Friday 28 May 2010

Vestry Prayer Trinity Sunday Year C

Here is a vestry prayer for this Sunday.

Immortal God, invisible and wise, we cry out Abba Father today and thank you that you loved the world so much, you sent your Son to die in our place.
Reveal to us again today the Good news of your Gospel and help us to understand the concept of the trinity on this Trinity Sunday
Be in our hymns, prayers, readings and the preaching of the word.
Bless N... as s/he leads our worship and shares the scriptures with us. Grant us a blessing too through the power of your Holy Spirit in Jesus name. Amen.

Thursday 20 May 2010

Vestry Prayer for Pentecost

Here is my Vestry Prayer for this week - Pentecost Sunday.

Heavenly father may we be like the disciples of old gathered in that upper room and experience the moving of the Holy Spirit in our worship today.

Living God we pray that your Spirit would fall afresh on each one gathered here today, and that you would renew and refresh us. We ask Lord that N..... would know the presence of the Holy Spirit as they lead our worship and bring your word to us today.

Breathe on us O breath of God.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Monday 17 May 2010

Marking nearly over

I have almost completed my marking so will hopefully be back to some sort of normal service very soon. I can say without giving anything away that all of the ones I have marked have passed so well done to all ten of them. I look forward to reading that they have been fully accredited.

Methodist Bloggers

I had an interesting afternoon on Saturday at a vision day in Birmingham (manning the local preachers stall) where I met three current Methodist Bloggers and a former one. The first one I met was Neil a former blogger and then I saw this chap walking across the hall and thought he looks remarkably like the most controversial Methodist blogger and yes you've guessed it was Methodist Preacher (aka David Hallam). He went off and cam back with a young fellow who turned out to be John Cooper.
The last one I met could have been embarrassing because this fellow walked over and started chatting and I was looking at him thinking I knew him but couldn't place who or where. Any way after about ten minutes the penny dropped it was the Vice President of Conference - sorry Richard!

Wednesday 12 May 2010

It's all over - nearly!

Well the general election is over, there has been much debate about the result and who might or might not form a government and we now see the result of all the discussions that took place the weekend.
I really do think it is now time for us to give the new administration a chance - just for a little while let's put aside political dogma and rhetoric and look to what might be achieved as the two parties work together to lead this country out of the mess we appear to be well and truly in.
Its seems to me that already the doom and gloom merchants are saying the 'pact' will not last and I hope that they will be proved wrong and that this government will provide the strong stable government that David Cameron has talked about.
I think that one of the most important things for us as Christians is to uphold our leaders in prayer even when we do not particularly agree with their particular ideology, and I would urge all Christians to do this.

Saturday 8 May 2010

Rattling some cages

I am preaching at one of the churches in our circuit tomorrow and think I may surprise them - I might even rattle a few cages as I have decided to preach on the Revelation reading. I think Revelation is one of those books we sometime try too hard to understand and explain rather than reading it and enjoying the picture that is painted of that wonderful city with the jasper walls and the river of gold - what a picture this is. I just hope I can convey the wonder in the morning and that the congregation will not switch off as soon as they hear Revelation!

Sad week for blogging

It has been a sad week for blogging this week as I reported earlier in the week that a local blogger had died and today it has been announced that Olive Morgan who blogged at Octomusings has also died.
I am sure that Olive will be missed in many ways as from reading her blog regularly it was obvious that she was involved in a wide range of activities.
She will certainly be missed by those of us who read her blog and there are very few words I can express that would sum it up any better than Richard Hall did when he emailed me earlier in the week with the sad news. I quote 'One of the good guys has gone home'.
Rest in peace Olive.

Farewell to Bob the Black Country Brummie

Regular readers of this blog and others will know of the death of fellow blogger Bob Tidmarsh, a.k.a. Bob the Black Country Brummie last week.
I have been asked by Gerry a family friend to let readers know that there will be a celebration of Bob's life next Thursday (13th May) at 12 o.clock at St. Bernard's Church, Broome Avenue, Hamstead B43 5 AL.

Everyone welcome.

Wednesday 5 May 2010

It's nearly over - thank goodness.

I declared this an election free space at the beginning of the campaign and I have to say I am very bored with the whole business but more that that I am very dissappointed.
I have noted that some of the activists on other blogs have been out knocking doors and canvassing for their respective parties but I have not had a single person knock my door. I know they have been in the street and I have been at home but they only seem to be targetting certain doors - I wonder are they only rallying the faithful? Well its too late now and I shall be off tomorrow evening to cast my vote along with the family. My only wish is that there were a candidate rom the raving loony monster party becasue they would certainly get my vote due to the apathy of the other parties canvassing machine. I hope they ask me for my number outside the polling station they won't get it but I might ask them why they are suddenly so interested in me!!

Vestry Prayer Easter 6 Year C

Hallelujah, blessed is the one who came in the name of the Lord. As we gather for worship today Lord may we like John have a glimpse of the new Jerusalem, the Holy City with its walls of jasper and its river of gold.
Help us to worship you with the heavenly host and the angels and bring our praise and worship to you as our offering today, as a return of all you give us may we return our praise to you who alone are worthy.
Be with all those involved in leading this worship today and may they be blessed as they do this work for you and may we all in turn be blessed because of our fellowships with you.
In Jesus Name we ask.
Amen

Monday 3 May 2010

Prayer Request

It is with some sadness that I ask my readers for prayers please for a fellow blogger who passed away peacefully yesterday evening.
I was sad to hear this morning that Bob The Black Country Brummie died peacefully yesterday evening.
Please pray for Bob's family at this sad time and for those who know Bob both as a friend and as a campaigner.
I had the privilege of meeting him and Pat last year and we spent a pleasant hour chatting about various things.
I like many will miss his blog post's and thank Gerry for letting me know.