April 2016 – Melbourne Welsh Church

26
Apr 16
1

My U2 GPS is broken…

Category:Church sign of the week,Doubt,Forgiveness,Hope

It took me where the streets have no name and I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”

My friend Graeme Dodds has a blog called Rock Goes the Gospel in which he talks of the Gospel message in rock songs. (Go to http://revgraeme.blogspot.com.au)

Graeme has more than his fair share of U2 songs on that blog – he has looked at both these songs.

U2 are not a ‘Christian’ band although Bono and the boys do claim to have faith. They are not overt about their beliefs but they are very open about their stand on social justice issues, bigotry and their stand for what is right. Both these songs touch on those issues.

In their song ‘Where the Streets have no name’ Graeme sees a correlation with one of the beatitudes –

This U2 track is essentially about persecution, it’s about racial divides, it’s about the ghettos and does not just reflect Belfast during the 1980’s but across the world. It’s a global issue. People who are persecuted for the colour of their skin or where they are born, persecuted for their nationality, or their religion. Persecution runs deep. It’s this that Jesus is touching in this the eighth beatitude “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus is giving hope to those who were enduring life at the hands of the oppression of the Roman state and the religious institution of Judaism.

(For Graeme’s full blog read http://revgraeme.blogspot.com.au/p/103-u2-where-streets-have-no-name.html)

My U2 GPS has taken me where the streets have no name – these could be the streets of Melbourne. Over the past few months the ministry team of the Melbourne Welsh Church has increasingly been coming across people for whom the streets are not nice places to be; homelessness, persecution, feeling cut off from family or friends to name but a few of the situations we’ve come across. These nameless streets can be lonely places especially when you cannot find what you are looking for (whatever that is).

The Church is supposed to be a place of help for these lost people – in another of his blogs (this one on ‘I still haven’t found what I’m looking for’) Rev. Dodds examines the idea that many have doubts in the value, not just of Jesus, but of organised religion.

You could not be blamed if you have second thoughts about organised religion or that you have doubts about faith. It is not wrong to question, It’s not wrong to doubt. On the contrary it would be very suspicious to many if they met someone who seemed to have it all sewn up. You know the kind, that perfect person that does not have any problems, no issues, no worries, no questions, no brokenness and answers to the name of perfect Peter. I’m not sure that they person really exists. I have encountered many people who have said they have no issues, but scratch the surface and there they are.

(Read the full blog here – http://revgraeme.blogspot.com.au/p/15.html)

The roadmap of life is not easy and wherever we get our guidance from, whatever GPS we use, there are some things that are universally right – the stand against injustice; working against prejudice; the value of all people – to name just a few.

If we wander where the streets have no name and spend time with those who still haven’t found what they are looking for we must be prepared to be the church and take the values of Jesus with us – those values that Jesus showed to those of his time that walked those same streets – let us take with us love, forgiveness and grace to name just a few. If we show people those gifts then maybe hey will be a step closer to finding what they are looking for.

12
Apr 16
0

NOT ‘FEELING IT’ ANYMORE???

Category:Community,Compassion,content,Darkness,death,Doubt,Family,Fear,FEELING IT,happiness,Hope,Joy,life

meeting many people who are not ‘feeling it no more’
having grown up being told ‘its not a feeling its a reality’, sounded a little too scientific for me, after all we have been taught the ‘rational’, which happens in the head is all that is to be trusted, where as the ‘irrational’ or the ‘gut feeling’ is not to be trusted.

as someone who likes to cook and who worked as a cook for many years, if I look at cooking only from a process of science, it loses all interest and ‘feeling’ for me. Sure understanding what is happening while i cook is important, that ‘feeling’ of satisfaction and creativity is not controlled by the scientific understanding i have of the process.

sadly for many organised ‘religion’ or even ‘modern’ ‘church’ leaves a deep sense for some of disconnect. We have designed a process by which we assume is ‘the way’ which more often than not leaves no room for contemplation, dialogue rather a talk fest often controlled by one or two people.

Have to get back, have to get back the base
I need to talk to somebody, I can trust
Too many cooks are tryin to spoil the broth
I cant feel it in my throat, thats all she wrote

Im not feeling it no more, Im not feeling it anymore
Not feeling it no more, not feeling it anymore

When I was high at the party, everything looked good
I was seein through rose colored glasses
Not seein the wood for the trees
I started out in normal operation

But I just ended up in doubt
All my drinking buddies, they locked me out

Im not feeling it no more, Im not feeling it anymore
No feeling it no more, Im tryin to give you the score

You see me up there baby, Im on the screen
But I know better now, its so unreal
If this is success, then somethings awful wrong
‘Cause I bought the dream and I had to play along

Im not feeling it no more, Im not feeling it anymore
Im tryin to give you the score, Im not feeling it no more

We all know that money, dont buy you love
You just get a job and somewhere to live
You have to look for happiness, within yourself
And dont go chasin, thinkin that it is somewhere else

Im not feeling it no more, Im not feeling it anymore
Baby Im tryin to give you the score
Im not feeling it no more

I was pretending all the time
I was givin everybody what they wanted
And I lost my peace of mind
And all I ever wanted was simply just to be me

All you ever need is the truth
And the truth will set you free

Im not feeling it no more, Im not feeling it anymore
Im tryin to give you the score, just like I did before
Im not feeling it no more, Im not feeling it anymore
Im not feeling it no more, baby, Im just trying to give you the score

Im not feeling it no more, not feeling it anymore
Not feeling it no more
Not feeling it no more, baby

05
Apr 16
0

The Home of the Lost and Found

Category:Cafe,Chocolate,Coffee,Community,Compassion,Darkness,death,Doubt,Family,Fear,Forgiveness,Hope,Hospitality,life

Easter Saturday Vigil

What happens when a few people,with no idea of what they are really doing, don’t seek notoriety or claim success, are aware of their own ‘issues’ and failings, take risks, love people and seek to see where God is and join in??……….. well you get something like this…
children hiding chocolate eggs in the park for other children,whose parents score their ‘stuff’ in this park, where dispossessed people meet, hot chocolate, hot x buns and conversation for those whose backyard this is, a meeting place during the day to converse as together we share life in the simple day to day stuff………….

The Saturday of Light

The In Between Days Liturgy

for

Easter Saturday

Father forgive us, for we know not what we do.

In the Eastern Orthodox Churches, today is known as the Saturday of Light, it is the first celebration of Easter and the first time the “Hallelujah” is used since the beginning of Lent. The sadness of Friday has passed and the faithful wait for the Light to shine in the darkness once more, renewed for the beginning of the liturgical year.

We give thanks for the traditions of the faithful in other places.

The Church has a history of making solemn the celebrations of it’s seasons. We, called to live in hope and joy, more often than not live in the struggle of fear, of doubt and in ignorance. It is only what is appropriate, for on this night long passed, those followers of the Light sat in mourning, in disbelief and in terrible fear. For the Light that shined around them had gone out and they knew not where to find Him. The land had turned to darkness, the veil was rent, the women wept at the foot the cross, His disciples had fled in mortal terror. Only John stayed, to keep comfort His mother and to hear that sinner’s great prayer “truly, this man was the Son of God”.

LORD we are scattered like sheep with no shepherd

Lifeless He hung there, bruised for our transgressions, heavy with the weight of the world. The Jesus of the miracles, of the parables, of the teachings, the Jesus of the highways and the byways, somehow, had become the Jesus of the garden, the Jesus of the trial, the Jesus of the cross. Where should they turn now? He had the words of eternal life, and now, that life was over. Were they condemned because the light had come into the world and that light was the light of men? What now when there was darkness? Where is light in the darkness, where is faith, hope, joy, love? The darkness of this Saturday was darker than any before.

Between dark and light

Between death and life

LORD grant us Faith

and strength to keep searching for the Light

Scripture is filled with stories of darkness, from the creation in Genesis, the barren womb of Sarah, the slavery of Egypt, the time before the Torah, poor Jonah in the belly of the great fish, that time when there were no prophets in Israel and God had taken the light of revelation from the people who would declare His truth. Beside the rivers of Babylon, exile, genocide, the darkness prevailed. Hope was lost, doubt was everything, and in the hearts of men and women, terrible fear.

LORD in your mercy, HEAR OUR PRAYER

Yet…..God in the darkness is still the God of light, even the darkness of a new tomb, sealed by rock, and guarded by enemies. He clothes Himself in light as a garment, He made two lights in the heavens, He made the stars also. He is the God of Life we are never to forget, those stars are meant to remind us of the glory of the creator of all light.

LORD we seek you in the glory of your creation, light our path we pray

We too are in darkness, sometimes, in despair, loneliness, loss, uncertainty, in the fear that things will never be bright again. We stumble in the darkness of our own faithlessness and arrogance, in the dark night of legalism without grace, judgement without justice, crown without cross, in the darkness of plenty in a land barren of salt and light.

You LORD, only you, be our light in the darkness

For the Jews, the new day starts at the sunset of the old, a new beginning in the darkness of the day before. Night before light, blackness before the morning, the waning moon before the rising sun. The Rising Son.

LORD the Son rises.

Life must overcome, the life that is the light of women and men, of girls and boys, of lost and found, is rising. This is the story of tomorrow, and the story of tonight. For what went on in that tomb was life besting death, which now will have no sting. Mourning has been soothed with the oil of joy. Beauty for the ashes of despair. This is the Good News of the light and of life. The Son is rising anew, for the first time, forever.

LORD we pray

for those trapped in darkness, LORD we pray

for those who prefer the darkness, LORD we pray

for those in the darkness of addiction, LORD we pray

for those who suffer abuse, LORD we pray

for those who abuse, LORD we pray

for the wealthy, LORD we pray

for the poor, LORD we pray

for those in war, LORD we pray

for the soldier, LORD we pray

for the child soldier, LORD we pray

for those without a safe home, LORD we pray

CBD

for those seeking refuge, LORD we pray

for those without clean water, LORD we pray

for those stricken with illness, LORD we pray

for those who minister to them, LORD we pray

for those without power or voice, LORD we pray

for those in power, LORD we pray

for us, LORD we pray

for the weak, the weary, the sad, the broken, the fearful, the despairing, the grieving, the hungry, the ignorant, the doubting

LORD hear our prayer.

It is the custom of Christians to wait until the new night of tomorrow, to kindle the candles that brighten the new year. We of faith, gathered here now, in faith, knowing that tomorrow is already history, light these candles, because for us, tomorrow is here, tomorrow has already come. Life and light are ours, the new light of tomorrows miracle shines in our hearts, darkness is no more. The life is the light of women, and men, and we prefer the light.

Let us light these candles, and go forward, bearing the light into the all our tomorrows.

LORD, in your goodness, hear our prayer

POPUP

broken people in a broken world
working on mending together
offering hope where it would appear
there is none to be found
light where often there is only darkness
love where love is often lost

Monthly Archives: April 2016

Apr 16

1

My U2 GPS is broken…

Apr 16

0

NOT ‘FEELING IT’ ANYMORE???

Apr 16

0

The Home of the Lost and Found