Ever fancied improving the environment?
How about a spot of guerilla gardening.
In the autumn we planted some snowdrop bulbs around the park as a symbol of hope and resurrection. (See Snowdrops and Stones 6th October 2013)
guerilla gardening
It’s great to see little clumps of the delicate blooms dancing in the breeze and know it heralds the end of winter and reminds us of hope and resurrection as we head towards Holy Week.
Gathering at the bandstand this morning we opened our worship by taking advantage of the beautiful scenery that surrounds us in the park. The hills, the trees and flowers along with the birdsong and chatter of children playing happily, all helped us to glorify God.
As is our practise at Third Space – a question to think about and discuss.
Images courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
So what do you think about original sin?
This is what Grayden said:
“From time to time over recent years I’ve been pondering over the Christian dogma of “original sin”. I don’t have a problem with the idea that we live with the consequences of “Adam’s” sin, because clearly we live in a world of suffering and conflict and death. But I do have a problem with the dogma of inherited sin and guilt from “Adam”. I have come to the conclusion that I am a sinner because of the choices I have made and not because of inherited sin and guilt from “Adam”.
Then over the last couple of weeks when preparing this morning’s worship I discovered through searches on the internet that the Eastern Church (which includes the Orthodox Churches of Greece and Eastern Europe, and the indigenous, pre-colonial Churches of Africa, the Middle East and Asia.) believes that humanity inherited the consequences of “Adam’s” sin but not his guilt. In contrast the Western Church (which includes the Roman Catholic Church and all its Reformed Protestant offshoots such as the Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal, URC, etc.) believes that humanity inherits the sin and guilt of “Adam” and therefore every person is born a sinner.
The difference between the Western and Eastern Churches view of “original sin” stems from Augustine’s interpretation of Romans 5:12, his interpretation is that Paul is saying that all people inherit sin and guilt from “Adam” and therefore are born sinners, whereas the Eastern Church reading of the verse is that all humanity sins due to inheriting a flawed human nature from “Adam”.
It seems to me that the two interpretations lead to a very different focus both on God and humanity. The Western Church model is judicial and focuses on humanity’s sin and God’s wrath, whereas the Eastern Church’s approach is more therapeutic and focuses on humanity’s suffering and death, and God’s compassion. It presents a God who says come to me and I will help you to become the person you were always meant to be.”
So what do you think?
To be discussed over coffee (Fairtrade of course) later ????????????
bandstand centre piece
After some time for thought we prayed for problems in the world and for people known to us in need before we shared bread and wine together.
The evening of Wednesday, 26th February found us at Designate@thegate showing a film for Fairtrade Fortnight. “Black Gold” is about the world coffee trade, and focuses on coffee farmers in Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee.
Harvesting coffee for Oromia
Multinational companies dominate the coffee industry which is worth over $80 Billion annually, making it the most valuable commodity on the world market after oil. But while we pay top prices for our americanos and cappuccinos, the price paid to coffee farmers is so low that many have been forced to abandon growing coffee and instead grow crops for the drugs trade just to stave off starvation.
“Black Gold” asks us “to wake up and smell the coffee” and be aware of the unjust conditions under which one of the world’s favourite drinks is produced and then to decide to take action. The film provides a brilliant introduction to how necessary Fairtrade is, as it strives to give consumers a just and fair alternative.
Early in the film we meet Tadesse Meskela, a man on a mission to save his struggling coffee farmers from starvation. Tadasse is the manager of the Oromia Coffee Farmers Co-operative Union, which at the time of filming is made up of 101 co-operatives representing 74,000 small coffee farmers in southern Ethiopia. As the farmers work hard to harvest some of the highest quality coffee beans in the world, Tadesse travels the world in an attempt to find buyers willing to pay a fair price for the coffee. He works tirelessly to cut out the middlemen, the multinational companies and the commodity traders and speculators in New York and London who callously drive down the price the farmers get for their coffee.
The coffee farmers don’t want handouts – they simply want justice – a fair price for their coffee. Tadesse’s cause is supported by the Fairtrade movement, which is working to bring commodities such as tea, cocoa, sugar, bananas etc. as well as coffee, to an ever increasing number of consumers in the rich world.
Eventually “Black Gold” returns to Ethiopia, where a famine is taking hold. Some coffee farmers, facing starvation, have begun to replace coffee bushes with chat, a chewable narcotic plant which brings in a higher price than coffee.
There is a poignant moment in the film when some farmers are gathered around Tadesse, who asks them if they know how much a cup of coffee costs in the USA. The cost is so bizarre and unreal that rather than showing outrage they are astonished and lost for words. The disparity between what they get for their coffee beans and the cost of a cup of coffee just doesn’t make sense.
The film rather than simply being a rant against the corporate baddies, shows how Fairtrade initiatives are making a real difference to correct some of the injustices facing poor producers in the developing world, and how every person can make a difference by buying Fairtrade Marked products. So buy Fairtrade tea, coffee, sugar, bananas and chocolate, etc. and shun shops and cafes that don’t sell it or serve it. You can change the world for the better, one cup of coffee at a time!
Look out for the Fairtrade Mark
So what is new at Third Space?
Rumour has it that some members were seen disguised as Fairtrade Bananas this weekend in the Great Derbyshire Dales Fairtrade Banana Relay. Phew!
and in preparation for such an energetic event ….
Third Spacers went away for the weekend together to an idyllic setting in Yorkshire’s Bronte country.
Amazingly we managed to find a space between the rain to enjoy a walk in the countryside.
The rest of the weekend, well there was lots of extremely good food put on by various members of the Third Space Gastronomic Brigade, a wine tasting, some investigations into Celtic Christianity, Michael Mitton’s book to discuss, watching rugby matches with lots of friendly rivalry, photo opportunities with our resident photographer, a trip to Saltaire and much, much more.
We stayed on a working farm so our space was shared by a forth variety (get it – Forth Space) we must be getting even more Franciscan.
So what else is new – Watch this SPACE!
“A shining piece of film-making
on the darkness at the heart of
the City … this is a film no one
should avoid”
DAILY MIRROR
“The City of London’s murky tax
avoidance all wrapped up with
Queen and Empire”
THOM YORKE
Wednesday, 29th January, was Third Space film night at Designate. Although the evening was cold and wet the film was shown before a packed room. “The UK Gold” is fronted by a very impressive and gallant East London vicar, the Rev William Taylor. This is the kind of film that gets you hot under the collar, it is a very clear expose of the UK’s lamentable record of turning a blind eye to tax avoidance by the very rich and by multinational companies and it homes in on the unsavoury role played by the City of London. The British Government does not come out of the film very well, you could say that it does not walk the talk! Barack Obama does rather better, he calls arrangements in UK overseas territories a “scam”.
The major features of tax avoidance are clearly explained – crown dependencies, tax havens, tax lawyers, accountants, phantom companies etc. But the tax avoiders’ best weapon is silence – at the end of the film there is a long list of people from the Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Labour Parties, plus people from the City of London who declined to be interviewed. It spoke volumes!
This is a documentary film to cause outrage and anger, do go and see it and be outraged! If the film does not manage to bring about change then at least it has brought into the open the scams and dodgy deals carried out by the City of London, the mega rich, the multinational corporates, and their tax lawyers and accountants.
This Sunday we left the bandstand to reflect as we walked alongside the Derwent river in the park. Rivers feature large in the Bible and as we read different extracts from the Bible it all came to life somehow as we looked at the fast-flowing water and banks and trees…
We each had a large stone, a pen and leaves. Here are the words we used:
Ezekiel 47– The River in the New Jerusalem. A prayer for the healing of the nations
Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river…12 Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.’
Find some leaves and write on them the names of nations in need of healing. Throw the leaves into the water and pray for the rise of peacemakers and the fall of warmongers…
Joshua 1– 4(selected verses) The crossing of the Jordan. Claiming God’s help for others.
Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people. Cross to the country I’m giving to the People of Israel. I’m giving you every square inch of the land you set your foot on—just as I promised Moses. ‘When you come to the edge of the Jordan’s waters, stand there on the river bank.’” Then Joshua addressed the People of Israel: “Attention! Listen to what God, your God, has to say. This is how you’ll know that God is alive among you… Look at what’s before you: the Chest of the Covenant. Think of it—the Master of the entire earth is crossing the Jordan as you watch. When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the Chest of God, Master of all the earth, touch the Jordan’s water, the flow of water will be stopped—the water coming from upstream will pile up in a heap.” And that’s what happened. The river went dry all the way down to the Arabah Sea (the Salt Sea). And the people crossed, facing Jericho. And there they stood; those priests carrying the Chest of the Covenant stood firmly planted on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground. Finally the whole nation was across the Jordan, and not one wet foot…. “Each of you heft a stone to your shoulder, a stone for each of the tribes of the People of Israel, so you’ll have something later to mark the occasion. When your children ask you, ‘What are these stones to you?’ you’ll say, ‘The flow of the Jordan was stopped in front of the Chest of the Covenant of God as it crossed the Jordan—stopped in its tracks. These stones are a permanent memorial for the People of Israel.’”
Think about the barriers or hurdles in the way of people known to you who are facing a scary future or a life-changing event. God promises to ford such ‘rivers’ ahead of us and lead us to the other side in safety. Name those people who are on one side of their challenge. Pray that they will know God’s special help in leading them over. Take your stone and put it with the others to make our own reminder that today we have claimed God’s promises for those people.
Isaiah 43 Getting through rough waters. A prayer for yourself
43 1-4 But now, God’s Message,
the God who made you in the first place, Jacob,
the One who got you started, Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.
I’ve called your name. You’re mine.
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you’re between a rock and a hard place,
it won’t be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,
The Holy of Israel, your Saviour.
I paid a huge price for you:
all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That’s how much you mean to me!
That’s how much I love you!
I’d sell off the whole world to get you back,
trade the creation just for you.
5 “So don’t be afraid: I’m with you.
What is it that you are facing now, or will potentially face that concerns or frightens you? Hear God’s promise to you – that there is nothing that will overwhelm you. You are loved beyond your wildest imagination! Cross the bridge as a symbol of that successful crossing in the future.
On your way across hear God say ‘I’ll be there with you… Don’t be afraid’
On your way back place yourself in God’s protection. You may want to use one or more of the following responses:
‘I will trust in you’… ‘I receive your love’… ‘You are with me’…
So much of what we had reflected on was about remembering – remembering the promise of the renewed earth to come, of God’s help and rescue… and now we were remembering what Jesus did for us. The bread we shared was a rosemary foccacia – rosemary being traditionally linked to remembering. And so we shared bread and wine in communion with all those we had held in prayer…
At the start of each year we review our prayers from the previous one, We write our prayers on labels and attach them to a walking stick which hangs up at Holly House where we meet every other week. These hang as a continual reminder to pray for those we know who are in need.
In reviewing our prayers from 2013 we removed the labels containing them, gave thanks, then renewed our commitment to pray for those we know. The past prayers were symbolically offered up to God as we placed them in flames and watched the smoke rise.
In celebrating Epiphany Sunday we learnt about gifts, journey, stars, and revisited thoughts about who the Magi were and where they might have come from.
Epiphany means manifestation, appearance revelation. So it celebrates the revealing of Jesus to the Gentiles, represented by the Magi.
Reading Matthew 2: 1 – 18
Thoughts on the Magi
There would not have been three of them, they were not kings, we don’t know if they were wise, and they did not ride camels. They would have had a large entourage, including soldiers and servants. They travelled from the east probably from either Petra in modern day Jordan, Babylon in modern day Iraq or Persia, modern day Iran. The most likely of these is Persia and in that case they would have been Zoroastrian priests, worshippers of fire and light.
Gifts
Gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh are typical gifts to offer to a king or to a deity. Symbolic for Jesus:
Gold is a sign of earthly kingship
Frankincense is a symbol of deity
Myrrh an embalming oil – foreshadowing his death
Journey
In our reading from Matthew it says that the Magi returned to their “country by another road”. Perhaps some of us will have to take roads we never expected in 2014, whether they involve employment, health, relationships, retirement, education, economic circumstances – who knows?
So if Epiphany brings unexpected challenges or opportunities or sorrows or joys, let us try to remember that whatever road we may have to travel in 2014 God loves us and will always be our companion on the journey.
Stars
The guiding star figures large in the Magi’s story. We had a wonder through the park with the following meditation:
Why did the magi follow the star why was it a sign?
The magi were warned not to follow the same path on their way home.
The Greeks believed at the time of birth a new star was hung in the night sky as a gift that would serve as a guiding light over each person’s life journey.
Following this activity we had a bash at making some rustic stars from the twigs that had been collected from around the park.
An “A star” star
Sometimes we have to just accept failure.
Some were more successful than others!
Prayers
The area where the Magi may have journeyed or come from is an area of the world where there is conflict, unrest, war and suffering. We prayed for Iran, Iraq, Syria, Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Egypt (where Jesus was a refugee).
God,
this epiphany
seed us with hope
and empower us to be
fuel,
light,
fire,
action,
love
for the coming
of your Kingdom.
with thanks to THE TEXT THIS WEEK
A Blessing for 2014.
may you take the risk of bringing your vulnerable, broken self and not your sorted self so that the gospel can flow
may you take small actions that become graced in the least predictable ways
may you resist the temptation towards a theology of answers
may you remember to pause and reflect
may you always be willing to listen
may the deep joy of the holy spirit make you a bringer of fun, play and laughter
may you accept the invitation to express venturesome love
may you take the risk of conversation that is two way
may your faith guide you to choose wisely and ethically for the good of others
may you develop the practices of soft eyes, compassionate responses and hospitality
may the holy spirit enliven your imagination such that you find the world magical, enchanted, awe-inspiring and breathtakingly wonderful
amen
adapted from Jonny Baker worship tricks
May Jesus be your guiding light throughout 2014
The last month has found members of Third Space practising our culinary skills for not only have we been feeding our friends and families over the Christmas period, but we seem to have extended the festivities into the Advent period too.
In sharing food together we are following the example of Jesus with his disciples and followers (and sometimes his dissenters) and also the early church. Christians met together over a meal in each others homes, shared bread and wine and remembered what Jesus had done for them.
Happy birthday Kitty
We met this morning on Remembrance Sunday. Greeting us at the Bandstand was two slabs of clay, bread, wine, sunflower seeds and a sunflower seed head.
Who do we remember?
We remember those who sacrificed their lives for their country, but it can seem a bit removed from our experience, unless we know someone killed or injured in recent conflicts.
What are we giving thanks for?
Around this time of year we give thanks for God’s provision through services of Harvest Thanksgiving. Again, unless we work in farming or grow our own food we can be removed from the relevance of Harvest. We can buy our food at the supermarket regardless of seasonality.
Why did we have sunflower seeds?
I brought along the sunflower seeds that were harvested from three plants (grown from three seeds) planted earlier in the year to illustrate God’s amazingly abundant provision. Also the sunflowers had always reminded me of Anthony, a troubled man who had joined us at the same time as we planted the sunflower seeds and who has since sadly died. I wanted to remember Anthony who had his own internal battles to fight and who I hope felt love and acceptance at Third Space for the short time we knew him.
Generous God, Feast maker,
Thank you for the provision of food and friends,
for those we know and those we have known.
Provider God, protector and sustainer,
we welcome you among us this morning.
Look at the sunflower head and remember the seeds planted… marvel at how many came from so few.
Take some sunflower seeds and give thanks for the plentiful provision of God.
Spend some time offering something to God and ask that, however small, it can be used in His Kingdom to great effect.
Push seeds into clay to form the work thanks
Remembrance prayers
Two minutes silence
Place seeds in clay to write the word remember
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