The Kingdom!

Hi folks, there will be a s very short reflection each week that i will post on facebook and the blog for the next month,

This weeks reflection comes from the Northumbria Community… and it’s this quote… what are your thoughts?

‘Don’t look for the Kingdom on the mountains for it’s coming in the streets’

Ken Medema.

So our venues for the next month will be as follows…

2nd August – The Sportman Preston Village 8.00pm

9th August – Copperfields In Tynemouth 8.00pm

16th August The Crescent Club Cullercoats 8.00pm

23rd August Curry night (let me know if you would like to come).

30th August (no meeting)

Have a great August!

—
Cheers, Rob

Taize and The Good Samaritan… a reflection

Hi folks, i hope you are doing ok, this week we are meeting in the Crescent club again meeting at 8.00pm. This weeks reflection comes from Andrew Fairlamb, he is currently studying at Bible College.

Greetings!
Having just returned from a week away in Taize, Rob has asked me to write a reflection based on my time spent there. I wanted to pick out something that came up in a bible study at the beginning of the week, but first a tiny bit of background.

Taize began during WW2 as a place to hide refugees and Jews from the Nazi’s and has since grown into a multi – denominational monastery, where those who attend help out in all aspects of daily life.

The monks (brothers) live a hand to mouth existence, relying on donations from those who visit, and for the items that they make and sell in their gift shop. At the end of each year any surplus is given away to the poor, along with any family inheritances they receive.

So i wonder what gives meaning to our lives? Is it money? Material goods? Friends? I wonder if at one time or another we have all thought these things give our lives meaning, and purpose, followers of Jesus would say that it is God and our relationships with God which ultimately give our lives meaning.

The Good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37 is an amazing story, the fact that a person who was hated by the Jews, helped a Jewish man who had been beaten half to death, shows that to the Samaritan society at the time that religion didn’t matter, it’s like that at Taizé, wherever you’re from, whatever language you speak or the colour of your skin, it doesn’t matter. This is a society I want to see in our world, people who love each other no matter what they think, look like, or speak.

The story of the Good Samaritan, challenges us to think about whether we treat others with contempt within our own church, or with people we would consider to be one of us. Matthew 5: 43 – 44 says “You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. This isn’t to say we should hate our neighbours, quite the opposite, we all know our neighbours, and therefore according to this text we should focus on loving those who hate us.

This story is a prime example of this, a Pharisee and a Rabbi walk past this Jewish man who has been robbed and beaten, and left for dead, yet it’s the person that is considered unclean and to be a heretic by the Jews that saves this man’s life.

Here’s some question to think about…

– What gives our lives real, spiritual meaning?

– Have you ever been guilty of not helping someone in real need?

– How difficult is it to love those who hate us, and how difficult it is to pray for them?

– How like the Brothers of Taize can we live a more simplistic lifestyle?

—
Cheers, Rob

Fight apathy… or don’t!

Hi folks, I hope you are doing ok? I am back from a weeks holiday in sunny Palma, we had a great time. While I was away I was struck by a couple of things… First of all we came across a lot of people who seemed to be homeless, we also came across those with drug addiction issues. While this was so obvious to us as tourists we also have the ongoing situation in Greece.

Elaine passed me this great photo… Fight apathy… or don’t!

So… Fight apathy… Or don’t. Stand up for the marginalised… Or don’t. Speak out against injustice… Or don’t. Love your neighbour… Or don’t. It’s our choice… Or not.

Spain and Greece and other countries in the Euro are facing some tough times ahead, and even here on our own shores. I have seen a marked increase of those who are homeless coming on to the streets of Whitley Bay, this has been witnessed through the eyes of Street Pastors, and I have seen it with my own eyes… There are going to be desperate times ahead for some and it seems to me that the church needs to find a voice.

Can I make an appeal to you… if you come across a situation that you think is not right, unjust or difficult to understand… find your voice! Share it on social media, talk to a local church or campaign group, post it on this page? Why not make some noise about it?!

I’m really interested in us finding a voice for those things that we can see on our door steps… so is it lack of services for the elderly? A local school closure, local park land being sold off, a new mega supermarket opening up, public transport being to expensive, green spaces and our beaches being dumping ground for litter, privatisation of services that affect workers and service users… what are the issues for you???

I believe the followers of Jesus and those of other faiths and non who are interested in making a difference should begin to organise… to make a difference… who’s with me?

This week at sunday@thepub we will be meeting at the crescent club in Cullercoats and we will be chatting about this and doing life together… why not join us from 8.00pm.

God bless, Rob

Be Still…

Hi folks, In a week where we are coming to terms with the reality of the events in Tunisia. Through d-church we took the view that we wanted to shout! To shout and cry out to God about the pain and anguish that we are seeing across the world in many places… But we also need to seek God and to do this maybe we need to go to the lonely place.

So let us ponder on this picture and reflect on the events that continue to hurt our world and break God’s heart.

So this week we meet to chat about not the issues… but we ask how do you balance shouting out to God and taking time to connect in the ‘lonely place’? Do you find that God connects with you about the issues you rant about?

May God be with us in our ‘Shouting’ and our ‘Be Still’ moments.

This week we will be meeting at Ye Olde Ship Inn, at 8.00pm, I hope you can join us.

God Bless, Rob