heat wave

Here we are in the midst of a heat wave, it was 42 C [107 F]  in the city of Sydney today. The maximum has been over 30 C [86 F] for 6 consecutive days - some kind of record. Unfortunately the nights have not dropped below 22 C  70 F, so the house doesn't cool down. Tomorrow afternoon there is a cool change expected. The forecast for tonight is a minimum of 26 C 79 F, with a maximum tomorrow of 32 C 90 F.
then the forecast is for a few days of 20 C 68 F overnight and 25 C 77 F  maximums.
and in Melbourne today flash floods, two days ago a level 5 cyclone in Queensland, Queensland and Victoria still cleaning up form major floods, and parts of New South Wales and Victoria still in flood.

Who are you?

Children's talk:

We all have a name, and sometimes we called other names. What names do you get called?  

[I have 5 variations on my Christian name that I have been called at some point in my life, there is another variation I refuse to answer to]

The cricketer Michael Clarke is called pup – why?

 Ian Thorpe is called thorpedo or Thorpey.

Have you ever named a pet? how did you choose that name?

In today’s reading we heard some names that God calls us , can you tell me what they are?

Salt, light

What do you think it means when God calls us salt and light?

[I will have a light and something to cover the light]

Proclamation:

You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. I did think of making name tags for each of you today with salt and light written on them. In this reading you is plural, some commentators say this reflects that Jesus was speaking to many people, others that it is because Jesus is speaking to the church as a community as in,  You, ....... Church are the salt of the earth. You, ........ Church are the light of the world.

This first part of today’s reading, which I will focus on, is about our identity.   It serves a number of purposes. Firstly it reinforced for the people in Matthew’s community, that being a disciple of Jesus was in fact grounded in Jewish faith and Jewish history. God is often referred to in terms of being the light of the world.

Identity is a big issue for people in many places. If you want to travel overseas, you need a passport, and for that you have to be able to prove your identity. To apply for a licence, to open a bank account, to volunteer at a service with children or elderly people, you need to be able to prove who you are. And we are told identity theft is a growing problem, as people bank and shop on-line and use social networking sites. More and more information is available for people who want to use our name and information for their own purposes.

This morning I want us to think about a different kind of identity theft. Matthew records Jesus speaking to the crowd on the mountain, telling them, and us: You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.

Do you think of yourself as salt and light? Do you recognise that you are crucial for life?, because we can’t live without salt or light.

When I was talking with the children earlier we talked about what names we are called – here are some that you may have heard: old, slow, fat, thick, boring, do-gooder, old-fashioned; none of them meant to be flattering. At school many of us would have been called unhelpful names by other students and sometimes by teachers. When I was at school I was put out of the school choir because I was not only singing out off pitch, I was singing enthusiastically and loudly enough to put other people off. For many years, I have worn a label which says ‘can’t sing’. I am guessing many of you have labels that say ‘ can’t sing’, or ‘ not creative’ or  ‘ bad parent’ , or something similar.

We are constantly being told what other people think of us, by their words and their actions. And it is easy when people treat us poorly or put us down to feel insignificant and worthless. Here we are told who and what God calls us, names us, to be: salt and light.

While there has been an effort over the past 20 years to encourage people to reduce the amount of salt they consume, because of the link with high blood pressure, salt is a necessary part of life. Matthew’s community knew that salt was used not only to strengthen flavour and preserve food but in ancient times was rubbed on newborn children, used to seal covenants, sprinkled on sacrifices, and understood as a metaphor for wisdom. Salt is used for lots of things today, I found one website that says it has 60 uses for salt.  From soaking stains to polishing silver. You can even put it in your cooking and on your food, not too much if your blood pressure is a bit iffy.

None of these uses for salt are for the salt. Salt helps with house cleaning and gives food a different flavour or preserves food. In all these cases salt is there for the benefit of the item being cleaned or flavoured or preserved.

In the same way light is important, if our eyes will let us we can read, write, and distinguish what is in front of us when it is light, but not in the dark. Light is a useful tool, it allows us to do things. At the end of each baptism service the child, or parent, is given a candle as I say to them:

N, you belong to Christ,

the light of the world.

Let your light so shine before the world

that all may see your good works

and give glory to our Father who is in heaven.

This last line is Matthew 5: 16, from the passage read this morning.

We are salt and light, we are salt of the earth and light of the world. Just as salt and light are useful beyond themselves, in naming us salt of the earth and light of the world, God is  saying we are useful in the world.

I read somewhere while I was at college that we grow into our names. It can seem strange sometimes for a small baby t have an old sounding name, but he or she will grow into the name. We grow into our names, we grow into the names God gives us: beloved, child, forgiven, salt of the earth, light of the world.

A short story:

 A rabbi was wandering through the forest one evening.  As he was praying and walking along, he lost his way and found himself in front of a military base, where a guard brought him out of his reverie by shouting, "Who are you?  What are you doing here?"  The rabbi replied, "How much do they pay you?"  "Why do you ask?" the guard wondered.  "Because," said the rabbi, "I need someone to ask me those questions every day. Diane

Light a candle and hold out to the congregation

....Church, you belong to Christ,

the light of the world.

Let your light so shine before the world

that all may see your good works

and give glory to our Father who is in heaven.

Put candle in  holder

Who are you?

Where is your salt and light being used for the glory of God?

Let us take some time to listen for what God is saying to us today.

Friday Five: perks of ministry

Kathrynz wrote at RevGalsBlogPals:
Thanks to #snOMG this week has had a different rhythm to it for me. Fortunately, one of the perks of ministry is a fairly flexible schedule and quite often the ability to work from home. Another perk of ministry is that I will be part of a worship service that celebrates my friend's gifts in ministry and the ministry she will do with the church she has been Called to lead.

These two things have me reflecting on the gifts and perks of ministry and what else I would put on that list.

What about you? What are 5 perks/gifts of ministry for you?

Please let us know if you played in the comments and if you can check on the person before and after you. I will do my best to check in, but will be traveling to the above mentioned worship service.

 Not sure I would call these perks on Ministry, maybe blessings of Ministry.

1. being invited into peoples lives, especially at significant times on their lives.
2. in my mid-forties finally being in a place I feel like I fit. I had not imagined how comfortable I would be as a Minister, in fact I feared the worst. [though Ministry is not always comfortable or easy]
3. getting hugs for doing my job, even when a certain person is telling me they didn't like what happened on Sunday, when they tell me that with their arm around me, I know I am still loved. and I know that this elderly lady is comfortable enough with me to tell me hat she does and doesn't like.
4. the reaction of children, their honesty, their joy. The waves and smiles if we bump into each other  shopping, the hard drawn letters and cards, for my birthday or for no particular reason.
5. being accepted in various places in the community, because I am ordained.
6. I actually get paid to tell people that God loves them.

Beatitudes in action

Sometimes it seems we are so familiar with the Bible, and particular passages in the Bible that we let them flow over us, like a warm shower. One comment I read this week suggested we are no longer afraid of God, afraid of Jesus or afraid of the Holy Spirit, therefore we no longer read the Bible in fear and trembling. We are not challenged and changed by the words we read.   The Beatitudes with all their Blesseds, seems so nice, so innocent.  But they are not. The  beatitudes are not so sweet and simple as they first sound.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,”

[1]This can be economically poor, as in exploited, or poor in spirit. The poor in spirit are humble, they know they don’t have all the answers, so look to God for guidance. When we become self-righteous and think we have all the answers, then we think we no longer need God.  These poor in spirit, theirs is the Kingdom of God.

Blessed are those who mourn

That is those who are grieving the loss of someone they loved. But it is more than that, this also refers to those who mourn their sins, who repent, and those who mourn over the injustice of the world. These are the ones who are comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth

Meek didn’t mean submissive and docile, meek refers to those who are economically and socially powerless. The meek, the ones without land, will inherit the earth.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness

Not those who demand their rights, but those who hunger and thirst for right relationship with God, and that means living in right relationship with all of God’s creation.

Blessed are the merciful

This is not about forgiveness, but about releasing from bondage. An alternative translation is Blessed are those who reach out to others with compassion and relieve their needs."

Blessed are the pure in heart

This was a time when religious piety and purity had outward signs, the length of the tassels on ones garment, the time spent in public prayer etc. Here Jesus is saying it is those who are pure in heart, not those who show outward signs of purity, that will see God. 

Blessed are the peacemakers

Often when we see inequality we think the way to solve it is through force and violence. Here we are told that unity with God and each other only comes through peace.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake and

Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

These final 2 remind us that working for change, working against injustice and oppression is not popular, standing with the outcast will not win us friends. But standing with the oppressed, the outcast and the exploited is where we meet God, where we are blessed by God.

Alan is going to show some faces on the screen, do you know any of these people?[2]

1.                  NSW Young Australian of the Year 2011 Tara Winkler  Orphan rescuerOn a holiday to South East Asia in 2004, Tara was deeply moved by the suffering of children she encountered at a run-down orphanage. She began fundraising and made several trips back to Cambodia. In 2007, she discovered the children were being subjected to neglect and abuse. Tara now employs local staff to care for 41 orphans, some as young as two. Its community development and outreach projects are supporting poor families in the Battambang region so that their children do not need residential care. Tara has begun developing enterprises that will enable CCT to support itself. In conjunction with a major hospital in Phnom Penh, she also has plans to develop a medical facility. Tara now speaks fluent Khmer and against huge odds is changing the lives of some of Cambodia’s most vulnerable children

2.                   VIC Senior Australian of the Year 2011 Leslie Erdi OAM  Generous entrepreneurLeslie Erdi counts himself lucky to have escaped a firing squad line-up in Nazi occupied Hungary. This harrowing experience has instilled in him a strong work ethic and a desire to make a difference. He has been involved in the creation of a $1 million centre for youth arts which allows young people to work with professional artists to develop their careers. He is also responsible for revitalising Melbourne’s Sandridge Bridge which pays homage to the contribution of immigrants in Australia. He has made major contributions to the Diabetic Institute, Leukaemia Foundation, Melbourne University Research and the Jewish National Fund. Les believes that success is not based on wealth but on your treatment and respect of others.

3.                  VIC Young Australian of the Year 2011 Angela Barker  Young care advocateLife for Anj Barker changed forever when she was brutally bashed by her ex-boyfriend. She suffered severe brain injury and spent three gruelling years in hospital, rehab and a nursing home before being able to return home, still needing full time care. Anj describes the two-and-a-half years spent housed in a nursing home as ‘hell’. As a teenager living among the very elderly, she felt angry, sad and trapped. She campaigns to stop young people ending up in nursing homes for the elderly and for the introduction of a national no fault insurance scheme, so that people with acquired brain injury can have an equal opportunity to regain an active and productive life.

4.                  QLD Australia's Local Hero 2011 Dr Don Bowley  Rural doctorFor the last 14 years Dr Don Bowley has been working as a doctor with the Mount Isa Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), caring for people in an area larger than the country of England. Living in an isolated area and facing accidents and illness generates a great deal of anxiety. Even with the RFDS, help can be two hours away, but Don is always on the end of the phone, calmly offering advice, understanding and reassurance. Don believes it is a great privilege and honour to get to know people’s stories and look after them in good times and bad.

5.                  TAS Senior Australian of the Year 2011 Mary Parsissons  Lifeline volunteer Mary Parsissons worked as a midwife and child health nurse for 48 years until retiring in 2008. However, working in a low socio-economic area with one of the highest rates of cot death in Australia, Mary felt she needed more counselling skills. So 25 years ago she trained to become a Lifeline counsellor. She volunteered on the phones for many years and then joined the Board of Lifeline Tasmania. She was President for six years, then served on the national Board for 14 years, and was the Australian representative for Lifeline International for nine years, providing training and advice to a number of Pacific countries during her tenure to help them establish their own telephone counselling services.

6.                   TAS Australia's Local Hero 2011 Ian Edwards  Police officer As a member of the Tasmania Police Early Intervention & Youth Action Unit, Senior Constable Ian Edwards has helped transform his local community of Shorewell Park. Prior to 2008 the community had a number of challenges to face. A large number of its residents are in long-term unemployment and low school attendance was common in children of all ages, coupled with a high rate of anti-social behaviour. . Through sheer hard work and conviction, Ian has created a safe and accepting environment that today attracts up to 200 children, with 50 on a regular basis. Positive friendships between the children are encouraged to develop alongside constructive relationships with police and youth and family service providers. As it receives no official funding, Kommunity Kids relies on donations from the community and Ian and his fellow police officers have dug into their own pockets to keep the program alive. Under Ian’s guidance the program has been successful in creating trust between troubled children, their parents and the police

7.                  NT Senior Australian of the Year 2011 Barry Abbott  Caring cattleman Barry Abbott is an Arrente stockman who has had remarkable success rehabilitating young male trouble makers and substance abusers of the outback. Barry established the Ilpurla Aboriginal Association a treatment outstation in a remote south-west corner of Central Australia in the seventies, and estimates that he has looked after about 300 boys over the years, some for as long as 12 months at a time. Drug abuse and petrol sniffing in particular are the main reasons young men end up at Barry’s station. A stockman by trade, Barry gives the boys the opportunity to become part of a working cattle station. They start work at day break and learn new skills like saddlery, vehicle and stock maintenance and break in horses. He instils in them a strong work ethic, discipline and a sense of pride and self-worth. Unlike other treatment centres, Barry accepts boys from anywhere, usually at the request of the Alice Springs courts, some arriving at his station still handcuffed. Barry is one of the hard men - uncompromising in his demands - but he also takes on the hard cases, the ones considered to be hopeless; boys who the doctors say could die at any time, and proves them wrong.

8.                  ACT Australia's Local Hero 2011 Alan Jessop  Salvation Army champion Alan Jessop has collected for the Salvation Army, watching the city evolve and change around him.. There are not many prepared to sit for hours collecting but Alan is inspired by the Salvation Army’s good work in the region which includes a drug and rehabilitation program, a welfare centre and community churches. Alan continues to collect three days a week for the charity he is so passionate about, only missing the odd day for a medical appointment. At the age of 80, Alan has no intention of stopping his charity work.

9.                  Australian of the Year 2011 Simon McKeon  Social EntrepreneurWhile enjoying a successful corporate career, Simon decided he didn’t want to put off serious engagement with the community sector until his most productive years were behind him. So in 1994 he transitioned into a part-time role as Executive Chairman of Macquarie Group’s Melbourne office, enabling him to support a range of causes and organisations, including joining the board of World Vision Australia. His association with World Vision International continues and he is involved with the Global Poverty Project and Red Dust Role Models, which works with remote Indigenous communities.

10.             Australia's Local Hero 2011 Donald Ritchie OAM  Suicide prevention advocate.
Each day, Don keeps an active eye out for people who might need help. For years he has been coaxing people away from the cliffside by inviting them back to his home for a chat over a cup of tea. In this way, Don has saved more than 160 lives. In a situation where most would turn a blind eye, Don has taken action.

While these people may or may not be religious, I think they show some of the qualities we have read in the Beatitudes. People who have looked at the world through the eyes of others, or the eyes of God. People who have seen poverty and oppression and mourned it, and done something to alleviate it; people who have looked at their community relationships and obligations rather then just their career and financial relationships. People who have sensed a need and trained and worked to meet that need. These are examples of people who mourn, people who are merciful and people who hunger and thirst for righteousness.  

Read this passage and listen for the truth of it.

---

[1] I have taken much of the information on the Beatitudes from the paper:  The Beatitudes: A Call to Social Justice by Paul Raushenbush

[2] Information about Australian of the Year nominees is from  www.australianoftheyear.org.au

Where is the light?

This reading from Matthew begins by saying why Jesus has moved from Nazareth to Capernaum,  and I have a map  here and trying show you whereabouts on the map this is talking about. Capernaum, in the area of the tribe of Naphtali, is on the edge of the Sea of Galilee. This area in general is known as Galilee, and it was on the crossroads of international trade routes. In 723 BC the population were deported to Assyria. Matthew is writing for a Jewish audience, and therefore linking the Ministry of Jesus with Zebulun and Naphtali is very important.

Given the distance from Jerusalem, the place of the temple; the intermixing of Jews and Gentiles, and the fact that this place had been under foreign occupation for so much of the time, we can see why the people are referred to as being people who sat in darkness. The darkness was not only in the history of the area. Even though in theory Phillip was in charge of this area, Herod was one who had arrested John and later had him killed. This was a place that had seen much darkness in its time, but was still a place where the shadow of death was very close.

After Matthew has set the scene for Jesus being in Capernaum. There is a single sentence that says from that time Jesus began to proclaim, “ repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Then there is the call to discipleship of the two sets of brothers. Jesus calls them in the midst of their daily activity. All immediately left what they were doing. In both cases leaving their families meant leaving their nets, leaving the boat, leaving behind their tools of trade because they belonged to the family, not to the individual. Following Jesus was a very risky thing to do. In these days family was the social network, the place where you worked, the people who looked after you if you were ill, family was everything. And people didn't judge you by where you worked or what you wore, but by which family you were from.

Then the passage ends with a single sentence about the Ministry of Jesus. How Jesus went teaching in synagogues, proclaiming the good news, curing disease.

This is the season of epiphany, a season of light, of seeing Jesus manifest in the world. We have seen Jesus present in the birth story, as a child eager to learn in the synagogue, baptised by John in the Jordan, and here we have a reading that talks about the beginning of Jesus’ Ministry. A ministry that is about bringing light into dark places, a ministry of calling, the ministry of proclaiming good news, a ministry of healing, the ministry that demands a decision from each one of us.

Matthew quotes from the book of Isaiah and says for those who sat in the region of darkness and shadow of death, light has dawned. And I wonder when we are people sitting in darkness, when we feel the shadow of death in our lives, where do we look for the light?

There are  number of ways we can think about the darkness.  For many of the people effected by flooding in eastern Australia, this is a time of darkness for them. There are people living in poverty, people living under oppressive regimes, people living in areas of war, people living on the wrong side of the tracks, the no-go zones of our towns and cities. Each of these communities is also living in darkness, darkness  that continues because of ignorance and prejudice and apathy.

Many of us will be able to remember times when we have struggled for hope and faith, times of illness or grief or stress. And Jesus shines light in those spaces of our lives. Jesus also shines light into those dark spaces within us, those places we would rather hide from ourselves and each other, and from God. We all have those dark places within us, anger, fear, self-centredness, greed, the list could go on. Jesus shines a light on the darkness within us, as well as the darkness around us.

In first century Palestine, rabbis or teachers had people coming to them asking if they could be the disciples; students chose their teacher. Jesus chose those who would be disciples, who would travel with him and work with him. And working with Jesus, following the call, is proclaiming good news, offering healing, the light for people in darkness.

Following Jesus isn't just about our own salvation, in fact when Jesus called the two sets of brothers he doesn't offer eternal life, he says follow me. If the places that Jesus was found, was with people who were in darkness, people aching for good news, people who needed healing and hope, where are the places that we are following Jesus, where are the places where we are with people in their darkness, telling the good news, being beacons of hope.

Thinking about this reading reminded me of an image that came to me when I was having conversations with the JNC before I came here. I can't remember what I'd been asked, but I was aware that there were two different images of how we could work together as a congregation. The first image was that as  the Minister I could look after the bonfire, and you could all be busy finding pieces of wood to keep the fire going, and finding people who needed light and warmth and bringing them to the fire. The other image is of a much smaller bonfire, and while each of you were bringing wood to keep the fire going, each of you was taking lighted torches of wood from the fire, and taking that and offering the light and warmth of the gospel to people where they are, building lots of small fires.

This week as a Church Council we looked at the celebrations and hopes that people wrote down at breakfast church last November. There were some great ideas and suggestions, but as we looked at the suggestions of things that could happen, we were mindful of how busy many people already are. Because there are people in this congregation who are already active in the community in a number of different ways. As volunteers at schools, driving community buses, leading community organisations, offering care in a variety of ways.

We are a church that has embraced the small bonfire picture, where each of you take the light of the gospel with you into this community. It means as a congregation we don’t run as many programs as some churches do, but as a church we support and encourage each other, keeping the flame of discipleship alive, as we each answer God’s call.

We are challenged to take seriously the call of Jesus to follow him, to be  the good news, to take the light that shines in the darkness, to follow Jesus to those place where light and hope are needed.

Where do we recognise the light of Jesus shining in our lives?

Where do we bring the light of Jesus into the community that we live in?

Responding to the birth of Jesus

There are a number of areas we could explore in today's readings. We could look at the roles of stars and dreams, and how we respond to them in our lives. We could look at who these so called wise men, the Magi, the travellers from the East might be. The East is where most of the invaders came in Israel's history. We could look at the difference between the birth narratives in Luke’s gospel with shepherds, and the journey to Bethlehem for the census, and Jesus being born in a stable; and Matthew's version of the Nativity with little detail about the lead up to the birth, and then this information about the visit of the Magi and the escape to Egypt and the massacre of the infants.

This morning I want us to think about the way different people responded to the birth of Jesus. In early December we read from Luke’s gospel where the Angel asked Mary about being the bearer of the God-child. And while Mary thought this impossible, she said yes, and then when Jesus was born, Luke again tells us that Mary cherished all this in her heart.

The Sunday before Christmas we looked at Joseph, with a reading from Matthew chapter 1. We read of his concern about Mary being pregnant, how he was going to dismiss her quietly, then he too received a visit from an Angel and he took Mary to be his wife. After the birth of Jesus and the visit of the Magi, it is Joseph who has another dream, this time a dream to take the child and his wife and to go to Egypt. The section following from what we heard today includes another dream of Joseph’s, telling him it is safe to take his family to Nazareth.

Some other characters from Luke's story are the innkeeper and the shepherds. We don't hear much about the innkeeper, Mary and Joseph were having trouble finding somewhere to stay, and the innkeeper that we hear about offers them some room. Room out the back with the animals. Luke is also the one who tells us about the shepherds. The shepherds were visited by angels, and after their initial shock they travelled to see the new baby. We are told the shepherds returned to their jobs praising and glorifying God.

In Matthews gospel the other people we meet are Herod and the Magi. The Magi were visitors from the East, we actually know very little about them. Today people who study the stars as these men did, are called astrologers. The Magi had seen a star in the sky, and from their charts they knew that this was something special. They followed the star, and when they realised they were in Israel they went to the place where a King would be expected to be born, Jerusalem, where the current ruler was. They asked around Jerusalem where is the new King. When Herod heard this he wanted to know more because he knew nothing of a new King. Herod's advisers or able to pinpoint the place where the child would be born, they knew this because they knew the Scriptures. The Magi had travelled an unknown distance, following a star, in a quest to worship the new King. And while the King was not where they expected, in a Palace, they still worshipped him when they visited his home.

The Magi were people who were used to searching, who searched the sky at night for movements of the stars, who used maps and charts to try and understand what the sky was saying. These were spiritual people who took note of their dream,  not to go back to Herod but to take another road home.

The final character that I want us to look at is Herod. Herod was King at the time and quite curious about the visit of the Magi. Herod was frightened when he heard there was a new King of the Jews. While he asked the Magi to let him know where the child was,  so that he could go and worship; we know that Herod had different intent. For Herod this new baby was a potential rival, and Herod wanted rid of it.

How are we responding this Christmas to the birth of Jesus. For each of us is asked to respond afresh each year and each day. During Advent one of the children asked if Jesus really would be born this year – the answer to that is within each one of us. Sure in a physical sense, Jesus was not born as  a baby in a town in Judea. But if we take seriously the idea of Jesus being born within us, what are the implications for us on a day-to-day basis, in what ways is this show in our lives.

Who are we in the Christmas story this year?

[ picture on screen - http://www.reverendfun.com/index.php?date=20101224]Are we like the animals, thinking this the coolest thing we have ever seen?

Are we like the Magi, searching for signs, prepared to travel, willing to worship?

Are we like the shepherds, surprised that this event has happened, focusing on our daily tasks. And when God surprises us we respond with praise. We go back to our daily tasks with a new joy.

Are we like the innkeeper, distracted, not wanting to be interrupted, trying to put God in the background, so as not to interfere with our lives.

Are we like Herod, fearful of what the God-child means, fearful that our way of life is under threat.

Are we like Joseph, worried about what people will say about us, taking some tentative steps. Growing in faith as we put our trust in God.

Are we like Mary, while considering the whole idea impossible, being obedient to God, saying yes to God, remembering and treasuring all that happens to us.

The birth of Jesus provokes a variety of responses, enthusiasm, panic, praise, fear, trust.

When Jesus is born in our lives, we can pretend it isn't happening, we can keep it to ourselves, or we can live fully in the new life that is growing within us. If we live fully in the life that we are offered in Jesus it will be evident in the way that we live: our lives will glorify God, not just in our words but in our actions. For when we allow the God-child to be born within us, to live and grow, some people will be threatened by us. When we acknowledge Jesus as King, the rulers of the world, those currently with power, will be fearful.

How are you responding to Jesus this Christmas; which character most represents you?

Friday Five

Singing Owl wrote:
I'm not a big fan of New Year's resolutions, but it does seem a good time for some reflection and planning. For the last few days I keep thinking of Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Among other things, that seems to say that reflection is in order if we want to learn and grow.
For some of us, this has been an incredibly difficult year; for others it has been a year of many joys. For all of us, there have been challenges and questions and there have been blessings and--maybe even an answer or two! As we say our goodbyes to 2010 and look towards 2011, share with us five blessings from 2010 along with five hopes or dreams for 2011.

New Years Day and I haven't thought about resolutions, but here goes:
5 blessings, in no particular order:

1. a wonderful holiday - sounds shallow, but it was just what I needed at the time.
2. new medication, I am blessed to have a GP who listens and responds to my concerns.
3. a congregation that is excited about ministry, and looking at how to connect with the local community
4. a husband who keeps on loving me and supporting me
5. a supervisor who encourages and challenges me to see my gifts for ministry, not just where I stuff up.

5 hopes and dreams for 2011:

1. being creative for the nurture of my own soul
2. finding the balance between not stressing about details, and getting things done to a reasonable level of competence
3. learning about and accepting , maybe even rejoicing in, my leadership style. I have been accepted into a leadership program for the first half of the year.

Maybe 3 will do, there are some things I am hoping for in the life of the congregation, but if I manage even one of the three above, that would make a big difference in my life, and ministry.
Maybe 4 could be joining in Friday Five!