Skip to main content

preaching? story telling?

 had a reasonable amount of fun Sunday morning at church. I was invited to deliver the word. I have obviously spent many years preaching to a congregation whether they like it or not. As a pastor vicar role there is a certain relationship you have with your congregation, you are called to lead then on a journey together hopefully. My role here in South Africa is different and that was part of the attraction of the church Erin and I attend now called Salt. The church does not have any paid leadership and I am not on the leadership team and it has been an interesting time after spending so many years as a responsible church leader. I am invited to share the word and sometimes the leading of communion.

I now take the role in preaching as someone on a Christian journey and share some of my journey with my brothers and sisters, it feels more personally revealing, possibly more risky. 

This Sunday I shared how I have three scripture readings on the wall of my workshop. They are there to remind me the workshop is a sacred space, its a place I spend with my co workers and God. The readings remind me of how I could live under Gods grace. 

The first one is below Jeremiah 30:22

I discovered some of its depth with the teaching of Walter Brueggemann, that in its self reminds me I am not on my own but make this journey with others assisting me along the way. That God is more for me than I for him and there is something certain in his promises that I need. 


The second is below its the words of Jesus from Mark. 

This is the Message version, it reminds me all of me is called to follow Jesus not just selected bits of me. It reminds me Jesus calls me too look outwards to love others but also inwards to love myself. How I can love others in and through my workshop is as important to me as knowing my value in God.

and finally 

I cannot boast to know all Eckart talks about but he has been influential on me in recent years. Eckhart reminds me of my journey of mystery a journey of change. When I think I have God in a box Eckhart reminds me how big God is and that language is useful but futile in understanding God. This quote reminds me I often collect things and Christ calls us to leave and let go of things, so that he may fill us with his mysterious love. 

so no preaching just sharing where I am on my journey.    



 
        

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Response To Bishop North

A while back Bishop Phillip North spoke to New Wine and caused a bit of a reaction one of it was a Tweet to my millions of followers. In response I had a phone call from The Church Times asking for a quote because I serve in a poor parish, I declined and said I would put a more considered response on my blog, so here it is with a link to The Bishops full talk. https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2017/4-august/news/uk/there-s-a-future-for-the-church-if-evangelicals-put-the-poor-first-bishop-north-tells-new-wine 1.      One of the issues the church does not recognise is the exportation of people , talents and money from parishes like mine to middle class parishes which is draining and demanding on leadership. For 10 years I thought I was building a community, then it dawned on me I was building people up to go to other places. 2.      Bishop Phillip talks of abandonment of the poor: I think it’s more complicated than that. When ...
9 comments
Read more

Two thoughts

My two thoughts for the morning. As the BBC moves to replace the CofE as the national church of no belief, as parts of the BBC becomes more irrelevant in the new world is it possible The BBC will consume itself with its left wing cynical view? When the issue of faith is shown the back door and told not to come back who will the new priests and priestess pour their cynicism on? Perhaps themselves? For we all need the other voice who we don’t agree with to gain a greater understanding of who and what we are.  History tells us every regime needs someone to bully Secondly, will The Church not be better without these platforms of privilege? When we are no longer welcome on the platform of privilege as will happen at some point, will we not need to shape up to redefine what we believe, what we have to share, what we don’t need? Privilege tends to make you slow on your feet, breed chummy inward looking relationships, privilege steals from people the ability to move under the defining cult...
3 comments
Read more

YWAM Nensa

Mercy Air trip to  YWAM  Nen s a ,  Mozambique The  first mission trip of our  ‘ new normal ’   in South Africa  happened last week.   Azarja , our pilot, flew the team ;  which included Bruce, Stephen, Erin and Nigel  in the Cessna 310. We traveled from Mercy Air; to Kruger International (to exit SA); to Beira (to enter Mozambique); then on to Marromeu (12 hours total, including long waits for permits and visas – This is Africa!)   The drive by car ( in a  4x4) would take about 3 days on some very difficult ,  non-tarmac roads.  Allison and Leanna  drove  the final  1  1/2  hours  from Marromeu  to the YWAM base  at  Nensa .  As a rookie African  M ission ary,  I did  initially   feel a bit like Michel Palin without the film crew. The common red sand  road,  so   many people walking into the dark , headlamp beams throwing themsel...
4 comments
Read more