Etheldreda

Great name for the Abbess of Ely, c. 678 whom the C of E remembers today.

I must admit to smiling when I read in Saints on Earth: A biographical companion to Common Worship (Darch & Burns), 95:

Etheldreda, sometimes referred to as Audrey, was the daughter of Anna, a Christian King of the East Angles.

King Anna? I bet he had a hard time in the playground!

Jesus the Resurrection

Some jottings for tonight's sermon:

Jesus the Resurrection, Lord of Life & Death (John 11:1-47)

Trust in Jesus, The Resurrection and the Life, the Christ, the Son of God, the Master à belief / faith vv25-26, 45; 20v31

… even in the face of sickness and death – vv1-2

Take your needs straight to Jesus (in prayer) – v3

… even when he seems to get things wrong – v4

… even when his timing is inexplicable or help is delayed – v6

… even when you can’t understand what he says or does, when your faith is weak or confused – vv4-6, 7-8, 11-13; Mark 9v24

… even when it means persecution and opposition and the dangerous self-sacrificial way of the cross – vv7-8, 16

… even when he seems not to answer prayer as we wanted or when it seems hopeless and too late – vv17, 21

… even in the midst of tears, real grief and pain – v19, 21, 31-33

… because of his great love, compassion, sympathy, empathy, true humanity – vv3, 11, 35-36 – Jesus knows what it’s like to weep

… because of his unique, amazing supernatural God-like Creation power, because the Father hears him – vv41-45; 1vv3-4

… because Jesus rules death – vv33, 38 - and gives new life here and now – 17v3 - death is only sleep for the Christian – vv11-13 à nothing to fear – 1 Cor 15v55; a foretaste of the Resurrection, v24

… because if you do you will see the glory of God – v4, 40 - and your faith will be strengthened, which is for your best. Jesus is in control, has a plan and knows what he’s doing

A picture of spiritual rebirth through the gospel – 3v3, 5vv24-29, Eph 2vv1-6à proclaim the gospel with confidence in Jesus’ power

Our Camp Training Day

Here are some plans for what we'll hopefully be up to tomorrow:

By 10am Arrivals, name labels, coffee etc.

10:15am Welcome, introductions, notices, apologies etc., opening prayer

Songs: You’re the Word of God the Father

Now In Reverence and Awe

10:30am Bible teaching and prayer

11am Our aims, vision, ethos, values, ways of working etc.

11:15am Coffee break

11:30am How camp works: a “typical” year, week, day

11:45am Making the most of our “8 Days Around The World” theme

12pm How to lead a dorm Bible study on Mark’s Gospel

12:30pm Personal work and the Two Ways to Live gospel outline

Song: Praise God from whom all blessings flow

1pm Lunch

Song: The Splendour of the King

1:45pm Making the most of dorm time

2:15pm Working with 11-14 year olds: what makes Pathfinders tick?

2:45pm Financial matters

3pm Afternoon tea break

Changes to dorms

3:15pm Time in dorm groups (led by overall dorm leaders)

3:45pm Child protection

4pm Admin & Any changes to the camp handbook?

4:30pm Time in “teams” / sorting stuff out with individuals / groups / speakers and overall dorm leaders

5pm Any questions, any other business?

Song: How Great Thou Art

5:15pm Prayer time

5:30pm You are free to go if you need to!

Evening Meal followed by clean up!

John's Gospel for Danehill 1 Leaders

Here are some jottings for some of the things I plan to say at our camp training day in the morning:

An introduction to John’s Gospel

with some learnings for Danehill 1 2010

and some things I’ve been wanting to say about Camp!

The key to John – reading the last page first – 20:30-31 – the purpose of the Gospel

Wouldn’t it have been wonderful to be one of the first disciples in that upper room…

Doubting Thomas – seeing is believing - 20:24 / reading is believing - 20:29!

John (and the Scriptures) give us “more blessed” / happy access to meeting with the risen Jesus today for ourselves – we are more privileged than the first disciples because we have a Bible!

so it is to the Scriptures we must go, and to which we must direct the Pathfinders

The purpose of John (and the Scriptures) is that we should:

(a) (begin to) believe in Jesus (for the first time) AND / OR ?

(b) go on believing in Jesus

which is our purpose for the Pathfinders – remember both:

(a) those who are not yet Christians and

(b) those who are already believers

We are about: Conversion & Discipleship; Evangelism & Nurture; Mission & Maturity

Belief / trusting Jesus brings us real “life” – quality & quantity of life, now and for ever – 10:10; eternal life, knowing God - 17:3

The authority of the Bible – Scripture cannot be broken – 10:35 – Jesus appeals to the exact words

The point of the Bible is to come to Jesus in faith – 5:39-40 – not just academic knowledge etc.

Meeting Jesus (for the first time or afresh, being transformed by him) – people who meet Jesus in John e.g. Disciples, Nicodemus, Samaritan woman, Royal official, paralysed man, crowds

A new vision of the greatness of Jesus – The Christ, The Son of God, Word (1:1), I AM (way, truth, life, resurrection, door, good shepherd, light of the world, bread of life, true vine), signs, glory etc.

Jesus is the ultimate answer to all our needs and all the Pathfinders’ needs

The example of John the Baptist – The voice - 1:23; We want to cry “Behold, the Lamb!” – 1:29, 35; - Shine our little spotlight on Jesus The Light – 5:32-34 – Witness pointing others to Him - 1:7-8 – Humility - 1:15, 27, 30; - Jesus must become greater, we must become less - 1:30 – rejoice if the Pathfinders make much of Him and little of us

Humble self-sacrificial service – Jesus’ example - wash one another’s feet – 13:14-17

Love - 13:34-35; 15:12, 13, 17; mutual care, thoughtfulness, helping out, carrying one another’s’ burdens – a powerful witness – our lives must match our lips, walk and talk, words and actions

Unity in the truth – 17:20-23; 17:17 – the word of truth; “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, love” – distinguish primary and secondary issues; set aside personal preferences, denominational distinctives etc. – CPAS Basis of Faith sets out some essentials

Expecting struggle / hardship / grief - 11:35 / persecution - 15:20 / failures / set backs / misunderstandings, QQ - 8:27; 10:6; 12:16; 20:9 / knowing our weakness and need - 6:5-13

Dependence on the power of the Spirit – new birth - 3:5-8; 16:7-11

An outward and visible sign

James Philip called death the sacrament of sin.

Jesus The Life

Some first jottings towards preaching on John 11:1-47

Trust in Jesus, The Resurrection and the Life, the Christ, the Son of God, the Master

… even in the face of sickness and death

… even when he seems to get things wrong

… even when his timing is inexplicable

… even when you can’t understand what he says or does

… even when it means persecution and opposition

… even when it seems hopeless and too late

… even in the midst of grief and pain

Because of his great love

Because of his amazing power, because the Father hears him

Because Jesus rules death

Because if you do you will see the glory of God