Dear friends,
It is almost midnight on Saturday as I sit to write this. Frankly I am very tired so I do not intend to write much.
I am at Sunbury Court, a Salvation Army Conference Centre and location of the SA International High Council Chamber. Tomorrow I will lead worship and then be teaching about sexual abuse within a Christian context and appropriate support for victims of sexual abuse wherever and however that took place. The in the evening I will travel on to Winchester for a study day at the university and for a session on research skills in the evening.
For most of today I had the immense privilege of being at the Congregational Federation's Annual Assembly in Dunfermline. It is 40 years since the URC and the Cong Fed were established out of the old Congregational Union. Increasingly the Cong Fed has become a very happy home for me, though that enjoyment began around 2001 about a year or so after I had answered a call to serve the Congregational church in Herstmonceux, East Sussex. What have I enjoyed about today? The enthusiastic but sincere worship of God in song and hymn; the passion and godliness of speakers; the affirmed value of the presence and role of young people; the lack of pretentiousness; the centrality of Christ and the lack of denominationalistic spirit; the underlying values of congregational Christianity; the sense of God in the midst; the unity in Christ; just to mention a few things.
Ministers in this tradition do not have to act with some humility; their authority is derived from God but mediated through the members of the local church/congregation seeking to be led by scripture and the Spirit of God. There is no hierarchy or greasy pole to climb. So there is no room for personal ego trips or assumed humility. We are one with the newest and apparently least significant person in the church. We are nothing; we just need to accept it by faith!
On Friday morning I met with some of the members of the Theological Commission of the International Congregational Fellowship whom I have been seeking to help establish a constitution. They are good friends and beloved fellow pilgrims from around the world. In the afternoon I attended a meeting where Congregational ministers in Scotland and some ministers from the URC in Scotland reflected on their 200 year old shared history and the journey ahead. It was interesting but the fellowship together was the real blessing. In the evening we heard three excellent presentations on contemporary challenge.
Last Tuesday the choir practise at Gartree was a little frustrated by the behaviour of two of the prisoners who lacked some seriousness about the work and played around. I cannot mention names but I am sure that God would understand if you prayed for C and R.
Most of the remainder of the past week was spent preparing for the events this weekend. As to other matters for prayer this week...
1. For Sunday's service for God with the SA at Sunbury on Thames.
2. For my study day and generally for the work connected with the research degree programme. I am struggling to find time and to concentrate on some essential readying required by the programme. Nothing I have to read seems new but I have to be able to cite chapter and verse. Painstakingly going over old ground when I would rather be getting on with the actual research does not come easily.
3. Choir practice and Christian witness through this within the prison.
4. A meeting with my local management committee for Sunrise Ministries towards the end of the week.
5. A funeral service on Friday for a much loved man in the village who had no profession of faith.
6. Sunday 20th: Prison service followed by our regular Sunday morning meeting in Yelvertoft.
7. Monday 21st Trustees meeting in London when I hope we shall welcome in three new trustees for Sunrise Ministries.
8. I will have a lot of preparation work to do for all of these events.
So now, tired and ready fore bed with the clock now at 12.05am I hope you will forgive a less thought-through report, and absence of biblical reference, and will nevertheless journey through the coming days in prayer. I need it.
All my love in Christ. I view you as a treasured gift from God.
Barry
It is almost midnight on Saturday as I sit to write this. Frankly I am very tired so I do not intend to write much.
I am at Sunbury Court, a Salvation Army Conference Centre and location of the SA International High Council Chamber. Tomorrow I will lead worship and then be teaching about sexual abuse within a Christian context and appropriate support for victims of sexual abuse wherever and however that took place. The in the evening I will travel on to Winchester for a study day at the university and for a session on research skills in the evening.
For most of today I had the immense privilege of being at the Congregational Federation's Annual Assembly in Dunfermline. It is 40 years since the URC and the Cong Fed were established out of the old Congregational Union. Increasingly the Cong Fed has become a very happy home for me, though that enjoyment began around 2001 about a year or so after I had answered a call to serve the Congregational church in Herstmonceux, East Sussex. What have I enjoyed about today? The enthusiastic but sincere worship of God in song and hymn; the passion and godliness of speakers; the affirmed value of the presence and role of young people; the lack of pretentiousness; the centrality of Christ and the lack of denominationalistic spirit; the underlying values of congregational Christianity; the sense of God in the midst; the unity in Christ; just to mention a few things.
Ministers in this tradition do not have to act with some humility; their authority is derived from God but mediated through the members of the local church/congregation seeking to be led by scripture and the Spirit of God. There is no hierarchy or greasy pole to climb. So there is no room for personal ego trips or assumed humility. We are one with the newest and apparently least significant person in the church. We are nothing; we just need to accept it by faith!
On Friday morning I met with some of the members of the Theological Commission of the International Congregational Fellowship whom I have been seeking to help establish a constitution. They are good friends and beloved fellow pilgrims from around the world. In the afternoon I attended a meeting where Congregational ministers in Scotland and some ministers from the URC in Scotland reflected on their 200 year old shared history and the journey ahead. It was interesting but the fellowship together was the real blessing. In the evening we heard three excellent presentations on contemporary challenge.
Last Tuesday the choir practise at Gartree was a little frustrated by the behaviour of two of the prisoners who lacked some seriousness about the work and played around. I cannot mention names but I am sure that God would understand if you prayed for C and R.
Most of the remainder of the past week was spent preparing for the events this weekend. As to other matters for prayer this week...
1. For Sunday's service for God with the SA at Sunbury on Thames.
2. For my study day and generally for the work connected with the research degree programme. I am struggling to find time and to concentrate on some essential readying required by the programme. Nothing I have to read seems new but I have to be able to cite chapter and verse. Painstakingly going over old ground when I would rather be getting on with the actual research does not come easily.
3. Choir practice and Christian witness through this within the prison.
4. A meeting with my local management committee for Sunrise Ministries towards the end of the week.
5. A funeral service on Friday for a much loved man in the village who had no profession of faith.
6. Sunday 20th: Prison service followed by our regular Sunday morning meeting in Yelvertoft.
7. Monday 21st Trustees meeting in London when I hope we shall welcome in three new trustees for Sunrise Ministries.
8. I will have a lot of preparation work to do for all of these events.
So now, tired and ready fore bed with the clock now at 12.05am I hope you will forgive a less thought-through report, and absence of biblical reference, and will nevertheless journey through the coming days in prayer. I need it.
All my love in Christ. I view you as a treasured gift from God.
Barry
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