abbotsford.org.uk

From one idea to the next 2

3-4th May Church Without Walls are organising 'The National Gathering' which will be the biggest get together of Church of Scotland ever along with other denominations and faiths. It's a whole weekend event with a tonne of stuff going on. John Sentamu will be there plus other big names. There's seminars and music and worship and art and games and... and... and... and a 500 tented city. Congregations are being asked to buy one of these tents which will cost £300 and then fill it, not with happy campers but with stories and events and activites that reflect what is going on in their congregation.

So I wondered about Abbotsford buying a tent and doing stuff in it. We could run mini CAOS events along with offering Mucky Paws and photos of everythign we do including taking through some of the photos from the exhibition happening in October (have I told you about that yet?) and we could do some music and could we knit something again over the weekend and have people popping in all the time doing stuff.

I suppose we'd need to have someone back here to take the service because not everyone will want to come through! But we could do lots.

The tent will be pitched for us (Marquee size) and then afterwards it will be sent to a place of need around the world. So does anyone want to come away for a weekend in May. It's like a mini-Greenbelt. You can come for a day or for the whole weekend and camp. We could run a wee coffee morning to pay for the tent and get all our organisations (such as they are) to do some table stuff and then do lots of craft stuff. We should also have a CAOS worker by then (please God) and could get them involved too.

So don't go on holiday over the first weekend in May (it is a holiday weekend) by look out for More of The National Gathering.

From one idea to the next

Anyone fancy a weekend away?

And then it was all over

Fabulous chaos tonight. Very noisy and busy. Lots of effort in displaying everything and keeping all ages entertained especially by Sandra and Lasley. Just amazing. Lots of good comments from the feedback sheets about the good organisation and the many activities that enthused everyone. One question was 'I'd bring my child back to CAOS:summer because...' and one reply was '... becasue my child would kill me if I didn't.'

It was just fabulous to see the church vibrant with art and people. We've even got a couple interested in coming to Sunday School. I also had a conversation with someone about how church originally was like this, being part of the community, doing community things, getting people in to learn stuff, help with stuff 'heal' in certain ways too but we became owners of buildings and didn't want them scratched and so it all died away.

So CAOS and all the things like CAOS that bring folk together we don't meet anywhere else and share a bit of life receiving it more then giving it, is getting back to doing curch and being church and living like church? I believe him. Anyone else?

Chocolate Teapots for 19th August

Yesterday we had a wee blether about faith not being a whole load of creeds we've got to sing up to and those who sign up to the strangest ones get a better palce in heaven. But what is faith... I said that's what we'd look at this week. Better think about that. So what do you think?

Hebrews 11:29-12:2 is the passage. It's the leftover bit from yesterday, but are there any now insights when you read it? Anything that makes faith into a doing word?

If you have any thought, please do post theme here. Also the usual request for hymns that are suitable, music, images and a way of doing the reading that would make it more understandable and if any are possible (given everything else that needs to be added to a service) then you'll see them on Sunday.

Just a wee reminder of the CAIS:summer night out tomorrow for everyone 7pm-9pm in the church. 50p

Contemporary Communion

Some images of the 'Faith is... the last of the bread' communion are posted under the worship space album.

That was the Sunday that was

Old clothes and poridge. Summer up beautifully though the singing wasn't cad at all, not from where I was standing. maybe everyone was warmed up from last week. A couple of positive comments from a few folk and that was that.

I enjoyed the worship space tonight at the contemporary communion. The welcomeing hall was stripped of everything that is normally there and a number of images put in their place. It centred around the theme from this morning 'Faith is...' and took stories from Jesus to illustrate what faith is. But it wasn't the gold encased doctrine of belief, but the tinness of life, the questions the doubts the wonderings that were faith. If it was all so certain and assured as all the gold laminated creed stuff suggests, then it wouldn't be faith. It's the struggling, the questioning, the agony as Jesus himself felt that speaks of faith. As the best line tonight said, 'Faith is the end of the loaf, when you dont' know if there will be any more' just as we broke bread togetehr using the ends of the loaf to do so.

So I enjoyed the space. I'll post some images later tonight. And those who come occasionally, please do send me your comments about creative communion, the why, the what happens, the reason this works in ways formal communion doesn't. It really breaks free from 'what we're meant to do' and lets heaven be revealled as she really is...

Notices doe 12th August 2007

Contemporary Communion: Tonight at 6.30-7pm. Faith is… bread and wine in a contemporary setting. An installation space to break the body and pass the cup.

CAOS:summer : A celebration of all that went on during the summer, an exhibition of arts and crafts, a feast of food and a big laugh on Tuesday 14th at 7-9pm. This is for everyone in the congregation to see what went on and will cost a mere 50p for tea and coffee and everything. Pop in any time.

Lunch with the Almighty: 12.15 on Wednesday with tea and coffee.

Bowling Club: Thursday from 6.30, open to everyone for a wee game, a wee cup of tea and a wee chat.

Door Duty Next Week: P Edwards, H McFarlane, J Smith, F Sinclair, D Campbell, S Hillis, N Wilson, R Edwards

Concert: Sydenham Singers will be in concert at Kilbowie St Andrew’s on Thursday 23rd August at 7.30. Tickets, at the door, £4/£3

NEXUS: The biggest Christian Event this year is looking for stewards to help with the event. If you are free 23-25 August and would like to attend and give a few hours of your time, hen speak to the minister after the service.

Hint for Sunday

To possibly whet your appetite. Alternatively make you decide you'd rather just stay in your bed on Sunday. Any guesses as to the theme?!

Voice 1: Faith is…
Voice 2: believing 12 impossible things before breakfast.

Voice 1: Faith is…
Voice 3: stepping out the boat and walking on water.

Voice 1: Faith is…
Voice 4: watching bees, who don’t know they can’t fly, fly.

Voice 1: Faith is…
Voice 2: looking at an atom and hoping that’s not all there is.

Voice 1: Faith is…
Voice 3: playing in a child’s latest fairy adventure.

Voice 1: Faith is…
Voice 4: being here when the world isn’t.

Voice 1: Faith is the waiting, the possibility, the maybe and the perhaps
It is the being in God and wondering what God is up to
It is not the certainty but the expectancy of God

Voice 1: Faith is…

Contemporary communion

Sunday 6:30. It's all about 'faith is...' In my head it's going to be brilliant. On paper it is nothing as yet. But it is happening. It will involve people of faith, srt moments, an installation thing I think and candles aong with bread and wine. Faith is... faith is... faith is... trusting there will be a complete service by Sunday evening.

Communion Help

Looking for a wee bit of help. I've to do a talk on communion at a "symposium" (oooh) in September. I'm going along the creative communion line with the title: "Communion, beyond common order" (ain't that sexy as they say). The idea of the symposium to stretch where we are at the moment and learn from other experiences. This is just part of the process of the Communion Task Group that will take a few years to get a much deeper, more thorough tapping in to comtemporary experience and understanding and engagement with communion in the church and wider afield.

Anyway, this is just a wee question for those who have come to the creative communion on Sunday nights and indeed those who haven't been there and why. What happens to you when you come along? Why do you come? What is different? Is it a better experience and what do you mean by 'better'? How do you engage differently and how does it speak into your faith?

Is art experience important for you? You you analyse it or let it wash over you? Is it the contemporary words or the images or noth or the actions, ambience, or the whole lot? Is it the cup of tea afterwards (which is different from morning!)

Anyway, if you can answer even just one of these questions that would be fabulous. Either here or directly to me. You might get a prize of a walk on part in the service on Sunday evening (forgot there was one. 6.30 Sunday evening)