Skip to main content

Street Church, Leeds

Visiting The Lighthouse Church in the Crypt of St. George's Church, Leeds just over a week after worshipping with the Street Church in Rio, provided a rich opportunity to reflect upon similarities and differences...

GOD'S LOVE at the heart of both.
SHARED MINISTRY - lay and ordained - underpinned both.
WELCOME - everyone (known 'regular' attenders and newcomers - like me) was shown warmth, friendship and compassion with open hearts in both.
EMMANUEL - remembering God's presence with us - even in our 'darkest' of times - and God's desire for us to live with hope and trust in the transformative power of the Holy Spirit was the key message in both.
CONTEMPORARY MUSIC - live in Leeds ( we sang a Christian variant to the Beatles' "Let it be"!) and recorded in Rio  (but what a witness worshipping in public)  enriched the quality of worship, generating a tangible sense of corporate endeavour in both
LITURGICAL DRESS - a (retired) bishop in purple shirt, cassock alb and stole in Rio and two casually dressed clergy in clerical collars in Leeds but, in both, a physical demonstration of clerical leadership and presence.
TEAMS - clergy and lay working together in common witness and service evident in both.
SERVICE  - food common to both, clothes and medication in Rio (offered or 'signposted' during the week in Leeds) and lots of interpersonal "TLC" very freely expressed in both
MEN - far more men attending than women in both
CHRIST'S SPIRIT - spoken of, celebrated and evident in both - thank the Lord!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Beginnings...

A journey begins with one step and (with some trepidation) I start my sabbatical.
The hope?
To rest, have time out to reflect on calling,  ministry and what it might look like in the future - personally and within the context of Ruthin....
So, a prayer:
Loving God, in my journeying and my resting, in my listening and or reflecting please guide me and lead me afresh to the light of your truth, Jesus.
For I ask in His name...
AMEN.
2 comments
Read more

Walthamstow - seen in passing....

How about this for a "mobile library"?
Households volunteer to host a "book house" which is stocked with books. People passing can borrow / add / replace a book and so the mini library continues....
What a wonderfully simple public service...!
1 comment
Read more

Sabbatical in summary...

My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.’ 
Oh God, can those words be for me too?
How I long to hear them!
I’m not Moses, but I’m also on a journey – trying to follow Jesus.Some days, life seems like an unmarked wilderness,
and I’m not sure which way to go.
‘My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.’
Yes, I hear you Lord. Help me to trust.Other days, I’m so busy that I don’t stop to listen.
I’m stressed and distracted and frazzled.
‘My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.’
Yes, I hear you Lord. Help me to pause and take time for you.Then there are the days when I do remember.
I walk restfully in your presence.
How different those days are.‘My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.’
Yes, I believe you Lord. Those words are for me. 
Your presence does go with me and give me rest.
Thank you Lord!Amen
Richard England
Post a Comment
Read more