Lent 1

Session one of the lent course tonight, meeting God in ordinary places.

Lent

Lent is upon us.

30 people turned up for a pancake party on Tuesday evening which was the start of our Lenten Observance. We opened with prayer and an introduction into our Lent material. After that we split into smaller groups and shared with each other what we expected to gain from the lent course and what we were doing as part of our own Lent. We had 3 area's to look at Prayer, Study and Reflection and we had a piece of paper with a Lent Cloud on thatw e could add our thoughts and expectations to. We will review this at the last Lent course session and see whether we have tried hard enough.

More to follow.....

Time fly's

20th Jan already - no blogs as busy busy busy, putting into place all that I need to meet the objectives for this year.

When I get chance I'll let you all know.

I'll update you on my thoughts on our Sermons - Last weeks (17/jan) spoke to me personally (http://www.allsaintsstretford.org.uk/worship/service-notes-january-2010.php)

A couple of thoughts - WALSINGHAM this year? I will be going so its no trouble arranging it.
CTiS what is its future - I'll be putting my thoughts to type very soon.

Happy New Year!!!!

2009 and the year ahead

2009 came with it's challenges whether it was work, family, church or finances. I'm glad 2009 is over and I hope 2010 will be better. What do I understand being better is, more money, no arguements, no family crisis, church running smoothly, no one complaining. No these I enjoy, we need to argue and get things of our chests so we can live together. We need a crisis to bring us together, a united front. Church running smoothly what a bore. No what I want to do is make better time to cement my daily prayer into my daily life, let something else break. Spend time with God to listen more and understand my calling, this would make life better. There are things in my life I need to iron out and I'm putting building block in place to resolve these.

I hope during this period where most of us are not at work take time to reflect and recreate yourself and here I am looking forward to 2010.

Christmas

Happy Christmas to all of you

This weeks sermon (8/11)

Moiras sermon this week was about Rememberance Day.

As with Moira I wasn't born during a war nor have I ever experienced the affects war can have on a community. In the past I have attened Rememberance services with Cubs and Scouts and as a leader, I have slowly over the years seen the amount of people attending dwindle and now I see them increasing in numbers which is good. Still I have not had to experience war. I have a lot of respect for all our troops who have been involved or who are involved in any of the wars around the world at the moment.

The first war I remember was the Falklands war, nobody actually knew where the Falkland Island actually are, most thought they were off the coast of Scotland. I have watched the Gulf war on CNN available 24 hours a day, then Iraq again 24 hours a day but still so far away that they didn't really connect. Now we have Afganistan and our troops are mobilised all over the world and we need to remember both the people of old wars and the new. I don't always agree with the politics of war but our men and women are out there protecting and we must remember them.

The next time you pray for peace in worn torn area's remember our own men and women.

Read Moira's sermon again follow this link Sermon 8/11

Saints and Supper Evening

All Saints welcomed Sevenways and St Matthews.

A fantastic evening was had by all.

There was plenty of Hot Pot, Jacket Spuds, Apple Pie and Trifle for everyone and I think some people had thirds never mind seconds.

Quiz winners "Double Value" I'm sure they had a helping hand :o))
Lots of Bingo winners - what a fantastic game that is ha ha

All Saints Sermon 1/11

All Saints Day Service Sunday 1/11 10am

All Saints' Day (officially the Solemnity of All Saints and also called All Hallows or Hallowmas), often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November in Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity in honour of all the saints, known and unknown.

For more information on All Saints Day please have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints

Moira's sermon this week really made me think, I'm not against Halloween, I enjoy the children knocking at the door in their frightening costumes and letting them take a selection of sweets from the pumkin bucket. It's good to see people going round their community, why don't Christians embrace this evening. But how? That has always been my problem but this week Moira has given me what I need. We can remind people why the ghouls and wirches are out, they are being chased off by the saints of God, the good old good vs evil story. We can also tell them of the frightening deaths some of the saints endured - John the Baptist having his head chopped off and it served to Herod on a plate, Laurence roasted on a barbeque, Stephen stoned to death. What great stories to tell the children :o) I'll be doing a bit more research on our Saints, watch out for more stories.

Moira's 1/11 All Saints Day sermon follow this link sermon 1/11

All Souls Day - 2 Novemember ( Our Service this year will be on Sunday 1/11 at 7.30pm)

In Western Christianity, All Souls' Day commemorates the faithful departed. All Souls' Day is also known as the Feast of All Souls, Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed.

For more information on All Souls please take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Souls%27_Day

Mission

I came across this....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8177318.stm

and seen as though Lostock Partnership have spent so much money on the improvements to the local park, including a skate park, something to think about.....

AS Mens Fellowship Meal

INFO ONLY

The meal has been rescheduled to Thursday November 19th @ 7.30pm

Please contact Steve to book your place.

Poverty - What is the Solution?

Watch.... and pray

Walsingham 2009 Pictures

As promised, several pictures from our Walsingham Pilgrimage;

The pilgrims;

Stuart and Steve carry the image of Our Lady;

Bishop Lindsey;

Tolerance

Over and over again, we witness a lack of tolerance amongst us and see those with similar views group together and act against others.
As Christians we are always being asked to be tolerant of others, but what does it actually mean? For most of us it means putting up with something we don't like, the bible tells us to be tolerant, Matthew 7.1 (NIV) "Do not judge or you too will be judged"

How many times do we not tolerate others, their ideas, their practises? Do you want them to follow your own ideas and practises? If you stop and listen to yourself is it that the other person has to be tolerant of you but not you don't have to be tolerant of them, are you saying they should do something else that pleases you and conforms to your ideas and practises? No one is perfect all the time and we can lead a much happier life with tolerance flowing both ways.

As Christians we need to demonstrate love and understanding and it can be done without being judgmental and without conditions. According to Dictionary.com, one definition of tolerance is that it is "a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one's own."

I'm not saying that you sit back and do nothing as this shows no tolerance at all. If you look at the definition above (again) it says objectively, fairly a permissive attitude - not roll over. It is possible to have discussions with people that are respectful even if we don't share the same beliefs and practises. There are lots of examples that we accept without saying anything, for example gossip, if people are gossiping do you let it go, join in even or do you do something about it and be honest with yourself? True tolerance allows us to listen to what the other person is saying. When we listen, we can have great discussions that bridge divides rather than grow rifts.

Even if you do not agree with someone that you feel you must share on the issue, do so in a non-attacking way; maybe ask more questions about their views, differences or cultural beliefs and respectfully share back what you know. Being tolerant can in fact be a good thing, you have to listen and learn, learn more from the person you are having the discussion with, asking questions may just bring a better understanding of why they do what they do and may even enhance what you believe.

Use this verse that promotes tolerance for personal reflection and meditation in quiet moments.

May we remember
In our humanity
We are part of a world family.

Tolerance
Noting differences
While remaining peaceful.

Recognizing that each
Has the right
To determine their reality.

Tolerance
Allowing us to remain calm
When we think others should act differently.

Tolerance breeding happiness
As we take tender insights
Into living.

Tolerance
Blossoming in peace, joy, happiness, love.
Acceptance in love by practicing love.

Meditation - Susan Helene Kramer

Fresh Expressions 2

Prior to starting Fresh Expressions I have felt quite strongly that God was calling me to gather people to bring my master plan together. Fresh Expressions suggests that you start with prayer. Over the last six weeks I have prayed, listened and prayed and discovered that God is actually challenging me to put aside the ideas and plans that I had conceived and instead to search for interested people where God led me, this is the next step, finding support. I had been trying to fit people into the gaps in my plan, the problem with this is that you are not listening and being open with them, it lags integrity. To build the relationships up that you need to discern Gods call and what we will do in response you need to listen and be open to the people i come into contact with. God is calling me to listen and get to know unchurched people without jumping in too soon with some form of responsive action.
Through prayer the next step is to find people who have the same interest/calling and are willing to pray and work out what God is saying to us regarding the community needs.
At this moment I do not know how this is going to work, I will continue in prayer and wait to be led to people and places and be able see the opportunities God gives to me.
Prayer is essential and the next step as God leads me within the community is to ask myself "what does loving service look like here?"


I'm sure in time waiting and listening to see what God does with us will build a community of unchurched and dechurched people. Let me know if you are interested in organising prayer meeting specifically for discerning Gods call in the community.

Where do you stand?

600 Church of england Priests are meeting soon to discuss the Popes offer for them to join their own section of the Roman Catholic Church.

This has come about as the C of E is moving towards allowing women bishops and many of the "High Church" catholic Anglicans want access to male alternatives. The Pope has suggested that they can transfer and retain their Anglican identity, seems like an offer they cannot refuse.

But how can the CofE ever unify with Rome when both cannot agree on womens roles within the church?

What does this mean for the CofE is it the end of the chruch as we know it?

Personally I would like for us all to be unified however I can't now see this happening in the current structure, however I do not believe we should be without women in imp[ortant roles.