In Blarney we have a congregation called ‘Messy Church’ – a space for Kids and adults to explore faith through crafts, science, story and experience as well as sharing food together.
Yes there might be messy goo and paint and other ‘messy things’ but at a deeper level the ‘messy church’ name actually points to the messiness of life – not everything is clean and tidy, messy questions, messy families. Basically its an acknowledgement that not everything is sorted – you can be messy too!
Which leads me to today’s question – Challenges … we call face challenges / issues at different points in life.
Maybe it’s to do with work (or lack of it), finance, family, relational, health, grief … there are a myriad of challenges to be faced in life but there are ways through them and overcome or to live with them.
I wonder what are your challenges this week or this year and what you need to do to overcome them?
In church we don’t gloss over the difficulties but actually, dare to proclaim hope in the midst of despair whatever that might mean for you. This of course is difficult but whatever challenges you face – there is always a flicker, a flame of hope in the midst of the challenge
This blog is part of a series on 40 days 40 questions – more details can be found on www.cupcork.ie/lent written by Revd Robert Ferris
This time last year we had no clue what the rest of the year would hold – It’s been a crazy year when we stop to think about it. Maybe this is what lent this year could be – a time to stop and think about where we are!
It’s a time of the year when we are able to count our blessings, a time to think about what we’re looking forward to – in the immediate as well as the long term – the small things as well as the big things but right now – the immediate in the midst of this lock down, in the midst of the circumstances we find ourselves in what are you looking forward to – maybe it’s a walk, maybe its planting some seed, maybe it’s a phonecall with a friend, maybe it’s starting a new course, maybe it’s watching & feeding the birds, maybe it’s the shopping trip (simply to get out of the house), maybe it’s the craft project … what ever it may be – the simple pleasures.
Maybe its something bigger – As we start out on this new week – lets take time to look forward – to note down the things we’re looking forward.
Paul – writing a letter to the Church in Philipi said this in Philippians 1:6
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
This blogpost is part of a series of 40 days of lent – for more information check out www.cupcork.ie/lent
It’s one of those emotions that makes you smile – For me small things bring me joy
A walk in a beautiful garden
A lovely cup of coffee
A chat with a friend
Our comfy sofa at the end of the day
…
Joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit – what are the things that bring you joy? How can you be joyful in the midst of the circumstances you find yourself in at the moment?
There are many barriers when it comes to doing anything
Fear ( what happens if it goes wrong?)
Experience (it didn’t go too well the last time!)
Understanding (I don’t know how….)
Self critique ( who am I … theres others better suited)
Peer pressure ( what will ‘they’ think)
Culture / Societial norms
…
All of these things are genuine … and they are barriers – Barriers can be good they can protect us from obvious danger but they can hold us back from things that might otherwise be good.
At the top of a cliff-face a barrier is a good thing but given the right safety precautions (ie a rope, harness and qualified instructor) you safely go through the barrier and trust that they know what they are doing and face the fear of absailing.
We’re not talking about crazy stuff we talking about testing and seeing and trusting and letting go & Letting God
This is a blog for lent in 2021 in a series by Revd Robert Ferris – the others can be found www.cupcork.ie/lent
During my PGCE year – a year where I was teaching in Secondary Schools I ended up for quite a bit of my time in a strange room where people like me student teachers, Classroom assistants etc would hang out quite a bit – this room had a label on the door – Resource Base.
I always thought it strange – it was a catch all term for a room with stuff in it! – There were computuers, Laminators, photocopiers, papercutters and a whole pile of other things that may be useful to staff at some point in time
Today’s lent question is strange – What resources do you have for life?
There’s a whole lot if you sit down and think about it:
The things you own, The access to information, The citizenship you hold
The resources of faith,
Our time, talents and treasure
the joys of the natural world
…. many other things
We have a lot of resources we could make use of in any given situation day, month, year – sitting there ready to be utilized just like me in that resource base in that secondary school – not all the resources have to be used every day but they are there.
In life it strikes me – as a community there is so much potential for good and for transformation – in combining resources and sharing experiences … aw we go through lent this year let’s look at the things we have and see how we can make use of our God given resources.
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