A bit more 'About'...

Here's my RevGalBlogPals 'Meet and Greet' interview that popped up on the RevGals site recently...

1. Where do you blog?
At http://chelleysteapot.blogspot.com. This is my revgals connected blog which was started during my curacy and was a bit neglected over the last few months, but I'm getting going again (slowly!)! I also blog... in an even more neglectful way... at http://wibsite.com/chelley.

2. What are your favorite non-revgal blog pal blogs?
Hmmm... wow, this is where I try and remember what will seem really obvious when I've finished this! From a Christian perspective I've enjoyed www.reallivepreacher.com and http://elizaphanian.blogspot.com.... and lots more, but my blog reading has been a bit sparse lately too. My mission will be to go out there and get inspired again! From other interests I'm afraid I have to confess to a bit of a geeky interest in London (best city in the world, though I am biased!) and London Underground of all things! So, http://diamondgeezer.blogspot.com, http://geofftech.co.uk/iblog (a Londoner now Stateside) and http://london-underground.blogspot.com are particular favourites!

3. What gives you joy?
Being inspired, the laughter of young children, beautiful countryside, satisfaction in even the small things of ministry, sunsets and sunrises, early mornings, birdsong, being a mum, music, time to be immersed in a good book, the thought of what's to come, sharing God...

4. What is your favorite sound?
Waves, birdsong, children's laughter, the voices of loved ones, violins, God's 'voice'... those echoes of the things that bring me joy!

5. What do you hope to hear once you enter the pearly gates?
I expect this will be the truly predictable answer, but I really would love to hear "well done good and faithful servant!" You see I'm not very good at thinking 'well done' but though I live in the knowledge of God's love, I'm rather too good at imagining him as a rather disappointed parent who notices my shortcomings, lazy times and lack of inspiration as much as I do! I was reminded recently of the times of discovery a long way back in my journey when the sense of being a loved, precious child was at the forefront of my walk and has been a bit overlooked in the years of ministry... replaced almost with one who expects more of me than I can produce. And yet, how well He knows me! Phew!

6. You have up to 15 words, what would you put on your tombstone?
Hmmm... "I told you so" would be the tongue in cheek answer (referring to what comes next rather than what sent me off!).Perhaps simply "she loved God and she loved us".

7. Write the first sentence of your own great American novel.
Can I have a British one please? I've looked at the screen for a while and come up blank, so I'd better not rely on producing fiction as an alternative career... but if I could come up with something like Jane Austen's wonderful "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." (Pride and Prejudice) then I'd be more than a little chuffed!

8. What color do you prefer your pen?
Blue. I don't know why! Should I have a profound reason for that choice... I think my writing looks nicer in blue! And now I come to think of it I do generally rather like blue, it is after all one of the colours of Spurs! (Tottenham Hotspur - North London football club and the greatest team of all!).

9. What magazines do you subscribe too?
None at the moment. But if I was choosing to subscribe from the magazines I like to read every so often (when finances allow) then I'd go for the BBC History Magazine, Country Living (despite living in an Industrial, built up part of England, just east of London!), Country Walking, or Period Living and Traditional Homes!

10. What is something you want to achieve in this decade?
Seeing people who's lives are lived near, and touch mine, grow in faith, purpose, love and hope and helping them along the way (as they often help me). Not only those who have been 'given' me to care for in the church and parish but to be someone who is a blessing wherever! (That's not meant to sound pious!). And aside from that, I'd love to fill my thoughts with things that inspire me, give me ideas, bring me closer to God... and if it's not being greedy - England winning the World Cup would be great! Though not really my achievement that one!

11. Why are you cool?
Because the window's open next to me.

12. What is one of your favorite memories?
Well, going back to what I said in number 5... the day when TeenSon (now 18) was about 4 years old and we were walking along the alleyway behind our then home to get to the Supermarket at the other end. He was skipping along happily ahead of me and I remember watching him with such a feeling of love and joy, and all of a sudden I 'heard' a voice say "that's just how I feel about you" - it almost stopped me in my tracks... God could feel that level of love and delight over me, and it had a profound affect! I need to remember it more often!

13. Anything else you've always wanted to be asked?
"Would you come and preach at our church?" (I might be an inspirer then!)
"Would you pray with me?" (Because it's a sign of openness to God)
"Would you like a cup of tea?"

Breathing life into the Teapot

Fortunately teapots are not prone to disintigration when long neglected! This little teapot is still ready for a brew... and it's good to bank on the familiar things of life - like a nice cup of tea - when all around is uncertain, unfamiliar of just challenging! Of course those three elements of life aren't necessarily negative ones: some of the uncertain, unfamiliar and challenging aspects of my own life are also exciting and stretching. TeenSon will be off to university in about a month's time, a special someone has found a place in my life over the last few months (the biggest surprise), vicaring still provides amazing delights and challenges that every day feel beyond me, but are fortunately not beyond God. And as my fortnight's holiday draws to a close (though not quite yet) my thoughts will turn again to how I meet the challenge of being the assistant shepherd to God's sheep in this place. The clamouring voices and demands line up to be heard - my own (usually suggesting a lack of many things), my mum's (look after yourself and home too), SS (Special Someone) and TS deserving quality of time and attention, the people of church and community to be loved and served and taught and prayed for... and in all that clamouring - the most important voice of all to strain towards... His still, small voice that makes sense of all others. I'll just put the kettle on and have a listen while the tea brews...

Time flies...

I can't believe I haven't blogged anything round here since last November!!

Well, that's sorted that out for a while then.

Blogland

I'm always delighted when all of you faithful reader(s?) come here and spend a few moments at this Teapot, which I'm rather fond of really, even if it was just because your Google search for "medieval teapot spouts with chipped handles" decided to divert you to the random thoughts of me. But now you're here, please STOP! And before you click NEXT or BACK have you considered clicking one of the links on the right to some excellent, excellent blogs... have you looked... they're great... Neil (exeter life - you may have thought you wanted to visit the Grand Canyon or Paris or Africa, but what about Exeter then?) and er, Neil (random stuff and quite a lot about films and poker) and DG (London, er it's hard to summarise the wonders of the Diamond Geezer blog - but we do get an annual update on smug marrieds verses singledom too!) and Geoff (USA from London and tube trains - and he's a Spurs supporter) and Kathryn (adventures of a vicar) and Annie (London underground's finest) and Russell (where to get a decent plate of egg, bacon, chips and beans) AND JAG'S ROUTE 79 LONDON BLOG (I nearly missed that one!) and the others, and then there's more of ME (you'll have to visit to see what that one's all about)! Yes I have another blog - one that's part of the wonderful world of Wib. I'm not quite sure how I came to have another blog when it's already a challenge to say anything worth reading on this one. I think it was to be part of the online wib community started by Dave Walker of Cartoon Church fame? They're a lovely lot over there too - perhaps you'd like to drop in for a little visit. I'm sure if you ask nicely they'll put the kettle on.
And, well, that's all I have to say at the moment - there's really no other purpose to this post than to blatantly* point at my other blog in the hope that you might go there and then be vaguely interested and make insightful comments. And to encourage clicking of links so that when I check my stats there's something to look at. Oh, and so I could use the "It looked like a profound thought was brewing... but it didn't" label - that's quite a tough one you know.


*I can never spell blatent... blatant.... (there's a dictionary behind me, but if I look it up then this comment will be rather pointless won't it!)

Just as I said I would...

Have Times (yesterday's), have tea (today's), have Aero (won't last 'til tomorrow) and as promised I will now endeavour to find something less random about which I can speak of here.

I only got as far as the first few pages yesterday but what struck me was the brave 13 year old girl, Hannah, who has had to defend, and fight to protect, her decision to reject a heart transplant for the heart problems she has as a result of Leukaemia treatment she's undergone from the age of 5.

She has been made aware that the drugs she would need so her body would not reject the new heart could bring about a recurrence of the Leukaemia; so an already risky operation could prove even more uncertain in this case.
But the situation took an even more appalling turn when child protection officers got involved, as the Times article says:
"In an interview with Sky News she described how she had made her case to a child protection officer after Herefordshire Primary Care Trust tried to have her removed from her parents’ care on the ground that they were “preventing treatment”."
Is it not horrific enough to watch your daughter go through years of treatment for a life-threatening illness, to then find that this treatment has so damaged her heart that a heart transplant is the only course of treatment for that condition, but that operation could result in a return of the Leukaemia; and THEN to have officials threaten to take your daughter into care because their opinion on the way forward differs to that of your daughter? I find it hard to imagine how a care order under those circumstances would be of any benefit to a girl who would then be forced into having a heart transplant. Perhaps it wouldn't have gone that far?

Now, I'm not so naive to believe that every family with children who are being treated for serious illnesses are perfect specimens of togetherness, or that child protection issues don't occur in families with sick children. I know that they do, having had a friend who worked as chaplain in a children's hospital, but there's no indication of those kind of issues being present here, just a difference of opinion between officials and parents. And that's what makes me angry. Not only is our society so pointed towards medical intervention at all costs that the suggestion of choosing to reject that intervention at some stage is seen as foolishness; but our society is also so driven by 'child protection' that it allows so-called experts and strangers to take huge decisions away from parents. This I find an alarming development, and a development that still doesn't seem to be able to protect the most vulnerable children. There is surely a difference between families who need the help and intervention of social services (and I know some wonderful social workers) to protect children obviously at risk and families for whom suffering and circumstances require such difficult decisions to be made.

Perhaps I am oversimplifying what perhaps boils down to where those social services draw the line of appropriate intervention? I'm sure they see families that can't be bothered to get treatment for their children, or families whose religious sensibilities seem completely innappropriate (rejection of blood transfusions for example). Perhaps I'm just outraged because my 'line of intervention' accepts that sometimes we need to be able to live the life we've got left as best we can and with our loved ones - even if we're only 13 years old.

Whatever my opinion, or anyone else's for that matter, my thoughts and my prayers are with Hannah and her family.

Nonsense

Before I say what I am about to say... I would just like to remind you that in the header of this blog are the words: "random thoughts posted in a tea break". I thought it would be timely to remind you of this statement before I proceed to post what I'm about to post.

I should probably also admit at this pre-posting point that I don't actually, currently have a cup of tea, so it cannot technically be said that I'm on a tea break, but as I'm on a week's holiday, perhaps that could count?

So, now that's all out in the open, I thought I'd just mention that I'm cooking chips and that when they're ready I'm going to pour sweet and sour sauce (the good stuff from the Chinese take-away) all over them.
Yes, that's all I have to say, but I promise that when I've eaten them I'll go and read The Times, that I bought in the Co-op this morning, and therefore try and have something a bit more profound or enlightened to say tomorrow.

The Weird and Wonderful World of Blog Commenting!

Earlier this evening I wandered to Diamond Geezer's excellent blog and read this post about the changes in the way people tend to read and comment on blogs now (well specifically of course, Diamond Geezer's blog), in comparison to a couple of years ago. (He was reflecting that less people seem to comment on blogs than they used to?). So of course I got there and wanted to post a comment. Now, one of the key factors in blog commenting is having something interesting to say - which I generally don't, but I added my two' pennorth anyway. Job done, all very interesting, so from there I went off and visited another of my favourite blogs (along with Diamond Geezer it's listed in my blog roll). I scrolled back to the last post I'd read there to catch up. As it happens, I'd actually posted a comment on that post when I was there (after a while of humming and haa-ing to decide if I was brave enough what with established commenting community and a lot of people with worthwhile things to say). So then I had a look to see what else had been said - and my comment was gone! Now that again had not been the most riveting of comments - just a brief response to a rather dramatic something said in the post - but vanished it had into the black hole of the web world. And with it vanished my courage to step out in the 'popular' places and speak, and risk being ridiculous (another couple of points raised in response to DG's post).
It's funny how the virtual world can take you back into the real one. I find myself these days in a job that requires a lot of speaking, and much of that in front of big groups of people - but I remember clearly the days when I wouldn't open my mouth, even in a small group, or do anything that drew attention to myself. But as that changed I took small steps forward in finding my voice, but it wouldn't take much in the early days to strip away the courage. And in a funny way this little journey through the comments has reminded me of how far I've come, and how easy it is to lose confidence - virtual world or 'real' one!

Grrrrr

While I used to love spam fritters when I was at primary school, I don't appreciate the kind of spam that has been appearing every so often in my blog comments! Now I don't get that many comments so when an e-mail appears that says someone's commented I'm rather chuffed - but of the last few comments left, several have been spam - and not the good old fritters!
The one I've just deleted from somewhere back in the depths of the Teapot managed to fit in more links than a gold chain, and there was me thinking only the big blogs with lots of comments were targeted. So for the time being it's comment moderation for my moderate number of comments!

Bad Blogging!

I haven't posted the same thing on both my blogs before, but having got a bit out of the blogging habit, and being undecided about which blog to post my first-for-a-while random thoughts on, I've gone for both as a kick-start back! So apologies if you've read this somewhere before!

I'm currently on a fortnight's holiday and to-ing and fro-ing about a bit. A good part of the bank holiday weekend was spent in Cromer having a very relaxed time at a friend's flat and enjoying the pace of Norfolk life (until the car journey home when my London-style driving is slightly at odds with the meandering Norfolk kind!).Over the last week I've thought of various things I'd quite like to blog about, but without the motivation to actually blog them... for instance the closure of Walthamstow dog track. I join the distraught crowd who wanted it to stay. I'd been hoping to get there for the last Saturday night but unfortunately couldn't make it. I can't imagine the North Circular without the glow of the Walthamstow Stadium sign... the place is an institution (in the positive sense of the word!). The following information may bring my parenting into disrepute but when TeenSon was little we used to take him in his buggy, along with a bunch of friends, and spend a fun Saturday night in the 'cheap' side of the dogs. Not a huge gambling risk seeing as our bets were of the '50p to win' on, for example, number 4 - dog chosen because its name had some peculiar appeal or tentative link with something or other! And we spent TS's 14th birthday there too - for the first time ever in the 'posh' side. And now it's gone.
And the other thing that caught my attention (rather delayed) this week was the fact that retired athlete Jonathan Edwards has announced himself an atheist. Now I know all this happened sometime last year - but I managed to miss all that and it was only watching a bit of Olympic commentary with TeenSon the other day that I caught up when he said, "he's not a Christian anymore". I was rather disbelieving I have to admit, until I resorted to the trusty Google and read the interviews. I really was rather shocked, Jonathan Edwards having been such a visible and 'public' Christian. I felt quite sad for him as I read that when he'd retired from athletics he'd discovered quite how much of his identity was wrapped up in the sport and when that was gone other aspects of his identity came into question as well - including the Christian aspect. And it all seemed to unravel for him. Of course, I, along with others, can only speculate on his faith as was and as is now, wondering if this was the first ever real questioning and doubting he'd applied to God, life, the world and all. But I felt sad for him and pray that he'll keep exploring and questioning. Was he someone who thought that having God in your life made everything ok? Faith built on the 'rock' trusts God when the storms are blowing all around, but some seem to acquire a faith that thinks God extinguishes all the storms instead of enabling us to stand through them (and him standing with us in them). One blogger commenting at the time referred to the parable of the sower where the seed sown on rocky ground springs up but because its roots don't go deep, it doesn't survive the heat of the sun and is scorched and withers away - equating to a faith that springs up joyfully at first but when trouble or persecution comes the faith also withers away. (Or the seed sown among weeds which is choked by the cares of the world). Perhaps there's something of this in the experience of Jonathan Edwards... or perhaps not - that's between him and the God he's no longer sure of, but I pray that God will reach out and take hold of him once again.
And now I'm off to do more holiday-type things, like read a bit of Cadfael and fall asleep (well I did get back very late last night!).

Rev Gals Friday Five

It's a long time since I actually joined in with the RevGalBlogPals Friday Five... but here's one for summer (though here where I am today it's grey and drizzly - not completely unheard of for the UK in August!)

1. What is your sweetest summer memory from childhood? Did it involve watermelon or hand cranked ice cream? Or perhaps a teen summer romance. Which stands out for you?
I don't know about 'sweetest' memory - but I can think of a handful of summer memories from childhood (and isn't it hard to work out sometimes if you remember the actual occassion or feel as though you do because you've heard the stories and seen yourself in the photos!).
There was the holiday in Somerset with the visit to Cheddar Gorge (where I am most familiar with the picture of me and my brother standing by a big cliff!) and that's the year, I think, where a vicious swarm of biting ladybirds chased us off the beach!
And I can remember loving a holiday in the Isle of Wight - mainly remembering Blackgang Chine, that my dad said a very naughty word when someone nearly crashed into us at a crossroads and that I loved it there.
Then there was the only holiday I had abroad with my family - in Ibiza - when I was 17. I do recall there being a nice bloke there, but it was also not long before I was diagnosed with Coeliac disease and the symptoms were very problematic - highs and lows!
But most familiar are the many daytrips to the seaside at Walton-on-the-Naze with the occassional stay at the Martello caravan park there too. Lots of memories of the beach, the pier, crabbing, the 'front'... and then later taking TeenSon too for day trips with my dad, from when he was a toddler - very happy memories.

2. Describe your all time favorite piece of summer clothing. The one thing you could put on in the summer that would seem to insure a cooler, more excellent day.
Hmmm... that one's hard for me as I'm more of a winter person. I much prefer winter clothes and could easily give you a list of the snuggly jumpers, big boots and comfy clothes I love in the chillier season. I struggle a bit with what to wear in summer - preferring to keep my legs covered and sticking with jeans even when I get too hot. But I suppose 'comfy' is the key word again so I unglamorously wear baggy t-shirts and baggy, cotton trousers!

3. What summer food fills your mouth with delight and whose flavor stays happily with you long after eaten?
Strawberries and ice-cream spring straight to mind or a nice refreshing ice lolly if it gets really warm (not the chocolatey ones though - the fruity ones!)

4. Tell us about the summer vacation or holiday that holds your dearest memory.
Well, it was actually a winter holiday until we arrived and then it was a summer one! (We left the UK in December = winter and arrived in South Africa where it was their summer!). That was in 2002 when we went to stay with friends and spent Christmas with them in the north of the country. It was wonderful for many reasons: seeing the very dear friends we'd missed so much since they moved away, being in Africa which held a certain magic for me, the long weekend we spent on a game reserve where I saw my beloved elephants up close and in their natural habitat, spending Christmas in shorts and sunshine, being there with people who lived there rather than on the tourist trail and having a feel for day to day life - first on the farm plot where we house-sat for a week or so and then back in the small town where our friends lived. Awesome!

5. Have you had any experience(s) this summer that has drawn you closer to God or perhaps shown you His wonder in a new way?
Not this summer specifically - we're just approaching though the first anniversary of moving to where we live now so the whole year has been full of changes, challenges, blessings and wonderings about what God is doing in my life, in my church... and whether I'm doing alright!
Yesterday evening though, a very involved member of my church, as we left a meeting, said "we're so glad to have you here as our vicar - lots of people think that but they don't say it!" That was a real blessing when I've wondered with God how I've been received here.

Bonus question: When it is really hot, humid and uncomfortable, what do you do to refresh and renew body and spirit?

Cold water or my little face spritz spray; and for the spirit trying to remember to always look to heaven and pray, pray, pray!

Well, it was good to look back... but I can also look forward as in just over a week I've got my two weeks off. Though I probably won't go away I'm looking forward to the rest and refreshment.

Almost a year in...

It is fast approaching one year since we moved here - new home, new parish, new church, new people, new college for TeenSon... I can't quite believe how time's flown by actually, it's been a bit of a whirl in some senses and as I think back it's hard to remember what my hopes and expectations were for this first year? I suspect they weren't actually that richly defined, but along the lines of 'get to know the people[in my church and beyond], walk alongside them with God, see how things work here, pray quite a lot and see what God seems to want'? I don't have one of those tales of supersonic-church-growth or doubled income (though who knows what time and God will bring here?) but I do have a love of these people I share a lot of life and ministry with. And for me that's one of the joys of ministry - I enjoy less the pressure of producing measurable results - some (pressures) that come from beyond me and some from within. 'For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven... a time to sow and a time to reap.' (Ecclesiastes 3) This I don't have trouble believing, but fending off the niggling doubt that I won't create anything reapable as well as trying to convince others to be patient is another story!
God can do great things, I just hope he'll do them in us, and that I won't get in the way! It's all too easy to find the discouragements under every stone when the real challenge is keeping eyes fixed on God and trusting him.

Exeter Blog

I have never been to Exeter but to slightly compensate for that character flaw I'm posting a link to Neil's new blog.... HERE .... brought to you - surprise surprise - from Exeter! I haven't been down to that neck of the British woods for a long time and am trying to remember how near I've ever managed to get to Exeter... hang on, I have a handy map here somewhere.... Ah, it would have to be Minehead I reckon, followed by bits of Cornwall! Still at least if I do get down there I'll now know which pubs to go to and which street to particularly look where I'm walking!

Teapot Ramblings

Well on this Sunday evening here I am wandering back to the dear old Teapot. For those of you who come here through some totally unconnected-to-church-and-Christian-things route then be assured that I am fully intending to post something other than sermons... most often in the past it has proved to be something not quite so eternally significant (not that my sermons are eternally significant, but hopefully the God they point to!) - like the London train system, Cadfael books and VW Camper Vans (what a bizarre collection of interests I have!). But your patience is appreciated when on a Saturday night I hang around here with the RevGals, going through what-I'm-offering-tomorrow-angst and hoping that someone will come and post glowing encouragements about what I'm planning to hit my congregation with the next morning! Of course this is the real world and it doesn't work that way - for one thing I suspect God's been trying to teach me for many years to depend on him for encouragement and look to him for confidence - but I'm better at being convinced of his worth than mine in his service. Isn't it funny how you can have such a desire to get across to the wonderful bunch of people that meet with you Sunday by Sunday as church, that THEY are of such value and worth to God, that he loves them and can see all they are and all they can be - but at the same time you can feel completely inadequate to the task because you all too easily forget it yourself! Now if only God had managed to find the blogspot comments box and pop in... Anyway, perhaps while this is resembling something more like a mini sermon and before I move back to trains or other momentous topics I will just add at least that I hope (and pray) that when I tell them of this love and worth and value that they hear it because I'm privileged to serve such wonderful people who deserve to really know this deep down and with all of their being!
It's quite good actually to stop on one of the rollercoaster days when the coaster is dipping downwards and discouragements outweigh perceived achievements, when the music was a bit stodgy and the numbers were low and the sermon seemed dull... that Jesus was still in it!
"The Lord is here!" "His Spirit is with us!" how amazing was that... and not being a mind reader I now have to leave it all with God and pray that he'll stick close to his people (sometimes through me or others) and keep hold of them as they journey on through the week.

Now, as for those trains....

Oh Yes, it's another Saturday Night Sermon!

Late addition... this is without the Sunday morning amendments and tweaks which turned the sermon into something resembling one that would make your 'hearts burn within you' (as some disciples said on a famous road as Jesus opened the Scriptures to them!) - oh what, this isn't a dream...

Sermon - 29.6.08 – Acts 12: 1-11 & Matthew 16: 13-19

I’d like to continue that theme of prayer for a bit longer…

Recently I’ve been reading again from Ezra and Nehemiah – two books in the Old Testament - and Nehemiah is a wonderful example of a man of prayer. In Ezra and Nehemiah we find the people of God returning to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. The Temple was the place of worship and sacrifice for the Jewish people, as well as the place where it was believed God had his dwelling on earth – where heaven and earth meet. (As they certainly did in Jerusalem when Jesus was there!).
In Ezra the people return from exile to rebuild the Temple, and in Nehemiah we find this man of God calling out to the Lord because the walls of Jerusalem have been destroyed leaving it unprotected and bringing shame on God’s people. He prays from his heart to God for Jerusalem and for the opportunity to be allowed to leave his job as the king’s cupbearer for a time and go back to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. And he also prays what we sometimes call ‘arrow’ prayers – shooting up a spontaneous prayer to God as he speaks to the king and seeks his goodwill.

And the thing that struck me afresh as I read Nehemiah was regarding how he expressed what God had lead him to do. In chapter 2 we hear Nehemiah’s words: “I had not told anyone what my God had put on my heart to do for Jerusalem.” He had a definite sense that God had put it on his heart to do this thing; and you see, God does that – he did it then and he still does it today. He lays on the hearts of his people an urge to do something for him, a particular need, a particular place, a particular task – and then we respond. That response needs to come first as prayer. Just as Nehemiah turned first to prayer – speaking back to God that new desire of his heart. Often it takes a long time for that thing to actually come into being, but our task is to walk with that burden, keep praying and listening and responding at the right time. And of course it’s as we pray earnestly that we learn to discern something that God has lain on our hearts from our own rush of ideas. And if you’re sitting here this morning thinking, “well that wouldn’t be me… I’m not knowledgeable enough, or good enough, or holy enough, or loving enough, or spiritual enough…” then think again, because God makes us all those things, not ourselves, and he can and does speak to any and all of his people.

You may remember back to the recent visit we had of V and S from the orphanage in India? V spoke of how that ministry was started and it began with his father seeing two children rummaging around in a dustbin for food, and from that sight God laid on his heart the desire to do something. And from that beginning, over much time, with much prayer, much generosity and much effort the expanding ministry of that place came about. God laid it on V’s father’s heart and from there he prayed. I expect many of those early prayers were something like, “what do I do Lord?”

Of course, one of the roles of your vicar is to be praying and asking God what he wants us to do and be in this place, and I'm committed to seeking God for these things. But often God puts somrthing on YOUR heart – sometimes about something he specifically wants you to do – sometimes in the church but not always – perhaps in your neighbourhood, perhaps in your place of work, perhaps in your lifestyle, and sometimes it’s about something for the church to pray into being. And that’s what I’m here for too – to talk with you, pray with you and discern with you what is from God.

Don’t be discouraged if the first response of the vicar to your suggestions is ‘go and pray earnestly for a time about that – as will I’ because first we need to patiently wait on God and we also need to be humble to test what we sense is from God. And also, we need to consider prayerfully the resources – people, time and money, to do what we hope for and dream of. We can come up with many of our own ideas and if we try and bring them all into being ourselves we’ll probably expend much time and energy, but not necessarily in the most kingdom affirming ways. So when a burden is laid on our hearts from God, He will provide all that’s needed – and most often he’ll expect us to be a big part of the provision. Does he want you to be involved with making it happen? Does he want you to give generously towards it, does he want you to keep praying for it? If we want to really be a church that lives out the things we’ve affirmed as our purpose: to worship God, to lead people to Christ, to grow in our faith, to build a loving Christian community and to serve a world in need, then we each need to make that happen with our time, our commitment, our money, our prayers, ourselves offered to God. It can be a challenging lifestyle but there’s none better as we live out this life of love and faith, following Christ as Lord!

What wonderful examples we have before us of the people of God through the ages and how God interacted with them. We’ve revisited Nehemiah, and today is the day in the church when we particularly remember Peter and Paul and we can take hope and inspiration from seeing how their lives of faith worked out and what God did in and through them. We have the privilege of seeing the whole story –
watching Paul change from murderer of the Christians to making Christ known as a great missionary and church planter, and watching Peter turn from the bumbling fisherman who was always getting things wrong (just read through one of the gospels again with it in mind to revisit the Jesus and Peter story!), to becoming the leader of God’s church, the one who stood up and spoke on the day of Pentecost – the one whom Jesus called ‘the rock on whom I will build my church.’ And Peter (as we also heard in our gospel reading) was the first to affirm the truth of who Jesus is – recognising him not only as a good teacher or as one of the prophets of old, but as the Messiah – the anointed one from God who would usher in God’s kingdom. Even so, and even having declared, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!” he probably didn’t have the whole picture at that stage – it was only after the resurrection that the followers fully realised all that Jesus had been telling them about himself – but Peter did know that Jesus was ‘the One’, the one whom God said was coming!

Let’s be re-inspired today as we look at what God has done and promises still to do. Let’s be a people who take prayer seriously just as the early church did when they prayed earnestly for Peter’s release from prison, and just as Nehemiah did when God laid that burden for Jerusalem on his heart.
Let’s rediscover the way God changed Peter and enabled him to do amazing things for him by revisiting those accounts in the gospels and trusting that God can also take us on an amazing voyage of discovery, faith and service.
Let’s be a people ready to respond with patience, prayer and then action when God lays his burdens for a needy world on our hearts.
Even here in (N) – within these walls and many more outside are young people who need the security and guidance of the Lord God in their lives, are people who are lonely, or sick or bereaved or broken-hearted, are many elderly folk with no-one to look after them, or just chat to, or sort out their garden, or drive them to the hospital, are people who are worried sick about debt or bound up in a spend, spend, spend culture, are people who carry burdens of deep shame and horrendous self image because they don’t know that God loves them and offers forgiveness and cleansing through the shed blood of Christ.

These are the things God wants us to care about as he cares, and to pray earnestly about – saying, “Here am I, send me!” Or if you can’t yet pray that prayer, then pray, “Lord, help me to want to pray that prayer and be willing for you to send me.”

Let's pray...

"Let the children come to me and do not hinder them."

29.6.08 – Children’s Talk – Acts 12: 1-11

Sign for each person involved as the story unfolds…

Let’s see (again) what was happening in that Bible story…

Peter had been arrested for being one of Jesus’ followers [we have a lot to say thank you to God for here, because we are safe and free to follow Jesus and talk about him]

But Peter was put in prison by Herod.

There were 4 squads of 4 soldiers guarding Peter (16 soldiers one sign – 4 watches) and Peter was bound with two chains. Herod wasn’t leaving anything to chance!

The next day (after the Jewish festival) Herod was going to deal with Peter – he was in great danger.
But while Peter was asleep an angel appeared (angels are God’s messengers).

The angel got Peter ready to leave: “fasten your belt, put on your sandals, wrap your cloak around you, follow me.”

Peter thought he was seeing things or dreaming it but when the angel got him away and left, Peter realised the Lord had rescued him!

Now, did you notice what was happening somewhere else while all that was going on?

While Peter was arrested and in prison the church (give out notes to all: Part of the praying church) was PRAYING EARNESTLY FOR HIM (‘earnestly’ means very seriously, they prayed hard!).

See the amazing thing is that though God is mighty and powerful he uses the prayers of his people alongside him to get things done. Like this time – the church was praying and Peter was rescued by God – and when he turned up at the house where they were, the Christians didn’t believe it could really be him – even though that’s what they were praying for!

Sometimes it’s hard to pray and we wonder why God sometimes seems to answer and sometimes doesn’t. Those early Christians had the same problem. Not long before, James had also been taken by Herod, and he was killed – surely the church was praying for him too? Our lesson is to learn to trust God whether he seems to say YES or NO or WAIT. And to make sure we keep on praying so God can do amazing things through us too. All of you are important because you can be God’s pray-ers. You just need to start by talking to God and asking him to help where people need help. We pray a lot of prayers together in church so every time we’re altogether listen to how we pray and learn to pray too. And each prayer is everybody’s not just the person saying it because when we say ‘Amen’ it means ‘let it be so’ – we agree!

Changing Trains

Towards the end of last summer we moved house. And along with the house move came the church and work and school to college moves. Obviously these are significant changes and for a while we were homesick, but now where we are feels like home and the people here are our familiar friends. But it wasn't just these obvious changes that caused a wrench - I also went into mourning for the passing of Liverpool Street Station!
Those of you who've been hanging around this Teapot for long enough may recall me talking a couple of years ago (3rd June 2006), with great affection for Liverpool Street station:

"Well, I'll begin with a confession... I love Liverpool Street Station! I have lived all my life somewhere or other on the Liverpool Street line - and am currently the furthest south on the line that I've been (the farthest away being when we lived in Cambridge for a couple of years)."

So when it came to moving to the Fenchurch Street line - well - I really couldn't get to grips with that for a while! I'd come to know 'my' station like the back of my hand, I had my favourite place to sit and watch the world go by and had an affection for the little bit of London in which it sat. I had my familiar tube routes in and out - and then it all changed. As it happens Fenchurch Street is only 5 minutes on foot from Liverpool Street so nestled fairly close by in the city. It can nowhere near compare in architectral appeal or bustle, and no tube station - well really! Those were a few of my first thoughts, and they remain, but now of course we're used to wandering round the corner to Tower Hill for the Underground, it's nice not to have to pay 20 pennies to spend a penny or fight the crowds to get to the few platforms. And the surrounding streets soon become familiar, I've even got a replacement favoured coffee shop for that world-going-by-view. And then there's the South Bank which I had given hardly a passing thought to in that previous life. Isn't it funny that in London a station only 5 minutes away can seem like another world? But it is becoming a part of my world, and I'm rather fond of it. The plain little Fenchurch Street station will never replace Liverpool Street in my affections... but I'm managing to create a whole realm of new ones!