Easter day

In March over on 365-my patch I took a photo of one of the allotments just down from my flat. The ground was stating to be prepared for planting it was towards the beginning of lent then. Today I went past the same allotment and it looks very different. Laid out each plant and vegetable in its patch in a place where it can grow and  develop. I'd spoken to the tender of the allotment and he said to watch out for something he had just built a frame a frame that looked like a gallows. 

Thursday at the globe I heard Esther recited. A gallows was built in there for much darker reason as someone who wanted power plotted to do evil in order to get it and ended up hanging from the gallows he built for another. Friday, Good Friday saw another image used for destruction the Cross. 

Yet both were used so very differently both the gallows and the Cross saw in them the beautiful. 

The tender of the allotment used for growing tomato's.

The cross a sign of suffering and pain and shame. bring forth the beauty of new life new hope through the resurrection of the one who died who shed his blood upon it.

¹ Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. ² But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. ³ Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ And it happened, as they were greatly^[b] perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. ⁵ Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, ⁷ saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’”⁸ And they remembered His words. ⁹ Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. ¹⁰ It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.

What this easter day is there in your life in my life that can be changed from something that is a seemingly harmless past time or a object that as you read this you recongnise as being like the gallows or the cross and needs that change that turning over to God so that He can reshape it into somthing beautiful.

How does that allotment that was being prepared look now well....

Reepicheep

Unhand the tail. Aslan the Great gave me this tail and no one, repeat, no one, touches the tail. Period, exclamation mark! 

narniaweb.com

You gotta love Reepicheep..... little mouse big heart


an he has a real point, That tail was a gift a from Aslan and he guarded it no-one would be allowed to take that gift from him..


How do we treat the gift and call that Aslan has given to each of us. Do we allow the gift of God to be touched or taken by another. 


Reepicheep uses his gift- not hiding it away but uses it day to day 


Reepicheep a little mouse in a film on a Saturday afternoon just a bit of entertainment!!!!


nothing to do with our my daily lives our walk with God our discipleship.....

The globe

I'm still not sure really what I had expected last night going to the globe to hear three books of the bible read Esther, Job and the Psalms. 

To hear the word read in a semi dramatic way ( I say semi dramatic as it was through those reciting own engagement that made it dramatic) it was more than just being read there was a real engagement it was truly to be part of the story. We I think has lost something by no longer being a oral community we write down our stories and really if ever tell them.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening I loved the way that Esther came alive and the psalms job was the book for me I wasn't to worried about missing but was en captured by the recital. But the Psalms that was for me worth more than I can really begin to share. 8 people recited I loved the way in which the two actors above all most egged each other on to say greater things of the Lord. There was sarcasm and desperation love and hate. 

It was a dangerous occasion too dangerous as to think that as this version created to be recited to be heard was a gateway for the masses to have the word to hear and meditate on. That as parts of the psalms came up you found yourself joining in with the spoken word. 

How much more is there in what took place this Holy week.. As a friend reminded me today how great that the word of good has been proclaimed over the capital of this nation this week.

Maundy Thursday

This morning I was at Southwark cathedral for the service there which was great  was so glad I went the opening Hymn was sung with such power and truth that you thought the roof really would be shaken. I'd never sung this before but was hit by the words 

Refrain:

Lift high the cross,
the love of Christ proclaim
till all the world adore
his sacred Name.

Come, brethren, follow where our Captain trod,
our King victorious, Christ the Son of God. Refrain

Led on their way by this triumphant sign,
the hosts of God in conquering ranks combine. Refrain

Each newborn soldier of the Crucified
bears on the brow the seal of him who died. Refrain

This is the sign which Satan's legions fear
and angels veil their faces to rever. Refrain

Saved by this Cross whereon their Lord was slain,
the sons of Adam their lost home regain. Refrain

From north and south, from east and west they raise
in growing unison their songs of praise. Refrain

O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,
as thou hast promised, draw the world to thee. Refrain

Let every race and every language tell
of him who saves our souls from death and hell. Refrain

From farthest regions let their homage bring,
and on his Cross adore their Savior King. Refrain

Set up thy throne, that earth's despair may cease
beneath the shadow of its healing peace. Refrain

For thy blest Cross which doth for all atone
creation's praises rise before thy throne. Refrain

I'm missing a service tonight at St Peters vauxhall one I'm sad to miss last year it was a amazing service and the first time i had witnessed the stripping of a church and was very much looking forward a agin to being part of it again this year.....

but I will be at another place and my first visit to the famous globe theatre and will be hearing the King james bible read...

THURSDAY 21 APRIL

6pm – Midnight: Esther, Job and Psalms

Free tea and coffee will provided after 11pm.

This session features the book of Psalms containing 150 beautifully written hymns, psalms and prayers covering the whole range of human emotions from joy to anger, from hope to despair. Many famous verses have roots in the psalms including, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’, ‘The Rivers of Babylon’, ‘Handel’s Messiah’. The book of Job explores the problem of sufferance in an unjust world, where God appears not to care about the fate of the just.

Two of my favourite books will be read Esther and psalms and yeah I'm very much planning to listen to the whole evening not sure what it is going to be like but I'm sure it will be a wonderful evening though the expectation is that people will drop in and drop out throughout the sessions. its suggested it will take a team of actors 69 hours to read through the bible in Holy week and will conclude on easter tuesday. What I found really interesting is that there will be no reading on Holy saturday. That it was actually called by the theatre Holy saturday the real name for the time of waiting and not easter saturday as it's often miss called.

I like the statement in a interview too that The Globe's artistic director, Dominic Dromgoole

"We are celebrating the word," he says. Whatever one's spiritual convictions, the anniversary is significant; it is hard to think of any other work that has played such a large role in shaping English-speaking culture.  

celebrating the word.

Tonight I just plan to sit and listen no distraction no phone or gadgets this Maundy Thursday no words of my own just the words inspired by God written down by man to wash over

Love wins......

There's been a lot said and written about the contains of Rob Bells latest book Love wins... I haven't read it yet have my copy on the desk in a pile of to reads. I had a ticket for a evening with rob bell tonight at westminster central hall, I missed the first part of the evening as I was returning from viewing a new patch in the midlands but I did get there to here the questions and answers session...   

Something that stood out in all that was said was a image of what a leader or pastor should be doing first and for most.

Rob used the image of the emergency information given on a plane. That  you always put your mask on before helping anyone else. 

that is the same with out spiritual lives we need to be spending time first with God, that we don't get burnt out or work from a place of empty.

I really like that image of the plane safety it really challenges though... what does it mean for those in my patch when you try to put there mask on while not wearing on first and slowly being suffocated.

what would it mean in our churches is pastors (or whatever term your denomination uses) worked from  this place....

Palm sunday

This week starts and finishes with celebration yet the week itself becomes more contemplative as we close in on Maundy Thursday and the striping of the church  and good friday. this week sees two walks in the parish today we walked from two of the churches to a joint celebration at the third. friday we walk from the imperial war museum to waterloo station in silence as we think and pray out way round stations on the way and hear the passion read.


we sand Hosanna and give me joy and ride on ride as we walk in the sun palms waving and a white pony leading the way

Short service to start the walk outside St Peter's Vauxhall

Walking up Kennington Lane

 Inside the church with perugin ( courtesy of vauxhall city farm )

Celebrating in the SUN as we closed the time together outside singing we are marching in the light of God 4 churches today met together as one a LEP ( local ecumenical partnership methodist /CofE) Methodist church and two CofE we broke bread together too I love this aspect of the north lambeth we come from many traditions within the church from many countries and languages oh for a thousand tongues to sign our great redeemers praise today a small glimpse of that was shown who wonderful it is when Gods children meet together to celebrate HIM and HIM alone.

Phantom of the opera

Ok not quite but a similar mask is being worn.

Phantom hand mask

Last week in a moment of madness I managed to brake my hand. Since then a rainbow of colours has greeted me over the past week. ( ok that's two west-end shows refered too in just a few words should stop there I think (over the rainbow is a show about Julie Garland) )

I mentioned in a earlier post that I had been on my MA week during the week we were asked what happens when we loose sight of God my friend tapped me on the arm.  A innocent jester of teasing or something much much deeper when we take our eyes of god wether as a disciple or as a community it is then that we start to wither.  Wesley comments in his sermon on the wilderness state (sermon 46)

4. With loss of faith, and love, and joy there is also joined, Fourthly, the loss of that peace which once passed all understanding. That sweet tranquillity of mind, that composure of spirit, is gone. Painful doubt returns; doubt, whether we ever did, and perhaps whether we ever shall, believe. We begin to doubt, whether we ever did find in our hearts the real testimony of the Spirit; whether we did not rather deceive our own souls, and mistake the voice of nature for the voice of God. Nay, and perhaps, whether we shall ever hear his voice, and find favour in his sight. And these doubts are again joined with servile fear, with that fear which hath torment. We fear the wrath of God, even as before we believed: We fear, lest we should be cast out of his presence; and thence sink again into that fear of death, from which we were before wholly delivered.

I'm not sure which really comes first but do understand what wesley is saying. It is easy to slip into that place where we loose peace.. for what ever reason that may be loss of hope and peace is something that is a day to day reality not just behind the front doors on the estate but behind the long gated driveways of the rich. 

Theres many reasons why  we end in a place that we loose faith, and love, and joy and peace.  How do we get back to the place of having our eyes on jesus is what matters. it may be through seeking forgiveness from another and Going to God in prayer. It may mean letting others those mature and trusted into you life to hold you in prayer to challenge and guide to help you focus again on the truth on God's truth that then stops the dripping tap that ground you down. 

Are you am I  willing in your patch to be the person to come along side and be that still small voice to another, or to be at times that rush of thunder both are needed but wisdom as to when is needed to. 

Are you am I willing to let another be the voice of truth and let them speak in to you my life.....

Replanting

houseplants.com

My patch on the move, Later this summer the little patch of vauxhall that has been where I've been planted since october 2009 will be left behind. Just as with plants it's time for me to be repotted, it's said but also a good time as I seek to find where God wants me to go next. 

As I googled a site today to look at more info about a patch I've applied to today I came across this job title on the rejesus site which was one of their links.....

Job title

Follower of the way

Disciple

Employer details

Jesus of Nazareth

Location

Flexible. You will essentially be a field worker fulfilling the requirements of the role in your local community. You will be prepared to leave the security of home behind at certain times.

Role and purpose

You are to live as Jesus taught, and follow his example. 

I've just finished a intensive MA week over at cliff college which was one of the reasons why blogging was non excitant last week. my MA is in mission Wesleyan Theology and Spirituality and spent a lot of time looking at what it meant to be a real follower of jesus.

whatever happens patch wise this is the job description the way of life that is first and foremost  

Stand Still in London

Today traffic was brought to a halt in central London. Roads normally full of traffic were empty. As 250,000 people march through the streets to voice their concerns over the latest government cuts. We are in a time where we need to all tighten our purses a little but how we do that MATTERS. How what is taking place effects those in my patch I don't really know right now. But they will and some will be struggling even more. The march brought together people from all ages from all over the UK. Will it have made a difference I really am not sure. 

Here's a few photo's of the day that show the different people that where there 

At the table

© 2011 Julia Lohmann

I had to smile today, I really did not want to go to church today as wesley once wrote in the famous journal entry  "I went very unwillingly". I haven't been all that well again this week, and had been ill during the night and again during the service. But I was acting steward today so went. Toward the end of the service just as we came together to read the liturgy for communion our youngest member who's about 18months wandered over to the communion rail reached up and almost danced along the rail and played under the table. I was wonderful to see... then his older brother joined him it was great to see the freedom of these two young lives free at the table free to crawl and play and dance... in their fathers house. I came to remember the verse from Song of Solomon 2:4

He brought me to the banqueting house, 

And his banner over me was love.

There is a song called his banner over me that I was singing to my self as I sat there just watching the boys part of the words go   

He brought me to his banqueting table 

And his banner over me is love 

I am my beloved’s and he is mine 

And his banner over me is love 

We delight ourselves at your table oh God

we delight ourselves at your table oh God I love that phrase but it also comes with a "ouch" the ouch do I really delight my self at HIS table like the two young lives did today.....

who's pulling your Strings......

The 1967 Uk entry to the Eurovision song contest was puppet on a string Last night I got to meet one of my all time favourite puppets from childhood sooty.....

I loved this cheeky little bear. So there was a reason to be playing with puppets well at cubs tonight we had a visit from a puppeteer. The cubs were mesmerised by them. Now I'm not always a fan of puppets I hate the ones that look human so the old guys off the muppet show are out... but cuddly ones like sooty sweep and sue 

Though there is much fun and laughter with puppets. What I got to thinking about was the string puppets I have a few of these. the ones that work by strings that make it move. The question was who's pulling your strings. Who is it that guides your motives and actions. 

This can be taken further who is pulling the string on the street, in the flats or over the estate that we live in. Who is it that is being allowed to run things. Is there a time for a change a time to bring about a new way of thinking a new way of being. 

By placing my hand inside sooty I could control to guide the bears actions... am I as willing as the bear to allow my actions to be guided by God. To allow those action and ways to make a difference on my patch.... 

A new friend

There are many things that take over our towns and city's at night, I love watching the BBC's two series spring and autumn watch. These programmes look at the different animals that are around a live documentary that the viewer can join in with. I had not got my camera with me as i walked home last night but did manage to get this 

A young fox who more or less walked me home, I sat watching it for a while till it got too cold for me, to get this close was so good. I really was as close as the picture seems to suggests. many of those who live alongside us have had to adapt and overcome. Some have done it better than others. Urban foxes often get a bad press, but I'm really glad to have them around.

scouts and pancakes

Tonight was pancake night at scouts.. yes a week early.. well be prepared and all that :) and it wasn't done the way you would have expected.... these little burners had a tea light inside...

 no it's not a egg .... it's a mini pancake :) 

 the fun started when they decided they wanted to flip the pancakes it all started so well 

 yup they ended on the floor 

it was a good night and some very interesting creations were made and eaten :)

Though I think I'll have someone else cooks the pancakes for next tuesday :)

on the tube...

saw this on the tube today... And got me thinking... it's a advert for a uk cable channel. The words at the bottom were what struck me.. its not going to change your life but thats not what we're about you got God channel for that... as part of my studies and coming from a background outside of the church one of the questions that I've asked and many more people are asking is what is church how do we define that word. When church is the people who are disciples of Jesus. encouraging seeking journeying together into a closer relationship with God becoming more like Him. What the advert here says is what they are and are not. they are there for entertainment - not to change life.. they are one of many channels bidding for our time.. putting on different programmes aiming at different groups of people... sounds very like the way the "church" does things. The tv channel are very aware of who they are and what they are about. I think that has a major challenge for the "church" are we just another group/organisation that is vying for peoples time or is there more is the church the place where lives are transformed. Not just putting on programmes but leading each other deeper in life changing encounters with the living God.. 

Shalom

Evening Prayer: karin leonard

I saw this while messing around looking up peace.. The title of this post in Hebrew.  It would be a  photo I'd have taken  given the chance walking along the shore.  The painting isn't s well known as the one I posted earlier this week and spoke about in that post. It is a strange place to be talking about peace right now.. when everything says I should be angry, when the world would say you should be angry.  This painting for me is peace, is my idea of peace.

I put on my Facebook status yesterday that I was amused by a situation that I found myself in. It should have hurt, been like putting salt on a wound or pressing a bruise to have continued to feed into how I was doing. But to use amuse surly not not just a few days after being found in the darkest of shadows. A friend noted they were not amused but livid at what had happened. I wrote amused having spent time listening - listening to what God was saying to me, I was on retreat, not a retreat in a normal sense and not something I do very often.. space, conversation, questions (Hard questions at times),friends, food and prayer and love.  

The timing wasn't the most easy for any of us to be going through this ( work and family for my friends) and for me to be doing a hedgehog impression. 

I'm not saying that it has just gone away it's still a hard place to be in. To be writing about peace feels as I started the post as being very wrong. This though is the reality of the place that I find myself in. 

The words of Bill Johnson tonight rang so true and resonate with what I was being asked to refocus on while away he writes

"You can only hold on to one thing at a time - the promise of God or disappointment. You'll have to drop one to embrace the other." 

To live in this goes against the very nature of man against self, we want to live in the disappointment and hurt.to justify the how we are feeling and almost keep ourselves in the position of being disappointed or hurt. We have been promised life by God... not just any type of life but life in all fullness.. 

Coming back from the retreat carrying this peace that the promises of God are still strong, that the family that He has given are there to cary and support. The hedgehog isn't unfurled yet there is a though unlike this time last week a pin prick of light at the end of the tunnel. The peace I have I can not begin to explain to truly describe to you it can't be Earned,  or brought it is freely given . I know where this peace comes from 

 "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding"

Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?

I guess many will instantly know the painting here, the scream by Edvard Munch yes thats right not Vincent Willem van Gogh. It has been used time and time again as a illustration of pain and anguish that is suffered. Its in many ways a good friday picture. so what do I mean by that. I part to be very honest here I don't know. It's a place that for each of us is very different. A place of soul searching of a place where the end of the tunnel seems so distant there is not even a pin prick of light at the end of it. A place of loneliness, of betrayal (very real not always true) a place where you cant even breath a place that seems like drowning. For jesus he went through this too, the feeling of abandonment, the gospels recount those last hours and words, 

“At three o’clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which is translated, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” 

(Mark 15:34; Matthew 27:46).

there on the cross Jesus was praying the words of psalm 22 a psalm that starts with pain with sorrow and ends with praise to God, to his father. He Knew the such a deep suffering and anguish. Yet did not give up on His father did not let go that relationship. 

yet the writer of the psalm asks that ever present question in time of grief and pain "why" "why have you forsaken" what is being experienced by the writer is how we find ourselves , with situations and places that makes no sense; where things do not fit together."Why" God seems very distant in both space and time theres a emptiness left. The wandering through trust and question, hanging on by finger tips to faith. blistered,sore and bleeding finger tips but hanging on.

yet sometimes we need others being Jesus with skin on to help us hold on even if at the time we seem to think that we don't want it.  And are doing our best to be horrid to those who are around us. Doing the very best impression of a hedgehog prickles out and curled up into a tight ball.. but you know even when a hedgehog does that if you hold it right.. have patience when it feels safe and trusts who's doing the holding then it will unfurl again and slowly venture out again... but it takes time. 

why say all this today, because I am that hedgehog right now .... A decision on saturday left me in a place that makes no sense and left me walking through the shadows and anguish. 

Urban farm

I wrote a few time now about the local city farm here in vauxhall it's been great to get to know the team that works there over the last few months. Today coming back from visiting in the community there was a sight I wasn't expecting. Now i am used to seeing the pony and horses being walked around the estate or even ridden. but to see two cows walking down the middle of the street was something very new. I love it :). whats so great is that in a inner city area the children get to touch and see so many different animals. I grew up going away on holiday or getting out of the city some weekends so saw animals in the feilds or on the farms. many children and families don't get that when most weeks they are finding it difficult to make ends meet. having the farm in the community brings them a place to go and meet the animals and for a short time get a brake form the city. a brief respite from the daily grind.

My Patch out and about

Last night I had a invite to dinner at Allen Hall the catholic seminary just over Battersea Bridge. The carving above is in the refectory and really caught my attention. I was told it was designed by a former student unfortunately you can't really see it but the detail in the carving was amazing so intricate even the fur on the dog could be seen. It made a change to the normal carving found in refectories of the Last Supper. 

Going to another patch was really good, to another tradition and spending the evening talking debating and a tour round the seminary. 

Have you got a minute

Actually have you got 1:50 to sit and watch a video.. I was looking during the week for the  Matt Redman song  Nothing but the blood of Jesus for a link to my photo blog while doing that I came across this video.  A few years ago I was in India and came across the book the In His Image in the book one of the authors talk about how when in India one of their children had caught measles and they needed to protect the younger child with the "blood of a overcomer" they needed to get the blood of someone who had had measles and over come it to mike a vaccine. As I watched this video today though I read this book 4 years ago now the image came flooding back. Through the gospels we read the trials and temptations that Jesus faced, the joys and the sorrows, and share abandonment and that He overcame death and sin on the cross and in His resurrection. One passage that stands out while I was thinking about this was the words of revelation 

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony

That we can use the things in our lives that were broken yet have over come to encourage others in their situations. For those in my patch, to come along side those who have found they are alone in a strange place. Having moved to london from the midlands knowing no-one here but bringing the light of jesus into that situation using my experience of how that feels to help another "overcome." Recently I was preaching and shared part of my testimony in the service at the end a older lady came up to me and said thank you for giving permission not to read but to listen to the Bible on the ipod my granddaughter struggles to read and is dyslexic but what you said encouraged us today. How was I able to to share through allowing Jesus to come into my situation and allowing Him to heal bringing that overcame into that place.

Sunset over London

This was the view from my balcony last night, the last few days have been grey and cold here but this last night was a real respite from the gloom and damp today its been back to the rain. 3 or 4 storey blocks around here cast shadows and block out the sun at the best of times so its often seems darker than it really is. Yet yesterday for a few moments light broke through the darkness and that hope was seen, people seemed to be a bit more cheerful even if it was horribly cold. Today the sound of the sparrows and house-martins filled the air I wonder if they were complaining about the damp too. 

walking around the estate I heard another noise the rustling of leaves looking down  their at the bottom of a tree was a squirrel with a mouthful of leaves I guess mr squirrel wanted extra blankets today too.