Happy Christmas!
I have chosen to spend Christmas away. At the end of such a busy term, I need some time of rest and quiet before I feel fit to tackle that challenges the new year will bring - and this may be the last "quiet" Christmas I have for along time!
Yesterday I attended the Christmas Service at a church in Nottingham. I was one of a congregation of 14 six of whom were clearly visitors and not regular church goers. It was a quiet service with a great sermon and the congregation were friendly but I'm struck by the difference between the response of those shepherds on that first Christmas and our response today. The shepherds wanted to share the good news with everyone
"When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been
told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the
shepherds said to them" Luke 2:17 NIV
I can't help wondering how different our Christmas services might be if were full of the same enthusiasm?
More like this perhaps? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE
Sunday, 26 December 2010
Sunday, 19 December 2010
How did it get to be the Sunday before Christmas? The year is disappearing again!
I have braved the snow to visit my sister and her family so this morning I attended worship in a small Methodist, village church quite unlike my "normal" church experience. There I watched the Sunday School act out the story of the birth of Christ with reference to a chicken, a cat, an owl (but fortunately no second lobster!) and Michael Mouse, who learnt the important lesson that the best and only gift we can give to God is our whole self. It is not quite the account of Jesus's birth that we find in Luke's gospel but it still has the power to move the congregation to tears and to speak deeply of a God who would give up majesty and power to become a helpless, vulnerable human child.
I have braved the snow to visit my sister and her family so this morning I attended worship in a small Methodist, village church quite unlike my "normal" church experience. There I watched the Sunday School act out the story of the birth of Christ with reference to a chicken, a cat, an owl (but fortunately no second lobster!) and Michael Mouse, who learnt the important lesson that the best and only gift we can give to God is our whole self. It is not quite the account of Jesus's birth that we find in Luke's gospel but it still has the power to move the congregation to tears and to speak deeply of a God who would give up majesty and power to become a helpless, vulnerable human child.
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
08/12/2010
This week I have been at another conference. This time, on whole church learning. It is strange how the word "ordinand" seems to have taken over my life. Even at work I find myself looking at things as if through a different lens. Even so, I was a little dismayed that our lively conversations over the last few days on learning as a christian community, all too often were hijacked to become a discussion about ministerial education, as though that were the whole of the issue. I may have a vested interest in wanting the very best theological education for people entering ministry but Theology is not a language reseved for Christian Educators. As a children's worker I believe that we are each of us called to "do theology" - that we are each called to explore and understand the Christian faith as far as anyone can. I reflect, once again on the words of Alister McGrath* that a key task of ministry is translating the language of the Christian Faith into ordinary plain English. So if you ask me about my study, I will do my best to tell you, but if I fail to explain it well, point me back to here please!
* At the STETS graduation ceremnoy in September 2010. If you are interested you can listen to his talk by following this link
http://www.stets.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Alister-McGrath-9-10-10.mp3
This week I have been at another conference. This time, on whole church learning. It is strange how the word "ordinand" seems to have taken over my life. Even at work I find myself looking at things as if through a different lens. Even so, I was a little dismayed that our lively conversations over the last few days on learning as a christian community, all too often were hijacked to become a discussion about ministerial education, as though that were the whole of the issue. I may have a vested interest in wanting the very best theological education for people entering ministry but Theology is not a language reseved for Christian Educators. As a children's worker I believe that we are each of us called to "do theology" - that we are each called to explore and understand the Christian faith as far as anyone can. I reflect, once again on the words of Alister McGrath* that a key task of ministry is translating the language of the Christian Faith into ordinary plain English. So if you ask me about my study, I will do my best to tell you, but if I fail to explain it well, point me back to here please!
* At the STETS graduation ceremnoy in September 2010. If you are interested you can listen to his talk by following this link
http://www.stets.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Alister-McGrath-9-10-10.mp3
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