Are We Forest Church?

Posted by & filed under Outdoor church, views of the park.

We split our time this morning between meeting in the bandstand and under the stark, bare winter beauty of the weeping beech.

Looking on the internet last week for some resources about outdoor church I came across the following:

“If you asked me to describe a transcendent moment, the first one that jumps to mind is always the tree of jewels that stopped me in my tracks one spring morning. If I thought about it harder I could have remembered a more iconic example from a retreat on Iona, a sunset in Cornwall or my first experience of the Alps, but the tree is always first in my mind. I saw it during a crisply cold, very still, early spring mountain bike ride through the Forest of Dean. The undulating route we were on turned a corner and began to descend. There in front of me was a young birch holding up its smoky, purple sprays, each bud, each twig holding a perfect drop of water, each water drop holding a miniature panorama and the bright morning sun. I stopped for, I don’t know how long, and I remember experiencing a completely absorbing sense of connection and appreciation for the Spirit who was both in this intimate magical moment, and timelessly behind the whole Universe.

For some years I’ve been asking other people about their most perfect, transcendent moments or for their descriptions of thin places, where the division between heaven and earth is at its thinnest. The majority of people’s descriptions of these are from nature (I’ve yet to hear many descriptions of them occurring during religious services in buildings). Usually they don’t last long and they often seem to happen when the person is involved in something out of the ordinary. “

Thanks to: Bruce Stanley frovm Forest Church: A Field Guide to Nature Connection for Groups and Individuals

I have had one or two moments here in the park. The most memorable is the day the leaves just rained down on us all. Seeing the cobwebs on the bridge clothed in raindrops and sparkling in the reflected sunlight was another.

Pause to think about any special moments you have had in the outdoors here in the park or elsewhere. Thank God for those times.

Prayer

So – We are meeting this morning, Creator God
in an outside space so we can experience
the beauty of all you have made,
experiencing this poem being written
not in words,
but in colours,
wind’s whisper,
singing birds,
snowdrop’s petal,
gentle rain,
sunlight’s warmth.
This is your space, Creator God,
a space where we meet with you, a space where we are blessed.

Amended – With thanks to Forest Church

Fiona read her favourite poem “Table” from the Turkish of Edip Cansever 

We placed the everyday things we are thankful for on the ground which represented our table.

Wendy continued the theme of thin places, thin times and the Kingdom of God with some thoughts following a clip we watched from American Beauty last Wednesday.

“Do you want to see the most beautiful thing I ever filmed? It was one of those days when it was just a moment away from snowing. And there was this electricity in the air – you can almost feel it – right? And this bag was just dancing with me, like a little kid, begging me to play with it. For 15 minutes.  

That’s the day I realised that there was this entire life behind things. And this incredibly benevolent force that wanted me to know that there was no reason to be afraid. Ever. 

Video is a poor excuse I know, but I need to remember sometimes, there’s so much beauty in the world.”

We were asked to walk and ask God to open our eyes to the beauty that speaks of the Kingdom. To our delight as we walked beside the river to the weeping beech a flock of ducks walked with us.

​

Divine Entanglement with Bread and Wine

Look up, all around, entangled and surrounded, mind-blowingly all enveloping – God’s breathing, God’s love sweeping down and curling around.

Acknowledged blessing and unacknowledged blessing, love noticed and unnoticed, blessings overt and covert. Incidences and coincidences and God-incidences too complex for us to sort through and untangle. We are caught – in the web. God behind us, God in us, God before us.

Surrounded and enveloped by God’s care, those blessings obvious to us now and those blessings only to be known about in the future and those blessings perhaps never to be known by us.

God at work in us and in those around us and in those we love and in those we despair of. God’s love touching us, our ground, our lives through His humanity and love incarnated in Jesus.

We are surrounded in our space and time by roots, by branches, by leaves, by this living and growing 360 degree, multi dimensional, 24/7, God who loves. We are not tree hugging, but we are God- hugged.

And so while we are still indifferent, ignorant, hostile, unblissfully unaware, God loves us and in our hands we hold the bread and wine which expresses, encapsulates and enfleshes that Jesus love.

So why us? Why are we invited to this banquet under this umbrella of God’s love? Because we deserve it, merit it, lead good lives and have good theology? No, because God loves because he loves because he loves….

And so together as one body within God’s enveloping, connected with the worldwide family, we eat bread.

And so together as one body within God’s enveloping, connected with the worldwide family, we drink wine.

And so we have communed with God in this banquet but we do not now take our leave of Him. These roots and branches encircle and will not let us go even though we depart from this holy ground. He goes before us, marks our steps and our way.

And so we pray for all:

May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore.

AMEN!

Empty?

Posted by & filed under Alternative prayer activities, Band stand, Kingdom of God, Outdoor church.

What a change a mild morning at the bandstand, bulbs peeking out through the soil and a glimpse of the sun.

We said together the following prayer of praise:

O Divine Voice,

You sing and the universe comes into being;

O Divine Breath,

You breathe and all things spring to life;

O Divine Word,

You call and creation is sustained;

O Divine Flesh,

You are born among us, and the Creator is clothed in creation;

O Divine Spirit,

You fill all that has been formed;

O Divine Life,

You are the pulse of all that is.

And so, in amazement and awe, in wonder and celebration

we marvel at this mystery:

In you all things live and move and have being,

In all things, you live and move and express your Divine artistry;

And so we join with creation in the eternal song of worship and wonder………………….

One of the brilliant things about Third Space is the thoughts it provokes, weeks and days after the subject has been raised.

Wendy introduced us to some of the sayings of Jesus from the Gospel of Thomas a couple of weeks ago   https://thirdspaceorg.wpengine.com/finding-the-kingdom-of-god/ 

One of which says:

97 Jesus said, The [Father’s] imperial rule is like a woman who was carrying a [jar] full of meal. While she was walking along [a] distant road, the handle of the jar broke and the meal spilled behind her [along] the road. She didn’t know it; she hadn’t noticed a problem. When she reached her house, she put the jar down and discovered that it was empty.

What Barbara shared this morning was how the last two Sunday mornings had made her realise that she was not running on empty, and suffering from “activists burnout”, but that over the last thirty eight years the work of the Kingdom of God had been following her (spilling behind) in what she did. Thus enabling others to come and take on what she had been doing in the community and how that had enthused her to continue to be involved.

Slow walking in the Park

Walk slowly across a grassy area to the place where the grass ends. While you walk pray:

  • For the areas in your life where you want to see evidence of the Kingdom of God.
  • For things that are important to you that you have tried or been trying to achieve.
  • For the people you know who need to be touched by God.
  • At the end of your walk open your bag and read what to do next.

Instructions

  1. Rip a hole in one corner of your bag (it contains bird seed) Leave a trail of the seed behind you on the grass as you walk back to the bandstand.
  2. As you walk remember the story of the woman with the broken jar who left a trail behind her and give thanks that you can leave a trail of the Kingdom of God behind you too.

We went on to share Bread and Wine together.

 

Finding the kingdom of God

Posted by & filed under General.

We started in the cold at the bandstand listening nonetheless to birdsong in the trees, reading the following:

Psalm 19: 1-4

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.

They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.

Psalm 95:1-7

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.

For the LORD is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.

Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.

Psalm 104 Selected verses

He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
They give water to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

The birds of the sky nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.
He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.

He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
wine that gladdens human hearts,
oil to make their faces shine,
and bread that sustains their hearts.

The trees of the LORD are well watered…
There the birds make their nests…
He made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to go down.
How many are your works, LORD!
In wisdom you made them all.

ThirdSpace

The kingdom of God is near!
It is all around us,
springing up in the park,
sparking light in Matlock,
pushing into darkness across the nation,
conquering evil throughout the earth;
An unstoppable force
out there and within us.
The kingdom is near, is here, is coming!
Repent…
Turn. Turn. DANCE…
And believe the good news!

Wendy led the session, sharing new insights for her into the kingdom of God, with input from The Gospel of Thomas – Read on! This is what everyone got to read and do:

The Gospel of Thomas
These are 114 sayings of Jesus, found on parchment in Egypt in 1945. Although it is difficult to be sure of a date of origin, most scholars now believe that it is a very early collections of Jesus’s sayings which had circulated at the time of the oral tradition. Some dismiss it as Gnostic – and therefore a heretical twisting or invention of ‘Christian’ teachings, but little in it is a clear fit with this claim. Indeed, 50% of this ‘lost’ Gospel is identical to or very close to words of Jesus found in the canonical Gospels. Included are the following teachings known to us on the kingdom of God: The parable of the sower; the mustard seed; the wheat and the tares; the rich fool; the banquet; the tenants in the vineyard; the pearl; the yeast; the treasure and the lost sheep.

The following are not in our Gospels. What, if anything might they have to offer to us?
In this translation the kingdom of God is translated as ‘The Father’s [or Heaven’s} imperial rule’ – or ‘the Father’s domain’’

3 Jesus said, “If your leaders say to you, ‘Look, the (Father’s) imperial rule is in the sky,’ then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, ‘It is in the sea,’ then the fish will precede you. Rather, the (Father’s) imperial rule is inside you and outside you. When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty.”

97 Jesus said, The [Father’s] imperial rule is like a woman who was carrying a [jar] full of meal. While she was walking along [a] distant road, the handle of the jar broke and the meal spilled behind her [along] the road. She didn’t know it; she hadn’t noticed a problem. When she reached her house, she put the jar down and discovered that it was empty.

1, What is your interpretation of these sayings?
2. What would you say the kingdom of God is like, in today’s terms? Create a ‘The kingdom of God is… / The kingdom of God is like…’ saying.

3. Write a line or two for a creed ‘We believe that the kingdom of God….’

Just for fun – what do you think of the following?
77 Jesus said, “I am the light that is over all things. I am all: from me all came forth, and to me all attained. Split a piece of wood; I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find me there.”

4. Where do you find God? Jot down some examples.

 

We shared answers to all of these, created our creed and shared stories of finding the kingdom in Cool River café over a much needed hot drink, after praying for God’s kingdom to come in us and without in our world, using feathers blown into the park and sharing bread and wine.

We finished in the café with a blessing:

And so may we be inspired in this coming week

to be conduits of light and love and faith and forgiveness

to become thin places

to proclaim that the kingdom of God is near.

May we have the renewed passion to join Christ’s mission

to be part of what he is doing

in the inexorable coming of his kingdom!

 

I hope this inspires anyone reading this to see the kingdom in the coming week and to be part of it!

 

Christmas Eve at the bandstand

Posted by & filed under Christmas, emerging church, Outdoor church.

So, it was relatively mild this morning – although Paul would hotly (?) dispute that! It was good to have Kitty and Harry back with us and we had a very festive bring and share time of worship together.

Paul began with a favourite and heartfelt Psalm of thanksgiving, then Grayden shared two articles from the Guardian on the disparity of wealth in the UK this Christmas time.

We sang ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ – rather well I might say – for our one time of year that we sing!

Wendy shared thoughts on angels: Are we too sophisticated to believe in such beings now? What of the 1 in 4 people in Britain who believe in them? What are we to make of tales of tall, radiant beings in all religions and cultures and of stories of ordinary looking people who show up to save and then vanish? The message of the angels was the announcement of the arrival of love itself – there could be no better symbol for that than a new-born baby. Our mission is to join with those angels to be messengers of hope and love and good news to a world in need – to be messengers from God – angels – in our own way.

She shared the story of a hugely generous act of kindness by a stranger to Kitty and another student in Salisbury – a woman whose hospitality went beyond that expected. An angel of sorts…

And we saw photos from Ashbourne Methodist Church of their 803 knitted angels that were placed around the town bearing messages of love and hope and taken by passers by who sent in their thanks and photos.

It would seem that people connect with Angels  – and their part in the Christmas story still has resonance today for us all.

Grayden shared a story then of another act of amazing generosity by someone they know who sold his house in Derby and bought a new one in Hull in order to house refugees and asylum seekers – another challenge to us to be looking for how we can be God’s bringers of good news.

Then we had our annual prayer event: We have a shepherds crook and write prayers on labels which are then hung on to it for a year. Our prayers are for all those who need the closeness of Jesus, the Good Shepherd in the coming year.  We took off our prayers from last year and mused on them and burned them as a final offering.

 

The new ones are on the crook along with the names of the ten worst countries for Christian persecution, which Fiona had brought. She then led us in an encircling prayer for all those named:

Circle them Lord

Keep protection near

And danger far

Circle them Lord

Keep Light near

And darkness afar

Circle them Lord

Keep Hope within

Keep doubt without

Circle them Lord

Keep Peace within

Keep evil out.

 

We shared bread and wine together and Barbara rounded things off with some fun and a blessing…

We had all the serious stuff and some very thought provoking and challenging input but we had to end with some festive fun:

Apologies for what follows!

“It was Christmas Eve at the bandstand

when all through the park

The birds they were singing (not including the lark)

Friends were shivering together, just out of their beds

While visions of dog friends danced round Ribble’s head.

But what to our wondering eyes did appear,

But a sack full of crackers behind Barbara’s rear.

She’ll give one to all like a jolly old elf

And when you all get one your laugh to yourself. 

But I hear you exclaim as they’re pulled out the bag

Happy Christmas to all!  … Let me read out my gag!”

Why Crackers?

Image result for christmas cracker
  • A snap to wake us up to the true meaning of Christmas
  • A joke to give us joy
  • A gift to remind us of the gifts of the Magi
  • A crown to remember God’s gift of Jesus

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Putting Jesus back into Christmas

Posted by & filed under Christmas, Outdoor church.

Frost glistening on the grass, winter sun rising over Riber if we were singers we would have sung out …
“In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,                                     
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;”
Christina Rossetti 
The cold and frosty start seemed to fit with our theme this morning. All be it one that has been tried and tested many times before.
I love the build up to Christmas, the lights in shop windows, Christmas markets, buying presents, thinking about how I will decorate my home etc. etc.  But this week amid all the glitz I was thinking, where is Jesus in all this? Particularly after being in touch with a local food bank and receiving an appeal leaflet from St. Georges Crypt in the post.  www.stgeorgescrypt.org.uk
So what followed was a time to worship and reflect.
Interspersed in the words below I read extracts from the St. Georges Crypt Appeal leaflet – words of challenge and hope, words showing the the Kingdom of God in action.

 

God of generosity and justice come into our midst this morning.

Breath your breath, your Holy Spirit,

your enlivening, your imagination upon us.

Wake us up, open our eyes, unplug our ears;

that we might hear, that we might see, that we might grieve, that we might dream.

That we might truly follow the ways of your extraordinary kingdom. Amen.

 

The People Who Worship

Our gathering emphasises community

Our gathering is an experience of radical equality

Our gathering is characterised by joy and hope and laughter.

The God We Worship

Our gathering names God as the true and only God

Our gathering proclaims the sovereignty and presence of the risen Jesus

Our gathering affirms the values of the Kingdom of God.

Our Mission and Ministry

In our gathering our many different gifts are brought together into unity

In our gathering we acknowledge that we are sinners

In our gathering we show care and encouragement to one another.

 

Wandering slowly around the park we meditated on:

The Empty Place

People who do not hold tightly to things are happy, because all of God’s kingdom is theirs.

People who are gentle with the earth will see it blossom forever.

People who can cry for all the world’s suffering will live to see happiness                 Misplaced halo?

People who hunger and thirst for justice will finally have their fill.

People who really care will find love wherever they go.

People who don’t let the world get them down will see God.

People who give up their won comfort so that others can be helped know what heaven is all about.

Lord, let us be like these!

The Franciscans

 

Jesus calls us above all else to seek the Kingdom of God, putting our trust in God who creates, provides and redeems, and whose love is never ending.

Jesus taught us that we should uphold justice and generosity, strive to safeguard the integrity of all living things and always to be mindful of how other people are treated.

What can I do to make this a reality in my life?

 

Sharing of bread and wine

We share bread and wine, Lord Jesus, as a memorial of your life given for us,

Your body broken and your blood poured out.

But we cannot share bread and wine with our eyes closed to the needs of others.

May our thanksgiving for your unbelievable gift be so real that we too,

may become bread broken and wine poured out for others.

Empower us by your Spirit to be peacemakers, hurt healers, justice doers, life enhancers.

Amen

 

 

Closing Prayer

May the love and encouragement we find in this community

Make us peacemakers and justice-doers:

and may the Spirit who fills us again

lead us to be those who proclaim God’s Kingdom

in everything we do.

Amen.

Words used this morning with thanks to J. Frank Henderson, John van de Laar and Jonny Baker

Third Space Ancient and Modern

Posted by & filed under bandstand, emerging church, Outdoor church, seasons, sharing coffee.

A mild autumn morning greeted us all in the park; birds singing, leaves turning from shades of red to brown and beginning to carpet the floor. A fine morning for thinking about outdoor worship.

We began by being Franciscan and reading together part of the Canticle of the Creatures. Saint Francis is said to have composed the canticle in late 1224 while recovering from an illness at San Damiano.  (The ancient)

The Canticle of the Creatures

Most High, all powerful, good Lord,
to you be praise, glory, honour and all blessing.

Only to you, Most High, do they belong
and no one is worthy to call upon your name.

May you be praised, my Lord, with all your creatures,
especially Sir brother sun,
through whom you lighten the day for us.

He is beautiful and radiant with great splendour.
He signifies you, O Most High.

Be praised, my Lord, for sister moon and the stars:
clear and precious and lovely, they are formed in heaven.

Be praised, my Lord, for brother wind;
and by air and clouds, clear skies and all weathers,
by which you give sustenance to your creatures.

Be praised, my Lord, for sister water,
who is very useful and humble and precious and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, for brother fire,
by whom the night is illumined for us.
He is beautiful and cheerful, full of power and strength.

Be praised, my Lord, for our sister, mother earth,
who sustains and governs us
and produces diverse fruits
and coloured flowers and grass.

On a slow walk to the beech tree we considered the verses and used them in worship and thanksgiving.

On reaching the beech tree I reminded everyone of the day we took off our shoes and made contact with the earth beneath our feet. While in touch with the ground I asked everyone to write down what was going on in their mind. I put together what we came up with and read out.  (The modern)

 

Rooted and Grounded

This morning we are here to touch the cold, wet, earth

Firm under our feet

Here we are rooted and grounded

In this Thin Space/Third Space

To stand on …

 God made Holy Ground,

This is holy ground …

Giving us roots and wings,

Here in this place teeming with creatures

like the first creation, 

Seeing the magnificence 

elemental, historical, futuristic

Where the grass sings and the earth hums

Roots and wings

Rooting us, upholding us

Help us to see God in this place

All connecting, my life, our lives, all life

to share our own joys, sorrows and laughter

and intercede for all in God’s earth.

 

“And in this he showed me something small, no bigger than a hazelnut, lying in the palm of my hand….

In this little thing I saw three properties. The first is that God made it, the second is that God loves it, the third is that God preserves it. But what did I see in it? It is that God is the creator and protector and the lover.” Julian of Norwich (b. 1342)

 

Take a hazelnut from the bowl and pray for those you love, and those people and places that need help. As you drop it pray that “All shall be well and all manner of things shall be well.” 

The Peace

May deep peace be in our thinking

May deep peace be in our hearts

May there be deep peace between us and God’s good earth

And may the deep peace of Jesus be with us.

 

The bread and Wine

The bread

It represents

The provision of God

The bountiful harvest

The work of the labourer

The hands of the baker

In remembrance

Of bread broken

And shared

Of a body broken

Of a people blessed

And a forgiveness shared

The wine

It represents

The provision of God

The bountiful harvest

The work of the labourer

The skill of the vintner

In remembrance

The ransom paid

The hands pierced

The blood shed

The redemption

The celebration of the resurrection

 

“Circle me Lord, Keep protection near, And danger afar.”

“Circle me Lord, Keep light near, And darkness afar.”

“Circle me Lord, Keep peace within, Keep evil out.”

“Circle me Lord, Keep hope within, Keep doubt without.”

 

May you be a bright flame before me
May you be a guiding star above me,
May you be a smooth path below me,
And a loving Guide behind me,
Today, tonight, and forever.

All this and then off for a coffee at Cool River winner of the best Bistro/Cafe in England award.

 

Hands and Feet

Posted by & filed under General, Outdoor church, seasons.

wp_20161009_005

Autumn seems to have struck …

A misty morning, temperature low – what a shame we have  been asked to wear sandals.

Moving to the place under the beech tree we love so much we began with a Litany from the Iona Community Worship Book

The God of Columba 

The litany reminded us of those saints in the past who have had a huge impact in the world,

we joined together saying to God “stay with us now”

Wendy brought a prayer activity based on God writing our names on the back of his hand

 

Meeting outside has made us more aware of seasonal changed, of people around us, of our environment taking off our shoes and feeling the earth beneath our feet made us even more aware.

The activity was introduced with the idea that Moses took off his shoes when he met with God saying it was Holy Ground.

With our shoes off we let our minds wander – here is a compilation of our musings …   IMG_20170903_100906515

 

Rooted and Grounded

This morning we are here to touch the cold, wet, earth

Firm under our feet

Here we are rooted and grounded

In this Thin Space/Third Space

To stand on …

God made Holy Ground,

This is holy ground …

Giving us roots and wings,

Here in this place teeming with creatures

like the first creation,

Seeing the magnificence

elemental, historical, futuristic

Where the grass sings and the earth hums

Roots and wings

Rooting us, upholding us

Help us to see God in this place

All connecting, my life, our lives, all life

to share our own joys, sorrows and laughter

and intercede for all in God’s earth.

 

Steve had written some brilliant words to accompany bread and wine and closed with a blessing

 

Bring and share at the bandstand

Posted by & filed under Outdoor church, Thanksgiving.

One of the things I love most about our times at the bandstand is the constant sense of surprise at what comes! This morning, instead of one of us preparing and leading the session, we had a ‘bring and share’ arrangement. It turned out to be poignant and moving beyond expectation. Fiona began with her review of the year, writing her own words of thanks and leading us into the previously published litany of thanksgiving. Her words struck a chord in reminding us of key themes and just what a tricky year it has been for us…

The End of another Year: A Personal reflection : A giving thanks.

Today I give thanks for each one of you here.

I give thanks for this place –  this wind- blown, sun dappled, rain soaked,  flippin’ freezing God filled place

I give thanks for the continuing, sometimes stumbling, tottering  journey of Third Space – even for this ‘lean year’ which has at times has made us ask,

‘What on earth are we doing…..?”

and I give thanks for the still, small voice of a reply,

“ …building the Kingdom…stone by stone, pebble by pebble, grain of grit by grain of grit ….’

I give thanks for those of you who craft new liturgies and prayers that can make a Sunday morning shimmer

I give thanks for those of you who urge us to remember the poor, the downtrodden and the exploited

I give thanks for those of you who somehow  sew together seamlessly,  ancient Spirit- filled wisdom with the noise of 21st Century living

so that

I can stop, rewind and recalibrate.

And I give thanks for those of you who love periodic tables, saints of old and yes…even dogs.

 

Today I give thanks for a new perspective on the Parables -(note to self – never think you’ve worked Jesus out)

I give thanks for honesty and candour  (no b *** s****-ers  here)

I give thanks for laughter and a refusal to take ourselves too seriously

I give thanks for the Dance and the opportunity to turn, turn and turn again,

And I give thanks for you my Third Space companions – 7 years of plenty, 7 years of lean?

never mind…

keep the Bread and Wine coming

and the Kingdom will be built

 

We went off into the park with one of today’s lectionary readings – the much loved passage of Romans 8:26-39, using the paraphrase of The Message. The words took on a new resonance following Fiona’s thanksgiving and spoke in ways we might never have imagined. Do look up that version for yourself – it is truly wonderful…

 

Back at the bandstand, Grayden led us prayer using the lord’s prayer as a template with reflections and other biblical verses around those:

The Lord’s Prayer – a pattern for prayer.

Jesus said, “This is how you should pray………….

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 

Acknowledge God for who he is – the Creator of the universe.

Psalm 107:1. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures for ever.

 

…..your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. 

Pray for justice and peace which reflect the values of the kingdom.

Based on Micah:  We are called to love mercy and show mercy,

To know peace and be peacemakers,

To act justly and to bring justice.

 

Give us today our daily bread. 

Pray for the needs of others, for those in this country and around the world who go hungry.

Give thanks for all we have – may it spur us on to help others.

2Thess 2:16,17.  May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our father…. encourage our hearts and strengthen us in every good deed ….

 

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. 

In silence repent of the things for which we need forgiveness.

Pray for those who may have wronged us.

1John 3;1.  How great is the love the Father has lavished on us…..

 

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. 

Ask God to strengthen us and others through difficult times.

Isaiah 40: 28-31.  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth….he gives strength to the weary and lifts up the weak….those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength…

 

For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. 

Eph 3: 18-19.  …….may we grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and know his love that surpasses all knowledge……….

We shared bread and wine and Barbara led us in closing blessings, with a simple idea that we all found both beautiful and deeply touching…

Blessing our community, our selves, Third Space, our families and friends, our world, Soul Space and those watching us with bubbles.

Yes, and even the dog!

 

Beatitudes in the park

Posted by & filed under General.

This morning we had prayer stations around the park – one for each of the Beatitudes from Matthew 5, using the paraphrase from The Message. I hadn’t read them in this version before and found them so accessible. This is what we had at each place: the verses tied to a tree / bridge / hut etc. and a sheet with things to consider at each.

At the bridge:

You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

Pray for those known to you and those not known who are at the end of their rope. Watch the river flowing by and pray for this time to pass and for God’s rule / kingdom / intense presence to keep them safe.

At the abandoned hut:

You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

Name those you know who have lost something (health, work, money, meaning, faith…) or someone dear to them. Pray that they would come to know God as never before through this loss. Pray through your own losses and what this verse might have to say to you

At the beech tree:

You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.

How does discontent that leads to self-realisation and repentance, fit with self-acceptance and love of self? How are these two things balanced in your life at the moment? Give thanks for who you are and for the unique life you have been given.

At the clock:

You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.

Has your spiritual stomach shrunk? How’s your diet been lately? Need a change? How / where / when could you facilitate that and what might be good to try / reinstate to spice up your relationship with God?

At the formal gardens:

You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full’, you find yourselves cared for.

What can you do to show care to others in this coming week? Is there someone you have neglected or missed who needs a bit more care lately?

Is there any sense in which you have become careless in recent times? Have you wearied in expressing care to someone or something? What might you be called to do?

At the bandstand:

You’re blessed when you get your inside world (your mind and heart) put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

Consider: How healthy has your ‘inside life’ been lately? Take a few moments to reflect on how you have been handling pressure, relationships, work/life balance…¦ What might these words be saying to you today? Do you know someone struggling with self-content / self-image currently? Pray for them / for yourself

At the World War 1 commemoration:

You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.

Pray about those people / situations that are tense or where there is discord and pray for wisdom to bring co-operation / forgiveness / understanding / reconciliation…

On the railway track:

You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom. Not only that, count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable.

You can be glad when that happens – give a cheer, even – for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always got into this kind of trouble.

Give thanks for the freedom Christians enjoy in this country at this time and pray for Christians across the world who today are imprisoned, tortured or discriminated against because of their faith. Pray for those who today are afraid for their lives or for loved ones. Pray for Church leaders who are misrepresented by others

 

We met again at the bandstand to share bread and wine and a final blessing (both written by Steve):

And so we return to BREAD

We always return to BREAD

May it be the BREAD of blessing

Beatitude BREAD

Let this BREAD nourish us

 

And so we return to WINE

We always return to WINE

May it be the WINE of blessing

Beatitude WINE

Let this WINE nourish us

 

BLESSING (This involved us pointing to each other and joining with the words ‘Blessing to you and you and you’)

Blessing to you and you and you

Blessing for what has been. That Jesus has been the pioneer and perfector of our faith. That he:

Born as a baby, taught, nurtured, rescued, challenged, bled, and rose to new life.

Blessing to you and you and you

Blessing for what is right now, right here in this present moment.

May we be inspired to lead

Beatitude lives, indwelt and outpouring.

Blessing to you and you and you

Blessing for our future hope, that one day and for all days, we will live with LION and LAMB,

With an oversupply of pruning hooks and beside a river flowing with justice and mercy.

Blessing to you and you and you.

AMEN.

Being Like Jesus

Posted by & filed under Art, book, Outdoor church.

Meeting outside and enjoying the sunshine and bird song I often whimsically think we may be a bit “Franciscan”. So I began to look at the life of St. Francis.   Intertwined

A few months ago at Third Space  we talked about how in today’s world only certain types of Christians seem to get respect. Poets, artists, pilgrims and activists. That set me to thinking about St. Francis who seems to be a popular saint in the eyes of the world today. May be it is just a sentimental popularity because of his affinity with animals, but when you read about his life, you can see why this remarkable man had a following in the Thirteenth century and still has today.

So downloading and preparing for Sunday morning from the Book – Francis, stories and reflections, by Andy Freeman, I could not resist a look at a modern day “Francis” that he opens his book with. He describes the scenes on the day when Pope Francis was elected and some of the things he has said and done since becoming pope.

I am not a catholic but I have to confess being impressed with this man. He seems to try very hard to be like Jesus and although it appears to be much easier to do Jesus like things when it is your job, getting changes in the Vatican must be a constant struggle. I was challenged to think about how “Jesus like” my life is. Unfortunately I fall very far short of Jesus and also Pope Francis.

When he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, Pope Francis was known to sneak out at night to break bread with the homeless. He would sit when them in the street and eat with them, just to let them know someone cares.

This Pope is intent on change. Here is a man seemingly orthodox in theology yet providing revolutionary love and acceptance to those who felt on the outskirts of the world. Since he has become pope he insists on wearing simple black shoes, and shunning pomp and circumstance, washing the feet of the poor and needy, welcoming refugees, asking members of Vatican to be even more hands on with helping the poor and sick, auctioning his bike to benefit the homeless, performing one of the most important masses of the year in the chapel of a prison and kissed the feet of the prisoners, speaking out in favour of the preservation of the Amazon Rain Forest and leaving the Vatican at night to help the homeless.

 

The Pope has condemned the financial system, inequality, consumerism and class separation.

Over recent years, the church has been the centre of attention on issues related to child abuse. This Pope was the first to act with a firm hand against these cases. He set up a committee to pursue these cases, and the Vatican changed the law to establish these acts as crimes.

He condemned the violence of war in Syria.

He stated that the Church was too obsessed with sexual morality abortion, gay marriage, and contraception and that it should be more concerned with the poor and needy.

When praying, the Pope proclaimed his respect for the end of Ramadan and encouraged Christians and Muslims to work together to achieve love.

He said the church’s stance on these issues was taking an air of obsession. He also criticised the church for forgetting the important belief of true love and prioritising moral doctrines before serving the poor and marginalised.

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Washing the feet of prisoners

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Giving up his seat for a small child

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 “For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

 Steve Jobs addressing students at Stanford University 12 June 2005

Now look at yourself in the mirror and ask – If today were the last day of my life, would what I do today be “Jesus like”?

How can I make what I do this week more “Jesus like”?