The Clergy Monthly Blog!-January

The Clergy Monthly Blog!

Revd Jon Phillips

22nd January 2015

When I first started writing this blog, Hennie graciously said that it did not need to be done by the 1st in the month! I think I have stretched that a little! However, it’s tardiness is symbolic of how life has been in the last few months! So, this blog is going to take two sections: What’s going on for me! And, what’s going on in church!

For me!

Well, to recap and clarify!

- 7th November: Molly Anne Jayne was born and sleep took a back seat!

- 19th December: We moved house to Hoole!

- 4th January: I attended my first service at St Peter’s in the afternoon!

Life has been exciting but hectic! From now on, 70% of my time will be spent at St Peter’s in town as Curate in Charge. Hennie will also be spending 15% of her time as Priest in Charge. Part of my time there has already been taken by the fact that we have moved my Tuesday night drama group to St Peter’s which has gone really well and we haven’t lost anyone in the process. The other 30% of my time I will still be in Lache and Saltney. On Sundays, this means I will be at St Mark’s every other Sunday. I will also be continuing all my ‘traditional’ training in that 30%, i.e., funerals, weddings etc. At present, I am not sure what I will be doing at St Peter’s, other than Sundays. There is much to be done and all will become clear in the next few months.

Well, that is enough about me!

Church!

Well, this term is particularly exciting as we are building on our last two terms of Going up a gear in Discipleship, Take One and Take Two! We are building on this in two ways.

In our two morning services we are looking at theme of having a Psalmist Heart: developing a heart that is honest, grateful and open to sharing its joy and pain with God: a heart that will not allow shallowness to creep in. A heart, that embraces the scriptural witness to using psalms and the essence of the psalms as a safe but exciting way to deal with our grief and our celebration. And, from everything I have heard, many are taking this as an opportunity to step up a gear, using the psalms to do so.

In our evening service we are doing this by walking with Richard Foster, through his book: Celebration of Discipline. We are looking at the Churches rich, but often forgotten history of the Christian lifestyle of meditation, prayer, fasting, study etc. These disciplines have, up until recently, characterised the Christian life. We are seeking to embrace them again and enjoy the richness of God that can only be learnt through a disciplined life with Him and His patterns.

As many of you will know, we have had several very difficult funerals this month and it has taken an emotional toll on the community. It is our faith in a God who inspired the psalms, a faith that gave us the spiritual disciplines, that see us through these difficult and trying times. And, it is this same faith that will form us and leave us not a wreck on the floor of life, but standing, stronger and with a deeper joy than we ever possibly could have imagined without it.

As we look to stepping up a gear with God this term, let us take time to develop a psalmist heart and to develop those spiritual disciplines. If you can’t get to all the services then please do listen to the sermons on line and apply them to your walk. Create the space to allow God to work in you this winter season.