Pilgrimage at the bandstand
Posted in General, on January 24th, 2010 by FiJust thought I’d better update what we’ve beenup to for those who haven’t joined us but are interested in what we’re up to! Last Sunday we began with a reading from Luke 24 of the disciples on their way to Emmaus. They were so preoccupied by the events of that weekend that they failed to recognise the risen Christ jouneying with them and teaching them. It was suggested that we might also be so wrapped up in our own busyness and preoccupations that we might too miss what Jesus is saying and being NOW.
So thanks to Chris’s visit on the Wednesday before, we had a go at ’slow walking’ – a deliberate slowing down to raise our awareness of our surroundings and of God’s presence. We dispersed from the bandstand and – slowly – went our separate journeys to become aware of the now, of Jesus with us, of our own journey… And wrapped arond our necks, a scarf, representing Christ with us as our close companion.
More of that needed – wonderful.
Then back to take off our scarves and to wrap them around the bandstand as a symbol of our prayers for named people known to us and those far away in Haiti and ellsewhere who need Jesus’ companionship specially now.
For Pam and others in Haiti
For those not known to us...For Tony and for Kate
We finished using Steve’s ‘Companionship’ liturgy with bread and wine, with the added challenge to be pilgrim people who attract and invite others to join the journey…
Today, Paul and Fi helped us reflect on the spiritual journey we’ve come on and to consider both what we believe and how we believe it. We heard a clip from a Frank Schaeffer talk at Greenbelt 2 years ago sharing how he’d come to reject the idea that he knew anything, in the light of his moving away from past certainties. Fi shared the challenging story from the new Mars Hill Pastor about the Mennanite man who lived out so passionately his belief in pacifism and could explain his belief in his position, whilst also acknowledging ‘But I could be wrong’. Since we all have changed the way we’ve looked at certain issues of faith as the years have gone by, how can we hold in tension that same passionate conviction that makes an impact on how we live, whilst holding that with an open hand and accepting that we might be wrong?
Challenging stuff that we mulled over further at Costa… not forgetting that we’d been set homework to live out that radical humility in our conversations and homes and workplaces by actually saying ‘But I could be wrong’!
Wonderful as ever meeting at the bandstand and glorious to meet in sunshine and relative warmth! Posts required to update us on who scores the most Pharisee points in relation to how we get on with our homework!!