His mother said, "Come on Son - out of that bed ; it's Sunday and we're going to church". He pulled the bedclothes around him and answered, "Shan't!".
"Come on son! Out of that bed! We always go to church on Sundays".
Again he sank deeper into the welcoming bedclothes and answered, "I don't want to go!"
His mother reasoned again. "OK, give me two good reasons why you don't want to go to church today". He replied, "I don't like the people and they don't like me!"
"Not good enough" said his mother, "Get out of that bed. It's Sunday and you are going to church!"
"Give me two good reasons why I should", he retorted.
His mother thought for a moment and replied, "You are 45 and you are the vicar!"
It's an old joke and you have probably heard it before. But I wonder, as I write this early on a Sunday morning, how you have greeted today with its opportunity of going to church. For me, after a very busy week I look forward to the time I will spend in two churches today (though I still have preparation to do!). This morning I will be at the church where I am part time minister. Meeting again with the members - all of whom I love - will be a delight. After the morning meeting we will share lunch and then discuss together the onward journey on which God is taking us.
This evening I will be the guest speaker at the anniversary services for a church near Nuneaton. It will be my second visit but my first to take the service. What a privilege to share with them as they too look forward and give thanks for the journey they have been on.
As I have indicated, this has been a busy week. Last Sunday I took the morning meeting at Yelvertoft in Northamptonshire, then in the evening Doreen and I went to a small village near Rugby to take the evening meeting for the URC. On Monday I travelled to Coatbridge just outside Glasgow where I spent the following day working with my good friend, Dean Juster, speaking on the Salvation Army's safeguarding programme for some of the SA officers in Scotland. After travelling back on Wednesday I had an evening staff management meeting near Leicester. At 9.00 on Thursday it was my privilege to lead a communion service for the staff and volunteers of Torch Trust for the Blind in Market Harborough then Doreen and I were off to Yelvertoft for the second of our Lent meetings. First thing Friday I was off again, this time to Leeds to share in the Enabling Group meeting of Churches Together in England. A busy week but a blessed one.
Of course you too may well have had a busy and demanding week and I hope that like me, you face Sunday and the opportunity of church with joy and anticipation. For many of us it isn't a day of rest exactly and we find other ways of building recreation into our timetables (well, I normally do!).
I am thankful that for many years I ministered in a tradition where all the congregation was expected to come to church having spent time in prayer and waiting on God to see if we could take to the meeting something that might bless others. It might be something that God had used to speak to us through scripture, or a particular hymn or song, or a word of encouragement. But the very act of preparing for church in this way meant that among the mix of people that came there was always something that touched me and, I hope, something I took that touched others.
Such an open gathering becomes difficult once the numbers grow beyond a certain level. Paul wrote about this in 1Corinthians 14:26. Paul also emphasises the need to exhort one another, to encourage one another and to edify one another. Such activities are not restricted to Sunday meetings but should be part of our everyday Christian living. But what a wonderful experience church would be if every Christian asked God to give them both the opportunity and the wisdom needed to do at least one of those things for at least one person every time we go to a meeting.
Many years ago while ministering at Egerton in Kent I met an older Strict Baptist brother in Christ as he walked in the opposite direction on the main street. He stopped and told me that the Lord had put a verse of scripture on his heart. He felt it was for him to pass on to someone else so he was passing it on to every Christian he met that day. It was from the book of Esther and was just what I needed to hear at that time. Whose was the greater blessing, do you think? His or mine?
Si when it's Sunday and you should be going to church but perhaps are tempted to have a little extra "me" time, just think: someone at the meeting might have just what you need and what God wants to give you. Or perhaps God wants to bless you by using you to bless someone more needy than you might imagine.
This week
Sunday 16th 10.45 Yelvertoft CC, Northamptonshire followed by lunch and Church Meeting
6.30 Stockingford CC near Nuneaton, Warwickshire - Church Anniversary
Monday 17th School Assembly, Lubenham, Leicestershire
Tuesday 18th School Assembly, Yelvertoft followed by my regular work at HMP Gartree
Thursday 20th Lent Bible Study, Yelvertoft
Saturday 22nd - our third "Messy Church" event at Yelvertoft
Sunday 23rd - Family Service at Yelvertoft (please pray as we seek to reach out to families)
Thank you.
Barry
"Come on son! Out of that bed! We always go to church on Sundays".
Again he sank deeper into the welcoming bedclothes and answered, "I don't want to go!"
His mother reasoned again. "OK, give me two good reasons why you don't want to go to church today". He replied, "I don't like the people and they don't like me!"
"Not good enough" said his mother, "Get out of that bed. It's Sunday and you are going to church!"
"Give me two good reasons why I should", he retorted.
His mother thought for a moment and replied, "You are 45 and you are the vicar!"
It's an old joke and you have probably heard it before. But I wonder, as I write this early on a Sunday morning, how you have greeted today with its opportunity of going to church. For me, after a very busy week I look forward to the time I will spend in two churches today (though I still have preparation to do!). This morning I will be at the church where I am part time minister. Meeting again with the members - all of whom I love - will be a delight. After the morning meeting we will share lunch and then discuss together the onward journey on which God is taking us.
This evening I will be the guest speaker at the anniversary services for a church near Nuneaton. It will be my second visit but my first to take the service. What a privilege to share with them as they too look forward and give thanks for the journey they have been on.
As I have indicated, this has been a busy week. Last Sunday I took the morning meeting at Yelvertoft in Northamptonshire, then in the evening Doreen and I went to a small village near Rugby to take the evening meeting for the URC. On Monday I travelled to Coatbridge just outside Glasgow where I spent the following day working with my good friend, Dean Juster, speaking on the Salvation Army's safeguarding programme for some of the SA officers in Scotland. After travelling back on Wednesday I had an evening staff management meeting near Leicester. At 9.00 on Thursday it was my privilege to lead a communion service for the staff and volunteers of Torch Trust for the Blind in Market Harborough then Doreen and I were off to Yelvertoft for the second of our Lent meetings. First thing Friday I was off again, this time to Leeds to share in the Enabling Group meeting of Churches Together in England. A busy week but a blessed one.
Of course you too may well have had a busy and demanding week and I hope that like me, you face Sunday and the opportunity of church with joy and anticipation. For many of us it isn't a day of rest exactly and we find other ways of building recreation into our timetables (well, I normally do!).
I am thankful that for many years I ministered in a tradition where all the congregation was expected to come to church having spent time in prayer and waiting on God to see if we could take to the meeting something that might bless others. It might be something that God had used to speak to us through scripture, or a particular hymn or song, or a word of encouragement. But the very act of preparing for church in this way meant that among the mix of people that came there was always something that touched me and, I hope, something I took that touched others.
Such an open gathering becomes difficult once the numbers grow beyond a certain level. Paul wrote about this in 1Corinthians 14:26. Paul also emphasises the need to exhort one another, to encourage one another and to edify one another. Such activities are not restricted to Sunday meetings but should be part of our everyday Christian living. But what a wonderful experience church would be if every Christian asked God to give them both the opportunity and the wisdom needed to do at least one of those things for at least one person every time we go to a meeting.
Many years ago while ministering at Egerton in Kent I met an older Strict Baptist brother in Christ as he walked in the opposite direction on the main street. He stopped and told me that the Lord had put a verse of scripture on his heart. He felt it was for him to pass on to someone else so he was passing it on to every Christian he met that day. It was from the book of Esther and was just what I needed to hear at that time. Whose was the greater blessing, do you think? His or mine?
Si when it's Sunday and you should be going to church but perhaps are tempted to have a little extra "me" time, just think: someone at the meeting might have just what you need and what God wants to give you. Or perhaps God wants to bless you by using you to bless someone more needy than you might imagine.
This week
Sunday 16th 10.45 Yelvertoft CC, Northamptonshire followed by lunch and Church Meeting
6.30 Stockingford CC near Nuneaton, Warwickshire - Church Anniversary
Monday 17th School Assembly, Lubenham, Leicestershire
Tuesday 18th School Assembly, Yelvertoft followed by my regular work at HMP Gartree
Thursday 20th Lent Bible Study, Yelvertoft
Saturday 22nd - our third "Messy Church" event at Yelvertoft
Sunday 23rd - Family Service at Yelvertoft (please pray as we seek to reach out to families)
Thank you.
Barry
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