Not something I normally do and I am not trying to steal Richard Hall's idea over at Connexions but this is a hymn that struck me as being very appropriate given the debate that has gone on this week.
The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heaven He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her
And for her life He died.
She is from every nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation,
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With every grace endued.
The Church shall never perish!
Her dear Lord to defend,
To guide, sustain, and cherish,
Is with her to the end:
Though there be those who hate her,
And false sons in her pale,
Against both foe or traitor
She ever shall prevail.
Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed:
Yet saints their watch are keeping,
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song!
’Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore;
Till, with the vision glorious,
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.
Yet she on earth hath union
With God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won,
With all her sons and daughters
Who, by the Master’s hand
Led through the deathly waters,
Repose in Eden land.
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee:
There, past the border mountains,
Where in sweet vales the Bride
With Thee by living fountains
Forever shall abide!
Showing posts with label connexions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label connexions. Show all posts
Sunday, 31 January 2010
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
Still waiting and taken to task (gently)
Well folks no marking arrived yet even though the indication from Methodist Church House was that it was being dispatched last Friday - perhaps the postman is walking all the way from London with it. I did email the Discipleship and Ministries cluster last night to see if they had actually sent me anything - watch this space for more news!!
On another note I have been taken to task (very gently) over on Connexions by Olive Morgan who I suspect is our Senior Methodist Blogger for comments I made about a distinct lack of posts on the blogs I visit regularly.She suggested some more blogs I should check out and I may well visit them regularly as they appear to be quite interesting. Not sure if Olive reads this blog so I have thanked her over at Connexions.
On another note I have been taken to task (very gently) over on Connexions by Olive Morgan who I suspect is our Senior Methodist Blogger for comments I made about a distinct lack of posts on the blogs I visit regularly.She suggested some more blogs I should check out and I may well visit them regularly as they appear to be quite interesting. Not sure if Olive reads this blog so I have thanked her over at Connexions.
Friday, 28 November 2008
connexions broken!!
Not sure if any other readers are having the same problem but I have not been able to access Connexions since Wednesday - whenever I click on the link I get a word press installation screen - I have tried links to Connexions on other blogs and get the same thing. Anybody know what has happened or where it has gone?
Friday, 14 November 2008
In Trouble!
Well folks sorry I haven't posted anything since yesterday morning but I seem to have upset dh over on Connexions (Armistice Day) and have been attempting to 1) work out how generalised comments I made have been taken very personally 2) how they have been deemed to be offensive and 3)to respond with great care so as not to say anything that can be misconstrued or taken as offensive.
Unfortunately a response I spent 40 minutes or so writing last night fell victim of a technical problem that Connexions are having with some posts.
I will be spending some time today writing a further extremely measured response so blogging may not happen until the weekend
Unfortunately a response I spent 40 minutes or so writing last night fell victim of a technical problem that Connexions are having with some posts.
I will be spending some time today writing a further extremely measured response so blogging may not happen until the weekend
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
Todd Bentley
Well I certainly started something with my last post about Todd Bentley, although most of the comments on this have been over on connexions. I have noticed the last couple of times I have flicked on to watch him that he seems now to be pressing on peoples stomachs rather than laying hands on or near their heads as he seemed to be in the early days.
I have to say that although I have watched some more and read the posts on connexions I still have some reservations about this whole thing.
I do believe that God heals and I do believe that God speaks to people, although I am not sure it is always in the booming voice from heaven that Hollywood would have us believe. I am also fairly sure that Paul in his writings talks about things being done in order and I am not sure someone shouting Bam at folks is quite being done in order.
I was some years back in a meeting at a Methodist Church in Wolverhampton where Trevor Dearing spoke and then prayed for the sick - this was my first experience of people falling under the power of prayer - there was a teenager near to us who had been brought in a wheelchair and her parents said she could not walk even a few steps. They wheeled her to the front and Trevor Dearing prayed for her very quietly and reverently and she got up from the wheelchair and danced around the church praising God and giving him the glory. There were many others that night who received haling but this particular one has always stuck in my mind and I think demonstrated very clearly how God can use us ordinary folk when we let him.
I will be keeping a watching brief on Todd Bentley and the comments made over on connexions and may even comment again on this intriguing topic.
I have to say that although I have watched some more and read the posts on connexions I still have some reservations about this whole thing.
I do believe that God heals and I do believe that God speaks to people, although I am not sure it is always in the booming voice from heaven that Hollywood would have us believe. I am also fairly sure that Paul in his writings talks about things being done in order and I am not sure someone shouting Bam at folks is quite being done in order.
I was some years back in a meeting at a Methodist Church in Wolverhampton where Trevor Dearing spoke and then prayed for the sick - this was my first experience of people falling under the power of prayer - there was a teenager near to us who had been brought in a wheelchair and her parents said she could not walk even a few steps. They wheeled her to the front and Trevor Dearing prayed for her very quietly and reverently and she got up from the wheelchair and danced around the church praising God and giving him the glory. There were many others that night who received haling but this particular one has always stuck in my mind and I think demonstrated very clearly how God can use us ordinary folk when we let him.
I will be keeping a watching brief on Todd Bentley and the comments made over on connexions and may even comment again on this intriguing topic.
Wednesday, 13 February 2008
Buzz Off!
I have just been reading on 'Connexions' about the move to ban a device called the Mosquito which is used to dispel gangs of under 25's (those of us older can not hear the piercing noise apparently - obviously a bit like dog whistles).
It would appear to me after almost a quarter of a century working in social housing and indeed living in social housing that there have always been difficulties relating to children and young people playing or gathering in the streets. I can not count how many complaints I have had over the years about children and youths but I do think that there appears to be an increase in these type of complaints. On balance however I have to say that tolerance levels seem to have got lower and here is an example that happened in our street just last year.
There is an alley way that runs between our street and the next street and at the end of this alley way are two stone bollards. During last spring/summer a group of about 6 or 7 youths started using this as a meeting place - as far as I can tell there was no noise, very little litter and no real difficulties other than their presence at the end of this alley way. Within days people were moaning and some even came and sought my advice as they knew I had worked for the local authority before we were transferred to a new organisation. I gave the same advice I would give to our own tenants in these sorts of situation with the rider that unless they were actually causing any trouble there was not much that could be done.
Within a few weeks a temporary camera was fitted to one of the lamp posts to monitor the activities of these youths and it would seem the youths thought they should move position - not that they went away just moved to stand under the camera.
The result of this was that we now have notices from the police saying 'No Loitering'attached to a couple of the lamp posts and essentially the youths feel aggrieved because all they were doing was gathering and talking.
I have to say that I never heard them, never saw them doing anything other than sitting talking and they were not the sort of youths who wore hoodies and looked very intimidating and while I do not dispute, because I know for a fact that there are some very naughty, aggressive young people out there, I feel the danger with the mosquito is that it could be used indiscriminately on any body at any time and while i do think there is a great degree of silliness in the human rights claims we hear about this appears to me to be a recipe for lawyers to make even more money out of claims for damaged ears etc.
I noticed in our local newspaper last night that a local pub had been ordered to stop having entertainment because local people had complained about the noise - I just wonder which was there first the residents or the pub and surely if you live near a pub or any other entertainment venue you can expect some noise and even a little nuisance. Perhaps the moral to this one is don't buy a house near a pub!!
It would appear to me after almost a quarter of a century working in social housing and indeed living in social housing that there have always been difficulties relating to children and young people playing or gathering in the streets. I can not count how many complaints I have had over the years about children and youths but I do think that there appears to be an increase in these type of complaints. On balance however I have to say that tolerance levels seem to have got lower and here is an example that happened in our street just last year.
There is an alley way that runs between our street and the next street and at the end of this alley way are two stone bollards. During last spring/summer a group of about 6 or 7 youths started using this as a meeting place - as far as I can tell there was no noise, very little litter and no real difficulties other than their presence at the end of this alley way. Within days people were moaning and some even came and sought my advice as they knew I had worked for the local authority before we were transferred to a new organisation. I gave the same advice I would give to our own tenants in these sorts of situation with the rider that unless they were actually causing any trouble there was not much that could be done.
Within a few weeks a temporary camera was fitted to one of the lamp posts to monitor the activities of these youths and it would seem the youths thought they should move position - not that they went away just moved to stand under the camera.
The result of this was that we now have notices from the police saying 'No Loitering'attached to a couple of the lamp posts and essentially the youths feel aggrieved because all they were doing was gathering and talking.
I have to say that I never heard them, never saw them doing anything other than sitting talking and they were not the sort of youths who wore hoodies and looked very intimidating and while I do not dispute, because I know for a fact that there are some very naughty, aggressive young people out there, I feel the danger with the mosquito is that it could be used indiscriminately on any body at any time and while i do think there is a great degree of silliness in the human rights claims we hear about this appears to me to be a recipe for lawyers to make even more money out of claims for damaged ears etc.
I noticed in our local newspaper last night that a local pub had been ordered to stop having entertainment because local people had complained about the noise - I just wonder which was there first the residents or the pub and surely if you live near a pub or any other entertainment venue you can expect some noise and even a little nuisance. Perhaps the moral to this one is don't buy a house near a pub!!
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