‘Would you like to join us for a coffee, it’s really cold out today?’ I asked the men from one of the motorcycle groups who meet down by the harbour. ‘Thank you, but we don’t feel that we should come into church, because people don’t like us that much or even want to understand us. Although most of us do have a faith, would you pray with us now, here?’ The message of good news Read more…
“Would you lead Bible Study on Friday at 5pm?” I was asked at short notice near the end of a busy week of preparing courses, writing devotional material and teaching adults. It is hard for me in French and Creole but I reluctantly agreed. Arriving 15 minutes early, 50 people were already present, all under 40 years old. The numbers swelled to 150 through the devotions. The people were eager, hungry to learn, to share Read more…
Jesus asks us to follow Him. He asks us to go somewhere new, maybe somewhere challenging. But before we set off on that journey, He asks us: “Do you love me?” (vv15, 16, 17). He asks us over and over again, until we finally hear the truth in the question. Mission starts with love – a love that goes in all directions. When I’m working at my local church in Great Ayton, faith is expressed Read more…
Much has been written about the woman at the well; mainly speculation, as we know very little fact. She is often presented as a woman shunned by her community because of her life-style and therefore she is collecting water in the heat of the day when she would not expect to be harassed. These less-well-known verses at the end of the story offer another insight; it appears that her short testimony is believed without question Read more…
I can struggle with this passage, especially in terms of mission…because very often faith and mission, are tentative, easily shaken, tiny like a spark, sometimes not even that, but a seeking to find a firm place to plant your foot. I try to think through illustrations of solid rock I need to build my faith and my mission on. However, as I search for words, I wonder if God likes the word “plodging” as much Read more…
‘To know Christ and make Him known.’ That’s the aim of the World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women. For something like twenty-five years I’ve had close involvement with, first, Women’s Network and now Methodist Women in Britain. This is the British Unit of the World Federation and so I keep that aim close to my heart. Through Circuit, District and Connexional days and residential weekends I’ve been encouraged, enabled and equipped to grow Read more…
Elizabeth Alexander’s poem “I Believe” ends with the words “and are we not of interest to each other?” This has been a source of much reflection over the last months as we work with many non churched families in Stockton requesting baptism. In the light of this reading I offer this .. Interested In One interested in us Breathing life Imprinted image Providing, purposing Co-working confidently Giving receiving Interested In movement Gentle nudge familiar field Read more…
An Invitation to stillness “Let Your good Spirit lead me” (Psalm 143: 10) We are the people of God We are called to be his disciples We are empowered by the Holy Spirit We are the Body of Christ The Lord our God has given to us his word Then we can learn from him The Lord our God has put his words on our lips and in our hearts Then we can learn together Read more…
God is Love The whole of humanity is longing and searching for love. Everyone desires to be loved and to have someone to love in return. Often the ‘love’ people experience is not an accurate reflection of God’s love. We demand other people’s love in return for our own; we place expectations and conditions on those we claim to love; we assume a sense of ownership. Love is a word that is widely discussed and Read more…
Reflecting on the bible passage 1 Samuel 3:8-10: It is the calling of the Lord. To first understand what God has to say to us we need to believe by removing all the blindness of the world and everything that keeps us away from God. It is needed from each of us to serve Him with all our heart and faithfulness, to accomplish what is our mission in life. Sometimes we all have those difficult Read more…