Faith Goes Walkabout

Thoughts and reflections

Category: community Page 1 of 6

The Bread of Life

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On August 11, 2024

In community, Diocese of Norwich, Faith goes walkabout, Sermons, Travel, Trinity

 

The bread of life

Bread is a basis of the food that we need, it is a staple ingredient to keep ourselves healthy. It is like a mainstay to making sure that the morning starts well or at some time in the day we are provided for. Think of all the times you eat bread….

In the gospel of John for todays readings on 11th Sunday in Trinity Jesus says;

‘I am the bread of life’ ‘whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never go thirsty’.

I’ve just retuned from a holiday in Croatia and every morning it was my job to cycle the mile along the edge of the Adriatic to buy the bread and croissants. Not too hard a job!

Every day we shared the bread as a provision, it gave us all joy and a chance to talk together… read more on sermons.

Rev’d Sue Martin

The Easter Story

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On April 11, 2023

In community, Easter

Telling the story…

 

In the week before Easter I visited our three schools for their end of term Collective Worship. I had prepared a short talk, some additional props to help this incredible and yet, such a hard story. To be honest, I was feeling a little daunted.

Each of the three schools were so well prepared, in different ways, but the amazing thing that bound them all together was their understanding and ability to explain  the whole story by writing, pictures and actions.

Sometimes we should just leave the story to itself and not over-complicate things. Too much theological interpretation is not always a good thing!!

Rev’d Sue Martin

Only two days away!!

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On March 26, 2023

In community, Diocese of Norwich, Faith goes walkabout

Martha had sent a message to Jesus to come quickly as her brother Lazarus was seriously ill. But Jesus stayed away for two days, why?

Some different thoughts on time keeping are…

Nice and early, Always on time, Just in time and Running late!

Nice and early. I have to admit to hardly ever fitting into the first one, nice and early. As much as I would love to be that organised I never really am.

Always on time is not for me either, hand on heart. I am now better but I have to really work at it!

Just in time fits me nicely. Gathering things together, having a last cup of tea and then getting to the right place.

Running late – can still be said of me occasionally now. I don’t like it as it means that you may be letting people down, so I do try hard!

And so Mary and Martha were distraught, Lazarus, their brother had died, They had sent word to Jesus who was only two days away, so why didn’t he come then?

Read more… Sermons 2023

Snowdrops

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On February 17, 2023

In church seasons, community, Faith goes walkabout

A New Beginning

Let’s take a tiny thing… the snowdrop… Lots now flowering in our churchyards, a flower of winter, and a herald of Spring. How uplifting it is to see their beautiful and tiny white flowers appear through the ground and make carpets of flower in January and February. The beginning of our year. They represent purity. Light and peace.

Snowdrops are a first sign, a promise that spring is on its way, sometimes called Candlemass Bells.

Read more in Sermons 2023

Rev’d Sue Martin

Earthquake in Turkey and Syria

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On February 8, 2023

In community, Syria and Turkey

Earthquakes in Syria and Turkey…

Earthquake in Turkey and Syria has caused massive destruction and loss of life. The first 7.8 magnitude quake struck near Gaziantep in the early hours of Monday, followed by a 7.5 magnitude tremor hours later. The quakes were all shallow which increased the possibility for damage.

The devastation is too horrendous for words. Rescuers were on the scene immediately, listening for the tiniest of voices in the rubble. Finding people left alive is now becoming less likely as time goes on.

Words are not enough, please donate now to charities involved. My money is going to Unicef.

In haste

Rev’d Sue Martin

Harvest Services with Schools

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On October 19, 2022

In church seasons, community, Diocese of Norwich

Harvest services from our schools have filled the churches. Way beyond our expectations. Churches bursting at the seams. Food donations piled high at the font and the altar. All ready to be taken to the town food bank.

Children’s voices raised the roof. Prayers read and stories told.

What more could I add than just the biggest thank you from the depths of my heart for bringing back the love, laughter and joy to church.

Rev’d Sue Martin

Help and Pray for the People of the Ukraine.

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On March 2, 2022

In community, Diocese of Norwich, Ukraine

…dreadful and devastating crisis emerges before our eyes

The dreadful and devastating crisis emerges before our eyes as the Russian military invade Ukraine.

This is something we have not experienced for over eighty years. Hundreds of thousands of children and adults have been affected. The evacuation of so many people on the roads with their suitcases, travelling away from their homes to places of safety, such as Poland, Moldova, Romania, and Hungary. Europe is united in support of these people who need our help now.

What can we do? Firstly, we can pray. We can pray for the people and for peace. In our schools, in our churches and in our homes. We can pray on our own or join in with others to show solidarity, united in faith.

Secondly, we can give. It may be online donation or actual clothes and food and medicines. There are places in every town where these can be sent to depots to reach the Ukrainian people, wherever they are.

There are many large charities where your money will be well used. UNICEF is focussing on children and families.

Donate now to protect children in Ukraine

A Prayer for Ukraine

Dear Father,

We pray for peace and for the leaders of the countries as they try valiantly to open talks and prevent further fighting and use of weapons.

We pray for the people in Ukraine, those who have stayed and those who have travelled away from their country, in fear and desperation for their lives. Children and families have been separated in the fight for the freedom of their country. Help us to do what we can to help, by giving and praying.

Father, hear our prayers and calm our fears. Be with us and with our neighbours of Ukraine.

Amen.  Rev’d Sue Martin, Diocese of Norwich

 

Feeling small…

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On February 6, 2022

In community, Diocese of Norwich, Faith and business

I have always been fascinated by the large container ships that carry vast numbers of containers across the world. In October 2018, I was visiting my daughter and family in Hong Kong and we were fortunate to or not, to get very close to a large container ship.

We were out on a small junk, with a crew of two people and crossing the shipping channel on our way back to Hong Kong. I had seen the large container ship travelling our way and as it came closer we slowed down to let it pass in front of us.

The video shows how close we were, it made us feel very small. This container ship was certainly not one of the largest, but it made me realise how small we are in the big scheme of things. Maybe a speck of dust from outer space, but yet each one of us is special to God!

Like all the things inside those containers, from the smallest reel of brightly coloured ribbons to large boxes of fruit, being small does not matter.

Back in March 2021,one of the largest container ships The Ever Given became stuck in the Suez Canal. The Ever Given was 400 metres long and held 20,000 containers. Once stuck it was an enormous problem to re-float this huge structure. As a result, large number of container ships had to wait at the entrance to the Suez Canal and shipping around the world was delayed.

How dependant we are on far away places.

Rev’d Sue Martin

 

 

Advent 3 Sunrise

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On December 18, 2021

In Advent, Christmas, community, Diocese of Norwich, Faith goes walkabout, Sermons, Uncategorized

I’m going to start with the sunrise! Yesterday morning was absolutely wonderful. I was just getting up about 7.00am and looked outside to see a warm reddish pink glow on the skyline, so I said how lovely it was and continued with my usual ‘getting up’ arrangements.

By 7.30am I was outside  looking at the sky, touched by pinkness on the edge of high clouds.

All out of darkness we have light!

Read more on Advent 2021...

Ascension Day 13th May 2021

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On May 15, 2021

In church seasons, community, Diocese of Norwich, Faith goes walkabout, Uncategorized

Ephesians 1:15-23

Acts 1:1-11

‘A cloud took him out of their sight’

And so the disciples were left behind, and returned to Jerusalem. Once again they had to say goodbye to Jesus and were even more aware that they needed to be going out into the world to spread the word.

The cloud often appears in the Bible and can be seen as the way that God appears in a veil of cloud. How often do you stand looking at fluffy white clouds and make them into amorphous shapes?

A cloud took him out of their sight…

This is where the distance between heaven and earth comes close. It is hard to visualise and explain this concept, it can be described as like cutting through paper with a knife and finding yourself in another place, at certain points in our world we can feel closer to God and heaven.

We hope that many of our churches are in such places, but it can also be a place in the countryside or a spot in a town, somewhere where you do feel closer to God.

Read more in Sermons 2021

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