"Churches Together" in our village have decided that during Lent, we will have joint house groups. There are various groups on different days at different venues meeting for five sessions [and then for the sixth we will all come together for a fish'n'chip supper!]
We are looking at one of the York Courses "When I survey...Christ's cross and ours" by John Pridmore. I shan't comment on the studies yet [we have only had one session so far] but I want to share this...
The contributors to the course include John Bell of the Iona Community, and General Sir Richard Dannatt who was, until recently, in charge of the British Army.
The General is wonderfully down to earth, and we all agreed that he sounds as if he communicates very well with his soldiers, of whatever rank.
John Bell has written some great hymns, and is a regular contributor to "Thought For The Day" on Radio 4.
Since we did our study on Tuesday, the words of one of John's hymns has been going round and round in my head. I have found it really challenging - the reminder that Christ cares for all the people of our world - and we are called to care too.
Christ's is the world in which we move.
Christ's are the folk we're summoned to love,
Christ's is the voice which calls us to care,
and Christ is the One who meets us here.
To the lost Christ shows his face;
to the unloved He gives His embrace;
to those who cry in pain or disgrace,
Christ, makes, with His friends, a touching place
Feel for the people we most avoid.
Strange or bereaved or never employed;
Feel for the women, and feel for the men
who fear that their living is all in vain.
Feel for the parents who lost their child,
feel for the women whom men have defiled.
Feel for the baby for whom there's no breast,
and feel for the weary who find no rest.
Feel for the lives by life confused.
Riddled with doubt, in loving abused;
Feel for the lonely heart, conscious of sin,
which longs to be pure but fears to begin.
To the lost Christ shows his face;
to the unloved He gives His embrace;
to those who cry in pain or disgrace,
Christ, makes, with His friends, a touching place
It is all very well for me to be 'giving away' during Lent - but it must be in a spirit of love and compassion - not just as an exercise in self-discipline.
Thank you for such wonderful words and a great hymn to think about. I am finding it much harder to find my place in a pause for Lent, I have lots of trials going on in real life and am finding this Sunday morning pause very affirming
ReplyDeleteI do love that cheerful Bishop in the top Picture!
ReplyDeleteSounds like good Bible Study Classes. Afraid I'm giving ours miss - I hate driving in the dark to places I don't know! Now, if they had morning ones for us older ladies, I'd be there!
That's a fantastically diverse pair of contributors. Thanks very much for the words of 'A Touching Place'.
ReplyDeleteNow what can I write about...you are doing the same Lent course as we are!!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all - what fun I had reading your past few week's posts! You made me laugh a couple of times! We're off to find laying hens today - but I don't think we'll be knitting for them!
ReplyDeleteYou are so fortunate to have such a wonderful group with which to study over Lent.
Thanks for all the comments.
ReplyDeleteElizabethd - don't worry, I probably won't mention the York Lent course again, so feel free to comment on your feelings about it!
Floss - thanks again for setting this up - it is good to realise that for people like MadHouse and Gilly who cannot get to a 'physical' group, they can have 'virtual' fellowship in your "bloggers Lent group!"
I love reading about what believers everywhere are actively doing as the Lenten season progresses. My husband is in Portugal with church planters from all over the world and such comradeship exists between all of them even when they've just met and enjoyed very few conversations. It's similar to Floss's A Pause in Lent in so many ways!
ReplyDeleteI think that cheerful bishop in the top picture is Jesus.
ReplyDelete