Hennie's October blog 2013

Hennie's October blog 2013


Autumn is upon us, and the nights are drawing in.  Chanty (my four legged friend) and me do not look foward to the short days, because it cuts out an evening walk in daylight, which we very much enjoy on the very rare occasions we can fit one in! Sadly not this evening, October blog calls for my attention!  I wonder which season of the year you enjoy, and why? I am sure we all enjoy some aspect of autumn, winter, spring and summer; but because God has made each one of us unique we often celebrate and favour one over another. Next Sunday we celebrate Harvest at St. Mark's, a wonderful occasion to thank God for all his goodness, faithfulness and abundant provision, remembering too those whose harvests have not provided, where rain has not come, and crops have not grown - remember to pray for the many places of the world where food is scarce, and livestock starve.

As I look back over the month of September there is much to thank God for.  I ended my September blog with the words, 'Come Holy Spirit and have your way with us', as we began our new sermon series, 'Come Holy Spirit'. I have been very encouraged over the past few weeks as we have begun to allow the Holy Spirit to have His way with us, focussing on the Holy Spirit and our identity, calling, and experience, at all three congregations.  I pray our prayer in the coming months will be, 'not my will God but yours be done',  allowing the secular and sacred parts of  our lives to be so entwined that all we do is for the will and glory of God.  If we pray this prayer, and expect it to be answered, 'your will not mine', it will obviously have a huge impact on our discipleship, in our individual lives, and in the life and ministry of St. Mark's. To put our Vision into practice there must be a sacrifice of our own agendas.

I give thanks for our Ministry weekend in September - for the Saturday morning when over 20 leaders of various different ministries came together to share with others where there particular ministry, for which they are responsible for, fits into our Vision at St. Mark's of 'worship, serve and growth'. There was also a time of prayer for all the respective ministries, and we hope to come together again early next year. The purpose of such a gathering will be of sharing, support and prayer, but also one of accountability and challenge - we need to know that all that we do is helping us to grow God's kingdom through worship, service and growth, and if some of our areas of ministry are not fulfiling our vision, we are going to have to be courageous and let go of these ministries - which will be sacrficial 'not my will God but yours be done'.

On the Sunday we had a wonderful joint service of worship and Holy Communion at 10. 00 am, being reminded of our identity, purpose, values and vision, and then seen in action as many members of the congregation creatively displayed the very many different areas of ministry at St. Mark's. I was so encouraged, not only by the enthusiasm shown, but also by the fruit produced - a number of people enquired how they might get involved and use their gifts in the various ministries - Praise God!

We also saw the power of the Holy Spirit fall afresh on us during our 24hrs of prayer as we came together to pray for our world, church, and local community. I was blessed as I saw the vision of 24 hr prayer being caught by different people as they volunteered to do 'prayer stations'; and as Katharine Shuler oversaw it admirably, enabling many people to come and spend quality time with God throughout the 24 hrs.  I can truly say that the feedback I received yesterday (Sunday) has been awesome - people met with God and had powerful encounters.  It has been suggested that we designate a room at Cloverley with some of the same prayer stations giving us the opportunityto continue to 'sit with God' in peace and  quiet.  As I said yesterday at the 11 am service, there was definately a strong desire of 'unity, being bound together,  developing deep friendships, openness, love, move of the Holy Spirit', that was coming through the prayers that were written - so let's continue to pray 'your will not mine' and then this desire of unity will be answered as we let go of 'self'.

Lastly, we rejoice with those who rejoice, and we weep with those who weep. St. Mark's weeps with Graham Wilson and his family as they/we grieve deeply for the loss of Barbara, a beloved wife/mother/grandmother, and sister in Christ. We can give thanks for her amazing life devoted to her family, and for her assurred faith in her Lord Jesus Christ to whom she prayed, and gave thanks to, shortly before she died. Let us pray that the power of the Holy Spirit will sustain all who weep, and are in pain as we go into this season of autumn - where much of creation sleeps, or even dies, to bring new life in the season of Spring. As one songwriter puts it after a personal tragedy 'Spring is coming' - it is so in 6 months time, unless Jesus returns before then - are you ready!!!

'Come Holy Spirit and have your way with us'.

Hennie