Blogs
Why We Gather On A Sunday
Why do you go to church on a Sunday? There are many good reasons to gather as a church family on a Sunday. But some reasons should be common to all that gather. The Leadership Team discussed this at a recent meeting, and the four collective reasons we meet every Sunday morning are to: 1. Bring an offering of worship2. Invite and respond to God’s presence3. Encourage one another4. Foster welcoming and belonging We want to develop a vibrant culture that we can multiply as new people...
The Sabbath
This term, we have had the privilege of having Heather Packett teach us all about The Sabbath. This was such a blessing! What is the Sabbath? Why do we need rest? What did the Sabbath look like in Jesus' life?Heather took us on a journey as we went through the Old and the New Testament to answer some of these questions.We looked at Genesis 2:3, which says, "So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in...
New Year…New Name!
Asking questions can be both risky and rewarding! Our Elders asked a simple question at the beginning of 2021 - "Where is God leading us over the next 5 years?" As with most questions, we have an idea of what we'd LIKE God to say, but we should never make presumptions! As we listened and discerned what God was saying to us as a church community, it became clear that along with renewing our calling and purpose, God was leading us to a name change. This was not an easy process,...
So, you’re feeling blah?
We have many names for it: "so-so", "not bad", meh, whatever, average or blah. No matter what you call it, this emotion has become commonplace during the various restrictions and lockdowns of recent years. It describes that feeling somewhere between happy and sad: where you lack motivation and care but can’t really explain why. Psychologist Adam Grant draws on the old word ‘languishing’ to define this emotion. He explains it well by reflecting: It wasn’t burnout — we still had energy. It...
God is near
Isolation’s been really rough, but it’s also provided space which doesn’t normally exist in the hecticness of our everyday lives. Since the start of Stage 3 I’ve started to attempt to see this added time as a gift to be used well. I can choose to mourn that which can’t be done, or instead decide to make the most of these opportunities to pause and reflect, and reset to prepare for whatever comes next. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been reading through the Major Prophets - books of the Bible...
When the story doesn’t make sense
Often we like to talk about good things, the wins and successes. We wait until the story is finished, with a happy ending before it makes our life showreel (or social media!). However, that’s not reality for any of us. There are many incomplete stories that still include questions or holes in the plot line. I’m writing this laying in bed, with a really sore foot, most likely gout. My foot has been increasingly more painful over the last four days, until yesterday morning. I was due to...
ALPHA & OMEGA
Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the LORD God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet. In English we would read, “I am the A and Z.” Just as in Genesis 1, where we read of God being in the beginning, so in the final book of the bible, Revelation, we again read of God declaring that He is the beginning and He is the end of all things. How awesome is our God and how wonderful to know that...
ABBA – Father
Galatians 4:6-7 “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave but a son and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.” Abba is the Aramaic word meaning Daddy, Father. This word conveys intimacy, deep affection and respect. How awesome it is to think, that as children of the Creator of the Universe, we can call upon Him and know Him as Daddy because of His deep and intimate love for us....
Yahweh Tsidkenu – The LORD our Righteousness
Jeremiah 23:6 “In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called The LORD our Righteousness.” How wonderful to know that through the gift of Jesus, we have been made right with God and that our righteousness doesn’t come from ourselves; it comes from God and him alone! It is not by works; it is by faith in the One who is our Righteousness. God is calling us to walk in His righteousness and holiness, so that we might bring glory to...
YAHWEH YIREH – The LORD will provide
Genesis 22:13-14 “Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.” God saw Abraham’s heart and his willingness to give up his promised son Isaac, out of love and obedience. How wonderful it is to know, that as we choose to walk in trust and...