Light of the World

It was our fortnightly Community Worship at Wesley House this evening. This week the Methodist Lectionary theme is 'Receiving the Light' and so we carved pumpkins and placed tealights in them. It was an activity that all ages could participate in and the creativity of the pumpkins was amazing. Then without the need for a sermon, or even a reflection using words, just by having 8 pumpkins a-glow around the room and the lights off we could reflect on the words of Scripture we had heard:

"...I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life... As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (John 8:12, & 9:5)

and

"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a

lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)

Photos taken by Revd. Dr. Jane Leach

CPD - A gift of God

At this evening's Methodist Theology and Spirituality seminar each student received their copy of 'The Constitutional Practice and Discipline of the Methodist Church' - obviously 2011 edition rather than 2010, but I couldn't find a picture of the 2011 edition! This gift was received with about as much enthusiasm as receiving the last decade's worth of Church Council, Property and Finance and Circuit Meeting minutes all neatly collated and bound!

However, our speaker for the evening was Janet Morley - an Anglican who has worked for the Methodist Church for many years. She was bringing her views of Methodism from an Anglican perspective and was very insightful in her observations - even if some were uncomfortable to hear. However, the thing that stuck with me was her enthusiasm for CPD. Janet stated that Methodism was able to articulate it's faith. We have a document that is updated year by year as we discuss areas which may need updating. From this point of view we have a living, evolving faith. We are able to ask the hard questions of ourselves, to discuss, debate, disagree but ultimately to maintain the Connexion between us. She pointed out that the Anglican church still abides by the 39 Articles, which clergy have to swear to at their ordination and as they start at each new post, which apparently is quite anti ecumenism and supports the death penalty. Janet added that in CPD it states that 'The primary purpose for which the District is constituted is to advance the mission of the Church in a region...' (SO 400A) and that 'The Circuit is the primary unit in which Local Churches express and experience their interconnexion in the Body of Christ, for purposes of mission, mutual encouragement and help.' (SO500) How great would it be for all ministers and congregations to see the practical outworkings of our theology in such a way.

The Feast of St Luke - an Orthodox celebration

As part of life in the Cambridge Theological Federation we have fortnightly Federation Worship led by the various institutes that make up the Federation (I realise that was probably a slight over use of the word 'federation'!). This evening was the turn of the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies. This was the first time that I had ever been to an Orthodox service, and it certainly was an interesting experience. There were some aspects I found challenging, standing up for an hour and a half being one! However, there was also the lack of involvement by the members of the congregation. This was very much something that we watched as the priest and a few others participated on our behalf. Added to that there was the lack of singing and the fact that only members of the Orthodox Church were able to take Communion. This did help me get clear in my mind some of the things I value about Methodism.

Having said that, there were a lot of things that I found useful and inspiring. The theatre of the whole service as the priest moved around from the altar, down into the nave, around the church built a sense of drama and anticipation. Maybe it didn't reflect the meal between friends that I like to think of as Communion, but it did portray something of the wonder and awe-someness of God. Their repeated prayers for themselves, their church, their community and those in authority was also something that made me think. While I don't believe that we need to repeat our prayers over and over, Paul does tell us to pray without ceasing, and this was a great expression of that. The homily was short and to the point - we are part of an unbroken chain of witnesses going back to Luke and beyond. It was uplifting and done in about a dozen sentences - do we really need to always have great long complicated sermons when a few well chosen words will do? Finally, there was the point where the congregation said the creed. It was a long way through the service and was the first point for the congregation to speak. At first people were unsure, then gradually it built up and up as more people expressed their faith together. The sound of so many people, from so many different denominations and traditions, professing together a shared faith, for me, is a sign of what ecumenism is all about. We may have gone our separate ways after, but we did so having reminded ourselves of the things that unite rather than divide.

Thin Places

I have heard people talking about 'Thin Places', places where the gap between heaven and earth seems at it's thinnest, places where people feel closest to God. Maybe it is because I am moving away from Thatcham next week, but today I have spent some time reflecting on my thin places here.

The first is my church. It is not a very radical view, but it is true for me. This is the church I grew up in, I remember coming to Sunday School, social occasions, I became a member of the Methodist Church here, I preached my first sermon here, I became an accredited Local Preacher here. And if I walk in to the Sanctuary when no-one else is there, I can look around the chairs and picture the saints of old who used to sit in them, I can close my eyes and hear their voices. And if I walk in on a Sunday morning I look at the people sitting in the chairs now and it is like looking at my family. For me, that is what church is - a family. I don't know if I'll ever have this experience of church again, but it will be with me forever. This is one of the places where I feel closest to God, either listening to the voices of those around me, or hearing the voices of th

ose who have been and gone. We are not a perfect church, but in amongst the imperfections, there is Jesus.

My second thin place is Thatcham Lake. Again it is alive with memories of walks with Dad through childhood right up to the present day. But the reason I feel so close to God around this place is because for me it speaks of life in all it's beauty - and surely that is where God has to be. It is as I walk around it, as I sit on the benches, that I see life going on. Whether it is ducks quacking, children laughing, ripples running over the lake, there is always life. And it is there that I often choose just to go and pray, reflect, be still. It is a place where no words need to be spoken, but I can go and be still, and know that God is there. These are places I am going to miss. But I do trust that when I move to Cambridge next week, God will provide more thin places where I can meet with him.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer - Life Together 5

"He who is alone with his sin is utterly alone. It may be that Christians, notwithstanding corporate worship, common prayer, and all their fellowship in service, may still be left to their loneliness. The final break-through to fellowship does not occur, because, though they have fellowship with one another as believers and as devout people, they do not have fellowship as the undevout, as sinners. The pious fellowship permts no one to be a sinner. So everybody must conceal his sin from himself and from the fellowship. We dare not be sinners. Many Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner is suddenly discovered among the righteous. So we remain alone with our sin, living in lies and hypocrisy. The fact is that we are sinners!"

So starts the beginning of Bonhoeffer's 5th and final chapter. He continues by writing about the need for confession - but not solitary confession but confession to another member of the church. Bonhoeffer believes that this is the only way of ensuring confession to God and not merely to oneself. This did make me wonder about corporate confession during weekly acts of worship. For many this is an important part of the service, but maybe for some it is just an empty routine. It also made me consider how churches could set about establishing a system of trust and accountability for this to take place if it doesn't happen already. I can imagine that many would initially be quite concerned about confessing sins to one another. However, Bonhoeffer argues that it is only when we truly humble ourselves enough to admit our faults to one another that we can have true community. I can see his thinking behind this, but I can also see the need for careful organising and preparation for the people to hear the confessions to ensure that it isn't used for harm rather than good.

Bonhoeffer concludes this chapter and the book by mentioning Communion. This is the perfection of the fellowship when the members of the community are reconciled through confession and then united around the table. I believe that confession is important. As a church I feel we have shied away from it as a subject for fear of offending or being seen to preach at people. However, sin should not be ignored. Maybe the best way of dealing with it is with it out in the open, rather than trying to appear perfect to others, while secretly struggling with sin alone.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer - Life Together 4

God's timing is certainly good!! I am almost starting my final week at work and it is a bit difficult. My replacement has started and I have found it hard letting go and allowing him to make changes to all I have done over the last 5 years. Today has been especially difficult as I have read through his programme for the next term and seen there are some quite big changes from my programmes. Despite knowing that the activities needed a freshen up, I didn't like reading it. I spent a long while trying to find fault with it, hoping (I'm ashamed to admit) that it wouldn't quite work out. And then, a day later than scheduled, I read chapter 4 of Bonhoeffer's book.

He opens with a paragraph dedicated to how people together will always try judging each other, will try and find fault, if they are weak people they will judge the strong; if they are strong they will show disdain to the weak. The solitary will attack the sociable whilst the sociable mock the solitary. It is human nature to judge and compare. But Bonhoeffer warns that this is the destruction of community. He says the main challenge is to control the tongue and ensure that thoughts do not get verbalised. The passage that struck me was: ' God did not make this person as I would have made him... God does not will that I should fashion the other person according to the image that seems good to me, that is, in my own image; rather in his very freedom from me God made this person in his image.' (p.71)

After feeling admonished and challenged by the opening paragraphs the rest of the chapter gave me much food for thought about being a minister. Before proclaiming the Word of God to anyone, each Christian must learn to listen, really listen, to those he will speak to. Not to see it as wasted time or an annoyance, but as part of Christ's ministry. Just as God listens to us, so we must listen to others. Also, we must learn to bear one another. Not just the burdens, but the things about others that irritate us, the things we don't like about other people. It is not an easy ministry, but it is important to then truly be able to speak to those same people.

Here's hoping for a better day tomorrow, full of listening and not so much speaking, or judging.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer - Life Together 3

Bonhoeffer moves on to talk about being alone. He recognises that many people become part of a church community out of fear of being alone. However, he believes that this is unhealthy for the individual and the community. In order for an individual and a community to be fully who they are meant to be every member of that community must have the correct balance between fellowship and solitude. This is something that I find difficult as I naturally prefer having people around. However, I am starting to value times alone and having periods of silence with no music and no tv on.

Bonhoeffer tells us that Christ calls each of us as individuals and that we die as individuals and face God as individuals. However, he also states that we are not the only one who is called, that we are supported by our community even to death, and that we will stand with the whole company of heaven.

Finally, Bonhoeffer instructs on daily personal devotions. Although sounding quite prescriptive and dry - much like the previous chapter on corporate devotions - he does raise an interesting point on perseverance. So often we are led to believe that if we are 'doing our devotions right' that we will have amazing spiritual experiences every day. This has done a lot of damage to me over the years as I quite often gave up for periods when I didn't experience what others say they experienced. I presumed I obviously wasn't doing it correctly - or maybe I wasn't a Christian at all. But Bonhoeffer encourages us to continue, whatever our experience because we are doing it to honour God and not to gain something ourselves. He also includes a real challenge to pray for members of our fellowship as much as for ourselves. This is certainly a habit I want to try and get into.

So - I shall endeavour to spend a bit more time in silence and alone each day and see what happens.