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A Skinny Fairtrade Latte in the Food Court of Life - Page 3

  • Explore Your Call...

    Although I make a lot of mention of 'Vicar School', I usually (intentionally) avoid naming it, in the same way that I use thinly veiled names for the churches I serve/served.

    However, I am proud to part of this college, and want to do my tiny bit to spread the word of who we are and what we are about, so I am sharing this advert for our upcoming online 'Explore Your Call' event.

    Are you interested in exploring your call into ministry within the Baptist tradition? At NBC we offer a range of pathways/tracks and are especially eager to journey with those who may encounter obstacles due ethnicity, colour, disability, gender, biological sex, or sexuality. (choice of words mine, so if you feel the terms are incorrect blame me not the college)
     
    To find out out more scan the QR code or email charmaine.howard@northern.org.uk we'd love to chat!

     

  • LAMPS The Passion

    So, this is coming to a church in Railway Town...
     
    Book early to avoid disappointment (I mean, you might get to see me do my cabin crew impression before it starts...)
     
    What is The Passion? - Performed by a cast of three talented professional actors, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus are recreated in a moving, memorable and ultimately
    joyful retelling of the Easter events.
     
    Told from the perspectives of Peter, Mary Magdalene and a Roman centurion named Marcus, The Passion leads us up to and through the events of Holy Week, the cross and beyond.
     
    As with all LAMPS performances, it has been written with everyone in mind, not just people who go to church. It is also suitable for secondary school students.
     
    Who are LAMPS? - We are a collective of Christian artists who create, produce and perform theatre, music and comedy events and creative resources for the church.
     
    Refreshments – will be served at the end of the performance.
     
    Ticket information - here  or scan the QR code in the picture above

  • A Hymn of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary...

    I'm using this hymn today.  I don't know it, but it fits to the fairly well known tune Quem Pastores, and fits the theme of Jesus' Mother Roots...

    Child of Abraham the wand'rer
    leaving wealth enough to squander,
    on God's promised hope to ponder -
    Abram's child, hope for us all.

    Child of Tamar stripped of honour,
    bruised, abused for others' pleasure;
    yet to God a priceless treasure -
    Tamar's child, hurt for us all.

    Child of Ruth, Naomi's shadow,
    faithful friend to friendless widow,
    destitute in harvest meadow -
    Ruth's true child, befriend us all.

    Child of Rahab, trait'rous harlot,
    rescued by a cloth stained scarlet,
    sharing God's invasion secret -
    Rahab's child, come save us all.

    Child of David's bride, Bathsheba,
    victim of a lust most eager;
    sign that God forgives for ever -
    Sheba's child, forgive us all.

    Child of Mary, virgin mother,
    bearing for us God, our brother,
    so we'd learn to love each other -
    Mary's child - God with us all.

    John Campbell based on Matthew 1vs1-21 © 2016

  • Hmmm...

    Sometimes there are those 'hmmm' moments that help me detect what God might be saying or doing, and this week there have been a few...

    Spotting a link between the two services I've just done related to Safeguarding (on 'listening well' and 'forgiveness') and the series I am about to lead, which is a revisit of one I led in Dibley in 2006 and at The Gathering Place in 2018 looking at the women in Jesus' genealogy.

    And then a link from both of these to the Bible Study series someone else is leading on the OT Joseph (him of the fancy coat).

    And even a link to the Lent Series I'll be leading based on the film 'The Greatest Showman'.

    Maybe, as someone wise said to me a lifetime ago, it's me making the connections, but I like to think that God has something to do with it.

    Tomorrow I'm preaching about Tamar - one the stories that the Bible study series jumps past.  It's a story that is decidedly difficult to read as being remotely 'holy writ'.  It's interesting to reflect on the dysfunctional ancestry of Jesus of Nazareth, and to ponder what that might say about God.

  • Veterinary Travels

    Sophie has, this week, travelled a lot of miles to visit specialist vets.  We have gobbled up a lot of savings to cover insurance excesses, but a quick calculation shows that, over her lifetime, we are still ahead.  She is not a well cat, but she is a happy cat, a loved cat (all the vet nurses fall in love with her, and the vets aren't far behind) and she has a gentle plan to enable her to enjoy her life, however long or short it my be.

    The photo is her in her 'chariot' - a two-cat cat pram that I recently bought to make it easier to take her and Sasha by train or bus to the vet, as taxis are prohibitively expensive, and the old carriers were nearing the end of useful life anyway.  Although not entirely keen to be placed in the carrier, once there, Sophie sits up and watches intently to see what is going around her.  Yesterday, she enjoyed an hour long sunset walk back from the specialist vet, before devouring half a tin of tuna and a fair amount of chicken for her tea.  As I say, a happy little cat, who enjoys the sun on her fur, the wind in her whiskers, and snuggles on my lap.

    Already this week, Sophie has been blessed with an Aaronic blessing, and also with this from Andrew Linzey's 'Animal Rites':

    Christ the healer

    Liberate you from pain.

     

    Christ the redeemer

    Restore you to health

     

    Christ the new creature

    Make you whole.

     

    Sophie's healing won't be physical cure, but healing as wholeness is a better prayer anyway.  Long or short, may the rest of her life be one of feline happiness and love.