Happy Birthday blog!!

Just realised that our blog was one yesterday, doesn't time fly when when you're posting fun. In that time we've had 2158 hits which may not be much compared to other blogs but I think is great. So thanks to all who have contributed and I look forward to hearing from all and more of you in the next year.

MPs Expenses and Sunday School

The story of the hated tax collector Zacchaeus in the gospel of Luke (Lk 19:1-9)is a well worn Sunday School story. Last Sunday at Ashley I re-visited the story and found the possibility that Jesus can change a life with the right word at the right time very hopeful. In a week of MPs expenses it offers the possibility that human beings can change when God comes into their lives. I found this Utube drama from a youth group a way of coming fresh to the story.

Flower power

This 'appeared' at the prayer meeting this morning. Matthew brought the flower and placed it on the floor and after being moved by Gill it ended up 'on the cross'. As I studied it a couple of things occured to me. At one point part of the flower was in shadow and part in the sun, the part in the sun was brighter and looked'nicer' than the rest, the thought that came to me was that no matter where we feel we are in life, in the dark or in the light Jesus recognises our beauty all the time. The second thing that happened was that the flower wouldn't 'stay on the cross' (shadow moving) it reminded me that Jesus didn't either and because of that I am who and where I am today.

Numbers 6:24-26

I am going to a neighbour's plant sale in aid of a local hospice on Saturday morning. There is something very exciting about this passing on of seedlings and cuttings. That a by product of this happy exchange should be the raising of funds for a hospice, is gratifying. If anyone wants to come, let me know. I shall go about 10ish. (It is in Hatfield.)

Just Because.....

"No matter how deeply we journey into the mystery of God's being-there-for-us, we shall never achieve any kind of knowledge that would qualify us as experts. The most travelled knight-errant of faith knows as much (that is, as little) as the beginner. If there is anything to 'learn' here it is chiefly, a matter of unlearning the presumptions that we have aptitudes or rights in the matter. If we are ever more fully welcomed into the infinite mystery of the divine conversation, it is not because we are clever, or interesting, or brave, or beautiful. The only final 'because' is, as the New Testament puts it, God first loved us." - George Pattison

Say it with flowers

Someone gave me flowers today to say thank you for encouraging her to do something. It was touching to know that I had been instrumental in helping her to do something she wanted to do, but was struggling to go for. I hadn't realised that my comments had played a big a part as she says they did. I think it is often the case, that we don't know how what we say to people affects them.
Anyway, thank you to everyone who encourages me. You can share my flowers!

Waves

I was just inspired this morning by Clark Little's Images of Waves. Here are couple to give you a flavour:

Worship encounters

I have come across two things over the past few days that have made me think again about worship.

The first was from reading an article on Jonny Baker's blog (read here) about about 'worship curation'. Effectively he was saying that curation is about managing a space to be used by artists to display their work therefore worship curation is about creating a space in which people are able to worship. Jonny relates it to worship leaders however I think we are all able to facilitate/curate (?) worship for others by sharing a thought, creating a space for someone to think, praying for each other etc who knows what might trigger peoples thoughts towards God.

The second thing was whilst being squash amonst several thousand people at the radio 1 big weekend music festival on Sunday. I was very struck by all these people worshipping their 'gods' and what it was in them that made them need to do it what need was it meeting. One of the performers came down into the crowd and it was interesting to watch them clamouring for a touch of his hand - why? what need did it meet? It made me think of the woman who was healed by reaching out and touching Jesus' robe probably in a similar sort of crowd.

There is a need within all to fill the 'worship' gap, our challenge is to be curators to create the spaces where all people can meet God and have their needs met.

Some More Public Than Others

I was looking for something else and I came across this image again. It reminded me that we all make mistakes but some are more public than others.

God knows about the seen and the unseen and still loves us.

Dancing in Woodley

We sat in the centre of Woodley, near Reading, on Monday with a brass band playing and experienced the infectious nature of dance just like the T-mobile advert (well a bit smaller!!!).

As the band played some little girls started to dance and them some ladies on a flower arranging stall and everybody started to smile. The atmosphere changed and the weather seemed better and less cold.

Dance and joy are infectious. How about we try to infect someone with joy today. Do something different to celebrate life. Maybe even dance...........

Just to remind you of the advert:

Do you know him?

I thought this was worthy of being on the blog, thanks to who ever found it.

More 'in the gap' - On the road to Emmaus

I had been challenged last week thinking about the gap and seemed to more focused on it being a place where Jesus isn't or at least isn't recognised so my thoughts were draw to the Emmaus road encounter where the disciples failed to recognise Jesus because of the darkness of their percieved situation. Talking to Roy after the talk he said and I agree that often we can ask Jesus to lift us out of the hard places/situations when in reality Jesus will climb in with us and then help us to move out as we begin to recognise Him and listen to what he has to say about the issue. Jesus drew near to the disciples on the road to Emmaus and listened to all they had to say, their hurts and heartbreaks. Gradually he turns their thinking around and eventually they realise who is with them and believe once again.



My notes can be read here

Community Sermons as a Worship Trick 65

Through Sue Rockhill's e-conversation with Jonny Baker we are now Worship Trick 65 on his Blogg. Sue ask permission to use his labyrinth ideas and in return he asked Sue to describe the service.

I like very much Sue's description which keeps us well grounded. Well done Sue for the labyrinth and the contact.

We are an ordinary group of people but at times God seems to do extra-ordinarily gifted things through you all at Ashley. Lets keep going!!!!

IKEA Church?

It is not new to say that shopping malls are, for many, the church of today. I went to IKEA in the week and really enjoyed it. What is so special? What can that tell us about what church should be like today.

At IKEA you are taken on a journey that you didn’t necessarily choose and shown ways that the items on show can be accessible to you. You can take them home and make them your own and I find the experience inspiring in terms of developing my own home.

Is there something there for us who are attempting to make church relevant and contemporary. We need to take people on a journey that maybe they would not have undertaken and provide ways for them to develop that are accessible and can be taken away and used in everyday life. Do our Community Sermons make a start on that? Do we need to go further and learn a lesson from IKEA?

Being more thoughtful, accessible, available, ready to use, child friendly..........