Sunday 23 November 2014
Sermon for Christ the King
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, but what do we mean when we talk about Kingship? For some people the whole idea of monarchy seems an old fashioned, out moded form of government, despite this every little girl still wants to be a princess.
Monarchy in our modern world can be seen in many different ways. There are monarchs whose names are forever linked with evil, such as Ivan the terrible, and there are those that are still seen as figures that can inspire us such as Elizabeth the first. There are the media headlines of party princes, written by journalists keen to point out any slight indiscretion made on a night out, presenting a view of monarchy as privileged people living to excess at our expense. Yet it is this very same press interest which led to Prince Harry's first tour of duty in Afghanistan being cut short. It is this press interest that also gives us the other side of monarchy. Royals who are prepared to work hard for their people, to use the press exposure they get to highlight issues, as Prince Charles recently did about religious persecution, or to help raise funds for good causes. To be a King or Queen is to be a leader, even at times of great national or personal crisis, to speak for and to the nation and provide hope in times of despair, even if they are struggling to believe in that hope themselves.
The monarchy we have now on earth is far from perfect but it can give us a glimpse as to what it means when we talk about Christ the King. Earthly monarchy has a good and a bad side, because even Kings and Queens are human and make mistakes, but the Kingship of Christ is Kingship in it's most perfect form.
Christ isn't like a normal King, over the next few weeks as we approach christmas we will hear about his birth, and how the wise men assumed he would be born in a palace, only instead to find him in a stable. He wasn't born surrounded by luxury, Mary didn't have the benefit of the best doctors and midwives to ensure a safe birth of a healthy son.
Christ is the King who is prepared to live as one of his people, to take the risk of standing up to authority without the protection of rank or diplomatic status. A king who was prepared to die for his people, even a humiliating death on a cross between two criminals. Christ is the king who can give us hope even in the darkest of places.
The Jewish peopeven had been suffering under the occupying roman forces but were given hope by the prophets in their history who had foretold the coming of the messiah who was going to free them from oppression and re establish Jewish rule in Jerusalem.
They were expecting a King who would deliver a new Jewish nation and overthrow the hated Romans, when Jesus failed to live up to their expectations of what a King should be they turned against him, a bit like todays press will turn against any celebrity figure that lets them down by not being perfect. They failed to understand that the Kingdom of Christ is bigger than one nation, that the kingdom of Christ will one day reach out to all peoples and nations.
If the kingdom of Christ is not the sort of Kingdom we have currently on earth, then what sort of Kingdom is it? Our gospel reading this morning gives us a clue, it is a kingdom where the naked will be clothed, the hungry fed, the stranger welcomed and the prisoner visited. In todays political climate it sounds like a wonderful dream. It would be so tempting to think that is what it will be like when Christ comes back in glory lets just sit back and wait for God to do his stuff, come back in glory and put the world to rights.
However as Christians we have pledged ourselves to be servants to Christ the King. No monarch can rule effectively if they don't have the support of their people. Christ the king needs our support to help build his kingdom here and now.
That means we have to be one hundred percent commited to serving Christ the king.
On twitter this week there has been a series of tweets on the theme of if Jesus rules our lives then what else can't be allowed to rule our lives. Some of the suggestions I have read and thought yep, that’s fine, not a problem, ones like if Jesus is lord, celebrity can't be. Then there have been the ones that in principle I agree with, but struggle with the application of, such as, if Jesus is Lord, my bias can't be or if Jesus is Lord my insecurities can't be. Then there have been the ones which have really made me stop and think, If Jesus is Lord my family can't be, if Jesus is Lord my bank account can't be.
Hang on God, having money to pay the bills and spending time with my family are probably the most important things I think about in life, and there lies the problem, yes obviously family and earning enough money to pay the bills are important, but to be true subjects of Christ the King, God still has to come first.
As I was writing this sermon my mind went back to my Methodist roots. In the Methodist church at the start of each year there is a service which commemorates the covenant God has made with his people. It includes a prayer which to me seems to sets out what exactly choosing to follow Christ the King means, and it's not always easy:
I am no longer my own but yours.
Your will not mine, be done in all things,
wherever you may place me,
in all that I do, and in all that I may endure;
when there is work for me and when there is none;
when I am troubled and when I am at peace.
Your will be done when I am valued and when I am disregarded;
when I find fulfillment and when it is lacking;
when I have all things and when I have nothing.
I willingly offer all I have and am to serve you, as and when you choose.
To choose to serve Christ the King is to commit your whole life to serve him and to work to start to build his kingdom on this earth here and now.
Next week is Advent and the start of a new church year, a time for making new years resolutions. A time to think about what we can do as subjects of Christ the King to bring his kingdom a little bit closer here on earth.
Amen
Monday 6 October 2014
Why Go To Church
I was asked this question whilst on holiday and struggled to come up with an answer, which I wish I could blame on the fact that the same person also kept giving me shots of Jagermeister. However I have been thinking about it since.
The first thing I have realised is that everybody probably has their own reasons for going to church. At least some of he reasons I have are rooted in my past and in the person I am, good and bad.
So here are some of the reasons I go to church.
1.) Acceptance and Belonging
As a child I was the odd kid, the one that couldn't talk right, couldn't catch a ball and had to use a typewriter in class. Most of the time the other kids ignored me. At break time I would find a quiet corner with a book. On Sunday at Sunday school, even though it was thesome of the same kids I could join in with things and feel part of the group.
Church has been and still is a community where I feel accepted and as I belong. What breaks my heart now is knowing that some people, some very good friends of mine, feel rejected by the place I have found such acceptance.
2.) To Meet With God
I'm not saying that I don't meet with God anywhere else but there is something in sharing in song and spoken word in corporate worship and receiving thesacrament that brings me closer to God. That lifts me for a short while out of the day to day stress and leaves me feeling stronger to face the day to day stress and challenges of life.
3.) To Be Challenged and To Grow In Faith
A good sermon, prayers, hymns, words from scripture or conversation with others can all cause me to question why and what I believe. This hopefully helps develop my thinking and leads to a deeper and stronger faith.
So three reasons why, despite the stress, despite the fact that sometimes the church as an institution or it's individual members sometimes say or do things I think are wrong I still go to church.
The first thing I have realised is that everybody probably has their own reasons for going to church. At least some of he reasons I have are rooted in my past and in the person I am, good and bad.
So here are some of the reasons I go to church.
1.) Acceptance and Belonging
As a child I was the odd kid, the one that couldn't talk right, couldn't catch a ball and had to use a typewriter in class. Most of the time the other kids ignored me. At break time I would find a quiet corner with a book. On Sunday at Sunday school, even though it was thesome of the same kids I could join in with things and feel part of the group.
Church has been and still is a community where I feel accepted and as I belong. What breaks my heart now is knowing that some people, some very good friends of mine, feel rejected by the place I have found such acceptance.
2.) To Meet With God
I'm not saying that I don't meet with God anywhere else but there is something in sharing in song and spoken word in corporate worship and receiving thesacrament that brings me closer to God. That lifts me for a short while out of the day to day stress and leaves me feeling stronger to face the day to day stress and challenges of life.
3.) To Be Challenged and To Grow In Faith
A good sermon, prayers, hymns, words from scripture or conversation with others can all cause me to question why and what I believe. This hopefully helps develop my thinking and leads to a deeper and stronger faith.
So three reasons why, despite the stress, despite the fact that sometimes the church as an institution or it's individual members sometimes say or do things I think are wrong I still go to church.
Sunday 7 September 2014
Holiday Day 8: Mountains and BBQ
Went for a run round the lake this morning, beautiful views of the mountains, in fact they were so good I'm blaming them for taking my breath away.
After a shower and breakfast we went to buy our lift passes and headed up the mountain. Had a nice walk round the Huttenrund. Stopped for lunch at Hannenkahm Sturbel. I tried to be healthy and had a salad but I'm not sure that works when the salad comes with fried bacon and cheese and swimming with dressing.
They are running the moving carpet lift up to the start hut they put in last christmas so we had a go on it. It felt very strange going up a moving carpet lift without skies.
Took the gondola back down and on the way had a phone call from Dave wanting to know if we were coming to a BBQ. Arrived back at Snowbunnys and changed before heading to the garden for the BBQ. There was a Natural High Tours group there. Got chatting to a guy called Steve, who asked some questions I found difficult to answer such as "what does going to church give you"
After having eaten pork, chicken, beef, lamb and fish, we headed into town. There was a small festival on and they had a Thomas The Tank Engine bouncy castle, Andrew was very impressed. Had a drink in Glockenspiel and then took a walk down to Sigi's where we ended up buying ducks for a duck race and called in to a very quiet Flannigans for a final drink on the way home.
from my LiveJournal, Jane Williams - The Wombling World of Madness
Thursday 4 September 2014
Holiday Day 6: Walk in the Park ( and a few drinks)
Woke up early this morning and managed to motivate myself to go for a run. Most of where I went today was through parks which makes a nice change from streets.
After another multi course breakfast went to check out a Bavarian market we had seen advertised. I was expecting lots of stalls with wood carving and other traditional craft stuff, however, it turned out to be a rather small and normal market.
After that we headed to the north end of the Englischer Garten and set of to walk through it, stopping at the various beer gardens along the way. There was one small one that seemed to be a meeting point for dog walkers, I think there was nearly as many dogs as people there. Most of the people we saw in the northern half seemed to be dog walkers.
As we progressed into the southern half it got busier with the people and even the sun decided to come out from behind the clouds. Saw a dog whose owner was throwing sticks into the stream, the dog ran to the edge, then stopped as if saying "it's gone in the water, what do I do". After some indecision it decided to take the plunge and jump into the water after the stick.
After lunch at the Chinescher Turn we headed across an area open parkland, on looking up realised we were walking across the nude sun bathing area!
Once back into the centre we had a few drinks in Augustiner Am Dom and Le Clou before heading back for a shower.
Once we had recovered a bit went into town and had some pizza, before deciding to have an early night. Wrote the post cards I bought in Lindau in a vague effort to actually post them from the same country they were bought in.
from my LiveJournal, Jane Williams - The Wombling World of Madness
Wednesday 3 September 2014
Holiday Day 5: A Red Squirell and Other Animals
After last nights early night, woke up reasonably early, all rested and
keen to be virtuous and go out for a run. Then I looked out the window
and saw the people walking past with umbrellas and retreated back to
bed. Half an hour later the rain was stopping and I convinced myself to
go out for a short run. Towards the end of the run I found a nice park
with wooded paths and whilst running down one a red squirrel decided to
cross the path jus in front of me, the first time I have seen a re
squirrel in real life. How the virtuous are rewarded.
After a shower went down to breakfast to undone the good of my run by enjoying a buffet of cheese, fruit, cold meats, smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, mushrooms and Danish pastries.
The weather seemed to be staying dry, if grey and cloudy so we decided to go to the zoo. Disappointingly the brown bear was having some gardening done so wasn't out. However we did get to see the polar bears, one adult with two young ones. I thought they were cute and fluffy, Andrew didn't agree. Opposite the polar bears were the sea lions including one baby. The old adults were sat on the rocks posing like old pros, whilst the baby was struggling to get out of the water, it reminded me of trying to get out of the swimming pool without using the steps as a child.
The elephant house is still in the process of being rebuilt but the elephant herd was out and about. Elephants always look like gentle giants to me. In the monkey house the orang utangs were putting on a good show. There was a baby one that kept trying to escape the nest and climb a rope but kept getting grabbed by it's parent and pulled back. There was also an empty plastic barrel in the enclosure. I never knew such a thing could provide so much entertainment to two orang utangs as they hid in it, rolled round in it and tried to grab each other and pull the one outside in.
After walking round the zoo, feet were feeling a bit sore so we headed back to the hotel for a break. Once we were feeling more recovered we headed into the centre of town for that great German tradition of coffee and cake. We managed to get a table in Somers, which I consider to have one of best selections of cake in Munich. We ordered and both drinks and Andrew's cake arrived, but there was no sign of my rum torte. I drank my coffee and still no sign of cake, eventually I reminded the waiter and shortly after it appeared and was very good.
After the cake we went to sample that other great German tradition, beer. After Augustiner am Dom and Le Clou we went to Augustiner am Platzl were they had "beer from the wood" that is beer poured by gravity dispense from a barrel behind the bar.
After sampling the delights of "beer from the wood" we decided it was time for food. On a previous visit we had had a drink at place near the hotel, which seemed very local and nice, and decided to try the food there. It was a good choice. The side salads were crisp and lush. I had steak cooked with crispy onions which was melt in the mouth delicious. It came with potatoes that reminded me of how delicious potatoes can taste. Andrew had a pepper steak which he also declared as very good. This was followed by pancakes with cream and ice cream, and a free schnapps that came in a glass shaped like a chemistry flask.
Feeling full and slightly merry we headed back to the hotel.
After a shower went down to breakfast to undone the good of my run by enjoying a buffet of cheese, fruit, cold meats, smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, mushrooms and Danish pastries.
The weather seemed to be staying dry, if grey and cloudy so we decided to go to the zoo. Disappointingly the brown bear was having some gardening done so wasn't out. However we did get to see the polar bears, one adult with two young ones. I thought they were cute and fluffy, Andrew didn't agree. Opposite the polar bears were the sea lions including one baby. The old adults were sat on the rocks posing like old pros, whilst the baby was struggling to get out of the water, it reminded me of trying to get out of the swimming pool without using the steps as a child.
The elephant house is still in the process of being rebuilt but the elephant herd was out and about. Elephants always look like gentle giants to me. In the monkey house the orang utangs were putting on a good show. There was a baby one that kept trying to escape the nest and climb a rope but kept getting grabbed by it's parent and pulled back. There was also an empty plastic barrel in the enclosure. I never knew such a thing could provide so much entertainment to two orang utangs as they hid in it, rolled round in it and tried to grab each other and pull the one outside in.
After walking round the zoo, feet were feeling a bit sore so we headed back to the hotel for a break. Once we were feeling more recovered we headed into the centre of town for that great German tradition of coffee and cake. We managed to get a table in Somers, which I consider to have one of best selections of cake in Munich. We ordered and both drinks and Andrew's cake arrived, but there was no sign of my rum torte. I drank my coffee and still no sign of cake, eventually I reminded the waiter and shortly after it appeared and was very good.
After the cake we went to sample that other great German tradition, beer. After Augustiner am Dom and Le Clou we went to Augustiner am Platzl were they had "beer from the wood" that is beer poured by gravity dispense from a barrel behind the bar.
After sampling the delights of "beer from the wood" we decided it was time for food. On a previous visit we had had a drink at place near the hotel, which seemed very local and nice, and decided to try the food there. It was a good choice. The side salads were crisp and lush. I had steak cooked with crispy onions which was melt in the mouth delicious. It came with potatoes that reminded me of how delicious potatoes can taste. Andrew had a pepper steak which he also declared as very good. This was followed by pancakes with cream and ice cream, and a free schnapps that came in a glass shaped like a chemistry flask.
Feeling full and slightly merry we headed back to the hotel.
Tuesday 2 September 2014
Holiday Day 4: Train to Munich
Up at 6am to catch an early train. Whilst doing the last bit of packing discovers a hole in the top pocket on my backpack, so transferred the stuff to my day pack. Then when I picked my day pack up managed to stab myself in the hand the scissors from the first aid kit. My day pack now looks like a proper adventurers with a few blood stains on it!
Tim fed us breakfast then headed to the station and said our goodbyes before catching the train to Fischbach, where we changed to the train for Ulm. Uneventful journey to Ulm, where we had slightly longer to change trains due to the train t Munich being late.
Arrived in Munich by 10.30am and put our baggage in a locker at the train station before going for a walk through the city centre. Stopped to look in a toy shop, which had some very nice cuddly toys, including swans. We also had a look in some of the sports shops before deciding it was time for lunch at Hofbrauhaus. Skies were cloudy so after lunch we just had a quick walk around the viktulimark. Stopped for a drink at a very small bar called Le Clou, which has a motorbike as part of the decoration, I think it would look better with a large teddy bear riding it. Went for a drink in Augustiner Am Dom before picking up the baggage and going to the hotel to check in.
We are staying at a hotel in Munich have used before, but booked it through a different website so it hadn't come up on their system that what stayed before and when they realised this we got an apology for not getting a free room upgrade and told in future to let them know and they would make sure we did.
After settling in had a snooze to recover from the early start. Later on we headed out to a beer hall / restaurant for dinner, Andrew went for schweinhaxe again, whilst I had a Bavarian cordon blue, which is pork stuffed with ham, local cheese and red onion. It was very delicious but decided to have a quiet night and headed back to the hotel.
from my LiveJournal, Jane Williams - The Wombling World of Madness
Monday 1 September 2014
Summer Holiday Day 3: Rain in the treetops
Jane Williams - The Wombling World of Madness
| Sep. 2nd, 2014 08:36 pm Holiday Day 4: Train to Munich Up at 6am to catch an early train. Whilst doing the last bit of packing discovers a hole in the top pocket on my backpack, so transferred the stuff to my day pack. Then when I picked my day pack up managed to stab myself in the hand the scissors from the first aid kit. My day pack now looks like a proper adventurers with a few blood stains on it! Tim fed us breakfast then headed to the station and said our goodbyes before catching the train to Fischbach, where we changed to the train for Ulm. Uneventful journey to Ulm, where we had slightly longer to change trains due to the train t Munich being late. Arrived in Munich by 10.30am and put our baggage in a locker at the train station before going for a walk through the city centre. Stopped to look in a toy shop, which had some very nice cuddly toys, including swans. We also had a look in some of the sports shops before deciding it was time for lunch at Hofbrauhaus. Skies were cloudy so after lunch we just had a quick walk around the viktulimark. Stopped for a drink at a very small bar called Le Clou, which has a motorbike as part of the decoration, I think it would look better with a large teddy bear riding it. Went for a drink in Augustiner Am Dom before picking up the baggage and going to the hotel to check in. We are staying at a hotel in Munich have used before, but booked it through a different website so it hadn't come up on their system that what stayed before and when they realised this we got an apology for not getting a free room upgrade and told in future to let them know and they would make sure we did. After settling in had a snooze to recover from the early start. Later on we headed out to a beer hall / restaurant for dinner, Andrew went for schweinhaxe again, whilst I had a Bavarian cordon blue, which is pork stuffed with ham, local cheese and red onion. It was very delicious but decided to have a quiet night and headed back to the hotel.
Posted via LiveJournal app for Android.
Current Location: Munich, Albert-Roßhaupter-Straße, 6Leave a comment | |
Slept
in for a bit this morning, then finished updating the holiday journal.
Once we were all awake, some people took longer than others, we went to
the local bakery for breakfast.
Tim was driving today and leaving the shores of Bodensee behind we headed up along a twisting narrow road to Scheidigg. Here we headed for the sky walk, a series of suspended walkways through the trees, with a viewing tower in the middle. Unfortunately the weather was a little bit on the cloudy side, but you could still see the lake. Then the wooden walkways began to become more challenging, consisting of netting and suspended silver discs and balance beams to try to get across. The next challenge was a rope to walk across fixed to the netting. At this point the two chaps abandoned me, saying they would meet me at the end, leaving me to continue across the nets and balance challenges on my own. Once reaching the end there was a slide down to the bottom.
We then had a short walk on the ground through the forest, finding various things on the way including a catapult. However, it started to rain so we headed to the cafe for coffee and cake.
Our next stop was at the local waterfall, here as well as a very nice waterfall there was a small water wheel powered round about. We then headed back towards the lake and went to Austria and a place called Lolku, where we had a short walk along the front, and saw a dog been taken for a "walk" in a plastic crate on wheels attached to a bicycle.
By now we were starting to feel a little hungry so headed back to Lindau where we met Stephan, and much to Andrew's delight found somewhere serving Schweinhaxe, although it came with Spatzle and salad rather than the more traditional dumpling. The Spatzle (a sort of potato pasta) here is less thick and more spaghetti like than the Spatzle you get in Tirol.
Lindau is on a sort of Island, although connected by road and rail to the mainland. After dinner we had a walk around the Island. The sun had at blas started to come out and we were treated to some fantastic views across the lake as the sun began to go down, unfortunately I had left the camera in the car. There was a relaxing feeling of peace and quiet around the place.
We then headed back to Fischbach and after parking the car at home, went to a little local bar for a drink before bed. The bar had an old fashioned looking brick and wood interior an behind the bar was a little old lady with rosy cheeks and a blue checked apron, you could almost think you had walked into a storybook. We had a couple of very reasonably priced beers before heading back to pack up and get to bed early, ready for an early start in the morning.
Tim was driving today and leaving the shores of Bodensee behind we headed up along a twisting narrow road to Scheidigg. Here we headed for the sky walk, a series of suspended walkways through the trees, with a viewing tower in the middle. Unfortunately the weather was a little bit on the cloudy side, but you could still see the lake. Then the wooden walkways began to become more challenging, consisting of netting and suspended silver discs and balance beams to try to get across. The next challenge was a rope to walk across fixed to the netting. At this point the two chaps abandoned me, saying they would meet me at the end, leaving me to continue across the nets and balance challenges on my own. Once reaching the end there was a slide down to the bottom.
We then had a short walk on the ground through the forest, finding various things on the way including a catapult. However, it started to rain so we headed to the cafe for coffee and cake.
Our next stop was at the local waterfall, here as well as a very nice waterfall there was a small water wheel powered round about. We then headed back towards the lake and went to Austria and a place called Lolku, where we had a short walk along the front, and saw a dog been taken for a "walk" in a plastic crate on wheels attached to a bicycle.
By now we were starting to feel a little hungry so headed back to Lindau where we met Stephan, and much to Andrew's delight found somewhere serving Schweinhaxe, although it came with Spatzle and salad rather than the more traditional dumpling. The Spatzle (a sort of potato pasta) here is less thick and more spaghetti like than the Spatzle you get in Tirol.
Lindau is on a sort of Island, although connected by road and rail to the mainland. After dinner we had a walk around the Island. The sun had at blas started to come out and we were treated to some fantastic views across the lake as the sun began to go down, unfortunately I had left the camera in the car. There was a relaxing feeling of peace and quiet around the place.
We then headed back to Fischbach and after parking the car at home, went to a little local bar for a drink before bed. The bar had an old fashioned looking brick and wood interior an behind the bar was a little old lady with rosy cheeks and a blue checked apron, you could almost think you had walked into a storybook. We had a couple of very reasonably priced beers before heading back to pack up and get to bed early, ready for an early start in the morning.
Sunday 31 August 2014
Summer Holiday Day 2: 1 Boat, 3 Countries
In an effort to be healthy I started the day with a run. Found it hard
going not sure if this is the effects of beer or the effects of being at
a slightly higher altitude. Would like to think it the latter but
suspect it may be the former.
The effects of the run was then cancelled out by going to a local Italian place for brunch. There was a good selection of breads, cooked meats, cheeses and fruit to start with. There was then smoked salmon and a variety of hot dishes including bacon, scrambled eggs, sausages, meat balls and chicken wings.
Having eaten our fill we then realised there wasn't a bus at the right time on a Sunday so caught the train into Lindau. Lindau is a very nice Bavarian style town, lots of old fashioned or beautifully painted buildings and cobbled streets. The street by the harbour is full of street stalls and cafes. We decided to do three countries cruise, where in theory in an hour and a half's boat trip you can see the shorelines of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Unfortunately just before we set sail the weather closed in meaning we mainly saw rain and mist.
We had been joined on the cruise by Tim's friend Stephan and we now set of to visit some of Tim and Stephan's favourite Lindau haunts. These included some lovely little cafes and a couple of beer halls. Stephan is a member of the brethren Church and on the way we had some theological interesting theological debates.
Finished our tour of Lindau with dinner at a small place Tim knew near the station. Run by one person who was chef and waiter and very friendly and recommended we try the strong beer, which did indeed taste very nice as did the food.
We then caught the train back to Friedrichshaven. There we had an hour to wait for a connecting train to Fischbach so strolled down to the waters edge, where Andrew enjoyed pointing out to us that we were looking at the lights of a successful non EU country. We had a beer in the bar at the station where the lock on the door to the ladies didn't seem to be working right as it took three people to open it. The bar also had a a very large German shepherd.
We got the delayed train back to Fischbach, whatever happened to German efficiency? We stopped at a place near the station, where Andrew enjoyed using his German chatting to the locals. I was beginning to feel shattered and was glad to make it back and collapse into my bed for the night.
The effects of the run was then cancelled out by going to a local Italian place for brunch. There was a good selection of breads, cooked meats, cheeses and fruit to start with. There was then smoked salmon and a variety of hot dishes including bacon, scrambled eggs, sausages, meat balls and chicken wings.
Having eaten our fill we then realised there wasn't a bus at the right time on a Sunday so caught the train into Lindau. Lindau is a very nice Bavarian style town, lots of old fashioned or beautifully painted buildings and cobbled streets. The street by the harbour is full of street stalls and cafes. We decided to do three countries cruise, where in theory in an hour and a half's boat trip you can see the shorelines of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Unfortunately just before we set sail the weather closed in meaning we mainly saw rain and mist.
We had been joined on the cruise by Tim's friend Stephan and we now set of to visit some of Tim and Stephan's favourite Lindau haunts. These included some lovely little cafes and a couple of beer halls. Stephan is a member of the brethren Church and on the way we had some theological interesting theological debates.
Finished our tour of Lindau with dinner at a small place Tim knew near the station. Run by one person who was chef and waiter and very friendly and recommended we try the strong beer, which did indeed taste very nice as did the food.
We then caught the train back to Friedrichshaven. There we had an hour to wait for a connecting train to Fischbach so strolled down to the waters edge, where Andrew enjoyed pointing out to us that we were looking at the lights of a successful non EU country. We had a beer in the bar at the station where the lock on the door to the ladies didn't seem to be working right as it took three people to open it. The bar also had a a very large German shepherd.
We got the delayed train back to Fischbach, whatever happened to German efficiency? We stopped at a place near the station, where Andrew enjoyed using his German chatting to the locals. I was beginning to feel shattered and was glad to make it back and collapse into my bed for the night.
Saturday 30 August 2014
Summer Holiday Day 1: Planes,Trains, Boats and a BBQ
Awake at a ridiculous time this morning ready for the taxi to the airport. Taxi arrived on time, checked in and through security with no problems and ordering breakfast in Weatherspoons by 6.30am. Andrew went for a full English but I felt it was too early for that and had a smoked salmon bagel. Flight to Munich left on time and was trouble free. Breakfast number two was a chocolate crossiant en route to Munich. Arrived in Munich with plenty of time for a drink before the flight to Zurich.
Flight left Munich slightly late. Arrived in Zurich expecting Swiss efficiency. Headed to pick up our baggage. My rucksack appeared on the carousale and we were happily reunited . However Andrew was still waiting as the crowd around the baggage carousel dissapeared, and there was no sign of his rucksack. In desperation to be reunited Andrew went to check out if his rucksack had thought they were meeting at bulky luggage. As Andrew was returning forlornly from his failed mission to bulky luggage, his backpack appeared.
Happily reunited with all our baggage we headed to the train station and despite the baggage issues arrived in plenty of time to get the train to Romanshorn. The train was a minute or so late, what is happening to that well known Swiss efficiency?
At Romanshorn transferred to the boat and set sail across Lake Constance. After all the air conditioned air ports and trains it was good to get some fresh air. We also had a sandwich and drink for lunch.
Arrived at Friederichafen hafen and jumped straight on train to the centre. The town centre was busy so got the train to Fischbach.
Fischbach is a a very quiet suburb but has a nice semi rural feel. Met at the station by an old friend, Tim, who we are staying with for the next few days.
Tim had told us he was staying in student accomadaton over the summer, so I wasn't expecting him to stop by a little gate with flowers growing round it, leading to a front door,leading into a lovely hall way. Tim's flat was at the top. The weather on leaving England had been cool and grey and now in Freidrichshafen we were feeling rather warm under blue skies and sun so shoes were swopped for sandals, trousers for shorts and sun hats dug out.
We then headed to the outdoor pool and bar in the local park for a quick drink. Only had time for a quick one as Tim's neighbours had invited us for a BBQ. His wife was Glaswegian and she was very excited to have another Glaswegian in the house. The house had a lovely garden and an apple orchard. Fischbach does seem to be a place with a lot of green space. The BBQ was a great night with food, beer and plenty of good conversation on a variety of topics including religion, spaghetti ships, swinging ships and Scottish independence, all discussed in a mixture of German and English.
The early start meant that we didn't stay too late and headed back quite early.
Sunday 22 June 2014
Sermon on the Eucharist
Sermon on the Eucharist
Readings: John 6: 35-58
1 cor 11: 23-32
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
This morning we are starting a series of sermons on the sacraments. Following on from corpus christi on Thursday, this mornings topic is the Eucharist. The sharing of bread and wine in church is one of the two sacraments whose roots can be traced back to the actions of Christ himself, the other being baptism. As such, you would expect it to be something that can be a point of unity across all Christian denominations, yet we can't even agree on what to call it: the Lords Supper, Holy Communion, Eucharist or Mass. None of these names are necessarily wrong, and in fact they all reflect something important about what goes on each time we celebrate the sacrament. So, I want to have a look at each in turn.
The name the Lords Supper refers to the fact that the key part of the Eucharistic prayer directly quotes Christ words at the last supper my body broken for you, my blood shed for you. These words are called the words of institution. They have traditionally been seen as the words which do "the magic"and make Christ present in the bread and wine. In our worship here, this is reflected in the ringing of the bell and the genuflecting of the ministers at that point. Of course it isn't really magic, but God acting through the person who has been chosen and consecrated to that role.
However our service goes beyond the last supper and includes the events of the passion and resurrection that followed. We are not just repeating what Jesus did at the last supper rather it is a re presentation of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. In making that re presentation afresh each week we are again spiritually making the sacrifice of the cross and receiving the grace that flowed from it. The issue of what exactly happens to the bread and wine at the consecration has been a source of much debate over the centuries. We know that early Christians talked about consuming the body and blood, they were accused of being cannibals. Now the early Christians weren't cannibals and neither, I hope, are we.
So what do we mean when we say we consume the body and blood? In our gospel reading this morning Jesus is already referring to himself as the bread of life, and that to eat his body is the way to eternal life. The disciples were very confused by this, and what precisely is meant when we say the bread and wine become the body and blood has continued to cause debate and confusion to this day. I would love to be able to stand here and give you a nice neat explanation, but I am not sure that one exists. What I do know is that when I hold the consecrated bread or wine I feel as if I am holding something infinitely precious, and that receiving it makes me feel strengthed and upheld in a way that nothing else does.
We come together to share in holy communion, and we should be a holy communion but at times we may not seem like a very holy communion of people. We can all at times upset others by what we say or don't say, by what we do or don't do. In our reading this morning Paul is giving the Corinthians advice on how to prepare to receive communion. We should not come to the Lords table in an unworthy state. We start the service with confession, a chance to examine ourselves, to recognise the times we might have done wrong or not taken the chance to do something we should have done. It is a time to put ourselves right with God, think about what we might need to change and then receive through the sacrament the strength to make those changes.
Communion is about more than just those of us that are physically present in this building. Some of the bread and wine that is consecrated on a Sunday morning may be reserved and taken to those members of our community who are not able through ill health to be here with us this morning, in this way they can still share in one sacrament with us. The idea of communion doesn't end with us in the here and now. Later we will be asked to join with angels and archangels and all the glorious company of heaven. We are part of a great communion that stretches beyond the space and time we are currently living in. In our daily lives when we hit hard times, we can often draw strength from our friends and family. In receiving the sacrament we can draw on the strength of the church and its saints and most importantly of all by receiving the body and blood be strengthened by God himself. The sum is greater than it's parts and what a great sum are we able to be part of with God, the angels and faithful Christians throughout the ages.
The name Eucharist comes from the Greek word meaning thanksgiving. In the Eucharist we start by giving thanks to God. Watching the news over the past few weeks has made me realise what a great deal we have to be thankful for, for the fact that we can gather here this morning without risking our lives, for the fact that we have safe water to drink and food to eat. In the Eucharist we offer thanks to God for all that He has done in the salvation history of the world.
Thanksgiving can involve more than just saying thank you, if someone does something for us, we want to offer something back. God has given us the ultimate gift and in receiving the Eucharist we can offer something of ourselves back to him for use in his service. In the eucharist we are also given an example of the ultimate in thanksgiving, when we recall Jesus' action in giving thanks over bread and wine at the last supper. Knowing what was about to happen, he was still able to give thanks. How many of us when facing a hard situation can still manage to give thanks? In the Eucharist we can receive the gift of grace that allows us to face our fears and find the light of God that shines in even the darkest of places, and that is something to be thankful for.
The name mass comes from the Latin word missa, meaning sent out. What we do here this morning isn't just something that happens in a moment and is done, rather like a pebble dropped in a pool of water, it should send waves through our lives and by our actions through the world. There is a hymn based on the words of a fourth century Syrian deacon that begins "strengthen Lord for service, the hands that holy things have taken ". This is reflected in the post communion prayers. As food nourishes the body, the body and blood of Christ nourishes and strengthens our souls to go out and take the light and love of God to those that are outside this building and this community. To me this is one of the most important aspects of receiving the body and blood. Don't get me wrong I love what we do here on a Sunday morning, the candles,the robes and the ritual, but all that means nothing if it changes nothing outside this building. If I am honest the thought of trying to change even one small part of the world makes me want to run and hide. Some days just trying to cope with my own life seems hard enough, yet when I kneel at the altar and receive the bread and wine, somehow I feel stronger and the world and trying to change it doesn't seem quite such a daunting prospect.
As we consume the body and blood of Christ we open ourselves to be transformed and in turn we can then become transforming. As the light from one candle passed to another can eventually over come the darkness, so we can be strengthened to pass the light of Christ onto others and overcome the darkness of the world.
What exactly happens to the bread and wine by God through the actions of the priest consecrating it, remains a holy mystery. What we can know is the effect it has on us as we receive it, as we join with the holy communion of the church, are strengthened to go out into the world bearing the light and life of God inside us to pass onto others and in so doing making ourselves and the world more God like.
Amen
Readings: John 6: 35-58
1 cor 11: 23-32
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
This morning we are starting a series of sermons on the sacraments. Following on from corpus christi on Thursday, this mornings topic is the Eucharist. The sharing of bread and wine in church is one of the two sacraments whose roots can be traced back to the actions of Christ himself, the other being baptism. As such, you would expect it to be something that can be a point of unity across all Christian denominations, yet we can't even agree on what to call it: the Lords Supper, Holy Communion, Eucharist or Mass. None of these names are necessarily wrong, and in fact they all reflect something important about what goes on each time we celebrate the sacrament. So, I want to have a look at each in turn.
The name the Lords Supper refers to the fact that the key part of the Eucharistic prayer directly quotes Christ words at the last supper my body broken for you, my blood shed for you. These words are called the words of institution. They have traditionally been seen as the words which do "the magic"and make Christ present in the bread and wine. In our worship here, this is reflected in the ringing of the bell and the genuflecting of the ministers at that point. Of course it isn't really magic, but God acting through the person who has been chosen and consecrated to that role.
However our service goes beyond the last supper and includes the events of the passion and resurrection that followed. We are not just repeating what Jesus did at the last supper rather it is a re presentation of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. In making that re presentation afresh each week we are again spiritually making the sacrifice of the cross and receiving the grace that flowed from it. The issue of what exactly happens to the bread and wine at the consecration has been a source of much debate over the centuries. We know that early Christians talked about consuming the body and blood, they were accused of being cannibals. Now the early Christians weren't cannibals and neither, I hope, are we.
So what do we mean when we say we consume the body and blood? In our gospel reading this morning Jesus is already referring to himself as the bread of life, and that to eat his body is the way to eternal life. The disciples were very confused by this, and what precisely is meant when we say the bread and wine become the body and blood has continued to cause debate and confusion to this day. I would love to be able to stand here and give you a nice neat explanation, but I am not sure that one exists. What I do know is that when I hold the consecrated bread or wine I feel as if I am holding something infinitely precious, and that receiving it makes me feel strengthed and upheld in a way that nothing else does.
We come together to share in holy communion, and we should be a holy communion but at times we may not seem like a very holy communion of people. We can all at times upset others by what we say or don't say, by what we do or don't do. In our reading this morning Paul is giving the Corinthians advice on how to prepare to receive communion. We should not come to the Lords table in an unworthy state. We start the service with confession, a chance to examine ourselves, to recognise the times we might have done wrong or not taken the chance to do something we should have done. It is a time to put ourselves right with God, think about what we might need to change and then receive through the sacrament the strength to make those changes.
Communion is about more than just those of us that are physically present in this building. Some of the bread and wine that is consecrated on a Sunday morning may be reserved and taken to those members of our community who are not able through ill health to be here with us this morning, in this way they can still share in one sacrament with us. The idea of communion doesn't end with us in the here and now. Later we will be asked to join with angels and archangels and all the glorious company of heaven. We are part of a great communion that stretches beyond the space and time we are currently living in. In our daily lives when we hit hard times, we can often draw strength from our friends and family. In receiving the sacrament we can draw on the strength of the church and its saints and most importantly of all by receiving the body and blood be strengthened by God himself. The sum is greater than it's parts and what a great sum are we able to be part of with God, the angels and faithful Christians throughout the ages.
The name Eucharist comes from the Greek word meaning thanksgiving. In the Eucharist we start by giving thanks to God. Watching the news over the past few weeks has made me realise what a great deal we have to be thankful for, for the fact that we can gather here this morning without risking our lives, for the fact that we have safe water to drink and food to eat. In the Eucharist we offer thanks to God for all that He has done in the salvation history of the world.
Thanksgiving can involve more than just saying thank you, if someone does something for us, we want to offer something back. God has given us the ultimate gift and in receiving the Eucharist we can offer something of ourselves back to him for use in his service. In the eucharist we are also given an example of the ultimate in thanksgiving, when we recall Jesus' action in giving thanks over bread and wine at the last supper. Knowing what was about to happen, he was still able to give thanks. How many of us when facing a hard situation can still manage to give thanks? In the Eucharist we can receive the gift of grace that allows us to face our fears and find the light of God that shines in even the darkest of places, and that is something to be thankful for.
The name mass comes from the Latin word missa, meaning sent out. What we do here this morning isn't just something that happens in a moment and is done, rather like a pebble dropped in a pool of water, it should send waves through our lives and by our actions through the world. There is a hymn based on the words of a fourth century Syrian deacon that begins "strengthen Lord for service, the hands that holy things have taken ". This is reflected in the post communion prayers. As food nourishes the body, the body and blood of Christ nourishes and strengthens our souls to go out and take the light and love of God to those that are outside this building and this community. To me this is one of the most important aspects of receiving the body and blood. Don't get me wrong I love what we do here on a Sunday morning, the candles,the robes and the ritual, but all that means nothing if it changes nothing outside this building. If I am honest the thought of trying to change even one small part of the world makes me want to run and hide. Some days just trying to cope with my own life seems hard enough, yet when I kneel at the altar and receive the bread and wine, somehow I feel stronger and the world and trying to change it doesn't seem quite such a daunting prospect.
As we consume the body and blood of Christ we open ourselves to be transformed and in turn we can then become transforming. As the light from one candle passed to another can eventually over come the darkness, so we can be strengthened to pass the light of Christ onto others and overcome the darkness of the world.
What exactly happens to the bread and wine by God through the actions of the priest consecrating it, remains a holy mystery. What we can know is the effect it has on us as we receive it, as we join with the holy communion of the church, are strengthened to go out into the world bearing the light and life of God inside us to pass onto others and in so doing making ourselves and the world more God like.
Amen
Saturday 7 June 2014
Messy Church - A Reflection
Last week I had my first experience of messy church. Messy church is a fresh expression of church aimed at families with young children. Not having any young children myself it was something I had avoided till now, however part of being on the vocation journey is that you are expected to experience other types of church. So I arrived feeling somewhat apprehensive, various craft activities were being set out on tables and a BBQ was taking shape outside. People arrived as and when and did which ever craft activities they wanted. After about an hour everyone went into church for a short talk finished by asking what people wanted to pray for and Stella Bailey doing a very good job on prayers for topics including ladybirds and teddy bears. We then all headed out to the BBQ.
So, what did I think to messy church? Well I had fun, I think it's a great environment for building relationships and having conversations, probably more so then a Sunday morning. However having spent a week thinking about it a bit more I also have some criticisms and questions. Most of my criticisms will not apply to everyone, this is just my thoughts and feelings.
I had fun, it was a pleasant way to spend a few hours but I don't feel as if I worshipped or even felt much of God there. I am not saying God wasn't there, just for me this didn't seem like activity that helped deepen my faith or relationship with God.
The activites were all very craft based, which is to a certain extent fine for me because I enjoy crafty stuff, but what about people and kids that don't like craft? I said to a certain extent that craft based was fine for me, as an adult I am aware of my limitations and I am generally ok with the idea that there are things I an not good at. Art happens to be one of those things. There was an activity to make stained glass windows, this involved cutting paper shapes and drawing over lines in pen. I avoided this as most of the kids efforts would look better than mine. As an adult I am fine with this, a younger me might have felt embarrassed and stupid at being so obviously bad at craft stuff. Adding in some non craft based activities might be good.
My final question about messy church is how do we develop the faith and understanding of the people that go to a deeper level? Is there such a thing as a messy Eucharist? Can we provide something more for adults / older kids that might like to explore in more depth alongside messy church?
Messy church does provide some thing useful especially for families with young children, but it isn't going to be for everyone and I have noticed a tendency for people who say they won't go or be involved to be criticised for that. My husband has been criticised for saying he wouldn't go near it, yet he doesn't like young children or craft stuff so what would he get from messy church?
Overall it felt to me like an extended version of Sunday school rather than a new way of doing church.
So, what did I think to messy church? Well I had fun, I think it's a great environment for building relationships and having conversations, probably more so then a Sunday morning. However having spent a week thinking about it a bit more I also have some criticisms and questions. Most of my criticisms will not apply to everyone, this is just my thoughts and feelings.
I had fun, it was a pleasant way to spend a few hours but I don't feel as if I worshipped or even felt much of God there. I am not saying God wasn't there, just for me this didn't seem like activity that helped deepen my faith or relationship with God.
The activites were all very craft based, which is to a certain extent fine for me because I enjoy crafty stuff, but what about people and kids that don't like craft? I said to a certain extent that craft based was fine for me, as an adult I am aware of my limitations and I am generally ok with the idea that there are things I an not good at. Art happens to be one of those things. There was an activity to make stained glass windows, this involved cutting paper shapes and drawing over lines in pen. I avoided this as most of the kids efforts would look better than mine. As an adult I am fine with this, a younger me might have felt embarrassed and stupid at being so obviously bad at craft stuff. Adding in some non craft based activities might be good.
My final question about messy church is how do we develop the faith and understanding of the people that go to a deeper level? Is there such a thing as a messy Eucharist? Can we provide something more for adults / older kids that might like to explore in more depth alongside messy church?
Messy church does provide some thing useful especially for families with young children, but it isn't going to be for everyone and I have noticed a tendency for people who say they won't go or be involved to be criticised for that. My husband has been criticised for saying he wouldn't go near it, yet he doesn't like young children or craft stuff so what would he get from messy church?
Overall it felt to me like an extended version of Sunday school rather than a new way of doing church.
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