VINE TRUST
We were at a brilliant Barbecue on Saturday in aid of raising funds for the work of the  Vine Trust This was a real heavy duty barbe! Steaks all round! I believe they were bought at the auction in the Roxburghe Hotel last January. So the meat was put to good use to earn more money for the Trust.

I’d like to say huge thanks to Gordon Stewart and his team of helpers  for putting on an excellent event. Of course the weather helped to make it an outstanding weekend.

Anyway here is a preview of the latest Vine Trust Video. We hope to get copies of this out to all the congregations within the next few weeks. Let me know what you think. If you’d like a copy contact the Vine Trust Office or drop me an email. Yes its another great production from SANCTUS MEDIA LTD

SANCTUS MEDIA

Talking about Sanctus Media, I had quite a creative day today working on the material to fill the new Sanctuary First website. We’re hoping to launch this new venture within the next few months however we need loads of content on the website to attract potential users to return on a daily basis. the theme i chosen for the first month is “Faith and Mystery” I think it is a rich seam to develop over a month. The following four topics with be discussed on a weekly basis.

1. The mystery of God
2. The mystery of Creation
3. The mystery of the Church
4. The mystery of Worship

I’ve made a start on the topic of the Mystery of God. part of the structure is to have a daily prayer based on the weekly topic and daily Bible readings centred around the theme. We hope to offer worshippers the opportunity to comment and reflection the weekly topic. Then one a month everyone will have the opportunity to meet together and share in an event centred around the theme of the month. If anyone feels they’d like to get involved with the creative writing side of this project please get in touch.

BOGLE’S PARAPHRASE

I will give you all the strength you need. I myself will even help you. In fact I will hold you up with my own hands. Isaiah 41.10

I’m not sure what happened last night. When making my post I lost the article entitled ” Discipleship Challenge”. So here it is back again. This is material which will be part of the Sanctuary First service on Sunday evening. The last time I made this post James invited me to set a 40 day challenge as part of the response to this article. Having considered his suggestion I’m going to rise to the Challenge. If you text on your mobile the word BIBLE 40 I will text to your mobile if you so desire a challenge that will be designed to help you grow in your Christian experience. You’ll receive your first text on Monday 4 May the cost will be £1.50 per week. Sorry we can’t keep the freebees going. I intend to use the blog over the next forty days to reflect upon the actions in which you will be invited to take part. I also hope that this will generate a considerable amount of interest and comment.

The article below is based on Christ inviting us into the desert place – to the place of testing, not so that we can fail but rather so that we can be toughened up to face the many difficulties that present themselves to us in our lives. Here is the audio version that people will hear on Sunday on the MP3 players. It is an edited version of the meditation below. I want to say a big thanks to Alec shuttleworth who came over during the week to record it, and of course thanks to Rae for her editorial skills. Both Rae and Alec added to the meditation. a lot Oh and James make you comment again so that we can get folks taking up the challenge! AUDIO

Come with me
Leave all this behind
Just for a short time

I know what your thinking
What is this place?
Where am I going?

I’m going to help you to
take the discipleship challenge

I heard you say you wanted to move to a new place
You said you wanted to find a cross shaped space in your life
`I wonder if you really meant what you prayed

I know you’re very busy
Watch your footing
There’s a huge
Chasm on your left
Lots of loose stones
Falling debris
Its easy to drop
Ideas
Hopes
And even dreams
In this place
Once they fall over the edge
They’re gone

Can I say something to you
When you move round the corner
I will have to leave you on your own
Look I’ll be with you
But you won’t see me

You have to face your own struggle
You know there is a voice of evil in this place
Within you
When it speaks you can choose to obey it
Or challenge it
If you do nothing
You will end up obeying the voice

Keep your eyes on the path
Don’t try to see my face
We will meet one day
But Its my feet
you need to look after at the moment
Feet washing is something I’m into
Just follow my footprints.

Come closer
I want you to hear this
I don’t want you ro misunderstand.

There are basically three fundamental temptations
And I suppose seven deadly sins
These are common to every human being
In life – its as simple as that
You humans are not all that complicated
I made you I should know
Funny complete things often come in 3s and 7s

Anyway
You have choices to make
It boils down to
Popularity
Wealth
And
Love of self
Discipleship is all about
Serving others and denying self interest

Do you know the problem with most relationships?
People love themselves
Their image
Their look
Their sexuality
Their singleness
Their definition as sexual beings
The greatest denial of love
Is to make love to yourself
It is to exclude the other
The greatest lie is to believe
You must love yourself first
Before you love another
The truth is if you love yourself
You will leave no room to love another

Discipleship turns everything on its head
Makes for an upside down world
It suggests its only when you love another first
That you come to love the self
You know It sounds impossible to love someone
You don’t know – but its not
True love is not based on knowledge
Its based on unconditional acceptance
To truly love is to make that someone
An indispensible part of your being
It is to deny self love
And embrace service
It is to lose yourself and find your meaning
In caring for an unknown child
An unknown beggar
An unknown person

Your about to turn the corner
Get ready to make
Your choices

I was thinking we all make excuses. We often use our vulnerable sides as an excuse>It stops us dealng with issues. I was thinking about story Jesus told about the woman who put twopence into the offering. I started to thinkk maybe she was hiding behind her poverty. Allowing it to imprison her free spirit. Too oftrn ot suits us to say we can’t do something even when we know we can’t and we’re oftrn quite relieved.

It’s strange isn’t it?
We all do it.
We make excuses
I mean we use our
Perceived weakness
Like a barrier
to keep people out.
To hide from ourselves.
We use
the things
the feelings
the attitudes
we have inherited
to define us.
Then we say
Sorry I can’t
I’m hopeless
I’m different from you
I’m not educated
I’m poor
I ‘m schizophrenic
I’m homosexual
I’m single
I’m married
I’m just a partner
I’m working
I’m tired
I’m not in charge
I’d love to but ..
I can’t

Its strange isn’t it
Something
Clicks and you
Simply change
You do something
You go out on a limb
You make a promise
You give something away
That’s what I did
I literally gave my poverty away
I opened my purse
I gave all I possessed to God
I can still hear it clinking in the box
Two little pennies
I had no more excuses left
I gave my weakness away
I walked through
A cross spaced shape
Into freedom.

I was telling you all how I enjoyed Christmas. i was especially impressed by the latest ministry that is being developed out of the church. the Puppet People.  thanks to Hugh O’Brien and his inspiration earlier on this year we now have our very own little puppet ministry.  I think they did a brillant job of Christmas Day have a look and tell me what you think? Puppet People So I’m now looking forward to the next presentation. I’m hoping we’ll be able to use this group to make the children’s address come to life on a Sunday.

SANCTUARY FIRST

Believe it or not this Sunday evening we’ll be putting on the Sanctuary First service. The theme this month is “A WAKE UP CALL” the service is going to be based around the passage in Revelation 3. This is the letter to the church at Sardis.  This community finds itself being rebuked because it is something its not. I always think this is such a challenge to all of us who try to keep the church relevant. We need to be careful that we are not simply promoting programmes to look busy rather than being engaged with effective ministry. Here is the opening part of the liturgy. Its meant to cause you to think. I’m posting it as a kind of trailer, perhaps to coax you to come along or at least loh=g in on the net next Sunday at 7.00pm

“Music playing to reflect  imminent danger. On the screen the clock is ticking. There is an interplay between the world on the screen and the ticking clock. Finally the music stops and all that is heard is the ticking of the clock.  Then  suddenly an alarm breaks the silence!”

A WAKE UP CALL

Narrator Speaks
We’re on the edge of disaster .
We’re facing economic, ecological, spiritual and moral bankruptcy.
We watch on like people in a dream.
We’re asleep.
We’re snoring
Ignoring
The clock ticking
We only have one life
And we sleep through it
And we gamble with it
Like poker players in a game
We each hold a hand
We throw away the best cards
In search of the charmed suit
Only to find we hold a busted Flush

But we dream on