Category: theological Page 2 of 8

Living Together

On November 15, 2015

In church seasons, community, Faith goes walkabout, pastoral, theological

On Sunday November 15th I was delivering a Holy Communion service in the village church. It was an unremarkable day, the same lovely group of people and cheerful organist.

I have come to know and love this church and know that there are always one or two little things that don’t quite work out. This Sunday, it was the microphone system and although we struggled with all the switches and the sound system we couldn’t get it to work.

Looking at the altar in the chancel and where the congregation were sitting, attached to the pews at the back of the church, I didn’t fancy having to shout my way through the Eucharist. I took the brave decision to ask if everyone could move forward to the front!!

If you too are a confirmed Anglican, you know what a big ask that is!

But very willingly everyone moved forward and the benefits were that I didn’t have to shout and they could hear me. Success!!

Being together, finding ways to make things work. Just what living together is really about. God’s love finds us all and we can all share, make changes and love one another as Jesus has asked us to do.

And the kite picture? Well, it is very bright on this autumnal day and also it shows what can happen when we all pull together.

Rev’d Sue Martin – Hospital and Hospice Chaplain Diocese of Norwich

Come away and rest a while…

By faithgoeswalkabout

On July 18, 2015

In church seasons, Faith goes walkabout, theological

Seventh Sunday after Trinity July 19th 2015

‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ Says Jesus to the disciples. Mark 6:31

What a powerful few words. How often would we like someone to say that to us.

Come away and rest a while….

What’s been happening to Jesus and the disciples? Why are they so tired and in need of rest?Jesus saw that his disciples were getting tired and so asked them to come away and rest.

They went in a boat and to find a deserted place, they set off into the Sea of Galilee and headed up the shore, from Capernaum.

But the crowds had seen them and were following on the shore and in fact arrived before they did. So the only rest the disciples has was in the boat. The Sea of Galilee can be incredibly calm and restful beyond measure so let’s hope that they did get some rest before they clambered out of the boat.

When they arrived at the shore Jesus sees the crowds and feels compassion for them as he says, they are like sheep without a shepherd,

And he walks up the hill and starts to speak to them.

Interestingly in today’s readings, we miss out the next section which is the Feeding of the Five thousand, which is a story to itself. And then the calming of the waves, these are both very active sections from Jesus.

And we do all need rest and a time and a place where we can feel peace and calm. Easier said than done!!

Ahead of us we have the summer, holiday time. To experience the real joy of love and laughter and to find space for each other.

In our busy lives it’s hard sometimes to find some space and to Come Away to a deserted place and rest a while.

We rush around getting so much done and achieving more and more, there is more and more on offer for everyone of us and that is really wonderful.

But in the midst of all the running around and endless activity can we find some space, some space to find God and to let God find us. If we never speak to God and say prayers, if we never give thanks and spend some time in worship, how can we expect Him to be with us?

Come Away and rest a while…come to a deserted place all by yourselves.

Amen

For more see Sermons on Faith Goes Walkabout

Rev’d Sue Martin

Calming the Storm

By faithgoeswalkabout

On June 20, 2015

In church seasons, theological, Trinity

Calming the storm, energy and power, who’s in control?

Who is this that even the wind and the storm obey him?

Trinity 3 June 21st 2015, Mark 4:35 – 41 (full version in Sermons)

Let’s go on a journey to the Sea of Galilee and go back a few years, well let’s make it 2000 years or so.

A hot and sunny day, Jesus had been talking and talking and just wanted a few moments of peace and so drifted off to sleep.

The Sea of Galilee (Kinneret) is in northeast Israel, near the Golan Heights in the Jordan Rift Valley, an area where there are earthquakes and previously volcanic activity It’s a large fresh water lake about 10 miles by 7 miles and is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth.

Jesus went out in the boat with the disciples to go the other side.

‘A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat so that the boat was already swamped.’

And what was Jesus doing during this storm?

Fast asleep in the stern of the boat! Imagine the wind raging the small boat boat being tossed around by the great waves…. And Jesus was fast asleep.

You can imagine that the disciples were panicking, Not surprising! So they wake him and ask,’ Is he not bothered that they are about to sink!

Jesus tells the wind to stop and the sea to be still.

‘Then the wind ceased and the sea was dead calm’.

Imagine their faces, ‘Who then is this that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Calming the storm, energy and power, who’s in control and where is the fear?

Faith in Jesus and goodbye to fear!

Rev’d Sue Martin – Faith Goes Walkabout

The Last Supper

By faithgoeswalkabout

On April 2, 2015

In theological

Maundy Thursday and the day when Jesus gathered with his friends in an upstairs room in Jerusalem for the Last Supper.

Today begins the time when Jesus becomes passive in the final stages of his life, he starts at the supper with washing the disciples feet, an action to share the caring and love he held for his friends.

At the supper he told them that one of them would betray him, that on that night he would be handed over to the Jews and the Romans.

What kind of disbelief the disciples must have had.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, he watched and waited, he looked across the Kidron Valley to Jerusalem.

Listen to Thought for the Day with the Rev’d Lucy Winkett.

Jesus Accepts us as we are

By faithgoeswalkabout

On March 9, 2015

In church seasons, theological

Lent 3 – Jesus accepts us as we are with our faults.

He finds us where we are, not where we wish to be or even think we should be and hope to be, but where we are.

In this place, in this time and just as we are.That doesn’t’ mean we should not try to do all that we can in the right way, but an acceptance that we as humans are pretty frail, pretty easily led, pretty concerned about things of no real importance.

Isn’t that why we struggle, isn’t that why we come back to prayer and to church time and time and time again?

In John 8:1-11, Jesus was seeking some rest in the Mount of Olives. The Pharisees brought him a woman who had sinned and they were hoping that he would condem her. What did he do? He asked for any there who had not sinned ever, to throw the first stone. They all walked away and he was left with the woman and asked her not to sin anymore.

Jesus accepts us as we are with our faults.

Rev’d Sue Martin – Sermon for 3rd Sunday in Lent at St John’s Church King’s Lynn

What did I need? -1st Sunday in Lent

By faithgoeswalkabout

On February 22, 2015

In church seasons, Faith and business, Faith goes walkabout, pastoral, theological

Readings Genesis 9:8-17, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1: 9-15

A few weeks ago I was in the Holy Land and I wondered what I had been expecting on that journey and in that place?

Who would I meet? What would I say? What did I need to take?

I am not sure now what I expected, or had I set out on this journey with the hope that I would merely enjoy it and be pleased that I had made the effort?

And as we start Lent our readings for are about temptation, fasting, God’s promise to Noah, and Jesus resurrection.

Temptation – believing that I have got it all right

Fasting – spending time by suffering in some way

God’s Promise – He will be with us

Jesus Resurrection – Beyond all this that we see and meet Jesus died and was resurrected that we may have that eternal life.

In the Holy Land these aspects were all met and I found that they became alive for me. And who did I meet, what could I say and what did I need to take?

Absolutely nothing!

Rev’d Sue Martin

The Transfiguration

By faithgoeswalkabout

On February 14, 2015

In church seasons, pastoral, theological

The Transfiguration Feb 15 2015, St John’s Church, Kings Lynn

Readings 2 Kings 9:1-10 Mark 9:2- 12

Our eyes are opened and at last we see.

Three tents or places look towards the heavens.

I have just come back from the Holy Land and and on Mount Tabor, walked in in the place where the Transfiguration happened.

What was it that Jesus was asking his disciples here? Why again, did he just take Peter, James and John? How amazed were they as they watched Jesus transform into dazzling brightness?

How unbelievable that as the cloud descended there beside Jesus, stood Elijah and Moses?

Jesus took the three disciples there to try to open their eyes to what was happening.
Often in Jewish scriptures we hear of the ‘veil of ordinariness that normally prevents us from seeing the inside of a situation. This is a view and an insight into God’s kingdom, Jesus really did appear as the Messiah. The disciples were transfixed. They could see with their eyes wide open.

We often hear that there are layers and dimensions in this world. Usually we like to make sense of all that we see, hear and know and are familiar with. It is hard to take that leap of faith and enter a world of the unknown.

It’s a bit like being a child again, like exploring for instance the world of music, or the world of dance, looking through a telescope into the stars.

Rev’d Sue Martin – faithgoeswalkabout.org

Holy Land Pilgrimage-The Sea of Galilee

By faithgoeswalkabout

On February 8, 2015

In church seasons, community, Faith and business, Faith goes walkabout, pastoral, theological

This was the start of our pilgrimage, a day full of wonder and awe, a lake so peaceful and calm, a boat trip to remember for ever, a Eucharist by the shore of the lake, serene and full of the Spirit.

We set out, as many do, into the middle of the Sea of Galilee, peaceful and calm, we had prayers we heard the story of the fishermen and the start of the disciples calling, we saw the geography of that place where Jesus began his work.

After the Bishop had said prayers, there were a few of us who started dancing, to the Jewish dance of Hava Nagila, with music from the crew. – Who would have thought it!! But as always dance was brilliant to express emotions and joy.

We held Eucharist by the shores, and to my amazement,the prayers for that day were for the parish were I now serve and first came to church in Ashwicken.

And towards the end of the day we renewed our baptisms in the River Jordan.

A glimpse into this journey of faith, go to holylandpilgrimage on this site to find out more about the journey.

Rev’d Sue Martin Diocese of Norwich

Epiphany 6 January

By faithgoeswalkabout

On January 6, 2015

In church seasons, Epiphany, theological

In Spain on 6th January the celebrations are held for the Twelfth Day of Christmas. The streets of the Spanish capital are filled with children who are waiting to see the parade of the Three Kings or Magi bearing gifts in an annual tradition.

People dressed as fantasy figures on the floats hurled sweets down to the children, who cheer the ornately decorated floats.

The “Magi from the east” – Melchior, Gaspar and Balthasar are following a star to Bethlehem to give gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the newly born Jesus Christ.

If you look in the East sky at night this month, you will see Jupiter,shining brightly, low in the sky,an idea of what that star would have looked like, but multiplied by a magnitude of a thousand times brightness.

Epiphany – bringing light into the darkness.

Rev’d Sue Martin

Diocese of Norwich

Christmas Starts here!

By faithgoeswalkabout

On December 21, 2014

In church seasons, theological

Advent Carols in East Walton, Norfolk

The coal burning stove had been stoked for 2 days to keep us warm, the choir were practising in the chancel, the mincepies had been freshly made and the spices in the mulled wine smelt delicious.

The church was full with people from the village and nearby.

Nowhere more than this could the spirit of Christmas be about to happen.

Rev’d Sue Martin