Login

Avatar photoJohn Sherbourne

Justice for George Floyd and more – a message from Shona and Graham

by

We are sending this for prayer, sharing, listening, comment and speaking out

Yesterday in our Church at Home service, we celebrated the Holy Spirit’s outpouring at Pentecost. The words of the prophet Joel are familiar to us but I do not know a time, when Joel’s words have stirred in me such sadness and guilt that I have stood in the way of others receiving God’s favour. For if I receive the blessing of Pentecost for myself and my household, I cannot ignore the challenge of Pentecost to share this blessing.

The anger and grief that is currently being poured out on the doorstep of the White House in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, is no localized phenomenon, it belongs at my doorstep too. For as a white woman, I am part of the status quo and have benefited from the status quo that has crushed and exploited those for whom the Spirit is poured out.

I am not asking you to condone violence, I’m asking you to stop and listen to our brothers and sisters. Not to judge or condemn but to openly listen. We keep being told our return to a new normal is a great opportunity for changing our ways. Could we commit to be a returning church that has the courage to be held accountable and the grace to listen, even if it makes us uncomfortable? Can we make space in our ‘new normal’ for those with a lived experience of racial oppression to find their voice amongst us?

Shona Shaw

In our Church at Home we celebrated a lockdown Pentecost, this is somewhat ironic. It is more than ironic that as we know the Spirit to be the breath of God among us we hear the cry of George Floyd and others – “I can’t breathe”. Joel prophesied that the Spirit would be poured out on all, Acts told what happened and Amos spoke of justice flowing like a never-failing stream. The experiences of black people, and also of women in Pakistan/India, and of those suffering domestic violence show that we are not dealing with isolated incidents. I am also aware of the greater effect of Covid among BAME communities. I believe that if the breath and justice of the Spirit is for all it must be for these people.

I too feel sadness and guilt that I have been too passive and been content to speak for myself rather than listen to others. I have enjoyed my privilege and so distanced myself from the pain. What is going on is stopping the flow of the Spirit.

In the coming days we may see headlines about violence in protest marches and the excesses of looting. I too do not condone these but to dwell on them is to focus on symptoms and not causes and to allow ourselves to become distracted from bringing real change for the better.

In making a statement, the first thing we can do is listen to the voices of those who experience and then move to be a community together and find a shared voice. As a white man I am ready to listen and through this act in a new way. I hope that our church will come out of lockdown to discover ways of being church. I hope that we will have the courage to adapt, the kindness to try out, the humility to lay things down and the imagination to experiment. Stories of oppression are interconnected but must be told specifically. I hope we will start listening with intent and I think it begins with matters of racial injustice that have been highlighted recently.

I believe that this is an integral part of the move of the Spirit and a witness to the risen Jesus Christ.

Graham Brownlee

Teaching a 3-year-old to ride a bike…and other reflections! Nathan Dring’s third blog

by

Time just flies. I can’t quite believe this is the 3rd blog I have written. I hope they are in some way helpful.

If this is the 1st you have read, I am simply reflecting on the phrases I repeat to my 3-year old daughter as she rides her bike. Words of reassurance, encouragement or challenge. Today I’m thinking about one phrase that I think is very powerful…but one that can be missing in society:

“You’re doing really well!”

Daisy has little legs but a HUGE determination. That said, she gets tired. Occasionally the wheel spins a little as the stabilisers lift it of the ground on bumpy surfaces. Other times there are hills that seem too much. At other points she feels nervous about going too fast. So, over and over I tell her, “You’re doing really well.”

The power of encouragement is an amazing thing. When someone tells you that you are doing well. When someone sees and recognises your effort and speaks out words to enthuse and cheer you on. I wonder sometimes if these words are too often lacking in society, in organisations and (deep breath) …in churches!

I love going to the cinema and as long as the projectionist does their job well, I don’t notice them. I see the output of what they do – the images, the action, the soundtrack – but I don’t give them a second thought…UNLESS…unless they make a mistake and the film is interrupted. Suddenly then everyone in the cinema is very interested in the projectionist. Suddenly everyone has an opinion that needs to be heard. Now everyone is an expert as they chunter and tut. To my shame, I have been this person, both in the cinema and outside of it.

Someone’s efforts have not met my expectations, so, rather than with love or grace, seeking to encourage them, “You’re doing really well!” I have voiced frustration that their best efforts have not met my standards!

Imagine if I applied this to Daisy on the bike! Not riding up the hill fast enough…rubbish, get off the bike. Too nervous to go down the hill…I am selling the bike on eBay! You would (I hope) rightfully tell me I am being too harsh – cruel even. And yet, if we don’t keep ourselves in check, we can be like this in other circumstances – work, family, church. It comes from a critical spirit and it is dangerous. Dangerous and devasting to any family…including the church.

I don’t get this one right all the time with my kids, let alone in other circumstances, but that is part of the journey isn’t it. Part of the refining as we seek to become more like Christ. Paul writes a great encouragement to the church in Thessalonica. Wouldn’t it would be life-changing and kingdom-building if this was our truth everyday – let’s pray for that!

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 “For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.”

But until we get there, we are all trying out best…so keep on going:

You’re doing really well!

CHURCH AT HOME, 31 May, PENTECOST. With a special note of praise from the USA here’s your link to last Sunday’s service

by

You can watch our first, introductory live feed HERE 

All our prerecorded material is HERE

The above link includes our Pentecost Choir’s offerings and the Dance/movement sequence

Our second live feed is HERE

And the link to Shelley’s Family at Moortown programme is HERE

It’s always nice to get feedback on our services and particularly so when it comes from another church. That’s why last Thursday we were delighted to receive the following message via Facebook Messenger from Pastor Danny Chronister (pictured left) of the Trinity United Methodist Church in North Port, Florida. “I enjoyed your virtual choir singing “Spirit of the Living God so much that I showed it to all our viewers as part of my Sunday virtual Worship Service.”

Bless you Danny, we are glad you enjoyed our presentation and thanks for getting in touch. 

 

 

Nathan Dring’s weekly blog, and the psychology behind teaching a three year old to ride a bike gets a second airing

by

Teaching a 3-year-old to ride a bike…and other reflections!

So last week I gave a little bit of insight into my life under lockdown – particularly my daily walks/jogs with Daisy as she is loving cycling. Last week I reflected briefly on one of the phrases I repeated over and over, “Stop looking backwards!” and today I want to pause for a moment on another.

Daddy is right here!

For the most part, Daisy is very confident on her bike – even yelling at me from time to time if she thinks I am getting involved when she doesn’t want me to. This is often when she wants to show me that she can do it on her own – so my meddling (in her eyes) simply removes some of her choice and some of her autonomy.

That said, she still wants to know I am there. When she thinks I am in some way a bit distant (usually a work email on my phone) or if I have fallen behind at all, she lets me know…in no uncertain terms, that she wants to see me or at least have confidence I am close. As such, I find myself frequently reminding her, gently that “Daddy is right here.”

I remember in all my days growing up in church, I knew God was a Father. Unfortunately, I often heard the message that God is ‘like a father’ – which simply is not true. God isn’t seeking to mimic – he is the perfect example. I also remember hearing him referred to as ‘Father’ – a term which I always thought was quite a distant naming – it didn’t seem that warm to me. I remember the first time I heard that the word Abba has a meaning close to ‘Daddy’ made me feel a little uncomfortable. To call God Daddy felt far too familiar and kind of strange.

I am now probably at a midpoint on this…I understand he is Daddy, but I rarely call him that…but that is something He and I can work on!

So why did a story of a bike ride suddenly take a sideways leap to the father-nature of God? Well, simply this…I really want you to hear the words today that ‘Daddy is right here!’ In the midst of the current uncertainty and new ways of living. As new rules are introduced. As a new path into a new future is slowly revealed. As the ongoing changes that COVID leaves on our lives come into focus. In good times. Bad times. Hot days and rainy. In panic and in calm. Alone or in a family. Throughout all of this, ‘Daddy is right here.’

Sometimes we might think God is distant or quiet. Sometimes we want to feel him closer than we currently do. We might even question where he is during hard times or strange times, but the simple truth is this…’Daddy is right here.’

As Matthew 28:20 reminds us, in the words of Jesus, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

THE LEEDS BLESSING, a truly magnificent piece of work which features singers and musicians from here at MBC

by

Inspired by the huge online success of The Blessing UK a number of churches in Leeds have come together to make THE LEEDS BLESSING. This superb work which lasts just over eight minutes is performed by singers and musicians from across the city including some from here at MBC.

You can watch it in full here… let us know how many people you recognise.  

Tearfund – a message from Roger Robson about a once in a generation opportunity to rebuild a society which reflects God’s kingdom values

by

SEND YOUR REBOOT MESSAGE BY CLICKING ON THIS LINK     REBOOT MESSAGE     

You can also use our Reboot Campaign video and discussion guide to explore with others how you are experiencing the pandemic, and how you can play your part in building a better world. We’d love to hear how you get on.

 

 

 

 

ZOOM Church Meeting, Tuesday June 9th with a practice run on June 2

by

We are having a church meeting on Tuesday 9th June by zoom. This meeting will run from 7.30pm and finish by 9pm. We shall be giving some important updates and focusing together on what we are learning and experiencing through lockdown and the next steps we can take as church.

Every member shall receive an email giving details on how to attend the meeting.
Firstly, we are holding a practice meeting just to try out the technology and make sure it works – this will be on Tuesday 2nd June at 7.30pm and will only be for about 20/30 minutes. This is a chance to check how things go and take the stress out of the following week.
You will receive an email for the meeting on 2nd June, on Monday 1st June and an email for the meeting on 9th June shortly after we have held the practice meeting.

If you don’t receive either of these emails by the dates mention please get in touch with a Graham, Shona or another member of the Leadership Team.

ACC offer up to ten free counselling sessions to NHS workers and to people who have been recently bereaved

by

ACC, the Association of Christian Counsellors is now offering up to ten free sessions for NHS workers and for people who during but not necessarily because of the Covid-19 pandemic have been beavered. 

The flyer above gives a bit more information about this service but for far more detail and to find out how to access this service please follow this link. 

PHP Code Snippets Powered By : XYZScripts.com