Pilgrim

I think it is really important for local preachers for develop a good rapport with the youngsters who attend our Churches and as such I have volunteered to speak with the senior group in the Sunday School.  Today I went back at their request which was a real benefit and meant I must have said something of value the last time I paid a visit!! I was asked to talk about the "Armour of God" today so we started the session - which was quite time limited due to a number of issues - by reading Ephesians 6 and Luke 22 where Jesus talks uncharacteristically about grabbing swords  if they have any.   We opened a discussion as to what people think of when they hear the phrase " The armour of God", and the youngsters had some interesting ideas.  The underlying idea of course is that Paul was being metaphorical when talking about military clothing, and that Christianity is not about power or military might.  In fact perhaps Paul was using that Metaphor because he was liv...

We had a local arrangement today at our Church.  For those of you who don't know, a local arrangement is when there is no minister or local preacher in attendance, and the church fellowship arrange and create a service of their own. The Church in question Gillingham Methodist Church welcomes a mixed fellowship in age, gender, race and social demographics, which is part of what makes it such a welcoming place.  This morning there were about 100 people in  attendance.  The service was led by one of the stewards who is undertaking a worship leaders course.  She was supported by the full worship group and other members of the congregation in the delivery of the service.  The theme of the service was created around Psalm 139.  The service followed a normal pattern of a mixture of worship via music starting off with "Lord I lift your name on high" and "Light of the World".  Prayers of adoration were provided by one our Prayer ministry ladies, followed...

I went to my home Church today as a member of the congregation with my family.  It was a fairly traditional service led by our minister, no doubt in part due to the majority of the worship group being away on a visit to a church up in Norfolk, East Anglia. The service was a Communion Service and during the sermon, the minister made some really good points about how Luke pointed out equality between men and women, something new and v challenging in the Roman Empire and 1st Century Judea, often by counterpoising men and women in his stories, thus providing women with a voice and giving them a presence.  He also pointed out, that people don't get killed for spreading love.  Jesus challenged the world view of his time, which is why he was lynched. Of course God had other ideas, and 3 days later his Son came back! And then onto the funny happening.  or not so funny depending on your viewpoint.  I was grabbed by someone from the pew behind me who started to rath...