Hello,
I am writing this week's Praise and Prayer Blog from my new office environment. It actually isn't new - just changed. Last Friday evening I shifted most of the piles of paper and files from my office into our bedroom (what a patient wife I have!) ready for Saturday morning when my next door neighbour arrived to build my new desk. Together we managed to get my two pedestal desk down stairs and into the front garden where someone collected it after I advertised it on Freecycle. A cupboard and a filing cabinet moved into the space previously occupied by the desk. A large printer moved into the space previously occupied by the cupboard. And the new work top was built where the printer and the filing cabinet had stood and a mobile pedestal slipped neatly under the new work top.
Outcome: I can now open both doors of the cupboard and all the drawers of the filing cabinet (both previously restricted by the desk), and I have more usable space and better use of natural and artificial light. You might ask why I didn't do this five years ago! The reason was that my desk, which was in a good state, had served me well for many years before that. I valued its role as it had been a good servant. I was loathe to accept that it had become inappropriate!
How much of what goes on in the life of our churches revolve around inherited aspects that have proved useful in the past, but which might now not be so appropriate? We are often loathe to let them go? How much better might some things work if we only found the courage to let some things go?
One of the problems that Nehemiah encountered as he and others were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem was that rubbish from the old wall was getting in the way (Neh 4:10). I guess they were using some of the old wall in the new wall; but not everything was appropriate.
Last Week:
On Sunday we had a really good meeting at Yelvertoft. In the light of the anti-capitalism demonstrations we explored what the Bible had to say about the use of money. If you are interested I have a small booklet on this topic. In the evening I drove to the Dartford Crossing and spent the night in the Travelodge sleeping next to a room with a noisy motor running all night!
Monday, on to Battle for Sunrise Ministries' trustees meeting. Letters are about to go out inviting a number of others to join the board. Please continue to pray. There was a clear sense of unity in the meeting. After this I called in at Herstmonceux to collect some hymn books, did a little admin with Monica in her office and then visited Peggy in Hastings. Peggy and Alan are valued old friends and Alan has just gone to be with the Lord. We spent an hour or so during which we expressed something of what Alan had meant to us. Finally, driving home to Market Harborough and arriving at 11.30 pm.
Tuesday and Wednesday I was able to use some of this time for work related to the research degree. I finally sent off my latest attempt at setting out my proposal on 'Form C' and spoke with my senior supervisor. I am right up against a deadline and hope what I have done will be sufficient. I also received a phone call from a university in Germany seeking my collaboration is preparing material in German on the subject of rural evangelism. They plan to translate some of my published writing.
Wednesday evening I met with one of the Bible discussion groups in Yelvertoft where we opened up the second half of Philippians 1. Worth reading about Paul's confidence about life after life and his attitude to suffering.
Thursday I had an early start to get to the church leaders breakfast in Rugby, which was followed by pastoral visits until 6.00pm. At 6.45am I had received a phone call from Kenya from the pastor of the church through which my colleague does such a lot of work. This led to a series of telephone conversations through the day and evening and drafting a special letter to be emailed the following day.
Friday was spent preparing for next Saturdays talk on 'Mission and Discipleship in Rural Areas' for the Diocese of Oxford. I have also been invited to write 400 words on the topic for the Diocesan magazine.
Saturday morning I went to support a Torch fellowship Group (blind and partially sighted Christians).
This Coming Week:
Sunday 13th - Joint Remembrance Services at Yelvertoft in the morning.
Monday - priority writing article for Oxford Diocese and finishing talk preparation.
Tuesday - School Assembly in Yelvertoft; Gartree Prison. Then travelling to London for overnight stay at the Salvation Army College, Denmark Hill.
Wednesday - all day teaching at the Salvation Army College (Safe and Sound Course)
Thursday morning - Bible Discussion Group at Yelvertoft
Friday - Doreen and I will travel to Hastings, East Sussex for a Service of Thanksgiving for Alan Blythe.
Saturday - Key Note Speaker at Oxford Diocesan event, Marsh Gibbon.
Sunday 20th - the service at Yelvertoft will be taken by Dr Gordon Temple; in the evening I am taking the service for Newton URC, near Rugby.
Please pray that I will use time wisely in this week, and be fresh physically and filled with the Holy Spirit for each engagement. God is able!
I pray that God will grant to you a really blessed week. As always we welcome your news.
Barry
I am writing this week's Praise and Prayer Blog from my new office environment. It actually isn't new - just changed. Last Friday evening I shifted most of the piles of paper and files from my office into our bedroom (what a patient wife I have!) ready for Saturday morning when my next door neighbour arrived to build my new desk. Together we managed to get my two pedestal desk down stairs and into the front garden where someone collected it after I advertised it on Freecycle. A cupboard and a filing cabinet moved into the space previously occupied by the desk. A large printer moved into the space previously occupied by the cupboard. And the new work top was built where the printer and the filing cabinet had stood and a mobile pedestal slipped neatly under the new work top.
Outcome: I can now open both doors of the cupboard and all the drawers of the filing cabinet (both previously restricted by the desk), and I have more usable space and better use of natural and artificial light. You might ask why I didn't do this five years ago! The reason was that my desk, which was in a good state, had served me well for many years before that. I valued its role as it had been a good servant. I was loathe to accept that it had become inappropriate!
How much of what goes on in the life of our churches revolve around inherited aspects that have proved useful in the past, but which might now not be so appropriate? We are often loathe to let them go? How much better might some things work if we only found the courage to let some things go?
One of the problems that Nehemiah encountered as he and others were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem was that rubbish from the old wall was getting in the way (Neh 4:10). I guess they were using some of the old wall in the new wall; but not everything was appropriate.
Last Week:
On Sunday we had a really good meeting at Yelvertoft. In the light of the anti-capitalism demonstrations we explored what the Bible had to say about the use of money. If you are interested I have a small booklet on this topic. In the evening I drove to the Dartford Crossing and spent the night in the Travelodge sleeping next to a room with a noisy motor running all night!
Monday, on to Battle for Sunrise Ministries' trustees meeting. Letters are about to go out inviting a number of others to join the board. Please continue to pray. There was a clear sense of unity in the meeting. After this I called in at Herstmonceux to collect some hymn books, did a little admin with Monica in her office and then visited Peggy in Hastings. Peggy and Alan are valued old friends and Alan has just gone to be with the Lord. We spent an hour or so during which we expressed something of what Alan had meant to us. Finally, driving home to Market Harborough and arriving at 11.30 pm.
Tuesday and Wednesday I was able to use some of this time for work related to the research degree. I finally sent off my latest attempt at setting out my proposal on 'Form C' and spoke with my senior supervisor. I am right up against a deadline and hope what I have done will be sufficient. I also received a phone call from a university in Germany seeking my collaboration is preparing material in German on the subject of rural evangelism. They plan to translate some of my published writing.
Wednesday evening I met with one of the Bible discussion groups in Yelvertoft where we opened up the second half of Philippians 1. Worth reading about Paul's confidence about life after life and his attitude to suffering.
Thursday I had an early start to get to the church leaders breakfast in Rugby, which was followed by pastoral visits until 6.00pm. At 6.45am I had received a phone call from Kenya from the pastor of the church through which my colleague does such a lot of work. This led to a series of telephone conversations through the day and evening and drafting a special letter to be emailed the following day.
Friday was spent preparing for next Saturdays talk on 'Mission and Discipleship in Rural Areas' for the Diocese of Oxford. I have also been invited to write 400 words on the topic for the Diocesan magazine.
Saturday morning I went to support a Torch fellowship Group (blind and partially sighted Christians).
This Coming Week:
Sunday 13th - Joint Remembrance Services at Yelvertoft in the morning.
Monday - priority writing article for Oxford Diocese and finishing talk preparation.
Tuesday - School Assembly in Yelvertoft; Gartree Prison. Then travelling to London for overnight stay at the Salvation Army College, Denmark Hill.
Wednesday - all day teaching at the Salvation Army College (Safe and Sound Course)
Thursday morning - Bible Discussion Group at Yelvertoft
Friday - Doreen and I will travel to Hastings, East Sussex for a Service of Thanksgiving for Alan Blythe.
Saturday - Key Note Speaker at Oxford Diocesan event, Marsh Gibbon.
Sunday 20th - the service at Yelvertoft will be taken by Dr Gordon Temple; in the evening I am taking the service for Newton URC, near Rugby.
Please pray that I will use time wisely in this week, and be fresh physically and filled with the Holy Spirit for each engagement. God is able!
I pray that God will grant to you a really blessed week. As always we welcome your news.
Barry
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