Displaying hand crafted goods ranging from a tea cosy and a candy floss maker to some quite serious artwork MBC’s Table Top Sale raised £500.
This means that both the church’s Romania Support Group and the Leeds and Moortown Furniture Store will each receive a very welcomed boost to their funds.
Huge thanks to Karen Ross and her team.
Harvesting Romans on 2 December
People are reading Paul’s letter to the Romans this month. They are all welcome to share their findings with other readers on Thursday, 2 December, either at 12 to 2pm or at 7 to 9 pm.
We will talk with one another about
discoveries we have made
directives for faith and action
questions we want answered
disagreements with Romans
delight with Romans
Come ready to contribute to our shared learning.
If you did not get to the starter meeting on 4 November, don’t let that stop you from coming on 2 December. You still have time to read some of Romans before then and you will be welcome.
“Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires; God will satisfy them fully! JBP
Food stands along all the roads, picnics on all the hills.
Babies and small children have a clear system of notifying parents and carers when they are hungry or thirsty and they need food, milk, or water. They cry, may become crotchety, irritable, and can clearly make their needs known. When our son was small, and even into teenage years, we never left home without an emergency pack of food and drink. This would consist of a cereal bar, apple, banana, and a drink and sometimes a chocolate bar as a treat. These emergency rations would accompany us to the cinema, park, and any outing from home as we attempted to avoid his rising irritability and reducing low blood sugar levels. By contrast, I cannot remember a time when I was hungry or thirsty. By building into my day a regular pattern of four meals with snacks and drinks in between whenever possible, I can maintain a good balance and satisfy my needs for nutrition and fluids. It is hard to imagine what it must feel like to be without food or water for days or even weeks, and to have to survive with minimal nutrition. Many in our world today are in this desperate position of being hungry and lacking clean water and it has been distressing recently to see the images of famine in Madagascar not caused by war but by climate change.
In this Beatitude, we are called to have a hunger and thirst for God and for His righteousness. I am to tune into the hunger pangs, the cues, that make me recognize my need of Him and so have an appetite and longing for Him. Sadly, often days go by, and I have missed the hunger cues and signals. I have been too busy, too focussed on other things and have not had a regular pattern of meals with Him- spending time with Him. So, my appetite has reduced and become dulled. Jesus promises me that if I come to Him, I will never be hungry and I will never be thirsty. I love this image from Isaiah of food stalls along the way and picnics on the hills as I travel with Jesus. I need to have my regular meals, but there are the emergency rations to hand too. I can be satisfied, supplied, enlivened, and I can be full. Nothing else will fully satisfy.
Father God
May I be childlike and cry out to you for help and for your presence.
May I be aware of your presence and nurture during the day, beginning and ending each day with you. May I be thankful for your constant care and provision. Amen
They will never be hungry or thirsty. Sun and desert heat will not hurt them, for they will be led by one who loves them. He will lead them to springs of water. Isaiah 49 v 10
There’ll be food stands along all the roads, picnics on all the hills— Nobody hungry, nobody thirsty, shade from the sun, shelter from the wind, For the Compassionate One guides them, takes them to the best springs. Isaiah 49 v 10 The Message
He satisfies those who are thirsty and fills the hungry with good things Psalm 107 v 9
“I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “Those who come to me will never be hungry; those who believe in me will never be thirsty. John 6 v 35
The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. Mark 8 v 8
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Blessed, content, sheltered by God’s promises, are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Amp
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God? Micah 6 v 8 AMP
“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for. The Message
I am not sure if you have read the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio or its film, about 10 year old August Pullman and his journey through High School. August has a rare genetic disorder which has caused a severe facial difference and the book follows his journey through school after being home schooled and protected by his family. August meets with cruelty and bullying in school but also with acceptance and kindness and can survive and thrive through the kindness of friends. The book explores issues of difference and acceptance, friendship, prejudice and bullying but most of all kindness. Every month one of the Teachers, Mr Browne, chose a precept or ethos statement for the students to follow and one of my favourite ones was the following quotation: When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind. Dr Wayne W Dyer This book went on to inspire the ‘Choose Kind’ Movement based on the idea presented by the headteacher of the school in his graduation speech to the students. “If every single person in this room made it a rule that wherever you are, whenever you can, you will try to act a little kinder than is necessary, the world would be a better place.”
Jesus calls us to compassion. We feel compassion and concern when we see and feel the distress and needs of others. But there is action associated with compassion and that action is mercy. When compassion takes action to relieve pain, distress or need then compassion becomes mercy. Mercy is a ‘noun’-it’s a mission, an act, or a kindness shown. But we are asked to go beyond this- we are asked to ‘love’ mercy and kindness- not just to do it occasionally but to ‘love’ it. We are asked to be kind and merciful not just when it is convenient or others are watching or to receive credit for it, but we are to live the way of compassion and mercy all the time. We are to care, to offer kindness, comfort, acceptance, and forgiveness. This is a life transforming, costly and generous way to live but this is the way of Jesus.
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.
John Wesley’s Rule
Dear friends
This Sunday we look back at our series on the body as well as looking forward to hearing a few different perspectives on what God has said about the body through the bible and through the whole series. We have an activity for our younger ones, a live band as well as a live stream on the Moortown Baptist Youtube channel. The service will start at 11am and be finished by 12midday.
A lot went into last week’s remembrance ’what are you standing on?’ service and although I couldn’t be there in the end, I wanted to let you know that I was able to watch some of the livestream in Dad’s hospital room in St James’s Bexley wing. It was wonderful to feel connected and hear encouragement from all who were in the building or tuning in last week. One of the Oncology nurses looking after dad has been chatting about God with my dad and she wants to come to MBC over the next few weeks.
Also this weekend we have the Table Top sale on Saturday 20th November. Do pop along and get some bargains between 2pm and 4pm. All proceeds going to various charities. Thanks to Karen Ross and all who are helping to arrange it.
Thanks also to all those who are joining in with leading any of our activities and ministries at the moment or encouraging those who are. Its a season of ‘trying things out’ and we are thankful to all those who serve and join in each week with all sorts of things (even if you think its really small). God is faithful.
We are already half way through our experiment with Romans but it’s never too late to dip into it. So this week why not make a drink and see what God is saying to you and your world through this letter by Paul. There’ll be opportunity to share, words, pictures, challenges, thoughts and dreams in an informal way on 2nd December, choose to pop up to church 12-2 or come along 7-9pm (or come to both if you like).
I’m pleased to share that on Sunday 28th November we start our Advent journey ‘The Impossible Promise’ at 11am in church and on the live stream. Each Sunday a part of the Christmas story will be unwrapped with music, cartoon, sharing, craft, bible story and prayer. We also have plans for other get togethers including an all age nativity, wreath making and Carols, candles and croissants. There’ll be more news on our Christmas worship in the next few days along with invitations for each one of you to join in and include others. I’ll be getting in touch with a follow up email to see who might like to help too with some suggestions!
However, I wanted to encourage you that as I was considering all this in relation to MBC and our communities, I felt God give me a picture of a stick of seaside rock. Through the rock was not the word Blackpool or any other seaside town, but the word Immanuel. It encouraged me that through everything, God reminds us that one of His names, His identity, is Immanuel, God with us.
“…the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and will call Him Immanuel.” — Isaiah 7:13–14”
It’s my prayer that we don’t just learn about Him but we actually know Him as Immanuel in this season.
Shelley
Above you can see the beginning of Mark and Andrea Hotchkin’s latest newsletter. In it they write about the unfairness of distribution of Covid 19 vaccines and there hopes that despite their hospital having all the equipment they need to begin an immunisation programme they have still to receive any vaccines.
You can read their letter in full by clicking on the LINK.
The death has been announced of Janet Walker. Janet’s funeral service will take place at 1pm on Tuesday 30th of November at Lawnswood Crematorium.
Dear friends
Just a reminder that Sunday’s service we’ll be starting at 10,50am not 11am because we’ll be joining with the national act of remembrance at 11am. We’ll be showing the BBC coverage for this as part of the service in the building, marking the 2 minute silence and then going into our service which will include elements of remembering, communion, a focus on the next part of the body (linked to the feet) and a story and activity for our younger ones.
We’ll be live streaming the service on the Moortown Baptist Church YouTube channel but this will start at about 11.03 as we cannot live stream the BBC.
We therefore encourage those who are joining from home to watch the BBC coverage at 11am and then turn to the YouTube channel for our service together.
You may want to have some bread and wine/juice ready to share communion so that we can do this together.
A special thanks to all those who have made poppies to decorate the church and the steps and to all those who have prepared songs, readings, prayers, tech and insights to share on the day.
See you then
Shelley
Haddon Willmer is leading our prayer time on Remembrance Sunday. He urges you to read this story in advance.
II Sam 23.13-17
13 Towards the beginning of harvest three of the thirty[a] chiefs went down to join David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. 14 David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. 15 David said longingly, ‘O that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!’ 16 Then the three warriors broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it; he poured it out to the Lord, 17 for he said, ‘The Lord forbid that I should do this. Can I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?’ Therefore he would not drink it. The three warriors did these things.
It is war. Men are armed and alert. Some are scared, others are looking for a fight and glory. There is killing and being killed.
David and his mighty men are holding out in the caves of Adullam, the Philistines are in the valley of Rephaim, blocking the way to his hometown of Bethlehem.
David is a warrior. He also writes songs, sensitive songs, reaching the heights and depths of human experience. But now his sword is handy and he has no heart for his harp. He is not happy. He thinks of home and what life was like before the war engulfed him. He remembers the simple things, the basic blessings that made life good and joyful. The boy David breaks back through the shell of the hardened man, and David is shaken.
He says longingly: ‘O that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!’
Humanity hardly survives in war, but it holds on in sad and tenacious memory, in the longing to have afresh what is missing. Humanity is there in the sorrow of the widow and the orphan, in the vulnerabilities of the refugee and the exiled, in the ongoing pains of the injured, in the poverty of burnt harvests.
He speaks longingly, but, being a practical man, calculating the odds, he dare not let himself hope too much. Really, a leader should not even let on that he is thirsty for home and wants to taste water from that well by the gate.
But the sigh has escaped him and three of his mighty men hear him.
They are loyal, they like him. They are wild and self-confident – give us a chance, and we’ll gladly enjoy tweaking the nose of the Philistines. So, with whatever mixed motives, they set off on a daring adventure, cleverly sneak through the enemy lines, and find the well by the gate of Bethlehem.
They fill their horns and flagons with water and leg it back to David.
David takes the water, it is just what he asked for, what he thirsted for. But he won’t drink it.
This ordinary water is now more than water. It is water that is given him by his friends, by his clever brave generous friends.
He cannot drink it with nostalgic pleasure. He cannot drink it to celebrate a great little victory over the Philistines. This ordinary water has become something more: it is the blood of men who went at risk of their lives for him. He holds in his hands the love of ordinary people, people who are great, skilful, giving people, people who think less of themselves than their friends. They show this kind of love for David, for their comrade even though they are hard men, who have no love for Philistines. Does their resolute hate of the enemy utterly forbid recognizing the practical, adventurous, risking love that they show for David? It certainly shows its limitations. They and David have a long way to go before they love with the perfect love of God for all. But is it not right to see and cultivate the seed of love even when it is sown in the hard dark trodden soil of war?
David sees all this. He will not drink this water. Once drunk, this water would be disposed of, just another drink, lost in the natural routine of the body. There would be no story for Remembrance Sunday.
It will not do for David to consume this water, using it to satisfy his longing. It will not do for David to act as though he is the entitled consumer, for whom other people give their lives.
But something must be done with this water. He cannot give it back to them, refusing it would be an insult. And he may not drink it.
Thank God, he knows a way to give it to God, who will give it eternal appreciation. David can pour it out to the Lord, by pouring it on the ground. We see that as no more than making a little puddle which soon disappears. But with God, the ground is more than mere ground. David knew it gave him a way to give it to God, to free himself from grabbing and consuming what he had no right to, what he could never do justice to. It is a way to join with his men in an act of giving which sets us free from the tyranny of self, and selfish demands and longings. By the grace of God, it is an act of giving to God in which we celebrate God the giver, and we bring earth and water together in creaturely thankfulness, joy and wonder.
Even though wars end, the misery continues, there is weary exhaustion, sheer perplexity and fear, because we see that all this fighting has not solved the human problem, but given it a new shape – the old enemy may now be a friend, but we still have enemies.
When wars end, there is much we remember with pain and with shame. We cannot glorify war, or pretend that it is a good thing for anybody; it may even be a worse thing for the winner than the loser, because in victory we more easily hide the truth of ourselves from ourselves.
But even in the darkness of war, even against all discouragement, little candles are lit, seeds of love and generosity spring into fragile life, signs of good hope appear. Even while whole nations or groups are mobilized to achieve War Aims, some are planning for peace. Even when doing good is very risky and exacts an appalling price from human beings and from the earth, good is still done, even if it is little and frustrated. People care for others, even enemies, at great cost. Even when God is hidden by the man-made irradiating clouds, God is present as God is in Jesus the suffering saviour and Lord, sowing seeds, lighting candles.
And on Remembrance Sunday, it is in the light of the Lord we may pray. And it is to God that we can dedicate the relative absence of war in which we are able to live and flourish. We live to God, not for ourselves. Peace after war is not given so that we may consume and waste the earth and one another, for private satisfactions. Peace is given to us as freedom to love and serve God and others with all our being. The Lord forbid that I should drink the cup of salvation for myself. That is the ultimate corruption.
Last Sunday we focused our attention on hands and Shelley invited anyone who had made anything during lockdown to bring it along with them.
There are a few still images above but if you follow this link you will find a video showing many more.
