An update on the young people,who have joined us for Holy Week, from Queens Chaplaincy with Rev John Alderdice.
They are a fine bunch, and have been willing to take on tasks of gardening, clearing and cleaning. Today they are going to be painting. Then, at the Holy Week service in Priesthill, we heard something more of the Spirituality. As an aside, boy was the singing something else last night. Anyway I hope you can get along some point this week to hear them
John spoke and asked the question “who is Jesus to you”around the question Jesus asked of his disciples “who do people say that I am” and as we know, first in line Peter answers ” you are the Christ” Then when Jesus begins to explain the implications of him being the Christ, death etc, Peter is not so sure he likes this, and is told to stop answering for Satan, and to get away. John affirmed that Jesus claim to be the Messiah was back up by his actions, that of resurrection, as ” without resurrection Christianity falls” So true.
Another Line from his sermon struck me- “was Jesus so egocentric and saw himself as th gift to the church” He drew the parallel, that we can sometimes think we are the gift to the church, that aspects of it would fall down without us. The basic facts might actually be right, that certain programmes, groups would not operate with specific, gifted leaders, but the true christian leaders would not begin to think like this. It's back to humility, back to seeing others better than ourselves.
So Shalom from the humble(d} place
Brian
I have been thinking about a phrase I heard Jools use the other day. “A Church should discover what God is doing in an area and seek to Join in. The idea comes from “Missio Dei” the Mission of God. That we are joining God on the Adventure of a Lifetime and how the mission of God is the centerpiece of all of history, but also at how we are invited to participate with God on that mission. So we ask “What acts of Love, generousity, justcie are seen in the commuity around us and how can we bring more of the love as we join in. So we don't expect people to come to us we go to them.
Read on…
I have had a couple of very interesting days that I would like to pass some comment on.
It started on Tuesday evening with a very relaxing Enterprise journey to Dublin to meet up with Jools and spend the evening putting to right the perceived wrongs of Irish Methodism and enjoy watching him as a Chelsea fan lose to ManU. Jools works as Chaplain to Trinity College and listening to his reflections one once again appreciates how to fully integrate yourself in the life of any organisation can only bring benefits. His work may be thought of as just with students but he is engaging at all levels and the connections being made through this are raising the profile of Chaplaincy in this wonderful institution.
Read on…
From Yesterday Morning and Jesus, Martha, Mary and Larazus
This didn't make it to delivery, but it reflects something of the sisters minds
a sonnet
if only you had been here with us then
when your close friend, our brother, passed away
i know you could have helped, have healed, have saved
his life and kept us from this hopeless day
instead we watched him slowly lose his breath
we bid him drink and cooled his fev’rish skin
abstained from sleep and feared to leave the room
lest darkness steal the last dim light within
but you, you were not here! you were not here
when your companion slowly slipped away
what now? you come, but why? what can you do?
what words of present comfort can you say?
a single tear falls softly from your eye—
i catch my breath; you move, you point, you cry…
Read on…
Tomorrow will be another sad day when media will focus their cameras on another hearse as it leads mourners to a church and then a graveside to lay to rest an innocent man, “a peacekeeper and a peacemaker “to quote Matt Baggott. The needless, cruel murder of Constable Ronan Kerr is a sad reminder that we are still on a journey to lasting and genuine peace.
Read on…
This is a paragraph worth reflecting on … I've heard it quoted around the evangelical world recently – interesting, because it's the x-general of the Society of Jesus,Pedro Aguppe who said it … the Jesuits. Anyway – here it is: with Thanks to Jools for the pointer.
Read on…
