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:

1. Walking beside the river away from the town:

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…

1. Going to the white water nearer the town and bridge…

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.

1. 3.     Returning to the central bridge opposite the bandstand…

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’…

1. To the weeping beech…

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?

• What path would you choose to follow in 2014?

The magi were warned not to follow the same path on their way home.

• Sometimes life takes us on unexpected journeys, consider your journey so far and reflect on times when you have been sure of God’s presence or purpose.

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.

• Jesus your guiding light will journey with you in 2014

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.

• We prepared an Advent meal for those who come to Soul Space – which was received with enthusiasm and appreciation, the feedback was very encouraging.
• We shared an Advent breakfast a tradition we borrowed from our Northern European brothers and sisters.
• Our pub night involved us in making crackers for our meal together. Great fun when you make a cracker for someone you know with an appropriate joke and wise saying – not to mention designing a hat for them. We had quite a few of the pub customers intrigued and asking us what we were up to.
• Finally we shared our Christmas meal together and celebrated Kitty’s 18th birthday.

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

• Take a sunflower seed and remember those we know who have died, those who we have been privileged to know.
• Take a sunflower seed and remember those who are in conflict situations right now both soldiers and civilians.
• Take a sunflower seed and remember those who laid down their lives in conflicts for us.
• Take a sunflower seed and remember that we should be working to bring about the Kingdom of God in a world of need and conflict.

Two minutes silence

Place seeds in clay to write the word remember