Pilgrim

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 Sp...

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...