Saturday 26 June 2010

Vestry Prayer for Ordinary 14 year C

Gracious God, we come into your presence today with hearts full of thanksgiving that you love us even though we may not feel worthy of your love.
As we gather today we pray Lord for his time of worship, for those who will be involved in the act of worship, musicians, readers and especially for the one who will bring us your word.
We would ask Lord that your promise where two or three are gathered you would be in the midst is especially true for us today.
Be in all that we sing, say and do and help us to feel your presence as we bring our worship and gather around your word.
Bless each one gathered here we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.
Amen.

Friday 25 June 2010

New Methodist hymn book.

I have just received this week's Methodist Recorder (yes it is a day late)and started to skim through to see what caught my eye and arrived at the letters page where there are a number of letters relating to the proposed new hymn book.
The first letter I read is about changing of words to hymns and I have to say I do not understand why we have to change the words of hymns that certainly people in my generation grew up with. To be honest the proposed changes to 'Dear Lord and Father of Mankind' strike me as political correctness gone stark raving bonkers.

The other thing that I struggle with is that the new book is supposedly a 'supplement' to Hymns and Psalms and according to the dictionary definition I would have been expecting the new book to contain nothing that is already in Hymns and Psalms. According to one correspondent the book will contain 815 items with 320 of them already being available in Hymns and Psalms.

The Merriam Webster on-line dictionary gives this definition for a supplement : a part added to or issued as a continuation of a book or periodical to correct errors or make additions.

Have I missed something or am I misinterpreting the definition.

I suppose conference will approve it but believe it will be interesting to see how many churches across the connexion actually take it up in either format. I don't see many churches in our circuit expressing much interest.

Wednesday 9 June 2010

Been to London to visit....

No not the Queen but the Cumberland Hotel at Marble Arch. I found it quite an amazing place and it was certainly like the pictures on the website.
I don't think I would like to travel on the tube very often - I found it very claustrophobic.
There were major problems coming back as there had been a fatality at Lichfield and someone had been hit by a train at Tipton - please pray for all those involved in these accidents.

Saturday 5 June 2010

Vestry Prayer for June 6th

Gracious God, be with us as we gather for worship today. Be with our Brother/sister who will be leading our worship, help them to lead us and to bring us to life like you brought the widow of Nain's son to life.
As we join together as your family here may we feel part of that much bigger family around the world and be encouraged that we are not alone.
Be in all we do sing or say and grant a blessing to each person who gathers here today, taking us into the coming week refreshed and restored as we serve you.
in Jesus Name we pray. Amen

Wednesday 2 June 2010

London calling!

yes folks London is calling me - I think it would be true to say I have only been to London three times in my whole 55 years (56 on the 20th - hint hint) and I will be going twice in a week.
My first visit will be on Saturday when I go to Methodist Church House for the District Local Preachers Officers meeting (at least I think that's what is is called). It will be quite interesting to visit headquarters so to speak.
My second visit is next Wednesday to the Cumberland Hotel near Hyde Park where I am attending a Housing Quality Network seminar on complaints handling. I had a look at the hotel on the internet today and it looks amazing.
the one thing I can';t work out is the difference in train fares - on Saturday it is £19-50 and next Wednesday it is £140. I know I am not doing quite the same journey but it must be a very similar distance