Sunday, February 28, 2010

The Marriage Course Day was an inspiration to me. Until this day I have always wondered how I will on earth manage to fit being a vicar ontop of all the things I have to do in the home.

Well I felt so invigarated that I came home feeling refreshed and able to do things in a very different light.

I am even more convinced now that this is the right path for me.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

thinking about the difference between mission and evangelism

Mission is Gods call to us all to be a sign, to be a living reflection of his love, peace, hope and unity.

Mission is God's continued creating relationship with mankind lived out in his people.

This is why I feel Jesus was so angry at the Temple and the leaders.... they had hindered the creative relationship of God with his people.

Mission is Gods plan to reconcile - to be known and to be involved

mission is a deep hearted call to our souls to know God and make him known to others. To share more and more so that we may all be blessed.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

considering the difference between Mission and Evangelism.

Why is mission so important and considered so central the Christian faith.....

Because we know our God to be a God of relationship. To be a God who has continually been involved with mankind. We are part of this creating God's plan a plan created for us to be known and know God.

So this is a mission God and we are wrapped up in this mission plan. As we come to know God we come to be apart of the understanding of this missional plan of God. The more we know and seek the more we understand and become part of the missional relationship of God.
Morning Prayer
Psalm 73; Genesis 41.46-42 Genesis 5; Galatians 4.8-20


I am sticking with the psalm as it suits my thoughts and answers so many deep emotions for me right now. Asher is so strong fighting this chemo and radio pain and intrusion. but is always throws up loads of other things that life throws at you while you are dealing with cancer also.

I know God is with us and I can praise him amazingly for that.


Evening Prayer
Psalms 74;Jeremiah 5.1-19; John 5.19-29

I am so tired. I am glad it is at the end of my husbands radio and chemo treatment. It is so tiring and draining. It is horrid to see him in so much pain. I think I need to make sure we have a really special weekend though I am away helping on a marriage course. Perhaps our Sabbath could be really special with a little gift or something. ummm something that does not cost much as I am also sorting out our finances and it is horrid!

I have had no time to read really but I get small glimpses and I have been trying to read Graham Tomlins evangelism book. It has helped me with my understanding of the gospel.

It has been explaining the Temple system and a few thoughts enlightened me.
1. The court yard was open to all including the Gentiles but they were excluded from the next area within the temple which is where only Jews could go. Women were then excluded from the next area were only Jewish men could go. Then the men were excluded from the next area where only priests could go and then they were excluded from the next area, the Holy of Holies were only One priest could go once a year. Tomlin points out that the jewish religion had become one of exclusion which is not what God had wanted. Separation perhaps but not exlusion. Jesus came to open up this whole system and I realised that people went to the temple to be with God yet could not actually go into the Holy of Holies... But through Christ we can.

Jesus had over turned the tables in John 2 and Mark 11 I think saying this is my fathers house 'a house of prayer'. It really struck me how we do not treat prayer with enough faith, belief, hope, expectancy, reverence or depth.

If Jesus has enabled us to enter the Holy of Holies and enabled us to stand right there and ask, listen, understand then boy we are so privilaged. I know in my prayers I do often feel that God is so close and it is so awesome, but then life engulfs and I plod along like Martha.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Morning Prayer
Psalms 71; Genesis 41.25-45; Galatians 3.23-4.7

Evening Prayer
Psalms 12, 13; Jeremiah 4.19-end; John 5.1-18


The psalm this morning I could claim as my own. It struck me that we can call to God for protection and to be saved and to be given life. I so often feel that I should not be selfish to ask these things as they may not be God's will and I should first seek his will. But here David crys out
'O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood,
and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do.
18 Now that I am old and gray,
do not abandon me, O God.'

It is such an amazing psalm.


'God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.'

I am reminded of John 2. In the Temple Jesus showed his anger at the Temple system by up turning the tables of money changers and drove out those who sold doves.

Christ became our coinage and so I can imagine seeing the act of Scriptural Repentance become a system I can understand his anger and recognition that he needed to disturb peoples thinking about all this. I am sure he knew this final task that God had placed him here to die as the final sacrifice of mankind that we may gain full understanding of life and God and be free to know God fully.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

been away so long and it feels like it. I am been busy moving house and then asher got his cancer returned so months of operations and now chemo and radio. At last we are in the last week and I feel like I can start to swim again.. perhaps a long way from shore still but the initial shock of the depth of the ocean and the coldness of the sea has passed!

I hope i can begin to share daily thoughts again.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Nightmares can make you believe in things which aren’t true,
They scare me so much,
I yell to my parents,
Leave my door open just a crack,
Because I feel like such an insomniac,
Que the dreams,
Here I come,
I lay and watch as they are flung,
Out of sight ,
Into the night ,
I lay and lay ,
The wind whistles ,
Suddenly dawn brakes ,
My eyes have fogged up ,
And I know I will have to play along with the day,
The sun floats up,
My mum wakes up ,
She asks what’s wrong ,
I answer,
It was just another bad night.
a poem written by our son today. I think he is really suffering from his dad being so ill. He lost his voice on the same night his dad lost his voice but thankfully he feels ok today and so I hope a weekend away with his aunt and cousin will be good for him. Bless you dearest son you are a very special child of God and Child of mine.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

I have to consider further:

Today we discussed the anglican communion. Its strengths and weaknesses.

It was interesting as I did know and understand much of what we discussed but the way that things were put were much clearer than I had read and so I will be able to now reread some books that discuss anglicanism and will be able to consider how things sit in place.

I was asked to think about evangelsim and mission: the difference between the two terms although they are used together. Where I feel I best fit into this discussion both now and in the future.
then I was also asked to prepare as if I were at the Bishops panel for a presentation. I have a form that they would give out and I have to read this through and prepare a five minutes presentation.

It seems I have alot to do this month and I am looking forward to getting started.

First I as the good book says ask Christ that 'I might put my house in order first'!

I am hoping to sit down and work out our finances as we want to send our son to boarding school and have to get a cheque of 500 to the school asap. It is soooo much money but I feel it would be best for him as things are so hard at home and as the council cannot offer him a place in a local school just because they are full.

oh well no moaning.
oao

Friday, February 12, 2010

Last night I led a bible study group as we studied Philippians ch1:27-2:11

It went really well I thought as people had lots of fun and we all chatted and thought about what it means to have an identity worthy of being a heavenly citizen.

I think perhaps the most important thing for me was how simple and practical the message is and asks us to be. Be compassionate, have a tenderhearted, love one another. It also is astonishing that within the sentences you find it asking us to listen to each other, consider each other, encourage each other.

So practical.