Advent Meditation - Saturday 5 December

On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Awake and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings from the King of Kings!


Readings
Isaiah 61:1-11
Matthew 3:1-12
Romans 13:11-14

Reflection
A hairy, often smelly, flea-bitten, insect-eating, sharp-tongued wilderness man. Not at all like the well-mannered softies that lived in the king's palace. But they were coming from all around to hear this John. Many would be so shaken by his message that they would be baptized.

John the Baptist was full of the Holy Spirit. That's why his words hit home with so many. But he knew there was a greater power and greater effectiveness than he could ever have. It was John's job to tell of the One to come, the Messiah, the One who would send the Holy Spirit onto those he baptized. One whose words and deeds would have even more impact than John's. One who John knew as friend and family, whom John had already come to respect and highly value, but hadn’t previously known as the One. The One was Jesus. Throughout His ministry, and in the early years of the apostles, after Jesus' death, Jesus and his followers would keep coming across people who had come to love God through John's work. Some who heeded John's call soon took up their crosses and followed Jesus. But John's call for repentance helps us prepare too, for John was just trying to get people to do what God wanted, and that's how anyone can be prepared for the presence of God-with-us.

Prayer
God our strength and our hope,
grant us the courage of John the Baptist,
to speak your truth and patiently walk the path of peace
For your name sake. Amen

Further Prayers
We pray for those who live and preach the gospel across the world. Bless them O God in their mission.

Advent Meditation - Friday 4 December

Sing Choirs of angels
Sing in exultation
Sing all ye citizens of heaven above
Glory to God in the highest.
(O Come all ye faithful)


Readings

Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
Jeremiah 23:5,6
Galatians 5:22

Reflection

Are you good at excuses. "I'm sorry God, I can't go to church this Sunday, I'm too tired. I got back home too late Saturday night." "I'm not going to pray or read any devotional tonight because I'm just so tired. It's 3 a.m. and I just got done with Facebook, catching up on tv and I have to get up early tomorrow. I'm sure God understands how busy I am."

Those are some classic excuses we use to compromise with God about our spiritual time with Him. We may do that over and over again and we forget that God actually delights to spend time with us. When life just seems painless and we know exactly what we are doing, then it may seem that we don't need God’s guidance in every single day of our lives. Sometimes it takes a major incident to remind us what really matters in life. Sometime it takes failures to snap us back to the reality that we need God. When all the things we do just don't feel right, that is when we realise that we really do need our God. So, have you spent time today praising God for all you have in your life and for people He has given to you to share it with? That's what really matters and God is faithful in welcoming us each time. Faithfulness shown to us in the birth of Jesus.


Prayer
Holy God may we greet thee every day of our lives afresh
Grant us Your peace, restore our joy,
and lift our worry from us, so that we can live in a way fitting for the nearness of Christ.
Amen.

Further Prayers
We pray and praise God for the faithful people we know who show time and time again the grace, mercy and faithfulness of God.

Advent Meditation - Thursday 3 December

"Though and infant now we view him
He shall fill his fathers throne
gather all the nations to him
Ev’ry knee shall then bow down."
(Angels from the Realms of Glory)





Readings
Exodus 3:1-6
Psalm 19
Luke 2: 8 and 13

Reflection

Angels, From the Realms of Glory” first appeared as a poem in Montgomery's newspaper on December 24th 1816 - the weekly Sheffield Register.

An angel with a powerful transforming message what a role and responsibility that would be. Would you like it? I am not too sure. God’s messenger sent to unsuspecting individuals with life changing news. Would you have got the words wrong? Stuttered? Made excuses? Said “Oh Mary, it will be ok”?
I wonder if Angel Gabriel practiced what to say? I wonder if he tried different beginnings to the message - “Hi Mary” - too informal; “Greetings” - not quite right; “Peace be upon you” - bit religious. How about “don't be afraid”? That seems right given she will be petrified. Well it seemed to work as it worked with the Shepherds too. The angel did well—Mary heard, Mary responded—may we too listen for God’s calling and respond—remember it may come in unexpected ways.

Prayer
Holy God, the angel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary that she was to be the mother of your Son.
Though Mary was afraid,
she responded to your call with joy.
Help us, whom you call to serve you, to share like her in your great work of bringing to our world your love and healing.
We ask this through Jesus Christ,
the light who is coming into the world. Amen.

Further Prayers
We pray for all who receive unexpected and life changing news. News of joy and also that of despair. May Our God bless and direct them.

Advent Meditation - Wednesday 2 December

“My heart feels as if its going to burst with joy
In praising God, My Saviour who sets me free
Though I’m only unimportant in the world
A lowly servant My God has remembered me.”


Readings
Psalm 132:10-16
Isaiah 7:13-15
Luke 1:46b-55

Reflection
Mary's song is a song of enormous contrasts in almost every sentence: the magnificence of the Lord and the lowliness of his servant; mercy and fear, bringing down and lifting up, filling and emptying. And in a few weeks time, we'll remember the greatest contrast human history will ever know: the birth of a Prince in a stable. There will be no palaces in this Prince's life - no silken robes, no leisure time, no fine horses to ride, no sumptuous feasts. Instead, there will be the realities of poverty, hard work and, eventually, agonising death as a most common criminal. Does Mary know all this as she speaks her inspired words? It doesn't really matter if she knew then, because we know now. As we wait this night for the magnificence of the Lord to come again to our needy world, we can remember those contrasts and God's purpose in sending us a Prince in a stable.  

Prayer
O loving God,
Whose Advent we celebrate throughout this season and the journey of hope we remember.
Come renew our hearts and minds through the presence of Christ.
May we respond with grace and humility as Mary did to the calling you place upon our lives.“Let it be to me according to your will” Amen

Further Prayers
We pray for all who face difficult challenges in life.
Transforming God help, comfort and lead us as we offer ourselves to you

Advent Meditation - Tuesday 1 December

“Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head
“To me be as it pleaseth God” she said
“My Soul shall laud and magnify his holy name”
Most highly favoured lady! Gloria


Readings
Psalm 72:1– 8
Zechariah 9, 9-10
Hebrews 10:5-10

Reflection
With the Annunciation of Mary and the Incarnation of Christ, God’s purpose and intention took place in the human, created order. The event, for which all humanity had longed, came to be in the womb of a human woman in response to her faithful submission. The mystery of salvation is begun. The life of God in man begins to take form.

Mary allowed God to take her life - what a radical woman -she utterly surrendered to God’s purpose and command. “The power of the most high will overshadow you.” Which of us would like to be overshadowed? How many of us would completely surrender to God in a way that we become less as God becomes more and not for earthly riches – Mary, mostly highly favoured lady. Mary surrendered to God - do we? Will we allow God to overshadow us? Will we surrender to God’s love and care - care for others and for ourselves embracing what God has for us.

Prayer
Lord,
forgive us when we doubt your voice,
forgive our unreadiness to receive you,
make us attentive to your word and help us prepare your way.
Your way in our hearts and your way in the lives of others.
Amen

Further Prayers
We pray for those who seek to bring the hope of God’s kingdom to others in our community, our churches and the world.

Advent Meditation - Monday 30 November

Come thou long expected Jesus
Born thy people to deliver
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.



Readings
Psalm 130: 5-8
Malachi 3:1-4
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

Reflection
During the recent postal strikes the level of people using recorded delivery increased. Users wanted proof of postage and the details given allowed them to track where their post was. Isn’t it amazing how God recorded the intention, delivery and effect of the incarnation?

In this season of Advent we begin to explore how God comes to us and of how God recorded supremely the act of redemptive love. We think and remember God’s first
coming into human history in the birth of Jesus. That God comes in the present moment and that God will come again.

Sometimes we long for God so much as the needs of our lives and the world press upon us. Life’s demands and the expectations of others can overwhelm us and we seek for God in it all. At the start of Advent what do you hope for? Do you seek a deeper understanding of God?. This season reminds us that our God is a God who comes to those who wait.

Prayer
Come thou long expected Jesus into the parts of my life hidden to others.
Come into the barren and hurting places. Come into the dry places that need refreshing by the outpouring of your love.
When I lack love and compassion, change me.
When I am impatient and frustrated, deliver me.
When I fail to see the goodness, help me to focus on you, the author and perfector of my faith.
Amen

Further Prayers
We pray for those who live, work and socialise with.
May the hope of Advent be present in our conversations and actions with
others.

Advent Meditation - Sunday 29 December

O Come O Come Emmanuel

O Come, O Come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times did give the law
In cloud, and majesty, and awe.

Readings:
Psalm 118:19-29
Isaiah 40:1-5
Luke 21: 25-36


Reflection

What does it mean to ask and pray that God would come?
“O Come Immanuel” is the cry of our hearts for the Messiah to dwell within our lives. What does it mean to watch and wait for Christ? Do you know how it feels to wait for a friend but they do not come?. Or to wish the time away or be anxious for something to happen and then it does not? Do you know how it is to be with someone so closely that you watch their every move, know their soul and anticipate what they are to say—that you know them so well that when they smile you smile, when they are sad you are downcast and when joyous you rejoice.

May we watch and wait with urgency and anticipation.

Come, O Come Emmanuel.

Prayers
Loving God. As I enter this Advent season, open my eyes
to see in new ways the delight and wonder of your love.
In the darkness help me to see the promise of light and peace.
In the cry of the hungry help me see the possibility of a world where all are fed.
In my own yearnings and weakness help me to see the
hope of Christ.

And in the eager anticipation of the coming of Jesus, may
I embrace the dawn of a new heaven and a new earth. Amen

Further prayers
We pray for all young people and children, our local schools and those involved in youth and children activities in our local churches.

Advent Meditation - Introduction

Introduction
Today begins Advent and with this in mind all within the circuit have been offered this advent booklet as a resource. I hope you will also find the online versions helpful.

I hope you will find meditations a helpful resource over Advent and Christmas. They are designed purely as an aid to help us to draw close to God in the busyness of this particular season. The form of our Advent prayers this year reflect on our desire to seek God the giver of gifts - supremely seen in the gift of Jesus and continual outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
We all have very different lives and our pattern of worship and prayer is as diverse as we all are. This resource is based on both traditional and modern songs and hymns sung during this season, reflecting on a verse or line to help us focus on Christ. You may like to light a candle as a starting point. When God created the heavens and the earth, the first biblically recorded creative act was the
production and establishment of light, our Advent journey is a journey towards
that light – the light of Christ.

Can you pray for others during this time? Remembering particularly those for whom Advent and Christmas bring despair, fear and longing. And could you ask your neighbours if they have any prayer requests?

Could you pray with another person from church once a week during Advent?
Either in person or on the telephone—and perhaps using the booklet together.

For families this could be a special time together? If it is morning you pray for the day ahead. If the evening, then each could give thanks for some aspect of the day and also remember someone they have met.

I pray that this resource may help you on your Advent journey as we contemplate again the overwhelming love and grace of God dawning upon the world.
Jackie Bellfield—Advent 2009

Retreat - home again

Just come back from a wonderful 2 day retreat. Space, stillness, chocolate and wine all contributed to the relaxed nature of the time. Andrew and Wendy Rudd led the retreat so well and allowed through careful planning and exploration a time of peace and restfulness. Both amazingly skilled creative individuals - Andrew - poet, teacher, preacher, composer and musician is skilled at communicating through words, music and imagery. Wendy, a textile artist communicates and ministers God's love through major art installations, and has a capacity in a genuine heartfelt way, to reveal the mystery of God in dramatic ways. So ably led, we looked at various picture and icons - Andrei Rublev's icon of the Trinity, a stained glass image of Abraham and Issac and The Annunciation by Fra Angelico. In our times of stillness we were encouraged to write and reflect on our thoughts:

My reflection on Windows (not the computer version! or the delight of anticipated double glazing)!

I close my eyes and the world around me disappears
I am Silent, Still
Empty

I open my eyes and the world dances to life
I gaze across the grounds
to forest masses
under gray skies of swirling clouds

Windows are for watching
Square pieces of life form ahead
and there i see life
ever changing

The second came after reading Blue Iris by Mary Oliver (see the previous blog entry to view this)

And my heart panics not to be *

to be

to be

to be

to be

be

what does it mean "to be"?

my heart panics
as I do
*Taken from Mary Olivers poem Blue Iris

Blue Iris - Mary Oliver

Wow - what a poem

"Blue Iris" Mary Oliver

Now that I'm free to be myself, who am I?

Can't fly, can't run and see how slowly I walk.

Well, I think, I can read books.

"What's that you're doing?"
the green-headed fly shouts as it buzzes past.

I close the book.

Well, I can write down words, like these, softly.

"What's that you're doing?" whispers the wind, pausing
in a heap just outside the window.

Give me a little time, I say back to its staring, silver face.
It doesn't happen all of a sudden, you know.

"Doesn't it?" says the wind, and breaks open, releasing
distillation of blue iris.

And my heart panics not to be, as I long to be,
the empty, waiting, pure, speechless receptacle.

What is important?

So what is important and crucial in life? Pondering on this it is clear that what is important to me may not make the top ten list for someone else. Acknowledging and recognising that is perhaps crucial in any ministry. Yet what is crucial is how we make others feel. "People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel." Unknown

The Acts of the Apostles describes Barnabas as a 'good man, full of faith and the Holy Spirit'. He was born in Cyprus and died in Salamis in the 1st century. His Jewish parents called him, Joseph, but after selling all his property and joining the apostles in Jerusalem, he got a new name: Barnabas, meaning "a man of encouragement."

In our lives, we all have feelings of weakness and weariness - none of us like these circumstances. We do not enjoy such experiences. These periods of helplessness, powerlessness and vulnerability have removed all our strength and make us prone to despair and self-pity. In the midst of these real experiences, the culture that we live in aggravates the matter. We grew up in a culture where criticism is the rule. We have been traumatised by criticism. Even if we grew up in a very encouraging family, the world outside of our homes does not have encouragement as a way of life.

When we encourage, we do not have to be gushing about another. Or to be too patronising. Encouragement is a sincere affirmation. When we criticise, we look for what is negative and find it so easy to give others the benefit of our opinion. On the other hand, encouragement is seeing what is positive and good and expressing it as readily as the tendency to criticise that is always with us. Criticism is the fastest way to stop another person from doing wrong; encouragement is the fastest way to make another person expand their good work.

Encouragement is remembering. You see, when a good thing has happened like a little improvement or a small change, when we express them as words of encouragement, the little development becomes fixed in the mind of the listener, and thus the likelihood of repeated success becomes greater. It makes a person take the next step to a new additional process of growth.
Barnabas did the same thing. He encouraged and thus he built communities of faith. We are built-up by a culture of trust and of consolation. We need a new culture in the world of positive reinforcement. With encouragement, we seek what is more. After all, we were made, not to destroy, but to build people.

Love abounding more and more

Today at our staff time of worship I read Philippians 1 reminding all gathered of the truth of the words "that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight". What is this love - Love for God, our neighbour, ourselves? This can be a hard challenge and today, with varying emotions, I have wrestled with.

So with those emotions swelling up inside I sat a listened to a beautiful song by Keith & Kristyn Getty - new words to a familiar song. Believe me this was saving grace today.

What grace is mine that He who dwells in endless light
Called through the night to find my distant soul
And from his scars poured mercy that would plead for me
That I might live and in his name be known

So I will go wherever He is calling me
I lose my life to find my life in Him
I give my all to gain the hope that never dies
I bow my heart, take up my cross and follow Him

What grace is mine to know His breath alive in me
Beneath his wings my wakened soul may soar
All fear can flee for death's dark night is overcome
My Saviour lives and reigns forevermore

So I will go…

(to the tune londonderry air - or danny boy as it is also known)

It has been a while........

I am starting to feel the itch to blog again. It might or might not be a regular thing, but at least I think I can start posting some new material here.

So why the gap? Partly a busy summer and yet a bigger part was knowing what to share and what not too if that makes any sense. There has been the intense joys over the last few months but also the moments of questioning and today was the day I thought I would begin the blogging expedition again.

Yet today.. after a few days with a bug and feeling increasingly disappointed with a few things I thought why not put pen to paper - or rather cursor to screen.

Is the theme and subject of disappointment something we avoid or minimise? After all we do have our hope in God. One thing that is common to all humankind is suffering and disappointment. Perhaps all of us have suffered varying degrees of heartache, but certainly all of us have known what it is like to be downtrodden and disappointed. So the question for the Christian is not if suffering and disappointment will come, but rather how will we respond when it inevitably knocks on our door? And what happens when it does - do we paint on our perma-grin like a clothing accessory and join in the chorus of the faithful with the liturgical response "I'm fine" when asked the quesiton of how we are. Are we given permission to speak out in truth to another to verbalise our frustrations and our fears?

I think we have to first recognize that suffering and tragedy are a central theme in the Bible. We don’t have to look further than Jesus to figure that out. When we ignore this fact, then we don’t know how to help each other. We end up giving each other pat answers and trite religious expressions that not only offer no comfort whatsoever but really make things worse.

So then how are we to respond? What is God’s answer? I think there’s only one place we can find comfort, and that’s in the sovereignty of our God. God is in control and for that I am eternally grateful. Please forgive me I am not being trite or pious it has just worked for me again and again and again. So when i cry, scream and shout at the heavens then there is peace because in giving I receive and then my shouts turn into praise.

When I am disappointed God is near.

When I struggle God does not.
When I am weak God is strong.

Just been thinking

Well I have been thinking..... hence the picture of the coggs - could not find one with coggs and smoke. I am leading worship tomorrow for our staff gathering - we meet each week and have worship together. I have been led to think about encouragement and considered Psalm 100:3

"Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture."

I heard this story once - A school teacher recounted the times when sometimes the young students would have a quarrel amongst themselves, one would inevitably come running to her crying “So and so called me stupid!” The clever teacher would always reply, “Well — are you stupid?” Without fail, that little red-faced, button-nosed three or four year old would ponder for a moment, shrug back, look up at her and timidly say no. Well, okay then — so go and play! And just like that, the quarrel was over and playtime would resume as if nothing happened.

We need to take a lesson from those little students we need to remember who we are! We’re not stupid — we’re not ugly — we’re not defeated — we’re not useless!
On the contrary! We are fearfully and wonderfully made! We are loved and cared for dearly! We’re victorious! We have a divine purpose and calling to fulfill today!
Let’s not allow anyone to dictate who or what we are! God has already made it very clear who we are — loved, cherished and adored........ so there.... God bless

Is it help I am nearly forty?

Is it really help I am nearly forty? You know I am not so sure. No disrespect to those of friends of mine who are over 40 - you look great. But it feels really weird. If 50 is the new thirty then I must be 20....... what do you reckon?

Why it is weird I don't know. Has life turned out as I expected? As the exit door to my thirites approach what does it mean? 40 isn't really so bad except for the small fact that now I have got to be 40.

So I thought I know I'll look at Psalm 40 but the words "but I am poor and needy" jumped out and it didn't really help. So back to the drawing board and for a short time there was the consolation that my twin is also 40, though of course she reminds me that I am 7 minutes older than her.

There are of course some good things about being 40 (originally I had typed thongs which if you know me maybe inappropriate) it's just they take sometime to come to mind.

I will think though even more over the next week and a half until the day itself..... is it time for a change.

I think it is. I think it’s time for change that I can believe in. I think I am the change that I have been waiting for.