An Adventure in Ministry

This week is baby loss awareness week. It is a time when we remember all the precious lives that are no longer with us and encourage men and women to talk about their experiences. It is a time to remember, grieve and seek comfort. While this has not been my own personal experience, having journeyed through infertility for over 10 years and through my ministry working with women walking through infertility and baby loss, I have supported lots of people through the grief and pain that is experienced. This year I have had the immense privilege of being asked to speak at the town’s annual baby loss service and to help put together an evening that will help people to remember their loved ones and grieve their loss.  As I sat thinking about and preparing for the service, I was considering the comfort that God brings to us in our grief. One of the pictures painted in the bible about God’s comfort is the idea of us sheltering under his wings. This is something that I often come back to whe...

  This week I have been thinking about the kingdom principle of being faithful in the little things. On Sunday I am teaching on this and while preparing to preach I like to sit and permeate on the topic and what it means for me. I often find too that before I teach on a topic, I have to practically learn about it for myself. Paul and I often remark on how God first teaches us the lesson before we teach it to others…I’ll save what happened when Paul taught on healing until another day!!! Luke 16:10 says: "The one who faithfully manages the little he has been given will be promoted and trusted with greater responsibilities." A couple of weeks ago I had an instance where God called me to be faithful in something little and although it was only a ‘little; thing it took great boldness. Let me tell you about my experience… My phone contract was up for renewal and I had decided I wanted to leave the provider I have been with for nearly 20 years and go with a new one. However, as...

I have seen lots of posts on social media recently about finding your tribe, posts like this one: Being completely honest it has challenged me. Through our four and a half year journey through infertility I have lost many friends, distancing myself from people in order to numb the pain, hiding behind the shame that I may never be ‘good enough  to be a mum’ rather  than being vulnerable with the people who knew me best. I’m sure many people in similar situations can identify. However… Recently God has been really speaking to me about community and has started to point out to me exactly who my ‘tribe’ is.  1 Corinthians 12:25-26 (the passion translation) says: 'He has done this intentionally so that every member would look after the others with mutual concern, and so that there will be no division in the body. In that way, whatever happens to one member happens to all. If one suffers, everyone suffers. If one is honoured, everyone rejoices.' ...

This week is officially baby and infant loss awareness week and through Facebook I have seen many interesting ariticles, posts and videos suggesting how we can support the many people around us who have been affected by the tragic loss of a baby or infant. Through my journey of infertility I have walked alongside many women who have had the joy of pregnancy followed by the tragedy of loss. I have seen how many have suffered in silence, afraid of what people may think and unable to deal with the awkward conversations that may ensue. I have seen the pain on anniversaries and important dates and the fear that further pregnancies may be opening their heart to further loss. Grief causes many emotions and I know this week many precious women are remembering times of great darkness. This week, as I have prayed for those women in my life who have  experienced the  great pain of grief that comes from losing a baby I have been reminded of how much more God ca...

Soon Paul (my hubby), Lucie (my youngest stepdaughter) and I are going on holiday. Now, I’m one of those strange people who love planning a trip away almost as much as going on the holiday itself! I know, I’m a control freak!! I have loved finding the place to stay (complete with hot tub!), organising day trips, cleaning the house ready to go, packing for myself, the dogs and Paul, etc etc etc! But So quickly the joy of planning and preparing can become the ties of worry and the bonds of anxiety. The fun I have had planning have given way to worries about worming the dogs (really!?!?!) panic about when and how we will pick up Lucie and anxiety about making the house tidy for mum and dad house sitting (even though I know my mum doesn’t care and will tidy up for me anyway!) and so many other little things that have brought me down and exhausted me. Whilst pondering this, my mind turned to the road I am walking through infertility and once again I realised God’s goodnes...

Our second stop of the day was the church that was built at the site where it was believed Caiaphus' house stood. It was here that Jesus was brought to on the night before his death and kept over night. It was also the place where it is believed Peter denied Christ three times.  The church was a beautiful sanctury in the madness of the city and the church was full of beautiful pastel paintings on the walls and brightly coloured stained glass. One of the paintings that spoke to me was one that showed Jesus in ropes, stood before a crowed who are shouting and jeering at him. Above him, a number of of angels hold a cross, whilst God looks on the scene with sorrow and torment on his face. It reminded me of this famous verse:  We went downstairs to the cellar where Jesus may have been kept. It was in this place Jesus would have waited feeling scared, exhausted and full of sorrow. We considered that Jesus did this, took our sin and died for each of us. As we stood in th...

In the afternoon we spent some time at the Southern wall of Jerusalem. Here we looked at some of the ruins left from the period of the second temple. We stood on the steps where Jesus would have definitely walked when he came to Jerusalem for festivals.  We sat and considered how the area may have looked when the temple was still standing and what it means for us. Helen set a picture of what the temple would have been like at feast days. The sights and sounds, the hustle and bustle, the mayhem of it all. She then said. "The temple doesn't sound or smell like the house of prayer we imagine today." This really challenged me. I expect a house of prayer to be calm and peaceful but that isn't always the case, God can also be in the hubub.  I also considered that the bible says we are the temple of the holy spirit. Sometimes in church we can discount people because we don't believe they can become our vision of the temple, calm, ordered and compliant bu...

Our final destination of the day was 'The Garden Tomb'. It was a little place of quietness and peace in the bustle of Jerusalem. We arrived and was greeted by a lovely English guide who took us through the three stages of the place.  We sat and overlooked the place believed to be Golgotha, as the guide explained the torment Jesus would have endured during the last moments of his life. He reminded us that through his death, we have life and forgiveness.  Looking at Golgotha, one thing that struck me, was the way that there was a Muslim cemetery that has been built on top of Golgotha. On the side of the wall, just above the place Jesus would have been crucified, was emblazoned, in Arabic, 'Allah is God' For a little while I got a bit angry, but on reflection, two things occurred to me One - that if the worst another faith can do is to put death next to the place that God conquered death, then what a mighty God I serve!  Two - It is inter...

Our final stop of the day was to see the Jesus boat – a 2000 year old boat discovered on the shore of Galilee. After we had seen this we then went on our own ride over the sea of Galilee. Words cannot even begin to describe my experience there and even writing this, I can feel tears coming to my eyes. As we began our journey with the beautiful sun on our skin, we listened to songs of worship. I simply couldn’t stay in my seat or keep my hands by my side and as we sang ‘My Jesus, My Saviour’ the tears poured. Then the Bethel version of ‘It is well’ played. As the music washed over me, I was reminded of the promise Jesus had given me already on this trip, and the words from the song brought such deep peace. Paul was then asked to read from Mark 4:35 where Jesus calms the storm. It was overwhelming to know that the very story happened where I was sailing. Then, after a short thought we sang 10,000 reasons. This song is so special to ...

At Capernaum, our next stop, we saw some of the ruins of the town Jesus did much of his ministry in. We sat in the shade and read from Mark 1. Sat in front of the ruins of the Synagogue, we read how Jesus healed people, cast out demons and ministered to them in that very place. WOW! Later as I stood in the synagogue I could sense his power and authority in that very place. In a church over the top of a house it is believed Jesus resided in, I saw a young man on his knees before Jesus and I just had to sit and pray and thank God for his son. We then went to Bethsaida, a small, quiet and pretty non-descript ruin. As we sat listening to the chorus of the crickets, Eric reminded us that God uses ordinary people for extraordinary things. Peter, Andrew and Philip came from here and God turned their lives upside down. As I considered how God will transform nobodies into somebodies, I thought of the ministry God is using me in. I thank ...