Where does love come from? Maybe not a question we ask that often, if at all. As many have displayed their love for their partner over this weekend it is easy to pass over the origin of this amazing emotion.
Yesterday at church we thought of the everlasting love that God gives, a love that is constant, never ending and complete. For Christians this is the source and constant supply of love as we continue to share it with the world. The question that we all need to ask is how we share it. God's love is to be shared and not kept, given and not constraint, as churches we are not always good at doing this and it is so vital to fulfil our Christian living.
What does a fully loving church look like, that is generous with the job of giving out God's love?
Sunday 14 February 2016
Monday 8 February 2016
What would it look like?
Yesterday, during the sermon, I asked the congregation to think what it would look like if we started again as a church. What if we had no history, no set ways of doing things, or baggage and could start a church together that was effective in the town of Saltash. Would there be differences?
I had responses, more like a family, more concerned with what is 'out there'. These are all good answers and right. But, I believe there is a much deeper response as well.
This may be a strange starting place, but I believe it would mean that rather than Sunday morning being the centre piece of the week, it would be the by-product. That is not to diminish the importance of Sunday worship, but to recognise that out of the ministry we have been doing in the week, in 'being in the community', in serving the needs of others in small groups and in no groups at all, we need a place to join together and celebrate what God has done and it doing.
I think if we would start again, our concern would be less about governance and who was in and out, but more about mission and how we share the love of Christ in the community, not centring ourself in one location (and this is not an argument for not having a building, I still believe one would be needed), but being visible and present throughout the community we are called to.
What would it look like to you?
I had responses, more like a family, more concerned with what is 'out there'. These are all good answers and right. But, I believe there is a much deeper response as well.
This may be a strange starting place, but I believe it would mean that rather than Sunday morning being the centre piece of the week, it would be the by-product. That is not to diminish the importance of Sunday worship, but to recognise that out of the ministry we have been doing in the week, in 'being in the community', in serving the needs of others in small groups and in no groups at all, we need a place to join together and celebrate what God has done and it doing.
I think if we would start again, our concern would be less about governance and who was in and out, but more about mission and how we share the love of Christ in the community, not centring ourself in one location (and this is not an argument for not having a building, I still believe one would be needed), but being visible and present throughout the community we are called to.
What would it look like to you?
Monday 1 February 2016
Loneliness
Loneliness is one of the biggest issues we face. You might disagree, but it seems to rife in our society.
Loneliness in terms of no visitors for the elderly, loneliness in terms of no-one being able to understand you, loneliness in terms of being surrounded by people yet not engaging in any level.
It is sad, yet amazing that the recent deaths of much loved celebrities such as Lemmy, Sting and this weekend Terry Wogan have united people in mourning.
I have to confess that of all of these it was the passing of Wogan that got to me the most. Someone I used to drive with in the mornings, someone who made Eurovision potentially watchable and someone who seemed to be 'Mr Children in Need'. I have never met the man, but yet there was a sadness within me that united me with the other TOG's, TYG's and the rest of those who enjoyed him.
In a fleeting moment you feel less lonely as the world unites, but sadly this is all too fleeting and then we are left to return to our normality.
It was on the morning of Wogan's death I looked out at the congregation here on Sunday and gave thanks for the friendships we share, across ages, across upbringings, across education. We are not perfect and there is still loneliness, but it's a loneliness we face together with Christ as the one who unites us.
It is a unity that does not wait for tragedy or someone else to instigate it, it is there wrapped up in our following of Jesus.
Loneliness in terms of no visitors for the elderly, loneliness in terms of no-one being able to understand you, loneliness in terms of being surrounded by people yet not engaging in any level.
It is sad, yet amazing that the recent deaths of much loved celebrities such as Lemmy, Sting and this weekend Terry Wogan have united people in mourning.
I have to confess that of all of these it was the passing of Wogan that got to me the most. Someone I used to drive with in the mornings, someone who made Eurovision potentially watchable and someone who seemed to be 'Mr Children in Need'. I have never met the man, but yet there was a sadness within me that united me with the other TOG's, TYG's and the rest of those who enjoyed him.
In a fleeting moment you feel less lonely as the world unites, but sadly this is all too fleeting and then we are left to return to our normality.
It was on the morning of Wogan's death I looked out at the congregation here on Sunday and gave thanks for the friendships we share, across ages, across upbringings, across education. We are not perfect and there is still loneliness, but it's a loneliness we face together with Christ as the one who unites us.
It is a unity that does not wait for tragedy or someone else to instigate it, it is there wrapped up in our following of Jesus.
Monday 25 January 2016
Going through the motions
One morning I put the trousers on the ironing board, turned the dial on the iron and waited a few minutes for the iron to heat up. After doing something else close by I then started to iron, it was not going as well as I expected and the creases were not coming out. Sprayed the water cannon on them and still the iron was not doing what I wanted, it was not until several minutes later did I realise the iron was not on at the wall.
I was going through the motions, not thinking and just doing. I think we sometimes do church and following Jesus like this. It is so easy to go through the motions that we lose the sight of what we are doing. We forget that we are a worshipping community and just come to sing some songs, we forget that we are called to love one another as we rush out the church door.
The challenge is to not go through the motions, but to remember who we are and why we do what we do.
Maybe sometimes we need to step back and look in order to see where the problem is and how we can be more aware of what we are doing and why.
I was going through the motions, not thinking and just doing. I think we sometimes do church and following Jesus like this. It is so easy to go through the motions that we lose the sight of what we are doing. We forget that we are a worshipping community and just come to sing some songs, we forget that we are called to love one another as we rush out the church door.
The challenge is to not go through the motions, but to remember who we are and why we do what we do.
Maybe sometimes we need to step back and look in order to see where the problem is and how we can be more aware of what we are doing and why.
Thursday 7 January 2016
Why a Blog?
It would be sensible not to do a blog! Time is precious; the danger of saying something not quite right; the fear to say something so that time does not pass without saying something.
However, I want this blog to make people think of Church differently, to be surprised and to break down the stereotypes that are out there.
This will not just be a blog that the minister (that's me by the way) writes and rambles on about, but a place for collaboration and different members of the church to share their thoughts about things.
A place where community, individuals and church meet in discussion and thoughts. This will only work if people are willing to engage and create some good, healthy, fair and compassionate dialogue.
So here is your invitation to follow this blog, contribute and maybe think of Church in a different way.
However, I want this blog to make people think of Church differently, to be surprised and to break down the stereotypes that are out there.
This will not just be a blog that the minister (that's me by the way) writes and rambles on about, but a place for collaboration and different members of the church to share their thoughts about things.
A place where community, individuals and church meet in discussion and thoughts. This will only work if people are willing to engage and create some good, healthy, fair and compassionate dialogue.
So here is your invitation to follow this blog, contribute and maybe think of Church in a different way.
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