A season to grow

We are all living in a busy and complicated world

The rhythm of times and seasons in the church calendar is useful

... there are times when we are really busy and there are time when things quieten down

... there are times when we celebrate and times when we are more reflective

... there are times when we remember certain events and times when we look at general points

This sunday sees the beginning of the green colours in church which are ordinary... pastoral ... growth colours reminding us that we are indeed called to grow, to live

In this period between Trinity Sunday and the start of advent we will be reading Bible Passages which are focused on living out the Good News, of applying principles so that we grow as Christians, so that we become wiser in our learning, so that we become a wee bit more like Jesus.

Time and again Jesus used images from agriculture ... seed, roots, vines, wheat to speak about growth.

The readings at this time of year have been chosen to challenge congregations around the world to put into practice the whole of the Gospel - to apply the passages to our everyday situations.

Inspiration for sermons come in all sorts of different circumstances ... from all sorts of different people

I am learning in the curatage garden that there is a need to not only feed and water the plants but I also need to remove things that might damage them. I do love taking advice from people who know what they are talking about. Just this week Jim came and said that the window boxes are looking well but he also said ... look there is something damaging those young plants ... you need to get pellets to remove those pests.

Jim knows what he is talking about ... and sure enough they have gone. I needed to take action.

Every single one of us is called to grow, we are called on an amazing journey to know God better, we are called to develop, to become more like Jesus. Our reading this morning calls this sanctification ... a process of development ... Sunday by Sunday we come to church to worship, to hear the word of God proclaimed, to be strengthened when we hear it, to recieve Holy Communion, to be reminded the length Jesus has gone to for us and to be sent out our way, to wherever and whoever we are serving this week.

In our Epistle reading this morning we are reminded of the things which could so easily prevent us from growing up in the faith. Paul writing to the Church in Rome reminds them of sin and all that that word conjours up in our minds.

Not one of us are perfect ... all of us need to hear the message that we are all called to reflect on the stuff in our lives which we need to get rid of. If we don’t take action like my little flowers we may be hurt, we will be damaged by it.

When we talk about sin ... we could rhyme of a whole list of ways to sin ... but as we were preparing the current all age worship service sheet

we found the wording

Forgive us Lord

when we do the wrong thing,

when we say the wrong thing

even when we think the wrong thing

None of us have to look too far to see things that we have done, said or thought which are not of God’s will

When we compare our love to that of 1 Cor or our actions to that of what the Holy Spirit wants to produce in us

As we begin this period of growth over the summer period how are you and I going to grow, how are we going to put into place in our lives places of spiritual food, reflection, challenge and indeed community.

In St. Columba’s our prayer has been and will continue to be that all ages would be welcomed, would recieve love and fellowship. That all envy, pride and hatred would not be found here. That those who are tempted would find help, that those who are grieving would recieve comfort, that there would be mercy and place of growth

It is to this end that we want to provide Bible Study right through the summer on a wednesday evening ... currently looking at a book called Knowing God. Each Chapter is a stand alone study so if you want to come along please do let myself or the rector know ... copies of the chapters will be available

We also want to provide during the summer months dates, times & places to meet and be together, ... for all ages... Today we are heading to Tollymore. Other times will appear in the mid summer magazine

We simply want to give people the excuse, the space and time to pause, to chat, to be together and to renew strength and go on their way in hope and Joy.

We do live in a busy and complicated world ... church is called to stand out, to be a place where all can belong to a loving and caring community. It is our prayer in this community would grow into and would know that we are here for one another through good and bad. For this to happen we all need to play our part.

I do believe that this is Faith and Growth in action

Let us pray

Help us Lord to grow, to become more like you in our attitudes, in our words and deeds. Amen

Holy Land Series - 2 Bethlehem

From here we Jumped on the bus and headed to the town of Bethlehem

Not a little town now but a big city, a divided city. It is amazing to catch our first glimpse of the peace wall ... the check point. When we were driving through one of the most poignant images was that of a bankzy graffiti icon ... that of the dove of peace under threat.

What an Irony!, in the place where the Prince of Peace was born there is so much conflict.

In Bethlehem we headed to manger square, queued in the church of the nativity and vistited the cave where Jesus is supposed to have been born.

A very special place.

Church of the Nativity

Matthew 2: 1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.” ’ Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

O God, our gracious heavenly Father, Creator and Sustainer, and yet our Father, we thank you on this wonderful day for that little child who would make us all your children. As we remember his lowly, humble birth, take away our pride. as we remember his pure life, take away our sins, as we remember how he came, not to be ministered unto, but to minister, help us to serve more unselfishly, give more generously, and love more devotedly. For his sake. Amen (adapted from Leslie Weatherhead)

My lasting memory of this place will be the group getting together and singing ... Away in a manger ...

Shepherd’s Fields

After lunch (still on the first day!) we headed off to The Shepherds fields where we looked out over the hill country and spotted some modern day shepherds in the fields.

Luke 2

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.

Almighty God,

in the birth of your Son

you have poured on us the new light of your incarnate Word,

and shown us the fullness of your love:

help us to walk in this light and dwell in his love

that we may know the fullness of his joy;

who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and ever. Amen

Internet and church

An interesting item ....


Anglican Communion News Service - Digest News

Pastors should use, not ignore, IT - Anglican priest

Posted On : June 22, 2011 12:02 PM | Posted By : Admin ACO
Related Categories: South East Asia
By Nathanael Ng writing in The Christian Post

Attitudes of uncertainty, fear and ignorance still dominate among church leaders on the advent of the digital revolution.

But for churches to impact society, pastors need to understand the changes and maximise their use of IT, highlighted an Anglican priest.

Writing for the latest issue of Trinity Theological College's Church & Society in Asia Today magazine, the Reverend Canon Terry Wong of St. James' Church said: "The Church should not relegate IT issues to technicians and hobbyist.

"Leaders, pastors, theologians and thinkers need to give leadership to these matters."

Key to pastoral ministry is regular communication between pastors and their church members and fellow leaders, Canon Wong pointed out.

Current IT tools can help pastors enhance that communication. And these tools are neutral, the priest emphasised.

"A pastor who wants to communicate will use whatever tools there are at his disposal," he said.

Giving specific examples, he highlighted that email communication provides a 'great' avenue for teams to work together.

"Our teams include lay leaders who do not share our work premises and work with us remotely," he said. "They receive inspirational ideas during the week and are encouraged when they know their pastor enjoys listening to them."

Twitter, Facebook, e-prayer letters or web logs are a convenient means for church members to be updated on the work and ministry trips of their pastors.

Church websites are important. This is because today many will first visit a church's website before turning up in church or at its office, the priest highlighted.

It is challenging to design or redesign the church website and to keep it updated, he acknowledged. For this reason, collective efforts could be made within a denomination to help each church do that.

It is advantageous for pastors to be knowledgeable about and comfortable with IT. Even if they are not, they can give space and encouragement for lay leaders or younger staff to contribute.

Web logs can supplement pulpit ministry to help church members know and understand the Christian perspective on devotional, moral or social issues.

Moving to another subject, Canon Wong encouraged churches to offer sermons online without charge. This will make the resources easily available for those from Third World countries.

Teaching journals or magazines should be made available online, the priest proposed.

As things stand, however, the Church appears to be 'losing the race' in terms of shaping beliefs and culture, he observed.

The issue is not a lack of relevant voices, he pointed out. Rather, it is one of churches not making good use of the digital medium and being slow to adapt.

"The Church has almost become a ghetto, speaking only to herself," said Canon Wong.

Many churches still bear vestiges of the era of the Reformation, with truth usually communicated semantically. Some attend churches where the Gospel is merely re-enacted.

It is not surprising then that youths are leaving traditional churches by droves in most societies, the priest noted.

"On Sundays, they enter a church singing formal songs and listening to the sole preacher," he said. "On weekdays, the world engages them in a whirlwind of networking, self-expression, meaningful interactions where truth and reality are experienced collaboratively, viscerally and relationally."

Consequently, Christianity is in danger of becoming irrelevant to them, he warned. "By ignoring the digital revolution and failing to connect with our youths today, the church has practically chosen to stay out of their lives," he said.

Moreover, people today are gathering in the cyber-world according to their hobbies and interests rather than political or religious lines.

And yet churches are seeking to establish their denominational distinctive or work in isolation from other Christian bodies.

"People on the street... are seeking for spiritual reality," said the priest. "And many of the terms used to classify denominational distinctive mean very little to them."

How does God guide us

This blog has been prepared for a Bible study based on Chapter 20 of Knowing God by J I Packer

Some are afraid that they might miss God's plan for their lives.

Gods guidance is based upon two facts ...

1. The reality of God's plan
2. The ability of God to communicate that plan

The reality of these two facts are seen time and again throughout the pages of scripture

How does God today?

Packer gives us a class of problems which we may seek for guidance ... All of which are good (p265) but between which we may have to decide

They cannot be chosen by a direct reading of scripture
There does in this case need some sort of discernment ... How is this to be achieved?

Packer points to common sense ... Rational thought! ... Principles of bible teaching

I do like the comment at the bottom of page 268 'he guides me in the paths of righteousness' but not anywhere else!

Packer proceeds to highlight 6 common pitfalls

1. Forgetting to think ... To consider the implications of the choice
2. Forgetting to think ahead .... To weigh up the long term consequences of a decision
3. Not willing to take advice ... There are always people around about us who know the Bible, us, our own giftings and limitations better than we do and it is indeed biblical to take their advice, to ask them, to get their opinion ... Even if we end up rejecting what they say we can weigh up their opinions ... To look at a decision from a different angle is helpful
4. Forgetting to suspect oneself ... By this is to look at ourselves and ask why we are feeling this is the right course of action ... These feelings can sometimes be leading us in our own way ... Can we justify what we are deciding or not?
5. Forgetting to Discount personal magnetism ... Are we taking this decision to make us popular or because people will put us on a proverbial pedestal
6. Forgetting to wait ... 'wait on the Lord' is something which the psalmist is continually reminding us to do

The thing about all of this is that even though we have taken all of the above into consideration packer reminds us that there are no simple answers

We may well have to evaluate as we go along but there is no easy problem free life ... Look at the Bible characters ... No one has ever been completely guided by God in all decisions that made a carefree life... All came up against problems

'I simply had to bow in the knowledge that God was his own interpreter... We must allow God to do what he wants to do. And if you are thinking that you know the will of God for your life and you are anxious to do that, you are probably in for a very rude awakening because nobody knows the will of God for his entire life...'

When we miss the road

If we end up going the wrong way . It is usually a good idea to turn around ...even if it will take a bit of effort to make that turning. God is a god who takes all of us and makes good out of the mistakes. This is part of the overall sovereignty of God

He wills that whatever happens, whatever mistakes we make that we shall come safe home. Slip pings and strings there will be but the everlasting arms are beneath us; we shall be caught, rescued restored.

How freeing all of this is

Robert says ...

I think all of the above is completely great teaching and advice ... However i wonder for a wee bit of discussion on facebook / blog /email a couple of questions

1. How to the work of the Holy Spirit impact into all of this
2. Do you agree with all of the above ... Is there any other advice you would give to someone who is seeking to know whether decision x y or z is the right way to go?

The incarnation ...

Two Blogs in One today ... Holy Land number 2 and Bible Study Chapter 5

Whilst in the Holy Land, directly after the Garden of Gethsemane we boarded the bus and headed to Bethlehem to visit the church of the Nativity.

Matthew 2: 1-12

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.” ’ Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

O God, our gracious heavenly Father, Creator and Sustainer, and yet our Father, we thank you on this wonderful day for that little child who would make us all your children. As we remember his lowly, humble birth, take away our pride. as we remember his pure life, take away our sins, as we remember how he came, not to be ministered unto, but to minister, help us to serve more unselfishly, give more generously, and love more devotedly. For his sake. Amen (adapted from Leslie Weatherhead)

The Incarnation has huge implications for our lives and ministry ... A dark cave, in a far away land. The Son of God was born.

In our Bible Study this evening we are looking at what the Incarnation means to us.

JI Packer on Page 62 looks at 7 things which the prologue to Johns Gospels says about this child born in a manger

IN THE BEGINNING WAS the word

And the word was WITH God

And the word WAS God

THROUGH HIM ALL THINGS WERE MADE

In him was LIFE

and that life was the LIGHT OF MEN

The word BECAME FLESH

These few verses when we analyse them speak so much of what we believe as Christians about Jesus.

He has always been, He is in a relationship with the Father and He is God, he became one of us and he is the Life and Light for us all.

There are loads of ways to understand what Jesus did in becoming Fully Human whilst also reamining fully God. Packer in our Bible Study reminds us that he emptied himself (Kenosis) means laying aside his Glory - He voluntarily restrained his power; and acceptance of hardship, isolation and eventually death on the cross.

So what does this mean for us ?

The incarnation speaks of God's love for each and every one of us. It Speaks of God identifying with his world, it reminds us that he identified with all our failings and faults. It means that God know what it is to be tempted, humiliated .... and the rest.

He knows what it is like to mourn at funerals, to rejoice at weddings

What if God was one of us? ... actually he was!