alpha to which we had 9 youngsters attend at a local retreat centre.  Today was the Holy Spirit sessions.  One of the activities for the afternoon was to consider psalm 23 and recreate it in a very personal way.  Whilst I was with some of the youngsters in the Church, I was inspired to write on myself and to share it with the youngsters.  What transpired was an honest view of my own anxiety issues and need for God. I enclose it here for any who may be helped: The Lord is my saviour, I shall not hide he saves me from my nightmares, my self doubt, my anxiety. From demons in the night, from destruction of anger, mistrust and fear. He is the restorer of my soul He guides me through the darkness of my mind. Even though I still get scared, even though I sometimes find it hard to pray. He provides me with all I need. He sends Angels to walk by my side and fills me with his Spirit. I fear no e

musings on the kingdom

We live in a world that appears to be suffering.   There is a tendency to look at the widespread turmoil, the wars, the rise of extremist theology especially as seen in the actions of Islamic fundamentalism and the so called Islamic state with their associated butchery; the health fears generated by increasing resistance to antibiotic therapies, lack of social provision for people as they age, and the recent outbreak of Ebola, a virus that even makes the Islamic state look puny. It can be tempting to suggest that the world is falling apart, and no doubt there will be groups spreading a message of Armageddon and impending doom and catastrophe.    Prominent in the USA is a belief in the imminent rapture; there has even been a mainstream movie made about this in Hollywood recently. I am not here to promote those ideas.   Personally I think it is theological bunkum, and I believe that the readings we have heard today shed light on that and on something potentially even of greater im