FROM THE MANSE

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Good news – Messy Church is growing!

We have a team of people from St Lawrence’s and the Methodist church, some in charge of the catering side, others the creative stuff, and it is really coming together well.

On our first meeting in May, we had around 16 children (including tiny brothers and sisters) and about 26 sat down for the simple meal at the end of the afternoon. We learnt a lot from that first session, and in retrospect were grateful that the numbers were the way they were!

Last week we had our second meeting, and there were around 23 children, with parents taking the numbers up to 38. We were looking at the story of Joseph, and the crafts we had on offer were:

• dream painting – great fun, and VERY messy with bubbles of paint, which went down a storm with the children, representing Joseph’s dreams
• decorating and making small gift boxes, thinking about the present that Jacob gave Joseph
• small mosaic coloured coats to take home
• multi-coloured streamers to use in worship
• and a huge and beautiful coat of many colours which is presently residing in the church.

Our church service concentrated on how God makes good things come out of bad – have a read again of the story in Genesis 37, and 39-48. In fact when you read any of the stories of the patriarchs in the Old Testament, what comes across is that they were in no way perfect, the situations that they often found themselves in were difficult and dangerous, and yet God uses them and brings good out of the mess.

Because life is messy and difficult, to think that if you become a Christian all will be sweetness and light is self deluding. God never said it will be easy, but God promises not to leave us, to be there alongside us, in the difficult times as well as the good times, in the mess, the pain, and the ups and downs of our daily life.

At my testimony service Revd Mark Wakelin preached very powerfully on Isaiah 43 – ‘Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you’. He stressed that the verses following don’t say ‘if the fire is burning about you’ or ‘if the water threaten to sweep you away’, but WHEN. God is there in the midst of our pain and anxiety. Sometimes it is difficult to see this. Only later when we look back are we aware of the guidance of God, keeping our head above the waters, helping us to grow.

By trusting in His loving care, God gives us the strength to cope with the mess and difficulties, and helps us to pick up the pieces, to join with our Creator in weaving something new and beautiful out of brokenness.

Every Blessing

 

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Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Matthew Ch 5, v 9