Lent Group; Wednesday evenings in High Legh
“Finding a Voice” based on the film The King’s Speech
We began the evening by looking at the start of the film as Bertie (later to be King Edward VIIIth) tries to overcome his fear and stammer to address the crowd at Wembley.
We then identified the fears inside Bertie and related them to our own fears especially our social fears. In pairs we discussed how our fears sometimes prevent us attempting things because we fear not living up to the expectations of others.
We then watched Bertie several years later when, as King, he makes his first wartime address to the nation. We thought about those who supported Bertie and those who support and encourage us to overcome our fears and anxieties.
In the reading provided for the days following the session we were urged to find “supporting actor” roles for ourselves as we support and encourage those whom we meet in life.
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At this session we discussed how being sorry, repenting and asking for forgiveness is connected to  healing and restoration. Some of the points made were as follows:
 

• Forgiveness is the link between being sorry and healing.
• The quality of the “sorry” is relevant and needs to be genuine for healing to take place.
• It is easy to say sorry but actions speak louder than words.

 
Sometimes it is difficult to decide who is in the right and there may be occasions when we say sorry for the sake of restoring relationships when we know that the fault is not predominantly ours.
True forgiveness means letting go of the hurt and not retelling others of one’s hurt.
Sometimes one can be sorry for an action because it upsets someone close to us but we know that the action is for the good of that person.
 
“Love means never having to say sorry” (quote from the film, “Love Story”) - if we love someone we won’t upset them in an ideal world, so would not have a reason to say sorry.   If you have to keep saying sorry it becomes meaningless. When an apology is accepted there is a huge sense of relief, a weight is lifted off your shoulders. It is always good to learn from your mistakes.
 
The point was also made that when people do not forgive someone and dwell on the hurt they feel it can have a significant effect on their psyche and their physical health with conditions such as headaches, depression and insomnia being more prevalent.
 
Margaret then used the toothpaste demonstration to show how words are like toothpaste.  Used correctly toothpaste keeps our mouths clean and healthy – like words to encourage, cheer someone up, helpful positive words that bring joy to others.  Sometimes we become sloppy and the toothpaste comes out and sticks around the cap.  Often comments such as moaning, complaining and being negative ends with bad moods and hurt feelings.  If you squeeze the paste hard a mess goes everywhere.  We can’t take back what comes out.  You can’t take your words back, just like
you can’t put the paste back into the tube.                                                                                                                           
 
As we read in Ephesians 4:31-32,  “Put away all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you”.
 
We are asked to forgive others as our Lord unconditionally forgives us and in so doing we can help to restore relationships, receive healing and enjoy greater mental and physical wellbeing. 

​Living in the Light 3:
We read Luke 1 verses 39 to 55 and spent time looking at the relationship between Mary and Elizabeth and at the context at that time.
We then looked closely at Mary’s song – the Magnificat – and discussed the meaning of the words describing God’s actions and attributes.
As a group we felt that both men and women can be supportive – it depends on the person and the experience; we call on different people according to our needs. Everyone shared an example of how our skills have developed.
Much discussion took place about the hope of Advent and the Kingdom of God. This led to us reading Ecclesiastes chapter 3 but time was too short for an in-depth exploration of the text.

​This week focussed on the opening verses of John’s gospel and we discussed the difference between Luke’s version which is full of the earthly reality of the birth of Jesus – the time, place, who came to visit etc and the mystery of “the word became flesh and made his dwelling amongst us”.
John describes Jesus in terms of life, light, grace, truth and we shared ideas of how we might describe Jesus to friends.
We also considered what helps us to “ponder” about the mystery of God – music, art, reading and for many of us, walking in the beauty of the countryside or gardening – the wonder of God’s creation. Advent provides a time to halt the rush of life and reflect on what the birth of Christ means to us – a route to God, the invisible made visible, God’s nature made plain.
Finally we thought about the image of Christ as light and how it helps us to face the dark times of life.
All in all, a lively and interesting evening!
 

Our Café Church Service in October followed on the “harvest” theme after the wonderful Harvest Festival Service we held the previous week in church with all the beautiful fruit and flowers on display.
We thought about “Sowing through to Harvest” and what the parable of the sower Jesus told the people actually meant.  Stewart Jackson led us in an interesting task based on growing plants, which we all know he is very good at!  We talked about preparing the ground, sowing seed, heat, light, water and oxygen, nurture, weeding and feeding, and finally the harvest of food or flowers. 
The congregation had some interesting and meaningful answers to offer, a few listed here will give you an insight into our discussion.  Preparing the ground: (baptism, Sunday school, prayer).  Sowing: (lead by example, outreach, education).  Heat, light, water & oxygen: (daily reading the bible, exploration, communication through shared belief, consistent care but don’t overdo it and drown growth), follow the ‘light of the world’)  Nurture: (Café Church, maintenance of faith, fellowship groups and bible study, Christ died for us because he loves us more than anybody, vulnerability to outside influences and the wrong path).    Harvest: (grow the people to spread the message, sharing the Word, annual renewal at harvest time, ministry and oneness with God, communication and prayer).
“The one who receives the seed in rich soil is the person who hears the word and understands it; he is the one who yields a harvest.”    Matthew 13: 23
We leave you with a wonderful quote to remember from our service given by one of our ladies which really spoke to us all.  “I am in the harvest of my life and I want to plant seeds for the next crop.”
Yours in Christ
Stewart, Mags & Chris 

This week we looked at the Bible as a lamp. We agreed that as a lamp the light isn’t always clear and the pathway that is illuminated is sometimes obscure. We looked at the reading from Luke 16: 1 – 8 from the previous Sunday service. We read several commentaries and found that they did provide some enlightenment although some confusion remained!
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This week should be intriguing as we consider the bible as a two-edged sword.

St John’s Café Church this month talked about human trafficking and modern day slavery.  Teresa May brought the Modern Slavery Act into force which has successfully prosecuted slave traders, but what are we doing as Christians today?
Most of the congregation had some knowledge of the subject and it was generally agreed many people find themselves at the mercy of gang masters because of poverty, persecution or war.  Areas of concern are labour on the land, organs taken for money or against someone’s will, sex industry, forced marriages, slavery (live in carers, waiters, cleaners paid below minimum wage).  Many of us acknowledged we would be fearful of intervention in terms of our personal safety and that of our families, but all of us must be vigilant to assist anyone in need, always using the proper authorities such as the Police or Social Services.  The vulnerable of all ages do not have the freedom to choose.
God has dominion over all things and through prayer support and practical giving to services such as the Salvation Army, Tearfund and other charitable bodies, we can help to support not only the victims of these crimes, but those who prey on the vulnerable.
Our final prayer was for all who work against human trafficking.
“Lord of creation, we thank you for all who are working to combat human trafficking:  for governments and agencies, for Church and other faith leaders, for charities and individuals.  Help us to be part of love’s movement to work for a world where human beings are valued, free to come and go, where no one is enslaved, no one used against their will for other’s pleasure, or other’s need.”  Amen
Margaret Kitchen, Chris Stanisstreet and Stewart Jackson

​As well as recapping the first session on what the bible is what books it contains, when it was written etc, we considered the bible as the breath of God. We asked what it means to say that the bible is the breath of God. Just as breathing brings life into the body, reading the bible breathes spiritual life into each one of us.
The written word of God witnesses to the living Word of God – Jesus Christ.
There will be no meeting in September. Instead, the group will meet on four consecutive Wednesdays in September and October:
September 28th 2016
October 5th   2016
October 12th   2016
October 19th  2016
 
Some verses to reflect on as we consider the Word of God (the Bible) as the “breath of God”:
Then the Lord formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17)

 Archbishop Justin and Archbishop Sentamu asked Christians thughout the country to pray particularly more people to come to know that Jesus is Lord. They asked churches to find ways to support this “wave of prayer” during the week before Pentecost. One of the ways that we in the United Benefice encouraged our congregations to engage with the week of prayer was to hold a discussion evening about prayer on the Tuesday evening of the week before Pentecost
We considered what prayer is, discussed how and when we pray, looked at some resources and thought about what we should pray for as we follow the lead of Jesus.
The evening ended with a short quiet prayer:
“Thanks be to God who through us spreads in every place the fragrance of knowing Jesus Christ” (adapted from 2 Corinthians 2:14). We used a scented candle to help us focus on the idea of breathing in the fragrance of Christ so that we can breathe it out into the world around us.