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Month: August 2013

Church Beer Festival

How did we get here? I’m in St Matthew’s Church Grosmont. There are 15 well kept racked real ales in the corner. The room is packed. There is a small ukulele orchestra playing The Lion Sleeps Tonight on the chancel steps!

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How did we get here? It’s a Friday night. It’s my day off. I’m away in a strange land (ok, the Yorkshire Moors) and somehow I’m in a Church of England ancient village church. We got here because they were telling us about this in the pub last night. In a different town. By “they” I mean “people who have no link to the church”. “They” got me into church tonight. The “non churched”. And they weren’t the only ones. There have been three different groups of people telling us about how good this is going to be! None of whom are part of the church.

People who don’t go to church are telling the world that The Church(TM) are a positive thing? This doesn’t compute.

And everyone is so enthusiastic about the gift that the church have given them. “This is Grosmont, there’s nothing to do here” is what we were told “but this is going to be excellent”.

And it is!

The Good Samaritan Animation

I’ve spent the last four weeks doing activity days with 5-11 year old’s at Holy Nativity.  Today we looked at The Good Samaritan and “who is my neighbour”?  Two minutes and seventeen seconds of animation isn’t going to fill your four hours up but they all shouted “let’s watch it again” afterwards.

I think it is cute.

Jesus Like a Mother…

A song of Anselm of Canterbury

Jesus, as a mother you gather your people to you:
You are gentle with us as a mother with her children;
Often you weep over our sins and our pride:
tenderly you draw us from hatred and judgement.
You comfort us in sorrow and bind up our wounds:
in sickness you nurse us,
and with pure milk you feed us.
Jesus, by your dying we are born to new life:
by your anguish and labour we come forth in joy.
Despair turns to hope through your sweet goodness:
through your gentleness we find comfort in fear.
Your warmth gives life to the dead:
your touch makes sinners righteous.
Lord Jesus, in your mercy heal us:
in your love and tenderness remake us.
In your compassion bring grace and forgiveness:
for the beauty of heaven may your love prepare us.

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