Halloween- sticking my neck out PART1

So I know the following will not be popular with everyone, if you don't follow Jesus then my only ask to you, is please encourage your children to be responsible and don't intimidate people as you celebrate (think of the vulnerable, why not visit your elderly neighbour and have a cup of tea before the evening, they may then even welcome your children round later).

John 8:12

Some people will be upset because they feel I am saying people shouldn't be having fun, others will be upset as they don't think I am taking it seriously enough. I'm a pretty simple person, my views have become clearer and so I thought I would share this.

1. A simple thing is we Celebrate Christmas and Easter as Christians, they are Holy Days and times to celebrate. Halloween is like Bonfire Night or the May Day Bank Holiday, it's not something we worship, so using the language of celebrate confuses the issue.

2.Halloween if you do it, please take the time to think about what you are doing and how. As a Christian I know that Jesus has triumphed over sin, darkness and death, so if you are having a Halloween party for that reason (come to our Superhero Party), then great, carve your pumpkin with signs of light and hope and make sure you are clear to your children why you are engaged.

3. If you call yourself a Christian and you just need an excuse for a party, then I understand, but have a think about the costumes, and theme and the message you give to your children as they are sloshing around with sweets is what you are watching age appropriate? Think about your spending, it's not about the best costume, get your old sheets out, make things with your children to give away, think about how much plastic tat you really need (Blue Planet anyone) yes get them something to enjoy but I'm all for teaching children to give rather than to take. So if you do go Trick or Treating "Say Thank you", but make sure you are welcome to the places you visit.

4. For those who think Halloween is all about Darkness I would say, it's more about Commercialism. We do need to talk more about Life before and Life after death in Jesus Christ, we do need to be willing to talk about Angels and our Supernatural God, so there isn't a vacuum. But I would also say, as Christians light and darkness cannot dwell together, Tarot, Ouija, Spiritism, Mediums and the Occult have no place in the Church. Jesus is the Light of the World.

There is plenty more that can be said, but I'd rather be clear about why it is I don't celebrate, I engage, I will even be having fun, got my Batman Suit ready (Not cowering in the dark in a back room) but just because it's a bit of fun, doesn't mean I check my brain and my heart at the door, neither should you.

Grace and Peace

#GodWithUs

I have a shocking confession to make, before I became a Curate, I never kept Advent. I know right, how can I be a Priest?




Well as a family we often went to Grandparents, who didn't go to church on Christmas day, yet it wasn't the Anglican church alone which made me appreciate Advent and Christmas (though it certainly helped marrying into an Anglican family). I think there were 3 things:

1. Happy Birthday Lord Jesus- My parents are Christians and Christmas was never about Father Christmas, we celebrated Jesus' birthday. So though we didn't always attend church on Christmas day (This varied depending on where we were) Jesus was always central. We appreciated what we had been given and not just getting. My children are not bothered by Father Christmas, they get excited they enjoy it without having a view of God something like Santa (are you good enough to earn God's favour, does God actually care or he is dispenser of stuff that we want). God is far more generous we get his love and forgiveness which we don't deserve.

2. 12 Days of Christmas- No not 12 days of bargains before Christmas but the 12 days starting on Christmas day. This is something Cath continues to remind our children, it isn't over on Christmas Day, which is good news for them as they live in a vicarage. It involves having family to stay with us and going to see other family, enjoying a break (Subject to weddings and what day Christmas falls on I usually have a week off after the Christmas service is over). Which reminds us that it isn't all about a big meal and presents. God's generosity is bigger than we can imagine, so generous he comes to our world and gives himself.


3. Christmas is for sharing- It was my time at Bangor Community Church. The church I was part of as a student at University. I used to stay around to help with the Christmas meal, we held this at first at Bangor Cathedral, I haven't always been part of this, but this year we are helping with the Christmas meal here at Christ Church. Christmas day service is usually a small gathering, people away at family, or having attended midnight services or Christingles or Crib services on Christmas Eve. Yet for me I have felt a longing to serve on Christmas day (yes the day when I am literally exhausted), can I sit down and enjoy this feasting while others are alone or hungry? I don't have a big enough hall or facilities to feed everyone, but lets give what we can and not what we can't. The good news of Jesus' coming was for sharing, Angels shared it with Shepherds and was Good News of Great Joy! It truly is for sharing, that we can know Peace, with God, with each other and know peace in our own lives.

Advent has become a need for me. Christmas season is a time of countless services, school visits, and visiting. If I don't have advent the time of preparation then when Christmas day arrives I can become resentful, I sit here today with little voice, and low energy. You see Advent reminds me again and again I need to carefully prepare myself, not by buying presents for my nearest and dearest, writing cards (sorry if I missed you out), but by checking my heart and life, am I responding like Mary who said "let it be", Joseph who named the baby Jesus, the shepherds who left flocks (there livelihood, income and purpose in life), the Wise Men who journeyed long (yes they don't arrive till epiphany but there's always one or two of us who are late). When I do check my heart and life I realise how much I am in need of the Saviour born that Christmas morn.

I also spend a lot of time listening to music over Advent and this song spoke to me:

It is the lines:

From seed to Sequoia
and
From Bethlehem seed to Calvary Sequoia

The Sequoia is a huge tree many of which are very old, they are strong and  seem when you stand below them to stretch to the heavens. Christmas stretches from that first Advent to the final Advent through the cross.

For me then Christmas is a great gift, the Son of God come to earth, but one labelled with a cross of love, with a message, yes you can know peace, yes you can know forgiveness, but one day we will meet face to face, be ready.

So this Christmas may I say "Merry Christmas" but also get ready.

Bookaid

I have been on placement this week, and having completed my Common Purpose course (more on that another time), I thought I would take a look at some local charities and see where the church, public, private and not for profit organisations work together.

You can never have too many books just look at my house:

On Monday I spent time with BOOKAID in Ranskill, I bought some books too:

• Vol 1 & 2 of Simon Shama's History of Britain
• Can't Swim, Ride, Run- Andy Holgate (Brilliant book, review coming soon)
• Trianing Techniques for Cyclists- Bicycling Magazine  
• Eden Project- Matt Wilson
• The Bible Jesus Read- Philip Yancey
• Hello I love you: Adventures in Adoptive Fatherhood- Ted Kluck
• James: Mercy Triumphs (DVD)- Beth Moore

Thought I would list them to let you know some of the range of books available (I almost bought Calvin's Institutes's but I have a better copy of Vol.1 and want a set).

BOOKAID is a very simple charity established in 1987, they want to provide Christian books to serve the church in the UK and abroad. People travel from miles around to buy books and drop books off, yet it is not very well known in the area, I find it a brilliant resource.

Book Aid- Ranskill

It is however a difficult charity for those who have no faith to get behind on first glance, but this is where management of a shop (even by Volunteer's) makes a difference. I spoke with Russell and Stuart and they have begun to transform the shop, it now has a children's area, Complimentary tea and coffee (it doesn't give you nice comments, but is nice), with comfy chairs to sit on. They have opened up one of the back rooms and have a packing area to show what they do with books which come in and go out.

They want to make the venue a haven for people to come in, where they might be able to have prayer and relax. It's great, maybe a book club, or reading group. The venue could have many uses and it's rare to have parking for a project like this. You could easily have a computer club or conversation group, but it will need to work with the church opposite and others in the community to achieve this, always work with your neighbours! I know St John's in Bramcote where I trained support it and many other churches and Christians. It now has a good fiction and non fiction section too, though not sure where the Lance Armstrong Biography should go...

If you think this is a good idea one simple change could make a difference. It is likely that many popular Christian titles are in stock here, and more than likely some which are rarer, before you go to Amazon or the like you could come here instead...if you were in the building trade could you give time, could you volunteer? All you need to do is like books and be friendly (the second of which is the harder skill in my experience).

I like to buy a book, sit down with a cup of tea, maybe a cookie (OK, yes always with a cookie), and enjoy 30 minutes of peace and quite, so maybe it is already a haven...

5 reasons to blog

Well I have had a bit of a break from blogging, deliberate at the start (needed to finish my dissertation) and also I have felt that I couldn't justify the time (it takes me a lot of writing and rewriting- with and without mistakes). So why return after this break:

1. I want to!

   

   www.velcrosuit.com

2. blogging is one way of crystallizing my thoughts
3. I am wanting to map some of my journey
4. maybe it could be helpful to you?
5. I am entering uncharted waters
   

So you will see some more posts coming up over the next few weeks. I have plenty in draft form but I abandoned for various reasons. My future content will probably cover Triathlon, Dyspraxia, being a Priest and following the call to follow Jesus.

Enjoy!

Just another day?

Today was a surprise to me, it was quite emotional .  I'll talk about that another time. As you walk around you are surrounded by stone. Buildings are built out of it, you walk on it, sit on it, and it shelters you from the sun.

We saw the Jewish cemetery with the piles of stones to remember the dead, and I thought about the stones which were picked up to stone Jesus.

Then we visited the potential site of the high priest's house and Peter our Archdeacon took us to the courtyard ... where the rock petros failed...

There is so much more to say about this thought about stone but I'll leave it for now. Still getting used to camera so pictures will have to wait...

Shalom

Happy but tired Is the way I feel. A day of travelling but a warm reception once we were out of the airport! St George's Cathedral guest house is clean, restful, hospitable and beautiful.

It feels special to be here.

Journey to Israel

Travelling today to Israel has meant an early start. At least I'm not driving. I'm not sure what I am expecting yet. Absorbing some of the place, worshipping with Christians and hopefully understanding some of the challenges that christians face in this part of the world. I must also say as the rain has been pouring down, that some sunshine will be nice too, l have brought my running gear in expectation !