This morning I really didn't feel like preaching. I was planned at the smallest church in our circuit. It is run by three or four ladies who keep the flame burning. Not all of them are in the best of health. They have no musician so use a karaoke hymnal machine.
The starting congregation was three women, one youngish man who had arrived in from Bulgaria at 2.00 am this morning and me.
Halfway through the prayers of adoration and confession the door opened and the congregation doubled. Three ladies came from a local carehome two were blind and one has special needs and occasionally disruptive behaviour. Two young women carers came with them.
During the preparation for intercessory prayer I asked members of the congregation for topics: that is one advantage of a small congregation, it can be very open to participation.
The youngish man told of his work in an orphanage in Bulgaria. He works closely with a team of sisters from Mother Theressa's order. We prayed for one family where the mother is dying of cancer and will leave four young children.
The service was transformed. My text was taken from Psalm 111 verse 10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom". This I set against today's New Testament reading Luke 17:11-19.
Ten lepers saw their life changed after they had met Jesus. "One when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him". Just one out of ten.
I feel this is like the contemporary church and our Christian peoples. Our lives can be transformed, we can be endowed with buildings, we have complex administrative structures, we are fed and housed.
Yet so few of us live lives which clearly can be seen to praise God. Much of what we do as a Methodist Church and as individual believers is far from mission and witness. Nor do we seem to lead lives that are full of wisdom nor full of thanks.
The words fell into place as the Holy Spirit moved. Wonderful time.![]()
The starting congregation was three women, one youngish man who had arrived in from Bulgaria at 2.00 am this morning and me.
Halfway through the prayers of adoration and confession the door opened and the congregation doubled. Three ladies came from a local carehome two were blind and one has special needs and occasionally disruptive behaviour. Two young women carers came with them.
During the preparation for intercessory prayer I asked members of the congregation for topics: that is one advantage of a small congregation, it can be very open to participation.
The youngish man told of his work in an orphanage in Bulgaria. He works closely with a team of sisters from Mother Theressa's order. We prayed for one family where the mother is dying of cancer and will leave four young children.
The service was transformed. My text was taken from Psalm 111 verse 10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom". This I set against today's New Testament reading Luke 17:11-19.
Ten lepers saw their life changed after they had met Jesus. "One when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him". Just one out of ten.
I feel this is like the contemporary church and our Christian peoples. Our lives can be transformed, we can be endowed with buildings, we have complex administrative structures, we are fed and housed.
Yet so few of us live lives which clearly can be seen to praise God. Much of what we do as a Methodist Church and as individual believers is far from mission and witness. Nor do we seem to lead lives that are full of wisdom nor full of thanks.
The words fell into place as the Holy Spirit moved. Wonderful time.
