Pilgrim

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.   T...

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 p...

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 ...