this has been frustrating me more and more over the last few years….the Church is not a building …we the followers of the Way are the living church…lets not think our faith is all contained within four walls…that the space in which we gather and share in our faith becomes more important that following Him everyday in every area of our lives…..
one of my most favourite things is an open fire…i do believe i have mentioned it before..as we are in ‘spring’…it will be to mild too have the home fires burning…so i am lighting my fire whenever i can to enjoy some last relaxing evenings before i have to say goodbye til the autumn…….
This phrase came into my mind yesterday and along with it a sense of frustration and possibly anger…..forgive me if this rubs you up the wrong way…its fresh in my head and could probably do with alot of refining….much like myself…..over the last few years I have become increasingly uncomfortable with a culture of celebrity growing in the church….spreading the fame of our ‘churches’ one out doing the other…..buildings becoming bigger ….glossier.…worship bands on tour…..plugging new albums ….church staff have their slick headshots …..giving that ‘got it all together look’ ….Sunday mornings becoming who’s who on the red carpet and who is wearing which label….somehow we feel that all this and more is fine if it somehow comes under the label ‘Christianity’ we’re doing it for Him….….I have no problem with moving with the times….being relevant to culture etc…but it feels that we are growing something …..that is becoming unfit for practice as it is spending so much energy perfecting its appearance….spreading our own fame under the guise of wanting Jesus’ fame to spread….yesterday I came across a quote from Max Lucado and it really spoke to me ‘before the church had pulpits and baptisties, she had kitchens and tables. We are to be people of hospitality’…..a simple movement of normal people following the example of Jesus…..looking after the poor the widow and the orphan…..maybe if we actually began simply following and being obedient to the example of Jesus the world would sit up and take notice….and catch a glimpse of the real Jesus….what would it look like if we peeled away a worldly exterior of self and revealed a beautiful mess of wounded healers living each day trying to love their neighbour….what would it look like if our homes where open to the lonely and destitute …if our buildings served the community each day of the week……maybe we would realise that the church is not meant to look perfect… professional and glossy…that it is ok to not have it all together and say Yes to Jesus… I will follow you as I am…..instead of feeling I don’t belong here as I look and feel far from perfect……and terrified if anyone finds out……over the last few years I have been led away from the pulpit and glossy ‘church’, and drawn back to the kitchen table…sharing faith…living the journey……following Jesus the simple way….and I have got to tell you it feels like freedom…….
love my new header..its a pic my talented hubby took of my wooden block letters spelling our our surname……..
i was gathering inspiration for work today and came across this image…for some reason it stopped me in my tracks…….what does this image spark in your imagination…..
one of my favourite discoveries….is my love of keeping a journal..for me it is a place i pour out my heart to God..write the things i really want to say that at times speaking aloud seem to blunt…….its a place that as soon as my pen hits the paper honesty flows and my mind doesnt alter or perfect my sentences…..i haven’t written in my journel for a while and tonight picked it up in a moment when i needed to be face to face with HIM…..it reminded me again of how i need to pick it up more frequently…..or else things go unspoken…..
today was the beginning of a new challenge….i had set myself the goal of learning something new and gaining further training…so this day saw the completion of the first session of mediation training…with Mediation Northern Ireland…..lots to learn and i am positve by the end of it my grey matter will have had suffient workout……..point of interest….i seem to be the only female in the class……
one of my favourite things……. is to be off work and enjoy a long leisurely breakfast with my other half….reading the papers..chatting and then relaxing in front of the fire…this was this mornings offering …homemade pancakes and blueberry syrup….delicious….
pictures:by my man
it was my mum’s 60th last weekend…and we celebrated in style with a speacial meal at the Culloden with our wider family…..champagne breakfast at my house the next morning and Afternoon Tea at the Fitzwilliam hotel that afternoon…..not only was it lovely to celebate my Mums special day…but just as lovely to share it with such a brilliant family..i am very blessed to live my life surrounded by a loving and supportive group of people called family……
stuart took so many beautiful pictures of every part of the celebrations..this one of my mum,,brother, sister and me is one of my favourites…
pinkworldofally 