The Curate's Blog
'To blog or not to blog, that is the question' *
This previous term has been a series of questions about what it
is to live - to really live. This is the question that Hamlet was faced with in
a time of great trial - is it worth being alive when things seem impossible to
overcome? ** Simon Peter's relationship with Jesus has been challenging us with
this question all term - not just, 'Is it worth being alive, but is it worth
being REALLY alive - really living with Jesus!' We are promised as Jesus'
disciples to have life and life in ABUNDANCE! But, *** this abundance is not
'vended' out to us to make us spoilt like an overweight house pet with too many
snacks **** but is given to us with opportunity and equipping like an Olympic
athlete!
This season of summer is a wonderful time to enjoy the sun and
eat of the fruits of spring. It is important to live in the season you are in
so that you are ready to begin the next season. If we plough on through all our
seasons as if they are all spring, all autumn, winter or summer - we will not
only miss the amazing fruits of each season but we will struggle to be ready
for the season to come. So, this Summer we CELEBRATE! Our theme for our August
services is to CELEBRATE the goodness of God, the love of God and the cost of
what it is to be God's disciple. It is important that we change pace over the
summer as it is part of preparing for our next season. Changing pace in our
culture is very difficult, but as we head into our harvest term of deepening in
our discipleship, aiming to become a church of Healing, Wholeness and Holiness, it is important
that we do.
This last month has been a pleasure at St Mark's with many things
to be thankful for. The young people have had a smorgasbord of great things
ranging from sleeping out under the stars with Slum Survivor, to doing mission
with Engage in Blacon, to going to Sandiley and spending time with our God,
meeting with Him, learning from Him and getting fired up by His Holy Spirit!
We also had the opportunity to play a significant role in the
Lache Funday blessing our community. We opened our doors to the community for
August 4th joining our nation in a day of Remembrance and have had hundreds of
people through our building being blessed by our love of God and willingness to
reach out with His provision.
We also saw the end of term where numerous projects came to their
academic year end. For me, coming to the end of our Adult Theatre Workshop on
Tuesday nights was significant. We have been meeting every Tuesday rehearsing,
praying and socialising for a year. We have put on a play. We have had new
people join. It has been a blessed year. We also saw our first term of our
Family Circus Workshop on Wednesdays, haveing its end of term BBQ
(coincidentally joined with GAPs end of term water fight :) ) and our 20-30 who
have been coming all term have been deeply blessed and are looking forward to
next term where we start again. The hope and vision of church being down in
fresh ways in the community is being blessed by our God - very exciting.
This month has also seen a number of sad things which have rocked
our world. Wars which seem to not have an end in sight, dreadful occurrences of
many suffering and dying. In our community, the loss of loved ones where Summer
may actually increase that pain and loneliness. We hold all of these events in
tension with the blessings and provision that God pours out. As part of our
Celebrating this summer may we keep our hearts and eyes open for those around
us who need extra help and company in this season.
So - 'to live or not to live' is a question that we are
faced with and bring to God for that clear Yes to Living. God calls us to LIVE
- to truly LIVE in our communities, in our church congregation, in our social
circles, in our work places and schools! To LIVE is to LOVE - our God and our
neighbour. This August, can we take summer as God intended it to be: a time of
basking and getting ready for harvest and take a moment to reflect on the
blessings and hard times of this year and aim to Celebrate God's activity in
every step.
*
Hamlet Act 3 sc 1: kind of ...
** which for some of us is the apathy of every day life
*** and as I was
told by a great theologian, when it's God's but it's a big but,
**** thinking slightly embarrassedly about my own cat - as loved
as she is, she does not get enough exercise,
