We have been looking a Paul in our bible studies/discussion group and so I followed the theme through to Sunday with 'Road to Damascus' experiences. I found a beautiful piece in 'Shadowlands' of Joy Gresham's experience - the shock for her of being a communist atheist on her knees praying!
I altered my prepared sermon in the light of watching 'The Big Silence' with Christopher Jamison, the former Abbot of Worth. Five folk spent an eight day retreat in silence. Each in their own way had a profound sense of God being with them, even though only one of the group found it relatively easy to get into the silence.
Christopher explained that silence is the gateway to the soul, and the soul is the gateway to God.
But this leaves me with a nagging question around the 'Myers Briggs Type Indicator' (MBTI).
Where does this leave Extroverts who mostly get their energy from others and find retreats very draining?
Or is this why four of the five had such a tough time getting into the silence?
Or is it that silence is so different to our everyday lives it becomes quite scary?
I would welcome any comments!
Monday, 1 November 2010
glitches
There still seems to be a glitch on my blog which doesn't allow me to add to comments.
So thank you to Angela, who's married to a techno-wizz, for your offer and to Catriona for your encouragement.
It all went well and the chapel folk enjoyed the music and singing along with others on the ipod.
I had previously chosen hymns around the theme of being called weren't on the ipod so instead chose some Graham Kendrick hymns, one of which was new to them but they soon picked it up.
Yes, of course they would rather have our organist but they did enjoy the ipod for a change.
So thank you to Angela, who's married to a techno-wizz, for your offer and to Catriona for your encouragement.
It all went well and the chapel folk enjoyed the music and singing along with others on the ipod.
I had previously chosen hymns around the theme of being called weren't on the ipod so instead chose some Graham Kendrick hymns, one of which was new to them but they soon picked it up.
Yes, of course they would rather have our organist but they did enjoy the ipod for a change.
Friday, 29 October 2010
how will they take it?
...hopefully very well! as they are very forgiving folk at Chapel!
Let me explain -
We have no organist for this coming Sunday as she is poorly. So do we sing unaccompanied?
Our organist is an excellent singer as well who can get us all singing - I am no good - I can only follow.
We do have electricity and a loop system, but no mixing desk or computer and projector. Think back 30 or 40 years and that's us!
And then I had a bright idea. I do have an ipod which has all my favourite CDs on it, including many hymns. So I abandoned all the hymns I had chosen for Sunday as none of them were on the ipod and chose new hymns that were sung relatively slowly, and with a long lead I've manage to get the hymns to come through the loudspeakers.
I just hope the Chapel folk won't mind singing along with an ipod!
Let me explain -
We have no organist for this coming Sunday as she is poorly. So do we sing unaccompanied?
Our organist is an excellent singer as well who can get us all singing - I am no good - I can only follow.
We do have electricity and a loop system, but no mixing desk or computer and projector. Think back 30 or 40 years and that's us!
And then I had a bright idea. I do have an ipod which has all my favourite CDs on it, including many hymns. So I abandoned all the hymns I had chosen for Sunday as none of them were on the ipod and chose new hymns that were sung relatively slowly, and with a long lead I've manage to get the hymns to come through the loudspeakers.
I just hope the Chapel folk won't mind singing along with an ipod!
Sunday, 24 October 2010
career or vocation?
This morning on Radio 4's 'Sunday' program, the bishop of Fulham was being interviewed on his plans to become a Roman Catholic priest in response to the Anglican's move to have women bishops.
He spoke about the fact that he was following his vocation, it was not a career and therefore he would like to become a priest but was also aware that he may be a lay person within the Roman Catholic church. He would go where the church told him.
Is that the difference? My move to the ministry was not my choice, it was a calling that I could not ignore! Do some Anglicans take more note of church and tradition, than of the call of God? or is it that the church's tradition speaks so loudly that it is difficult to hear God.
In Christ there is no male or female; all are equal!
He spoke about the fact that he was following his vocation, it was not a career and therefore he would like to become a priest but was also aware that he may be a lay person within the Roman Catholic church. He would go where the church told him.
Is that the difference? My move to the ministry was not my choice, it was a calling that I could not ignore! Do some Anglicans take more note of church and tradition, than of the call of God? or is it that the church's tradition speaks so loudly that it is difficult to hear God.
In Christ there is no male or female; all are equal!
Sunday, 17 October 2010
28:19 or 21:17
Dare I admit it?
I've always found the Great Commission in Matthew's Gospel difficult!
And I've grown up finding missionary service difficult!
There - it's out in the open!
The first is because I prefer Jesus' commission in John's Gospel as it is more fitting with my personality and the second is because I knew several sons and daughters of missionaries who were literally shipped home to England to go to boarding school - I didn't think it was right!
But over the years I have softened in my outlook, especially now knowing several friends who work for the BMS and hearing more about the work of those abroad.
This weekend, four small Baptist chapels have had a visit from their 'link missionary'. For those who have no idea what this is.....
Some churches have folk who were part of their membership who have been called into missionary work but for other churches with no missionary of their own, they are given a link missionary.
Our four chapels, two on the border in England and two on the border in Wales share Judy. Yesterday, we gathered in England to worship, hear about her work, have tea and eat Thai food from a local restaurant and share communion.
And this morning we gathered in Wales to worship, hear about her work, pray for her as she returns to Thailand at the end of the month and get to know her a little better over coffee and cakes.
Judy used to be a children's nurse and was happy in her work but felt a call to missionary service. Having been sent to Thailand to undertake looking after those with AIDS and HIV, she started fostering a little girl and then found she was fostering a boy and then another girl until she is now running a Thai government approved foster home with six full time staff, several of whom came from very difficult backgrounds and in need of a fresh start in life.
I found it very reassuring that in my life too, God called me to one thing and it was only as time went by that I realised that it was so I could be in the right place to do something else.
I am excited about the work Judy is doing and how she is open to God, knowing that she doesn't know what will happen next but fully trusts God, knowing that God will provide.
And I feel that I have made a new friend! and for that I thank God
I've always found the Great Commission in Matthew's Gospel difficult!
And I've grown up finding missionary service difficult!
There - it's out in the open!
The first is because I prefer Jesus' commission in John's Gospel as it is more fitting with my personality and the second is because I knew several sons and daughters of missionaries who were literally shipped home to England to go to boarding school - I didn't think it was right!
But over the years I have softened in my outlook, especially now knowing several friends who work for the BMS and hearing more about the work of those abroad.
This weekend, four small Baptist chapels have had a visit from their 'link missionary'. For those who have no idea what this is.....
Some churches have folk who were part of their membership who have been called into missionary work but for other churches with no missionary of their own, they are given a link missionary.
Our four chapels, two on the border in England and two on the border in Wales share Judy. Yesterday, we gathered in England to worship, hear about her work, have tea and eat Thai food from a local restaurant and share communion.
And this morning we gathered in Wales to worship, hear about her work, pray for her as she returns to Thailand at the end of the month and get to know her a little better over coffee and cakes.
Judy used to be a children's nurse and was happy in her work but felt a call to missionary service. Having been sent to Thailand to undertake looking after those with AIDS and HIV, she started fostering a little girl and then found she was fostering a boy and then another girl until she is now running a Thai government approved foster home with six full time staff, several of whom came from very difficult backgrounds and in need of a fresh start in life.
I found it very reassuring that in my life too, God called me to one thing and it was only as time went by that I realised that it was so I could be in the right place to do something else.
I am excited about the work Judy is doing and how she is open to God, knowing that she doesn't know what will happen next but fully trusts God, knowing that God will provide.
And I feel that I have made a new friend! and for that I thank God
Monday, 27 September 2010
60 is the new 40
for several years I have heard people say this and this morning Harriet Harman was reported as saying that life begins at sixty. I wonder what happens at forty now?!
Apparently I was 'over the hill' at thirty, and found my 35th birthday very difficult - I'd reached the halfway point to three score years and ten!
In my forties I went back to college to train for the ministry - a complete change from the world of creating wedding dresses. I hadn't done much reading before then and now my walls started to become covered in books on shelves.
In my fifties, I moved house and became an 'earth mother' as predicted by my fellow students, leading the 'good life', growing our own veggies and baking bread, and followed the ministry of being available to those who wanted to make use of my counselling skills and theological training.
In my sixties another change, another house move and the call to be the minister of the local Chapel.
So what is so good about being 60?
I think it is that I am happy being me. I don't have the desire to be anything different. But is that because of my age or is it because I am so fortunate to have the ability to live where we do and have enough money not to worry? Maybe it is because I'm old enough and have lived long enough to have worked out what is important in life; a knowledge that I am loved by God and others, and everything else is secondary.
Apparently I was 'over the hill' at thirty, and found my 35th birthday very difficult - I'd reached the halfway point to three score years and ten!
In my forties I went back to college to train for the ministry - a complete change from the world of creating wedding dresses. I hadn't done much reading before then and now my walls started to become covered in books on shelves.
In my fifties, I moved house and became an 'earth mother' as predicted by my fellow students, leading the 'good life', growing our own veggies and baking bread, and followed the ministry of being available to those who wanted to make use of my counselling skills and theological training.
In my sixties another change, another house move and the call to be the minister of the local Chapel.
So what is so good about being 60?
I think it is that I am happy being me. I don't have the desire to be anything different. But is that because of my age or is it because I am so fortunate to have the ability to live where we do and have enough money not to worry? Maybe it is because I'm old enough and have lived long enough to have worked out what is important in life; a knowledge that I am loved by God and others, and everything else is secondary.
Sunday, 26 September 2010
harvest and back to church Sunday
It was a beautiful morning as we walked to Chapel - chilly but the sky was bright blue, the sun was shining and the leaves were just starting to turn.
The Chapel had been decorated by eight of our ladies on Friday afternoon and the smell of the apples as we entered was lovely.
As our theme today was Jesus' saying of "I am the Bread of Life", we had coffee with Barabrith, the traditional Welsh teabread after the service.
Although we didn't have anyone coming back to church our numbers topped 20 which is a lot for us.
But we did have a couple of visitors who were on holiday staying at a B&B run by one of our members.
The husband knew that his family had originally come from this area but we were all surprised to find out that although they had never met before - his uncle's sister is one of our deacons! So we had a family union over coffee and Barabrith, where six 2nd cousins were able to chat to each other!
The Chapel had been decorated by eight of our ladies on Friday afternoon and the smell of the apples as we entered was lovely.
As our theme today was Jesus' saying of "I am the Bread of Life", we had coffee with Barabrith, the traditional Welsh teabread after the service.
Although we didn't have anyone coming back to church our numbers topped 20 which is a lot for us.
But we did have a couple of visitors who were on holiday staying at a B&B run by one of our members.
The husband knew that his family had originally come from this area but we were all surprised to find out that although they had never met before - his uncle's sister is one of our deacons! So we had a family union over coffee and Barabrith, where six 2nd cousins were able to chat to each other!
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