Pilgrim

Today I preached at Dene holm Methodist church, set in a community centre it serves the immediate Northfleet community.  The church suffers with a very small congregation at present though all are committed to the cause.  we were made very welcome and the service celebrated the first Sunday in Advent.  The congregation was mostly elderly people.  At their all age services they have attendance by the brownie and guide groups along with parents of the children but these people do not attend regularly which is a definite challenge to the church. The songs were delivered by computer based music and unusual for a Methodist church, the singing was not strong.  I am not  sure what I can do differently as regards this.  The songs were traditional which fitted the congregation. I received positive feedback from the congregation with several commenting that they would like me to come back again.  one of the congregation significantly commented that my m...

Service Reflection 11.11.12 Today I led my first remembrance service at lower stoke Methodist church to a congregation of approx 11 people.  The service went very well and incorporated members of the congregation in its delivery.  we observed the two minutes of silence following a video presentation of scenes depicting conflict ranging from WW1 to the present day conflict in Afghanistan.  The message was focussed on the need to follow and embrace the way of Jesus, that of rejecting warfare and violence whatever the cost. the service was well accepted by the congregation with a number of positive comments from the congregation in the immediate aftermath. i felt that the service flowed well, with appropriate solemnity balanced with reflection and thought.  My mentor John Stunnell was present and he commented that Remembrance services were very difficult to manage, however he felt that I had performed and planned it very well and that he w...

Yesterday 7 October, I led the service at GMC my home church.  the service had a congregation of about 70 people with a mixed age range.  Before the service I was quite nervous, but aware of the blessing of the Holy Spirit.  The theme of the service was radical love and extreme trust.  Initial feedback has been positive which is encouraging.  My parents came, and enjoyed the service along with a family friend.  The sermon seems to strike a chord with several people in the congregation. The worship team were on top form and gave a wonderful rendition of "Looking in the sky".    I look forward to preaching at GMC again.  Several members of the church had a role in the service even though I was involved from start to finish.  My wife Carol and youngest daughter also gave wonderful approach readings at the beginning of the service, giving the service a family feel to it.  Praise God!

I originally wrote this piece 2 summers ago, but think it is still relevant.  My Knee still hurts from time to time but what is important is the trust in God and the growing of relationship with him.  Today I read a blog by Anita Mathias of hanging out with God.  Such a true perspective on life and what matters.  I therefore thought I would share this again.  I hope you enjoy. Just before I was due to go for elective surgery in late August, I had a dream in which I heard what I believe to be God saying to me "Walk with me".  it was one of his normally short discussions when I get the hint these days that something interesting and hard is going to happen.  This happened once before and I hadn't listened properly, to my subsequent pain. On 28th August I duly went in for my surgery a simple arthroscopic menisectomy.  I wasn't expecting a problem but I was aware that god had forewarned me of something on the horizon.  I left the day ward, the...

Trial Service 1.7.12 today I gave my trial service at Strood Methodist church.  I am currently awaiting for the outcome of the formal assessment by my two assessors but informally I have so far received sufficient positive feedback to feel that I will indeed be progressing to on-trial status in this journey.  There were inevitable learning points in the service, parts that could have gone better, little things that I thought had been planned around that cropped up on the day, though overall I am pleased that I coped with most of them and led the service in a calm and unruffled manner.  Choice of songs is an issue, though here there is no easy answer as local preachers are asked to preach at churches they no little about.  Overall though I am reasonably happy and aware that I can do even better next time.  The sermon was especially welcomed which I was very pleased with.

I conducted my first solo service on Sunday.  The setting was at lower Stoke which is a friendly informal small group church on the grain peninsular.  I would describe the congregatioin as real christians.  No airs and graces are to be found here.  I think the service went very well.  I felt comfortable giving the leadership and the service flowed well from beginning to end.  There was a clear sense of development through the service with I feel the hymns revealing clear linkage with the theme of the sermon which was a celebration of real jubilee, relationship with God, through the will of the Father, the grace of Jesus and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

As a Church we have entered a spell of 40 days of prayer and fasting.  The aim is that the church shall listen to what God is saying to us, so it is primarily a listening exercise.  one of the images that came to me today at a prayer session was "to be a source of life giving water in a barren land" I'm not too sure what that means yet, but hope to understand soon I have a service at Lower Stoke on Sunday.  It is the home church of my mentor - no pressure then..  I am looking forward to it and pray that God will bless the service and everyone present.