Photo Prayer 55

Lord help me to be creative in all seasons of my life.

Amen

Photo Prayer 54

 Lord. Feed us with manner from heaven, share with us your daily bread.

Amen

Reflection on #fando

My university degree assignments were largely theological reflections, and I largely hated writing them. But as I reflect I have or I have a responsibility as I get back on the train.

What do I have to do now. My response to these two and a  bit days. I have had a strong renewal in my passion for theology, and I don't want to keep this to myself. This has an impact with my ministry with families and young people. To help the, engage with theology, the communion of saints the richness in grappling with the big questions. Moving to not have a shallow ministry but a deep ministry allowing God to reach deeply in my life and of those around me. Being aware of the Wesleyan quadrilateral in the work I do not just as a a useful tool for graduating from a college with Methodist tendencies. There needs to be an investment in theology in the local church and I have a chance to facilitate this.

Theology is integral to our faith and walk as Christians, I think people do want to engage with theology but are scared by the thought of inaccessible language and the notion that they have nothing to give. We can all grapple with the big questions and converse with scripture and the communion of saints.

Theology is not exclusive. It is not just for the Professors and doctors but we can use they're wise words and study to guide our own reflections on the big questions. What are these big questions. Two I shall continue to grapple with is the issue of cohabitation and the word relationship.

Finally I leave my last thought for the two days that I leave with:

We need to inhabit our theology, we need to inhabit our faith.

Photo Prayer 53

Lord bring bring discernment in our business 

Help us to work up your will for theology, faith and life.

Help us to build an identiy based on your light 

And love others according to your grace to us

Amen

Faith and Order

I am currently in attendance at the Faith and Order Network conference of the Methodist Church. I was terrified on Monday, the day before, as I hadn't the confidence in my theological grounding, even after finishing my undergrad degree in theology three months ago. Even throughout my degree I put down my ability to be a theological thinker because I could never respond quickly enough with what I wanted to say, I also felt paralysed by the expectation to need to formulate or have a view and not be able to take time to think first.

But I am a theological thinker. 

My degree was worth it. 

Amongst what is described as theological conference I have some understanding of what is happen. 

We can all be theological thinkers. We all are theological thinkers.

Prayer photo 52

Inspire us God to think about you. To be sure of our identity in you. Secure in those who have carried your cross before us and challenged us to move for you. Help us to not contain you or limit you to our understanding, but to be free with in your mystery.

Help us by your Spirit to be inspired you.

Amen 

Photo Prayer 51

Lord give me a vision for this land

a story of yours to share 

a heart of compassion to live by 

and your commission to stand on

By your grace and your might only Lord

Help me serve

Amen 

Photo Prayer 50

Even when I walk through the darkness, lead me by your light. 

Amen

Non Dry Clothes

So today came another first.... I have never used a laundrette outside the Christian Bubble, and sadly I did not go in time to also dry my clothes. So now they are haphazardly hung around the flat. When you make minor mistakes like this your glad of a flat three flights up so that no one can see the trouser hung in the window. I can imagine some of you laughing at my misfortune... please do as I am laughing at myself to. The small mistake, mishap, mad moment, I'm know is not my first mistake here in the North of Wales, and I am aware that in my ministry wherever I am it is not likely to be my last, i doubt it will even be my funniest! I mean I'm catching a train on Tuesday and I am rubbish with trains. I wonder how when we are faced with failure and upset do we keep moving forward. Humanity keeps on going, no matter what the upset or the hardship or the mistake. It reminded me of a piece of wall - its not often you can say that.

Love will win!
This is a picture of the Peace Wall in Belfast.


Love will win.

Why am I working in Conwy, or in other jobs before this. Why did I finish every assignment at Uni how ever much I despise essays, why do I preach at every opportunity, or attempt travelling by train. Why go to coffee mornings... because in-spite of the mistakes I make at these events or in these moments love will win. God will win.

He is in control, my success and my failures are his. However much I hope that I will not fail, some things will and I have to understand that God is control. He is even in control of my non-dry clothes!



His Love WILL Win.

Photo Prayer 49

Father God 

Be with my brothers and sisters as they work for your glory 

Help us to share each others burdens in prayer

When distance separates us and we speak no words to each other 

Allow us still to remember fellowship shared with you and your saints.

Amen

New Job, New Home, Same old lesson

I remember writing a theological reflection for Uni on my travels to India and the dificultes of cross cultural ministries, and one of the quotes I remember directly - to the point I can see the page in front of me - was to do with Stress. They say that moving jobs, moving house, is stressful enough without moving countries. Therefore for a cross cultural missionary the first few months are often the worst thing ever. Now I am in no way going to claim that I am a cross cultural missionary I have only moved to Wales, but moving to a new area, moving out from my parents, starting a new job does seem quite an achievement, and there is a language barrier especially with place names! Its daunting and it has been at times lonely, especially after my family left to go back to there respective homes, work and study. The church that I have moved to are so friendly and aware that moving can be lonely and I love my Tuesday Coffee morning, not that many there come under my target work remit.

I will not lie, I have spent a night crying down the phone to amazingly patient people, because of the frustrations and the quietness that sometimes envelope me after being in the flat for so long. But God has truly shone through these last few weeks. I need only sit at my kitchen table to stare at his creation and his beauty, to gaze upon humanities intrigue and curiosity and know that I am in the right place.

He is teaching me once again to be still in his presences first before being busy in his mission. A hard lesson for someone who likes to be.... er busy as a bee.

I know that this is a time when many of my friends have also up-ed and moved house to knew jobs, and I'm sure the frustration and the stress are not the same, but I hope we all find the joy in Christ as we start to walk alongside different communities with different ways of life.

Photo Prayer 48

Dear Lord 

Hide me in the shadow of your wings. 

Allow me to rest upon you 

and live in the strength of your protection and grace

Amen 

Photo Prayer 47

Lord fill me with peace 

Amen

Photo Prayer 46

Lord

thank you for the beauty of your creation 

and the splendour of your community as we await your kingdom

Amen

Photo Prayer 45

Lord you care for the birds in the sky and the flowers in the meadow. 

Thank you for your care of us and the care of the world.

Help us share this love with all we meet. 

Amen

Lord give me patients as I sleep

To ignore these seagulls as they cheep

Amen 

Photo Prayer 44

Lord set your light upon us 

Amen

Photo Prayer 43

Lord fill this world with colour

colour it with your peace

your grace and your love 

Amen

Photo Prayer 42

Lord fill this Land with your glory 

The people with your spirit 

And the streets with your love.

Send revival O Lord our God in the communities we live

Amen 

(This is a photo of my new home taken from the castle walls. My flat is in this picture)

A quick update

So I have apologised for the lack of internet. But I have moved to Wales. Conwy to be precise and I started my new job yesterday. I am the Families and Youth worker for St John's, Conwy. Watch this space on more about that and how the role takes shape etc. If any of you wish to know it started well and within my comfort zone with the Methodist Church Safeguard training Creating Safer Spaces.

The daily prayers should also return now and I have had some beautiful photos from the wonderful Welsh surroundings.