Breakfast on the beach

That was the title of our Service this morning at Pleck when we looked at the appearance of Jesus to the disciples when they were out fishing. The preacher was a visiting preacher who used the church set out for cafe style worship and broke for refreshments in the middle. He also taught us two new songs as well as using some better known Easter hymns like Now the green blades rises and Low in the grave He lay.
This evening it was 'Praise and Worship' at Pleck which is a fairly laid back service led by the worship leaders and others. We used the data projector and showed some paintings from the Methodist Art Collection and discussed what we saw in the pictures. It was a very interesting service with some good comments made on the pictures. For our prayer time we listened to a recording of Michael Card singing his song 'El Shaddai'and were encouraged to focus on the line 'To the outcast on her knees you were the God who really sees, and by your might you set your children free'. There was also a message in tongues and an interpretation in a service that lasted almost 90 minutes and yet everyone seemed quite happy and in fact after the benediction the organist played 'El Shaddai' quietly and no one moved until he had finished. A great day in the presence of God and certainly a spiritual fill up.

Surprise, surprise!

No not the Cilla Black TV programme! It is my surprise following the installation of the new visitor counter. I realise that I am not among the big players from the perspective of the number of visitors unlike Octomusings (Olive Morgan) and Methodist Preacher and Dave Faulkner and others and yet I am amazed that folk from four continents have at least visited my blog once. I note there is Europe (UK), America, Australia and Africa (South Africa) so it would seem I have gone international so to speak. Only need Asia for the full set!
I must try to blog more often as I have been a bit slow recently and I have just received some work to mark for Faith and Worship (12 peoples submissions) so may be a bit busy, but may make some comments about the work I have been marking (No names though).

Greetings your Reverence.

I have just been reading a piece on Methodist Preachers blog about a minister who after three years of being know in one way has now told people she wishes to be known as 'Reverend'. It's a good job I am not in that circuit or I would have to be very naughty and greet her using the term 'Greetings Your Reverence'. It strikes me that there is a bit of pomposity here and I don't believe that Jesus ever intended the church to be filled with pomposity and while I realise how much hard work goes into obtaining some titles etc. it still seems a bit much to me.
I am entitled to have letters after my name and do use them on the plan but only because when I first came to the circuit as a visiting preacher I got the feeling that because I 'spake proper' (Black Country Vernacular) that some people thought I was thick and this was a way of showing I wasn't - I am also entitled to wear a cap and gown and have threatened to turn up at church in my batman look alike outfit but wouldn't really as I would not want to appear to be bragging.
I really do dislike being called 'Mr Southall' and even in the workplace when customers call me 'Mister' I always ask them to call me Ian as after all that is my given name.

Easter Joy.

Thought I should post something as it has been a couple of weeks now and I really have to say this last week has been an interesting one. As with many other Christians I have been to a number of services/events including one event I have never been to before.
My week started last week when I preached at a united service at St Johns in Walsall after which the Vicar invited us to join them for their Maundy Thursday service and supper. We went to this and I have to say I was a little worried when I saw on the order of service 'feet washing'! I hadn't realised they did this and was a little perturbed as my feet sweat profusely and by late evening are not very pleasant - I needn't have worried the feet washing was optional, but the service was very good and brought home to me something I had never took much notice of and that was the fact that Jesus had washed the disciples feet.
On Friday I joined a large crowd for the walking the way of the cross in Walsall which was a marvellous re-enactment of the last few hours of Jesus' life - a better sound system would have been better as I heardly heard a thing the preacher said. On Friday evening it was back to my own church for a Good Friday service where the new Vicar of St John's (Rev Gennie Evans) preached. A very moving service!
This morning I went out in the white Easter that Methodist Preacher mentioned on his blog to meet with a number of folk for a dawn communion service on Barr Beacon - this is the first time I have had snowy bread with my communion.
Later this morning I led worship at Aldridge Methodist Church and we sang some great Easter hymns - the children shared with us and did an excellent prayer.
Tonight I am going to lead worship at Bethel in Wolverhampton which is a Wesleyan Reform Union church.
He is risen indeed Alleluia.

Glasgow was Great!!

Well folks I am back from Glasgow where we had a wonderful weekend in a super guest house called the Onslow and I did worry it might be a little like the character from Keeping up appearances - it was not! We would certainly go there again and would quite happily recommend it to anyone wanting somewhere to stay in Glasgow.
The main reason for going of course was to see the Gaither Homecoming tour date at the Clyde Auditorium (Armadillo) and my wife had not suspected anything unitl we were in the actual auditorium and they were playing some Gaither music.
It was a thrill to be part of the capacity audience (3,000) and see and hear and join in with the Gaither Homecoming Friends in what turned out to be a concert lasting almost three hours.
My son has forbidden me from talking about it because he says I am too enthusiastic and will do his head in, but it was a great night and a super weekend.
My only moan is that very few churches around the area seem to want anyone to know what time there services are - even the one that had a website but no service times either on the board outside where I got the web address from or on the website and the phone number on the board never got answered.

Gaither in Glasgow

I will not be posting here or commenting on other blogs for a few days as we are off to Glasgow to see Bill Gaither and his Homecoming Friends in concert at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre on Saturday evening.
I have against all odds managed to keep the reason for going to Glasgow as a surprise for my wife so I am hoping she will be really thrilled when we get to the gig on Saturday night.
For those readers who may not know who Bill Gaither is he wrote 'Because He Lives, I can face tomorrow' and you can find out more at www.gaither.com

Ministers as Evangelists!

I had previously said I would not comment on this matter but there is so much debate going on around the blogs I read that I thought I would offer a view that hopefully will not be controversial or cause any dire reactions from readers.
I think given the nature of circuit structures, lack of ministers across the connexion and other issues it is highly likely that the minister of a church is seen once a month if you are lucky and possibly more if you are really lucky - given this situation how can it be reasonably expected that the minister should be solely responsible for any particular aspect of chruch life whether it be preaching, teaching or evangelism. In reality the majority of our services are taken by local preachers and much of the day to day life of the church seems to be down to the members of the church. It is true to say that in many places services are taken fairly regularly by that wonderful chap 'Local Arrangement' and even here in Walsall we have had to resort to readers services this quarter to fill all the dates on the plan.
There is a responsibility on all of us for the life and witness of the local fellowship and while not everyone can stand at the front and lead worship or preach there are many things that we can all do.
Apart from when I had preached there one of my first visits to our church was on a Sunday evening - we arrived for what was listed on the plan as a 6-30p.m. service at around 6-25p.m. and it had actually started at 6p.m. For all this we were made most welcome and chairs were moved so that we could join the circle. We had been looking for a new place of worship and had tried one or two churches during the previous month before we arrived at Pleck on that first Sunday Evening and 10 years on we are still there and believe that we are where God wants us to be.
It is true to say that Pleck is an unusual church in some ways - nobody takes any notice when people arrive late for a service - we have an extremely transient congregation as we have had and still have a ministry to asylum seekers, we love to sing anything and everything whether it be Wesley or Kendrick, Crosby or Redman and preferably with a mix of each. We try new and differnt ideas but will also run with the extremely traditional hymn sandwich with every hymn from Hymns and Psalms and I do believe we offer our love to evryone who comes across our threshold.
I am of the opinion that much of what we do as a church is an extremely effective method of evangelism as we show our love to those who come in. Recently a new housing complex has opened just across the road from us and we really felt it would be a nice gesture to give each new resident a welcome pack with tea,coffee, biscuits and a little welcome card in. We spoke to the owners and they were happy for us to do this and a card was left with the packs telling people who were are and where we are and saying that we would love to see them at our coffee morning on the first Saturday of the month - who knows what may come of that?
Some years ago I read a book about friendship evangelism by Rebecca Manley Pippert I think and while I did not agree with everything she wrote I could see the sense in being friends with people as well as trying to evangelise them.